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<p>With less than 3 months to go until England’s first group game against the U.S.A on June 12th in the World Cup and one particular pair of positions are causing more problems than anyone envisaged. At full strength, the English full-backs picked themselves with Ashley Cole easily making a case for being the best left back in world football and Glen Johnson’s continual growth as a player. Now with Cole recovering from a broken ankle and Johnson returning gradually from injury, question marks have been raised.</p>
<p>This has indeed opened the door to one or two players that may have considered the chance to get to the World Cup firmly shut. The additional withdrawl of Wayne Bridge from international duty has left Fabio Capello with a quandary. Can he risk hoping Cole recovers in time or simply go with the two main replacements for the position Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines.</p>
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<p>Baines certainly seemed to get a leg up with his starting place in the friendly against Egypt, with Warnock left on the bench. The addition of Gareth Barry as a player who could play there could see that Capello may only take Baines and a half fit Cole, hoping he can recover his fitness toward the tail end of the season. It isn’t unfeasible to see such a situation but that could leave England weak if Barry were to suffer injury or suspension.</p>
<p>Taking Baines and Warnock, for me makes more sense. Warnock, has been impressing ever since he left Liverpool for regular football. His inclusion as an England squad player is long overdue in my opinion. He’s tough but fair, a great ball winner, can ping passes and is flexible in his ability to play not only as a full back, but a left winger and a defensive midfielder.</p>
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<p>Baines whilst not as flexible, is certainly no slouch, his bombing runs down Everton’s left flank over the last couple of seasons stands testament to that and he’s a smashing dead ball player. For me, if Capello was looking for a player to fit easier in to the role that Ashley Cole fills for England, Baines is more that type of player Capello likes. Unless Cole stages a miracle recovery, I’d be taking Baines and Warnock. Poor old Nicky Shorey must be thinking what if…..</p>
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<p>The opposite flank has seen the worries subside with Johnson’s return but he’s struggled with those annoying niggling injuries recently and with Liverpool having a mixed season in the best possible sense, we’ll be keeping our fingers crossed that he doesn’t break down again. Though for all his lovely play going forward, he is still prone to defensive lapses and seemingly switches off still.</p>
<p>That’s not to say the positive doesn’t outweighs the negative, but it’s still a concern. At 25, he really needs to be ironing these errors out of his game but he still can cause more problems than he creates opportunities for the opposition. Fully fit, he’s got the number 2 shirt. My main concern is with the back up for Johnson and the problems an injury could cause.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, but I’ve never rated Wes Brown at all. Yes, I know he plays for Manchester United, Yes I know he’s got 23 caps for England but I just don’t rate him. No pace, consistently caught in possession and dreadful with the ball at his feet, I would be terrified if Brown was our reserve right back. I know he can fill in at centre half, but I don’t rate him there either and he has to be the most average player to have achieved the level of success he has.</p>
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<p>Yet, I see salvation on the horizon but I’ll get to that shortly. Micah Richards, who burst on to the scene so memorably for Manchester City as a teenager has had his issues. As with most bright young things, a dip in form is inevitable and for Richards, it unfortunately coincided with Manchester City’s new found wealth. To his credit, he’s dug in and fought his way back in to the Manchester City first team. I have to say I was very impressed with him when he came on the scene, he has masses of potential and is still young.</p>
<p>Ironically, it was his transfer that began the fall out between Mourinho and Abramovich when the chairman refused to meet City’s £20 million valuation. The rest is history but I think this World Cup may be too soon for Richards and I would turn to one of English football’s most consistent and criminally underated players of the last 20 years. Gary Neville.</p>
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<p>Now, for me, Neville has never been given the credit he deserves at all for his country. The 10 year relationship that he built with his best friend Beckham playing in front of him for club and country was astounding at it’s best. Both players instinctively knew were the other would be and that type of telepathic understanding of each others game is so rare in the modern game. Recently returning to fitness and at 35 years old, it would certainly be his last hurrah but Cafu played for Brazil until he was 36, so why not. Neville was easily one of the 3 best right-backs in the world alongside Salgado and Cafu.</p>
<p>So maybe a couple of surprises and two differing situations leads me to the following choices then:</p>
<p>If Ashley Cole amazes everyone, and I hope he does I’d take Cole, Baines, Johnson and Neville. If not my four fullbacks would be Baines, Warnock, Johnson and Neville. What do you think? Who would you choose as Fabio’s four full backs?</p>

