<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/news/england-bulgaria-2010/image/9648970?term=Joe+Hart" target="_blank"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a></div>
While Jermain Defoe took the goal-scoring honours on Friday night at the other end of the pitch Joe Hart was going a long way to establishing himself as England’s goalkeeper for the&nbsp;foreseeable future with another fine display.
Fabio Capello’s decision to opt for an experienced ‘keeper at the World Cup at the expense of Hart was one of the biggest blunders he made in South Africa. Hart was a bench warmer throughout the tournament but since then it appears that Capello has seen the error of his ways.
The former Shrewsbury man has now well truly established himself as number one for club and country and if all goes well this should be the case for many years to come. It makes a refreshing change for England who after the retirement of David Seaman have been craving somebody to take on the role as England’s long term ‘keeper.
David James, Paul Robinson and Robert Green have all threatened to make the position their own. But a general lack of form, or high profile mistakes have ultimately lead to their downfall. Now it is Hart’s chance to shine, and if he can fulfil his early promise, Capello may finally have found the answer to the position which has become the most debated spot in the England side.
Hart’s confidence is the key to his success.&nbsp; We must remember that at only 23 Hart is a baby in the goalkeeping world. But his commanding presence and immaculate performances demonstrate his confidence and portray a sense of stability that can only help build confidence in an England side which after the World Cup is understandably insecure.
The worry for Hart is that he succumbs to a Scott Carson like mistake. Carson was tipped to claim the England number one spot ahead of that infamous defeat to Croatia at Wembley. But ever since he failed to deal with Niko Kranjcar’s long range effort Carson has struggled to rebuild his career and only recently managed to fight his way back in to the England squad.
Should Hart make a similar error we may be searching for a keeper once more, but without meaning to jinx the former Shrewsbury Town&nbsp;man you just can’t see this happening, and even if it did you’d be backing Hart to bounce back a lot quicker then Carson.
To couple his obvious ability he appears to have a strong mentality, which for a ‘keeper is oh so vital and with him in goal the future of English football seems to have a securer base in which to build on.

Hart Set For A Long Spell as England&#039;s Number One - World Soccer Talk

Hart Set For A Long Spell as England's Number One

<div id="attachment_870" style="width: 160px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2010/07/david-james.jpg"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div></a>Can James lead The Robins to the top flight?</div>
He may turn 40 tomorrow, but <a href="http:\/\/www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6286510,00.html">that hasn’t stopped Bristol City from snapping up England goalkeeper David James on a free transfer</a>, after the player was unable to agree a deal with former employers Portsmouth. James had bigger offers from the Premiership and Celtic in Scotland, but<a href="http:\/\/www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_6286668,00.html"> Neil Lennon told reporters that James had no desire to move up north</a> due to family reasons. Now with Steve Coppell at the helm and a big name like James who kept goal for his country at this summer’s World Cup, Bristol City fans may feel that the club really can make a charge towards the Premier League. Coppell is certainly keen to leave his mark on the team and as well as James,<a href="http:\/\/www.sportinglife.com/football/cc_championship/bristolcity/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=nonwire_soccer/10/07/30/manual_125037.html&amp;TEAMHD=bristolcity&amp;DIV=nat1&amp;TEAM=BRISTOL--CITY&amp;RH=Bristol--City&amp;PREV_SEASON="> the likes of Nicky Hunt and Damion Stewart have came in</a> to sure up the defence, whereas players like Bradley Orr and Paul Hartley have left to play for QPR and Aberdeen respectively. <a href="http:\/\/www.reading.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=204254">Coppell has also decided to rekindle his relationship with Kalifa Cisse</a>, who he managed while in charge of Reading and new Portsmouth signing <a href="http:\/\/www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11726_6286405,00.html">Ibrahima Sonko has revealed that Bristol City made a late move to capture him</a>. They may not have got their man, but it would appear that after Gary Johnson helped establish the club in the Championship, the team now has higher ambitions and an eye on the bigger picture.
Johnson’s departure from the managerial hot seat came after some erratic form last season and the board were disappointed that the club was receiving heavy defeats. The signing of David James has certainly gave the club a lot more media attention, Sky Sports in particular gave us a lovely montage of James’ haircuts over the years (oh and his career too) and have ran the story for a number of days. <a href="http:\/\/www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11726_6287800,00.html">James has already gave out a battle cry and wants the club to aim for promotion</a> and his name has got many Bristol City fans excited at their teams prospects this season, although many supporters believe that the club need several more new signings in order to really push on and<a href="http:\/\/www.thisisbristol.co.uk/bristolcitynews/Coppell-Stand-signings-soon/article-2477167-detail/article.html"> their manager may be about to grant their wish</a>.
So all of a sudden Bristol look like a contender for promotion although it is important that the team remains focused at the start of the season and doesn’t get too caught up in the prospect of promotion, a good start to the season is vital to their ambitions and will provide a solid base to work off. It will be interesting to see who the club brings in, a striker to help Nicky Maynard get the goals up front would be welcomed by the supporters, although rumours of the club being interested in Marlon King have not been welcomed by supporters (as at most clubs). In my opinion I think the club is going in the right direction and they should be challenging for the playoffs this season, but the importance of success is now vital, as the board has shown a considerable investment and backed Steve Coppell in the transfer market and the club could suffer financial difficulties in the future if the side doesn’t reach the Premier League. The Robins have shown their ambition and it appears that their goal is to be playing Premiership football when they move to their new 30,000 seat stadium in 2012.

