Countdown Complete - Front line falls flat.

If the 30-man provisional squad is anything to go by then my predictions have been pretty tasty so far. Wes Brown didn’t make it but as I said previously, if Jamie Carragher’s availability had been public knowledge he would have blown Brown out of the water, as he has.

Lets cut to the chase, Wayne Rooney is in and he needs to be well looked after for the next month. He has shown the strain of carrying the attacking demands of Manchester United on his broad shoulders recently, never more so than on Sunday when he volunteered himself for substitution when still in the hunt for the golden boot. Rooney is not the sort of play that returns rusty or loses his touch, if he doesn’t kick a ball again until June 10^th I will still have him leading the line, bar none.

Theo Walcott has pace and defenders do not like pace, just ask Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher and John Terry, three world class defenders who have constantly faltered under the pressure of pace. Also an option out wide, Walcott is a potential impact substitute if ever there was one, his inexperience limits his options when on the ball but you don’t need to think too much when you can run 100m in 11 seconds. Look at what Walcott did to Barcelona in their Champions League first leg with Arsenal. The narrow, intricate football that Arsenal plays makes it difficult for Walcott to have an impact over 90 minutes. Each of the three goals he scored against Croatia, in qualifying, came from the former-Saints star picking the ball up wide and running at people, that does not happen at the Emirates, not since a certain Mr. Henry ruled the roost in North London.

Emile Heskey, if it were up to me, would be spending his summer in England with his agent trying to find a new club. The professional rebound board cannot get into his club team and age is not on his side. Heskey is a confidence player if ever there was one; he needs an arm round his shoulder, a whisper in his ear and a gaping open goal before he can show any form of ability. All the stick that’s been aimed at Emile over the years by know-it-all, failed footballers turned journalists, like myself, have no doubt contributed to Heskey’s glaring lack of self-confidence but, in a one month knock out tournament, there is not enough time for ego rubbing, especially not for such a questionable talent.

In Heskey’s place is Peter Crouch, there are pros and cons to the inclusion of Crouch (or Dave as Trigger calls him) pro: the used to play for QPR, con: I reckon Abbey Clancy was after me before he started flashing his cash at her. Crouch has a better first touch and better mobility than Heskey, two massive factors when picking a target-man. Crouch can also finish as he has shown with Spurs and England already, yes some of his goals have come against lesser teams but he puts them away none-the-less. Capello will be going against all his previous claims, that he picks players on form, if he picks Heskey, he has had his chance and he has failed to deliver, time and time again. We’ve all heard Michael Owen et al describe the ex-Leicester man as the ideal strike partner but we don’t have Michael Owen any more. We need to pick a player able to compliment Wayne Rooney and I see Crouch as the man for that job.

Bobby Zamora is omitted from my World Cup squad, he has been exceptional as the focal point of a 4-5-1 formation for Fulham but Fabio Capello is not going to play that system. It may not sound like a hugely demanding change for a player to make but I do not see Zamora continuing his club form onto the world stage. He has had one exceptional season on the back of some pretty woeful ones, he has moved from club to club and often been offloaded as a disappointment. I think Zamora has been a fortunate victim of Roy Hodgson’s management skill and Fulham’s particular style of play. It may seem harsh but I think Zamora knows that he would be out of his depth in South Africa, there are better players in front of him and I think there are even better players behind him in pecking order.

This is a the most depressing part of the draw, I am completely indifferent as to whether Jermaine Defoe or Darren Bent go to the World Cup, both are well short of the crème-de-la-crème of all out strikers England has produced in the past. Lineker, Shearer, Owen, goal getters of the highest quality. Bent and Defoe are quick and know where the goal is but they do not inspire me in the least. I doubt that either of them have the mental strength for an occasion such as this and I see neither of them getting the better of a world-class defender. Bent has got goals at unfashionable Sunderland but there must be a reason he is not playing at a better side at 26 years-of-age. Defoe just about pips Bent to the post but I still have my reservations. Barring Wayne Rooney this group of players leaves me completely deflated, so much so that I wouldn’t even bother with starting any of the other three….

