The 30 Man Provisional Squad

[chapperzUK]

I heard that Scholes rejected Cappello's plea to come out of retirement.

This would be my 23 :

GK: Hart, James, Green
Defence: Baines, Cole, Dawson, Rio, Johnson, King, Terry
Midfield: Carrick, Gerrard, Johnson, Lampard, Lennon, Milner, Parker, Walcott.
Forwards: Rooney, Crouch, Defoe, Heskey, Bent

 

[BoyWonder2]

International football is all about installing footballers into a system that's familiar with those involved. England, for whatever reason, just don't seem comfortable in a traditional 4-4-2 formation and I can't see Bent slotting in to any other role, other than playing off the shoulder of the defence alongside another forward like he is at Sunderland. Unfortunately, that role as "main forward" is already taken by Rooney.

If we're playing the more familiar 4-3-2-1 formation that we seem to opt for, then Heskey far outshadows Bent in terms of the "big man" up top, and Bent's link-up play isn't good enough to be considered for one of the roles to play off him like Rooney, J.Cole, Lennon and Walcott are capable of.

He's a good striker, but one that I just can't place in any of the systems that Capello likes to use. It's for similar reasons that I suppose Zamora has been overlooked... That, and the fact he's actually a fairly limited striker who's merely having a good season, of course.

I can actually see us lining up with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Heskey as the focal point up top.

Lennon, Rooney and Gerrard as the 3 in behind him with Gerrard on the left and Lennon on the right. Lampard will be instructed to sit alongside Barry if he is fit or Huddlestone/Carrick/Parker.

In the defence a back four of Cole Terry Ferdinand Johnson with James in the sticks.

Bent, and Defoe for that matter, don't fit into that system. Crouch can be deployed instead of Heskey if Capello goes down that route, but Rooney prefers to play with Heskey and with Heskey in our qualification campaign we was one of the top scorers. Defoe will only come on as a replacement when we are chasing the game in the latter stages.

I can see Dawson, Warnock, SWP, Cole, Parker, Johnson and Bent being dropped from the 30, but I'd much rather see Upson left out as he is not international class.

 

[Rob Noxious]

No real surprises. Agree about Carragher but why would Capello call him up and then discard him? Dawson is a much better option.
The rest pick themselves although how Downing can keep getting caps is beyond me.

I thought Downing didn't make it ? Something I'm delighted about if so. :clap:

 

[Rob Noxious]

I can actually see us lining up with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Heskey as the focal point up top.

Lennon, Rooney and Gerrard as the 3 in behind him with Gerrard on the left and Lennon on the right. Lampard will be instructed to sit alongside Barry if he is fit or Huddlestone/Carrick/Parker.

I think Lampard will play further upfield than that. Great to see Parker in the provisional squad after his gutsy displays recently. I hope he makes the 23, particularly if there is any doubt about Barry's recovery from injury.

 

[BoyWonder2]

I think Lampard will play further upfield than that. Great to see Parker in the provisional squad after his gutsy displays recently. I hope he makes the 23, particularly if there is any doubt about Barry's recovery from injury.

That is how he has fitted into Capello's 4-2-3-1 formation so far.

Yes he has got into the box on occassions, but he is in there to sit alongside Barry. Its a formation that Capello has used to great success for AC Milan and Real Madrid with two holding midfielders.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

Surprised that Adam Johnson got in ahead of Ashley Young, other than that no huge surprises. Would have liked Paul Robinson to be in there ahead of Green and either Carlton Cole or Zamora instead of Heskey. I'm glad he's left out at Lescott who I think is overrated and got Carragher back. He may be getting on but he's a class defender. Tough decision but the 7 I'd drop would probably be Baines, Upson, Dawson, Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Parker and Bent. And I imagine the 7 who HE'LL drop will be close to that.

 

[Rob Noxious]

That is how he has fitted into Capello's 4-2-3-1 formation so far.

Yes he has got into the box on occassions, but he is in there to sit alongside Barry. Its a formation that Capello has used to great success for AC Milan and Real Madrid with two holding midfielders.

Hmmm ... I would hope that Fab might be a bit more flexible cometh the hour. I have spent a large part of the last decade having a huge downer on Lampard, but I have a sneakin' suspicion* that he could prove his quality in this tournament - as an attacking midfielder.

*for all you Feelgoods/Wilko fans. :)

 

[Pubey]

August 2008, extracts taken from Carra: My Autobiography:

• "I was never in love with playing for England in the first place."

• "Sitting on the England coach as it prepared to drive us away from the World Cup in Germany, I received a text message. '**** it! It's only England'. I'd just missed a penalty in the quarter-final shoot-out against Portugal. Representing your country is the ultimate honour, especially in the World Cup. Not to me."

• "I would rather miss for England than LFC."

• "I wasn't giving up my football career or my ambitions. Only England."

• "The Liver Bird mauled the Three Lions in the fight for my loyalties."

• "Whenever I returned home from disappointing England experiences, one unshakeable, overriding thought pushed itself to the forefront of my mind, no matter how much the rest of the nation mourned. 'At least it wasn't Liverpool,' I'd repeat to myself, over and over."

 

[Heskey]

GK
Hart
Green
James

Defenders
John Terry
Rio Ferdinand
Michael Dawson
Ashely Cole
Glen Johnson
Baines
King

Midfeilders
Lampard
Gerrard
Milner
Parker
Joe Cole
Michael Carrick
Theo Walcott
Aaron Lennon
Barry - If Fit!

Strikers
Crouch
Rooney
Bent
Defoe

Would have liked to have seen Micah Richards in the squad!
Heskey and Carragher arent worth the paper their names are written on!
The Ashely Young and Abonglahor band wagons and stuck in the pits.
Huddlestone left out as the job he would be looking to do is covered by better players. Shame to hear about Zamora's injury keeping him from out of the squad.

 

[Rob Noxious]

GK
Would have liked to have seen Micah Richards in the squad!
Heskey and Carragher arent worth the paper their names are written on!
... Shame to hear about Zamora's injury keeping him from out of the squad.

I am delighted that Richards is not in the squad as he appears clueless at reading the game. Carragher can do that, even if his legs may be on the wane.

The whole Heskey debate could blow up in Fab's face if - heaven forbid - Rooney gets injured. Zamora would have been a good option to have as before that injury, he was in the form of his life.

 

[EastStandBlue]

I am delighted that Richards is not in the squad as he appears clueless at reading the game. Carragher can do that, even if his legs may be on the wane.

The whole Heskey debate could blow up in Fab's face if - heaven forbid - Rooney gets injured. Zamora would have been a good option to have as before that injury, he was in the form of his life.

And still wasn't good enough for a place in the England squad.

 

[Rob Noxious]

And still wasn't good enough for a place in the England squad.

Would have been included reportedly. :p