The England Outsiders#2 Full-Backs - World Soccer Talk

The England Outsiders#2 Full-Backs

<p>After Landon Donovan’s empathic goal at Goodison Park yesterday, he was carried by teammate Jack Rodwell into the corner nearer the crowd so he could receive the plaudits from the fans more directly.&nbsp; That the crowd started chanting USA-USA-USA was not surprising.&nbsp; English supporters have taken up the famous cheer to celebrate whenever an American player endears themselves to the local fans.&nbsp; What was surprising is that the crowd was led in the cheer by Everton captain and English international Phil Neville.&nbsp;</p>
<p>Donovan’s success at Everton, which capped off his last game at Goodison with that goal and a terrific assist to set up Jack Rodwell’s goal, is multi-layered.&nbsp; American fans have long known that Donovan’s combination of speed and technical ability had no match in the States.&nbsp; While David Beckham may have had the international spotlight shining on him this past season in MLS, it was Donovan who had driven the Galaxy within a penalty kick of the MLS Championship in 2009.&nbsp; “Big fish in small pond” had been the Donovan rap for a long time.&nbsp; But could Donovan be a big fish in the shark tank that is the EPL – arguably the fastest and toughest league in world?</p>
<p>To be truthful, the odds were against it.&nbsp; Great players from great leagues usually take six months to adapt to the pace and style of England.&nbsp; There is a long list of players (Schevchenko, Veron, Deco, just to name a few) who were thought to be superstars and never adapted to England.&nbsp; With Donovan’s loan spell penciled in for just 75 days and critical games against Chelsea, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal falling in that window, there was no time to get used to the water.&nbsp; Donovan just had to dive in and start swimming.&nbsp;</p>
<p>And swim he did.&nbsp; Beyond the solid stats (three assists and two goals in eight league games) is the simple observation that Everton looked quicker and smoother with Donovan in the line-up.&nbsp; Donovan’s loan has coincided with Everton’s best spell of the season – and perhaps for the past several seasons.&nbsp; Victories over Chelsea, ManU, and City and an unlucky draw against Arsenal have seen Everton move through the most treacherous part of its schedule like an army on the march.&nbsp; Today’s destruction of Hull means that Donovan will leave Merseyside helping Everton get three points every time he stepped on the Goodison pitch.</p>
<p>And the crown at Goodison has taken to Donovan as one of their own.&nbsp; Facebook groups begging that he stay at Everton have attracted thousands of members.&nbsp; The Toffee fans voted him the player of the month January.&nbsp; After his goal, once the USA-USA chants subsided, they were replaced with chants of “Sign him up, sign him up!”</p>
<p>Given today’s performance, few in England can question why Donovan is so popular.&nbsp; Americans playing in England have been respected at times, but that respect has usually sounded a little patronizing.&nbsp; Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna and John Harkes have always been thought of as “industrious” players, which is a nice way of saying that they needed commitment and perseverance to make up for their lack of technical ability.&nbsp; Nobody who watched Donovan’s goal and assist today can doubt his technical skills.&nbsp; Both were one-touch actions off his laces that sent the ball back in the opposite direction from where it came with precision, pace and in such a way that left the defense helpless.</p>
<p>So, what now for Donovan?&nbsp; Clearly, he wants to stay, and Everton wants to keep him.&nbsp; While extending the loan remains a possibility, unless the current labor dispute between the MLS and its players blows up this week, that would seem to be unlikely.&nbsp; The great mystery in all of this is the new contract Donovan signed with the Galaxy last fall.&nbsp; At the time, Donovan said that going on loan in the January transfer window was an important part of the new contract, but left unsaid was whether there was a clause in the contract about a purchase should that loan be successful. &nbsp;There is thought to be language that would allow Donovan to be sold at a certain valuation, but what that number is and whether the transfer window needs to open to accept that bid are unknown.&nbsp;</p>
<p>However, whatever the contract says, in soccer when a player wants to go to a bigger club and the bigger club wants him, all contractual barriers can be overcome with money.&nbsp; Thanks to the sales of Jolene Lescott and Andy Johnson, Everton have profited by over £28 million in the transfer market the last two seasons.&nbsp; With the price for Donovan rumored to be at £6-10 million, the Toffees may very well have the funds available to snatch the American.&nbsp; If so, Donovan’s wave from the center circle at the end of the game may be more “See you later” as opposed to “Farewell.”</p>


Landon Donovan Exits Goodison in Everton Glory - World Soccer Talk

Landon Donovan Exits Goodison in Everton Glory

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