David James Signs For Bristol City - Eyes Promotion - World Soccer Talk

David James Signs For Bristol City – Eyes Promotion

<a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-june-2010/image/9198482?term=england+football" target="_blank"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-june-2010/image/9198482?term=england+football" target="_blank"></a></figure></div>
In this weekend’s tastiest World Cup&nbsp;fixture, long time rivals Germany and England will meet in a head on battle with dramatic implications and a quarter final birth on the line. Will the English get their chance to conquer&nbsp;their demons during a dramatic penalty shootout, or will the young and organized Germans overrun the tired looking English midfield and back line?
Not one for elaborate predictions, here are 5 key players to pay special attention to&nbsp;during this Sunday’s clash between the participants of the 1966 Final.

<ul>
<li>Mesut Özil, Germany– Born in Germany to Turkish immigrant’s, Özil is the creative midfielder that Germany will need on top form to unlock an England back line that has conceded only 1 goal so far this tournament. The Werder Bremen play-maker has a sweet left foot and possesses the ability to take control of a game from midfield and provide good service for German forwards. Özil is no stranger to high profile games with England, during last summer’s U21 Euro final, he was voted man of the match in Germany’s 4-0 destruction of England by&nbsp;scoring one goal and providing 2 assists. Özil can and will score goals if the England back line give him too much space (see under his game winner v Ghana in the group stage). He’ll likely sit just behind striker&nbsp;Miroslav Klose and will look to feed the prolific German striker in hopes they’ll unlock England’s solid, yet at times shaky back line</li>
<li>Jerome Boateng or Holger Badstuber, Germany– German boss&nbsp; Joachim Löw elected to make a change at left back for their encounter with Ghana earlier this week. It’ll be interesting to see if Löw sticks with Boateng or resorts back to the young Badstuber who had a few bad moments in Germany’s 0-1 loss to Serbia in the second round of group stage matches. England attacked with moderate success down the right side of midfield with James Milner in their crucial 1-0 win&nbsp;v Slovenia and I’m certain Fabio Capello will stick with Milner v Germany. The battle is sure to rage down England’s right side regardless of who Löw picks as England will look to use width to provide service to England’s strikers.</li>
<li>Wayne Rooney, England– miles away from the form that heard the striker’s name mentioned in “player of the year” sentences all those months ago, the versatile England play-maker and striker is slowly looking as if he’s ready to have a break through match during the World Cup before England bow out. The only question that remains is will he make his mark on this tournament before England are eliminated? Rooney must be at or close to his best in order for England to have a realistic chance at beating Germany on Sunday. He’s slowly improving each game, but questions abound on his true fitness levels after experiencing minor knocks and injuries during the last few months of Manchester United’s domestic campaign. We all know how dangerous Rooney can be when on form, which is why he’ll definitely be one to watch come Sunday.</li>
<li>James Milner, England– the previously mentioned Milner was a difference maker for England in their match v Slovenia. His on the ball skills, dribbling and crossing abilities ultimately led to England’s winning goal yet he proved dangerous throughout the rest of the match and gave Slovenia defenders&nbsp;trouble on and off all day. I believe Capello will have taken notice of Milner’s contributions and will hope to see the Italian pick him again for the highly anticipated knockout match on Sunday. Watch for Milner’s poise on the ball and his lulling of Germany’s full backs before his crosses into the box.</li>
<li>David James, England– since games can no longer end in a draw, the dreaded (or loved) penalty shootouts are now a distinct possibility, especially when teams are so evenly matched in the tournament’s later stages. Although I hope the game doesn’t have to end this way, both sides will have spent a productive amount of time practicing taking and stopping penalties in training this week. Since James has replaced Robert Green in England’s goal, he’s been nothing short of solid, yet slightly untested. England’s back four have been equally as impressive and have limited the number of clear cut chances on the England goal. One thing’s for sure, all eyes will be on both keepers should the game be forced to end in such a dramatic manner.</li>
</ul>
Feel free to leave a comment with your prediction or key players you’ll be watching on Sunday.

