Amidst all the coverage surrounding Wayne Rooney's red card against Montenegro, the small matter of qualification to Euro 2012 was achieved. We are guaranteed another major international tournament in the summer except this time the public has already written us off. Quite rightly to in my eyes. From being a youngster in 1990 and the national interest to the nations involvement in 1996 there was always a sense of possibility. That on our day we were as good as anything that Europe or the world could throw at us. Then came the golden generation and with it also came a new batch of excuses. Weak feet, bad referee decisions even blaming a Portuguese winker.
The bottom line is nothing has really changed. When it gets round to the summer we will all loyally sit and watch our nation roll over for the world to see. People will bang on about how many new caps have been awarded since the disaster in South Africa. While that may be true there is a difference between token debut caps and trying new players.
For example if something should happen to Joe Hart then just who does Fabio Capello have faith with between the posts. Scott Carson was on the bench for the last match but I'm more than happy for Turkey to adopt him now he is playing there. Maybe Robert Green is his man. Again. Until the next clanger. Maybe Ben Foster can be talked into playing again. The thing is should the worse case scenario happen and Hart is unable to represent England in the summer then who would you trust with that position.
My second reason for England's poor performance in 2012 is the back 4. With Rio Ferdinand's continued injury problems and John Terry's blatant lack of pace leaves me wondering why more young centre backs like Ryan Shawcross have not been tried alongside Gary Cahill. I'm pretty sure this could be Ferdinand's last international tournament anyway. Then you have the right back position with 3 or 4 men all vying for the chance. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have played there for club and country while Micah Richards and Kyle Walker are both natural choices. It would not be a bad thing if both Terry and Ferdinand picked up injuries sometime in may that rules them out. While all that goes on Mr dependable Ashley Cole seems to be the only guaranteed outfield player and what a player he is. Maybe having Leighton Baines waiting helps him.
The only real difference now is Capello has worked out what we all knew a long time ago an that is that having Frank Lampard in your starting team for England doesn't work. Again if the likes of Gerrard, Wilshire, Milner and even Cleverley are fit an in form then does Lampard even make the bench. He might just make my squad. Ashley Young and Theo Walcott seem to have claimed the wide midfield spots but the replacements look questionable. Stuart Downing still isn't England standard in my view and a tough choice looms between Lennon and Adam Johnson and that's without considering Sturridge or Jarvis.
Then we get to the forwards. Now if Rooney's 3 match ban is upheld then there will be calls not to take him altogether. Having seen the incident I know it was a stupid thing to do but it was not an assault like UEFA have claimed. Funny how the head of UEFA did nothing when Henry handled France into the World Cup, yet he is quick to handicap England. The ban should be reduced to 2 games and Rooney should lean from it. Darren Bent looks a goal getter in an England shirt and then you are looking to see how good Agbonlahor and Crouch's season are. Welbeck, Kevin Davies and Carroll are outsiders.
Personally I would like to see Hart, Richards, Jones, Cahill, A.Cole, Parker, Gerrard, Walcott, Young, Bent and Rooney as the core looking forward but I am sure that if fit both centre backs would be Terry and Ferdinand rightly or wrongly. Also Capello is preferring a system that will see Barry start instead or Rooney or Bent which will be a more solid system. In that system provided his form is good then Owen Hargreaves can not be overlooked. Either team or system needs Steven Gerrard as captain. If John Terry was the "man" everyone claims then he wouldn't need an armband or title to perform.
The draw for the groups is not till December and I would assume by then England's appeal to Rooney's 3 game ban would of been heard by then and obviously we will know whether or not Ireland have been successful against Estonia or not. They couldn't of asked for a better qualifier and following them will probably be more entertaining than England. Thankfully with new management and a good crop of youngsters and a fresh World Cup qualifying campaign kicking off in the Autumn, it won't be long before we feel we have a team that has a genuine chance again.
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