The Final England Squad

[XLM]

Can someone please tell me the need for 5 centre backs?

[tcj_jones]

Carragher is clearly there to provide cover at RB.

[Balwer]

Can someone please tell me the need for 5 centre backs?

Carragher is there as the backup right back.

[XLM]

That doesn't mean he can't play centre back. He isn't confined to right back just because he's taken as one. The whole point in him is that he can play both. Why take someone who plays centre back every week, and has done for years, to only consider him a right back. Upson or King could have been cut with no detriment to that squad to leave room for Adam Johnson or Walcott. Makes no sense from where I'm sitting.

[DE.]

Shocking, really, that we had to pull Carragher out of international retirement because there isn't any other right-back considered good enough to cover Johnson, who himself isn't exactly fantastic defensively.

[Billy Castell]

From the BBC website:

ENGLAND'S 2010 WORLD CUP SQUAD:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Michael Dawson, Stephen Warnock

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Tom Huddlestone, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Adam Johnson

Forwards: Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent, Wayne Rooney,

That would be my choice from the 30 off the top of my head.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Hopefully I won't be one of a few people to say something positive about this squad but I'm pleased we've got cover in every position and if all our players remain fit then we've got a great chance in going far.

The players Capello has chosen mostly all have something different to bring to the team which might be invaluable when it matters most. Most of the team have experience of previous tournaments and we've also got some younger players who will benefit greatly in the future too.

I know Capello has stated in the past that he will only pick players in form and fit but during qualifying he's got a lot of games to fix mistakes. Now he's at the World Cup he has obviously chosen players who he can trust since taking over as manager and they will fit in well with the other players in the group whilst they are away for a month (hopefully!).

It's nice to see Warnock get a chance for England. He's probably the least experienced there but he's a good footballer and he's meant to be a good person to have in a squad too. He must have impressed a lot in training for Fabio to overlook Baines without actually featuring in a pre-tournament game.

I am also pleased with the strikers he's chosen for South Africa. Obviously Rooney is the stand out player up front but Peter Crouch has an incredible goalscoring record for England and he also has a good partnership with Defoe if needed. Heskey, although not everyones cup of tea, brings the best out of Rooney and other players around him so it makes sense to take him along because he is a handful for defenders and we can also use him as a scapegoat if we get knocked out.

[JAL]

Simply cant believe Capello has included the crocked Gareth Barry, a very poor decision probably due to the nations shortcomings perhaps. Barry wont be able to reach the level of performance required for England to progress through.

Walcot had it coming but the rest are just simply the best of an average bunch excluding your Rooney, Gerrard and Lampards that is.

Ah well ..come on England look froward to hearing the fans chanting the national anthem and if this squad is seen as an up against it bunch in the beginning then and only then might England begin to bring a touch of reality to their forthcoming prospects.

Come on England

[Hughesy]

Heskey....Upson....SWP - clearly all in form for their clubs - aye!!

Glad Walcott hasnt gone - he hasnt deserved it this season. Oh and where was Bentley!? He doesnt seem to be on any lists!!

[DE.]

Looking at the draw and the teams we could potentially face, I think we have a good chance of getting to the semis. Should things all go roughly how you'd expect, we should get France (if I worked this out correctly) in the Quarters, which I certainly think is winnable. After that we'd most likely get Brazil in the semis.

Of course, there's no guarantee it won't go pear-shaped and we'll crash out in the last 16 to someone like Serbia, or worse not get past the group stages but looking at it optimistically I think we can realistically achieve a semi-final spot this year, and if we catch Brazil on a bad day maybe even a place in the final...

[Amo]

At least Capello had the sense to drop Walcott. It was bad enough him going to the last WC for doing naff all.

[Mozzer]

im pleased walcott has been dropped from the squad - thinks its the right decision - all about pace nothing else ..

i would of took adam johnson to have a geniune left winger

also i wouldnt of took michael carrick as i think hes very overated - o maybe michael dawson over upson aswell

overall fairly pleased with the squad

[Majiball]

At least Capello had the sense to drop Walcott. It was bad enough him going to the last WC for doing naff all.

Cause that was Theo's fault wasn't it, blame Sven.

I'm surprised he's not going especially with SWP as his replacement he's played less than Theo. At the end of the day its high time people realised he isn't and never will be a winger he's a striker, hopefully Wenger figures it out soon.

[Iceman]

Im still shocked, that Bent has been left out. Good luck to you guys though, just think Capello has made a huge mistake.

[alexanders]

Guessing:

Ledley King

Parker

Bent

Huddlestone

Warnock

SWP

Baines

4 out of 7.

[Ricky]

I got 4 out of 7 but should have a bonus for getting the biggie (Walcott) right

[BuckyRover]

Im still shocked, that Bent has been left out. Good luck to you guys though, just think Capello has made a huge mistake.

Don't be shocked that Bent has been left out. He doesn't have it, he cannot cope unless he is the first name on the teamsheet, something which he will never be for England

[tcj_jones]

Looking at the draw and the teams we could potentially face, I think we have a good chance of getting to the semis. Should things all go roughly how you'd expect, we should get France (if I worked this out correctly) in the Quarters, which I certainly think is winnable. After that we'd most likely get Brazil in the semis.

Of course, there's no guarantee it won't go pear-shaped and we'll crash out in the last 16 to someone like Serbia, or worse not get past the group stages but looking at it optimistically I think we can realistically achieve a semi-final spot this year, and if we catch Brazil on a bad day maybe even a place in the final...

When you look at our half of the draw, we really should be making semis. However, we'd then most likely have to beat the winner of Spain vs Brazil to get to the final. On that basis, I predict we'll get knocked out in the semis.

