down.
The media haven’t half got their knickers in a knot about Roy Hodgson picking some youngsters in his World Cup squad, when they should be focusing on the old failures instead.
It’s not those youngsters that more than likely won’t even get a real run out in Brazil come June and July. – well probably just June as the quarter finals are in July – it’ll be those that have been there and done that before. That, being failed.
Glen Johnson at right back. Roy loves him, plays him at every opportunity, never really tried anyone else in that role. No I’m not talking about Walker, who I wouldn’t take either as defensively he’s only slightly ahead of Johnson but some kids, maybe the Southampton ones.
Ah but that would have left Roy in a conundrum, if they’d played well how could he drop a usual suspect. After all he’s done it to Ashley Cole and you can tell by his initial intention to include Cole in the standby squad that was something he didn’t really want to do.
Well if he can pick Lampard who has done nothing this season there was no reason not to pick a player who was replaced at his club by a reasonably inexperienced right-back. And there are so many out there that would have done just that, picked Cole, because he had one good game a decade ago.
It’s like Ryan Giggs, when people claim he’s the greatest ever they mention that goal in the ’99 FA Cup semi. The one big game he had an influence, they don’t mention all the other big games that Man Utd had over the last two decades – quarter finals, semi finals, finals, title deciders – where Giggs was missing in action. With Cole it’s always that game against Ronaldo in Euro ’04. While Hazard was getting all the blame for a goal against Chelsea in the Champions League, Cole was being praised, even though he was the defender and was no where to be seen.
So Johnson plays, which normally means a defensive minded right sided player is picked to cover for his defensive inabilities. Let’s remember Liverpool lost the title because of those defensive frailties. Ah but they had the greatest deep lying midfielder ever and so will England. Steven Gerrard.
All year we’ve been told how well he’s adapted to this new role. Except as stated his club side let in quite a few goals, isn’t it the most they’ve ever conceded in a 38 game season in about 100 years.
Of course this comes from his media mates who somehow named him the second best player of the season, when Toure pretty much pissed all over everything Gerrard did. The same types that don’t blame Stevie G for his slip, conveniently missing out why he slipped. He slipped because he was trying to atone for his error, he slipped because he couldn’t control a simple pass.
His slip played a major part in costing them the league no matter what people claim. He’s someone who has been tagged scared before when representing England, now he’s had this failure in something that means more to him than representing his country.
Then didn’t Roy say he wouldn’t take injured players? Like every England manager has done in the past before taking injured players. Is Rooney fit? Has he done anything to go? Well certainly not at past tournaments. Is Jones fit? Has either Jones or Smalling done anything to go. The reason Carrick isn’t is because he had a poor season in a team that was poor. Well ditto for the two defenders, who are only picked really because they can cover at fullback. Stones should have gone.
Jones was going to be the future but you feel he’s a slightly less talented Jonathan Woodgate, never going to fulfil his potential because of injuries.
Wilshere is another one. Done nowt, not match fit but Roy was never going to leave him behind. Loathsome lolly tongued git. Wonder if Rodriguez would have gone if he was just back from injury. I doubt it even though he was an England player in real form when he unfortunately had his hopes dashed.
It could be worse of course. Roy could have tried and talked Rio into coming back. Poor old Rio, announces that it’s time for him to move on, just after Man Utd announce that they don’t want him any more. Yes Rio, you keep telling yourself that you dumped them.
Sterling, Lallana, Lambert (I know, not a youngster), Shaw, Barkley and even Henderson have played themselves into rightful selection. Others are there because of the same old game of England football managers.
Of course it could be a lot worse, have a look at that standby squad. Useless lump Carroll up front feeding off Cleverly’s Spanish style passing, while Defoe is offside.