IN: Wayne Rooney, Peter Crouch, Theo Walcott, and Jermaine Defoe

Below is my starting 11 for England’s World Cup, this is a fantasy but with attacking options like those above desperate times call for us to rely entirely on Wayne Rooney. its a 4-5-1. Aplogese for the layout but i don't have a clue what I'm doing

Rooney

J Cole, Gerrard, Carrick, Lampard, A Johnson

A Cole Terry Carragher Johnson

James

Midfield Men

An infamous Achilles injury has eradicated an argument that was overshadowing England’s World Cup chances and the emerging talent more than ready to take David Beckham’s place. Had he been fit Goldenballs would have made my list but the rumpus surrounding his inclusion detracts from the team too much. I now look at the premature end to Beckham’s World Cup dream as a painful blessing in disguise, it saves the possible embarrassment of him being over looked and it leaves a space open for a younger, in-form midfielder to cement their place. Mind you in the recent days Jamie Carragher has hinted at his return to the fold and one of my previous defensive selections would make way for him, much in the same way that if a certain evergreen Manchester United redhead returned to the England fold a degree of reshuffling to this group would be required.


Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard maintain their posts as England’s leading midfielders, Chelsea’s goal machine has spoken recently about this season being his best and, in terms of team silverware, he might be right. Liverpool’s captain is suffering a different fate, a miserable season with Liverpool will hopefully not leave Gerrard too deflated, we must hope instead that the new found freedom from Anfield’s heavy shackles reinvigorates the scouser.


The ‘utility man’ tag can be a poisoned chalice but it seems to be working perfectly for James Milner. The former winger, occasional fullback and newfound centre midfielder has shone in Aston Villa’s engine room this year. In Milner you have a squad member that can play on either flank, in either fullback position and in the middle of the park, he has also been known to get on the scoresheet, he is a complete player.

Gareth Barry’s recent injury may tragically force him out of the reckoning but on current form he would not make my squad. Viera, De Jong and Kompany have outshone him in Manchester City’s midfield and while Barry was relied on so much by Aston Villa he has faded somewhat into the back ground at The Eastlands. Replacing him is not easy, especially with Owen Hargreaves’ tendonitis reducing him to just one league appearance this year.


Michael Carrick gets the nod from me. He has become the scapegoat for Manchester United’s misfortunes this year and that has cost him his place in the starting 11. In my goal keeping and defensive selections stats had a defining role but further up the field ability, temperament and technique play a much larger part. Carrick has the discipline that is vital for all holding midfielders, that mental strength that allows you to sacrifice personal glories for that of the team. Carrick also has a range of passing, off either foot, that is unrivalled in the Premiership. He has experience at the highest level of club football and he has been free of injury all season.

Scott Parker also goes to South Africa in my book, I am a big fan of Parker’s and without him I don’t think West Ham would have survived this year. I do, however, think that he looked especially good when he was lining up alongside some very average West Ham players. A mix of inexperienced young Hammers and a few foreign mercenaries surrounded parker and while they were picking up ratings of 5s and 6s his combative style and never-say-die attitude ensured him 8s and 9s in comparison. Had Barry and Hargreaves been available this may have been a tougher choice but with the attacking options still to feature a reliable anchorman is what I need and that is certainly what Scott Parker is.

Aaron Lennon has made his return to action just in time and I assume that over the next eight weeks he will regain as much sharpness as possible. Lennon gets the nod ahead of Sean Wright Phillips for a few reasons, first touch, a final ball and a smug father separate the two. SWP is a sub at best at international level and I think most international defenders will be able to cope with the predictability of his game and his lack of ball control.

My inclusion of Joe Cole may surprise some and it’s not an easy choice by any means, especially having watched Chelsea’s celebrations yesterday. Cole offers a mercurial talent that England’s squad lacks, he does the unexpected, he does the things that Zidane, Del Piero, Bebeto and Bergkamp have done for their respective countries. I am not putting Cole on the same pedestal as those mentioned but I hope it demonstrates my point. When a team lays out two banks of four and invites you to attack them then pace and power will not cut the mustard. Something audacious and unexpected must happen, something that an average player would not think about let alone attempt. Wayne Rooney has this certain ‘je na sais quoi’ in abundance but his goal scoring instinct takes priority as a striker. Cole also offers the option of playing as a second striker and as a centre midfielder.

Adam Johnson completes my eight midfielders although one of the forwards I am to name in the next installment is as effective on the flank. Johnson has had a fine season and in a short time he has proved he is Premiership quality at least. He is not just a speed merchant, going outside every time, playing into the defenders hands, he also has the verve to try something different. Johnson’s an unknown entity on the international scene and that could work in our favour. If he travels I certainly expect him to have more of an impact than Theo Walcott did at our last attempt and he does not seem the type to be phased by anything, having settled into the Man City soap opera with apparent ease.