[joey_big_nose]

Looking at the draw and the teams we could potentially face, I think we have a good chance of getting to the semis. Should things all go roughly how you'd expect, we should get France (if I worked this out correctly) in the Quarters, which I certainly think is winnable. After that we'd most likely get Brazil in the semis.

Of course, there's no guarantee it won't go pear-shaped and we'll crash out in the last 16 to someone like Serbia, or worse not get past the group stages but looking at it optimistically I think we can realistically achieve a semi-final spot this year, and if we catch Brazil on a bad day maybe even a place in the final...

When will we learn?!

At least six teams out there who are better on paper that us (Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Holland, Portugal, Italy) plus the Germans who always perform above their talents, and the French who are a bit of a dark horse. Quarter finals would be a good tournament in my book, Semis would be excellent.

We just don't have enough first rate players at international level - Rooney is brilliant, our defence is very good, but apart from that we are pretty average. Gerrard and Lampard have never really done it for England, we lack width and penetration and play too much through the middle. To make an impression we are going to need J Cole to have a very good tournament imo as he is the only player apart from Rooney who can make things happen. Crouch's goalscoring form will also be key.

When you look at the galaxy of talent avalable to the likes of Holland, Spain, Brazil and Argentina it is hard to take any notion of England wining the Cup seriously.

[Eddie]

I think you'd find it very difficult to argue that the current crop of players available to Holland, Brazil and Argentina are any better than those in the England squad. Spain are the standout side because of the amount of quality in their goal, midfield and up front, although I still think that they may have some defensive issues and they could face a very difficult run to the final. England have as good a chance as any and if they get the bit of luck that is necessary to win a cup then you never know and you can say exactly the same thing for 7/8 sides.

[Rovermatt]

Absolute nonsense. Argentina - in spite of the Maradona handicap - have a number of ludicrously talented footballers. Brazil are favourites and are usually top of the FIFA rankings for a reason; they're bloody good.

The Dutch are on a par with England at the very least. Aside from the peerless Rooney, England's final 23 is nothing to write home about as far as I'm concerned.

If I remember correctly you spent the approach to the last World Cup claiming England had a superior squad to Spain...

[Eddie]

I did...who went further again? I seem to recall them being knocked out in the last 16 by a France squad that I thought was quite decent and most didn't.

Argentina have Messi who stands alone, but after that they don't have many in that squad who can be labelled "ludicrously talented". The likes of Di Maria, Tevez, Higuain and Aguero are wonderful players, but are they any better than Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Cole or Terry? In all likelihood you will see far more of the English players and scrutinise them far more than their foreign counterparts. The main problem with assessing England's talent is that three of their best players are defenders (I would argue that Terry, Ferdinand and Cole would all enter the debate for being in the group of best players in the world for their respective positions) and that Gerrard and Lampard have typically underperformed for England (although that doesn't mean that they aren't World Class players, which you certainly can't argue based on their club form, especially not with Lampard this season).

I would say that you are staunchly anti-English, not simply as a reaction to the general over-optimism that surrounds England in any major tournament, but more because you actually dislike them. Had England had a qualifying campaign that was anywhere near as disastrous as the one Argentina have just had then you would be dismissing any thought of them making it out of the group stage.

I don't see how going into this tournament you could sensibly argue that the England squad is significantly worse than the rest of the major nations. When you then combine that with a fairly straightforward group and the fact that they are on the "right" side of the draw as far as runs to the final go, then you have to give them a chance of winning. I won't be putting money on it and I'm not preparing to sew a second star onto my shirt, but it's the best chance an England team has had in my lifetime.

I disagree with some of the squad selections and think that the England team looks weaker as a result (I would have included one of Johnson/Young/Walcott and Bent and the Heskey inclusion is a farce), but there is still a significant amount of talent in there.

First order of business is to get through the group stages and then hope for a good rub of the green.

Edit- As an extra point: why are Brazil favourites? Is Kaka the only truly world class player in that bunch? Even he had a poor season if you want to apply the same standards that you do to the England team. Maicon maybe gets in? Dani Alves as a fullback who isn't that good defensively? They are capable of winning it, don't get me wrong (that's exactly why I think England can win it), but not may names in that 23 stand-out.

[Drakefyre]

Yes, but 1 player does not win a World Cup (at least not since 1986). Brazil have depth, chemistry, and resolve throughout their 23, not to mention talent. That's why teams like Croatia and Senegal have made it to the quarterfinals in recent World Cups, despite "better teams" being in the field.

[American]

The likes of Di Maria, Tevez, Higuain and Aguero are wonderful players, but are they any better than Gerrard, Lampard, Ferdinand, Cole or Terry?

Yes.

[Stuart]

My predictions and not necessarily my personal preference:

Bent

Baines

Warnock

Wright-Philips

Dawson

Parker

Huddlestone

Although he's thick-skinned I think Capello has painted himself into a corner with the public courting of Carragher but his versatility probably means he can drop two of his three specialist left-backs, and a centre-back, in favour of taking Joe Cole. I don't think Parker or Huddlestone have done enough.

Also think he'll take a punt on King and Adam Johnson.

5 out of 7 but I guess they were the most obvious. Surprised Theo's been dropped but I suppose that was the main story yesterday. "How dare Capello leave out an Arsenal player with their purist footballing values"?!

I would have taken Adam Johnson as he could have been the secret weapon. But I imagine that's what Sven thought in 2002 with Walcott and got panned for it in the press.. Maybe Fabio didn't want the same headlines? Perhaps Joe Cole's performance against Japan tipped the balance in his favour.

Pleased for Warnock but equally surprised at his inclusion. Not ahead of Baines but ahead of Theo. I'll be shocked if he gets on the pitch.