After Roy Hodgson’s squad announcement on Thursday, Jamie-Leigh Jansen runs the rule over who ought to make the starting eleven.
The announcement of the squad for England’s games against Lithuania and Italywas made on Thursday (19 March). To decide who should make the cut, it is necessary to look at players in terms of club performance. Although Roy Hodgson had plenty of potential to choose from, certain players are still perhaps being called-up on reputation alone. For example, Daniel Sturridge has been injured all season, so is it really fair to add him to the team? Another player that has been selected for the squad, perhaps purely on reputation, is Danny Welbeck. Although he has been selected in previous England squads, Welbeck has not been starting for his club for most of this season, as Arsenal favour Olivier Giroud. So should he be in consideration when there are other forwards who have consistently started for their Premier League clubs (i.e. Charlie Austin and Saido Berahino)?
Should Daniel Sturridge (l) & Danny Welbeck (r) still feature in the squad despite their lack of game time? (Photograph: football.jdsports.co.uk)
Here are the eleven players that I believe should be starting for England:
- Fraser Forster (Goalkeeper)
- Kyle Walker (Right-back)
- Gary Cahill (Centre-back)
- Phil Jagielka (Centre-back )
- Danny Rose (Left-back)
- Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Midfielder)- although he is currently injured
- Jordan Henderson (Midfielder)
- Wayne Rooney (Midfielder)
- Raheem Sterling (Midfielder)
- Theo Walcott (Midfielder)
- Harry Kane (Forward)
Although nine of the above eleven have been included in the squad, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Danny Rose were not selected. Oxlade-Chamberlain is currently out with a hamstring injury but if he was well and fit, he should definitely be included in the starting squad. Danny Rose usually plays at left-back for Tottenham Hotspur and has been left out of Roy Hodgson’s England squad in favour of Leighton Baines, Kieran Gibbs and Luke Shaw. It is surprising that Rose is behind these three left backs as Gibbs is the second choice left back at Arsenal, Shaw has had a poor first season at Manchester United and Baines had a very poor World Cup.
Will Roy Hodgson pick talent over reputation? (Photograph: fmhvibe.co.uk)
This season has provided the stage for chances for many young strikers to prove themselves (including Charlie Austin, Danny Ings, and Harry Kane), therefore, playing Wayne Rooney in midfield instead of in his favoured forward position seems a necessity, as his attacking creativity is still valued in the team. Harry Kane, considered a ‘traditional player’, has scored 26 goals and has won the Premier League Player of the Month twice, consecutively. Kane has been the star player for Tottenham Hotspur this season and his appearance in the England squad was expected and well deserved.
Despite the complaints that are sure to come from the announcement of the England squad, English football lovers will still get behind the team regardless. With a fairly youthful English squad and a few players making their senior international debuts, the two games that England are set to play at the end of the month should be very interesting and enjoyable to watch. We have to hope that Roy Hodgson makes a sensible call on which players to start, basing the decision on talent and form as opposed to reputation or status alone. But only time will tell if the team will meet the nation’s expectations.