The appointment of Roy Hodgson as the England manager was greeted warmly across footballing circles, especially by their fans. But the squad picked has thrown up a few surprises and yes, more importantly for the critics, something to talk about. With the Euro finals just weeks away and the English team being the perennial underachievers in World football, Roy’s surprise selection has been the primary fodder for blogs and websites over the Internet. Here’s a look at the team he has drafted.
England: Hart, Green, Ruddy – Baines, Cahill, Cole, Glen Johnson, Jones, Lescott, Terry – Barry, Downing, Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Parker, Walcott, Young – Carroll, Defoe, Rooney, Welbeck.
Standby: Butland, Jagielka, Henderson, Adam Johnson, Sturridge.
Rio’s strained relationship with the Chelsea captain John Terry might have led to his exclusion. And with a season which has been mediocre for the larger part, what are the odds that he would slip up at the finals again? Stewart Downing would be rejoicing over his selection after being ‘assisting’ Liverpool last season to, oh wait, nothing. Steven Gerrard will have to deal with something difficult, besides his form, fostering unity and brotherhood in that side. Funny isn’t it?
History in the tournament:
England failed to qualify for the last Euros back in 2008 under manager Steve McClaren. World Cup’10 was equally disastrous suffering decimation at the hands of Germany, who remains one of the favorites to win this. England’s form in the Euros and other major tournaments can make dead people cry. Their 3rd place finish back in 1996 under their most successful manager Terry Venables remains their best performance in a Euro.
The Manager:
Roy Hodgson’s managerial profile isn’t so attractive when compared to his predecessor Fabio Capello, but one thing that stands out is his vast experience. Hodgson has been around for a long time, but this job is definitely the biggest challenge he has ever faced. Prior to this, Hodgson has led the Swiss national football team to the ’94 World Cup where they were eliminated in the round of 16 courtesy Spain. Before his departure from Switzerland to manage the Nerazzuris, Hodgson ensured that the Swiss qualified for the ’96 Euro Championship. Brief stints as manager of UAE and Finland national sides; have reinforced his credibility in managing international teams. Roy Hodgson recently led West Bromwich Albion to their best ever league finish in three decades.
Players to watch:
1. Joe Hart -
- Safe hands.
The Man City goalkeeper is just 25 but as established himself as the undisputed No. 1 in his country. Superb shot stopping abilities coupled with his domineering attitude in front of goal makes him a difficult keeper to get past.
2. Wayne Rooney
- Has transformed into a world class player.
Wayne Rooney has been the England’s top striker by a country mile for some time now. He has had a terrific season for United, scoring 34 goals in all competitions. He has been used more as a withdrawn striker alongside Danny Welbeck by Fergie and the duo has looked lethal every time they played together. It would be interesting however, to see if Hodgson would be adventurous enough to use them both. But given the type of football he prefers and his affinity towards disciplined defending, odds are that it would Steven Gerrard behind Rooney. Rooney is set to miss the first two games through suspension.
3. Alex Ox-lade Chamberlain-
- The trump card!
This young Arsenal midfielder isn’t a surprise inclusion to be honest. Pace in abundance and some trickery as well, Chamberlain can be a very potent weapon against wearing oppositions coming on as a substitute. There is no doubt about the lad’s temperament but it wouldn’t possibly be a classic case of “too much too soon”.
Injuries:
Roy Hodgson would be absolutely gutted to miss out on PFA Young footballer of the Year Kyle Walker through a broken foot. The Tottenham right back would have been his fist choice but is now set to miss it. United center half and Rio’s understudy Chris Smalling has also been ruled out with a hamstring. Danny Welbeck is carrying a niggle into the Euros but is expected to be fit for the start of the tournament.
Formations:
Hodgson will most likely go in with a 4-4-1-1 with Gerrard playing behind Wayne Rooney. Cahill and Terry are the likeliest to be the defensive partners, having played alongside each other for Chelsea. Barry will fight it out with Tottenham ace Scott Parker for the defensive midfielder slot. The rest pick themselves.
Strengths and weaknesses:
Well I really would have to wrack my brains to think what that one thing is that can drive this English side forward and turn them into potential contenders. The likes of Terry, Gerrard and Lampard might possibly be playing their last major tournament for the country and would ideally want to sign off on a winning note. This side has quality in all departments but after a really grueling season of football, how kicked up are they?
There is no one to control the play’s tempo; they will miss someone in Scholes or Murphy mould. That defense isn’t the best either, Terry has slipped pretty often over the last season and has been found wanting against quicker forwards. And to top that all, problems in the dressing room don’t help their cause either.
Verdict:
Roy Hodgson surprised everybody with his team selection and also with the urgency with which it was done. Why was that inspite of being appointed so late, Hodgson declared his squad ahead of most others? With Champions League final on the 19th May, he could have waited to find out if his picks get a knock or not. The series of events leading up to the finals is anything but encouraging from a fan’s point of view. Besides, some would argue that this is one of the weakest English sides ever to go into a major tournament. Their stars are at the twilight of their careers with fading form. Why don’t I consider England as a contender? Simple, they are chokers. To say they would go out early is a safe bet given their history in this competition. And to top it all, England are in the group of uncertainty with likes of France, Ukraine and Sweden. But yes, miracles happen.