I thought I would be more conflicted as I went through my list and had to put crosses through certain names and ticks next to others but when I look at these eight names and consider where they could play anywhere in a team’s six most offensive positions I get a sense of assurance, confidence even.

I wonder if Fabio realises how easy this job really is?

The Big 23- Englands Defenders

DEFENDERS

IN: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Matthew Upson, Leighton Baines, Wes Brown, Michael Dawson.

Filling a 23-man squad seemed an easy enough task at the start, however, just five minutes in to the conundrum and not only am I torn between defenders but I cant even decide how many to take. I have settled on eight, I considered a brave seven but, with injuries blighting my options, one more seems more vital than optional. Once that mathematical brainteaser was out the way it was time for the stalwarts, shoe-ins and certainties to pick themselves again, or so I thought. In truth I started with a list of 23 defenders, everyone a genuine candidate, well Jonathon Woodgate might be considered wishful thinking. When Fabio Capello first addressed the British press, upon his appointment as boss, he placed a hell of a lot of emphasis on form being paramount to his team selection; in doing so he may well have made a rod for his own back.

Rio Ferdinand, one of the best three defenders in the world for the past 10 years, is a shadow of his former-self. A few months ago I implied that his off-field exploits, magazines, restaurants, film productions and record labels, might be the scourge of his season, now I feel almost repentant as he is so clearly crippled with back problems. A meager 12 Premier League appearances, six shy of the 18 showings that seasoned sick-note Ledley King has put together instills very little confidence. So often Ferdinand’s fleet of foot was the perfect foil for John Terry’s lack of pace, the two combined to make a dream pairing, in Rio’s current condition that is far from the case.

Too much has been made of John Terry’s apparent lack of form since his extra marital activities become public knowledge. You try to go about your business with 50,000 screaming obscenities at you and its bound to cause a wobble, in a months time it will all be forgotten, as will Wayne Bridge who will be offloaded by Manchester City and exiled from the national team.

For some good news finally, the fourth best statistically rated defender in the Premiership, according to Actim, is English and has missed just a handful of games in three seasons. Leighton Baines is 25 and is about to complete another stellar season for Everton; in the last three years he has played 90 league games and attracted plaudits throughout English football. He is, first and foremost, a tenacious defender and a reliable left-back. He quality of his delivery has secured him the role of free-kick taker for David Moyes side and the Scots manager can regularly be heard championing his £6 million man. Stephen Warnock has shown a similar level of consistency and reliability, in the same position, at Aston Villa but Baines edges it as Ashley Cole’s back up.

Wes Brown, Matthew Upson and Michael Dawson make up my remaining defensive cover. Brown offers cover in any position across the back four and has shaken off the youthful over-exuberance that previously allowed mistakes to creep into his game. Matthew Upson is a large part of reason that West Ham are still in the Premiership, a solid yet cultured defender, one of the top ten this year. All the noise over Ledley King’s involvement seems short sighted when you consider that, yet again, he has played half a season while Michael Dawson has held things together for Spurs for over 30 games and grown in stature as a defender. Dawson has statistically had a better season than Upson but experience would guarantee Upson the third choice centre-half spot.

Phil Jagielka and Joleon Lescott have not got enough match time in while Gary Neville’s re-established importance, in Alex Ferguson’s side, meant he goes close but he looks increasingly vulnerable up against pace.

Paul Konchesky and Ryan Shawcross can consider themselves unlucky not to make my completely irrelevant cut. Konchesky has flourished in a Roy Hodgson side that is primarily a 4-5-1 defensive one, which counts against the former Charlton mans inclusion in Capello’s 4-4-2. Ryan Shawcross is going to be a big player for England for years to come, already a commanding figure in a Stoke side that has established itself in the Premiership with his help. The fallout form the Aaron Ramsey incident has counted against the 23-year-old. The three game ban, incurred from the resulting sending off, came at a crucial time and making his return in a 7-0 defeat to Chelsea did not help. Gary Cahill and Micah Richards have struggled, one with fitness the latter with form and they too look like occupying England spots in the future.

The fallout from Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign is still damaging as Jamie Carragher, despite an impressive season with faltering Liverpool, refuses to make himself available for the new Italian chief, while Sol Campbell gets a ‘thanks but no thanks’ from me.

We do have an abundance of talent in defence, some players at their peak, some over the hill and some real prospects, the key will be getting the right balance. Capello will have to earn his money when it comes to selecting his defenders but if anyone can do it I fancy the Italian can.