5 Players to Watch During England v Germany Round of 16 Clash - World Soccer Talk

5 Players to Watch During England v Germany Round of 16 Clash

<a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-june-2010/image/9097300?term=robert+green" target="_blank"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-june-2010/image/9097300?term=robert+green" target="_blank"></a></figure></div>
Robert Green’s blunder for England against the United States means that England coach Fabio Capello now faces the decision of whether to pick David James or Joe Hart for England’s next game, against Algeria on Friday.
But if you were Capello, who would you pick? David James has his strengths and weaknesses, but Joe Hart is unproven at the highest international level in terms of the world’s stage.
Vote in the poll below and share your opinions in the comments section below.
[polldaddy poll=3337897]

World Cup Poll: Should England Pick David James or Joe Hart? - World Soccer Talk

World Cup Poll: Should England Pick David James or Joe Hart?

<a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=fabio capello&amp;iid=8849192" target="_blank"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/view.picapp.com/default.aspx?term=fabio capello&amp;iid=8849192" target="_blank"></a></figure></div>
Well the 30 players named in Fabio Capello’s England squad have had multiple trainng sessions and two games to earn their place on the plane to South Africa.
Now is the time that this squad must be trimmed to 23 players, meaning that 7 players will soon receive the dreaded phone call ending their World Cup dreams for at least four years if not forever.
I have analysed the squad and named the squad I would name for the World Cup;&nbsp;based on form, formation and ability.
In my opinion the following players should not make it into the final England squad for the FIFA World Cup 2010.

Michael Dawson
Matthew Upson
Stephen Warnock
Gareth Barry
Tom Huddleston
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Emile Heskey
In an attempt&nbsp;to rationalise and justify my choices, the list&nbsp;below shows the 11&nbsp;players&nbsp;that I would consider guaranteed a place in the squad.
100% On The Plane
<a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/squad.jpg"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/squad.jpg"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-20240 aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100530_WST_20226_squad.webp&amp;width=336&amp;height=84" alt="" width="336" height="84"></a></figure></div>
Defenders
With the goalkeeping spots decided&nbsp;by default, defence is the first area&nbsp;where&nbsp;a reduction in numbers needs to be made.
I will start by deciding who should definitely make the plane, due to the return from international retirement of Jamie Carragher, it can be deduced rightly that due to his versatility and experience, he cannot be left at home.
Alongside Carragher I would also include Ledley King in the squad,&nbsp;he has just about proved his form and fitness during a long and successful season with Tottenham.
With these decisions in mind, I think the first casualty of&nbsp;the squad reduction should be Matthew Upson, after playing consistently in one of the worse defences in the Premier League, he has shown little to warrant selection ahead of Ledley King or Michael Dawson.
I also think that Michael Dawson should be axed, as despite his solid form the inclusion of Jamie Carragher means that&nbsp;England already have&nbsp;four players that can play in the centre of defence.
The defensive&nbsp;quandaries are therefore&nbsp;reduced to deciding who should deputise for Ashley Cole at Left Back.
I would take Leighton Baines as a dependable back up option, with Stephen Warnock missing out in what feels like an unimportant coin flip between the two.
Midfielders
This is probably the hardest part of the decision process, as there are many players who have had flashes of brilliance, yet not shown enough to warrant automatic selection.
On the right there is a&nbsp;choice&nbsp;between Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott&nbsp;and Shaun Wright Phillips. The guaranteed spot should go to Aarron Lennon who is stronger, more consistent and a better all round footballer than the other two. I would then include Theo Walcott as an impact player from the bench if required.
The&nbsp;other wide options would be made up of James Milner and Adam Johnson who have both excelled this season and can play on both wings.
In the centre, I would make my most controversial choice by omitting Gareth Barry, he is injured and therefore is unlikely to be at his best for the competition. England have had enough experience of playing with unfit players to know it is better to cut their losses on this occasion.
I would replace Gareth Barry with Scott Parker, one of the most underrated players qualified to play for England, there is a reason that he is the only West Ham player not for sale this summer.
Finally I would omit Tom Huddlestone from the squad, opting to include Joe Cole as he offers something creative which in limited Chelsea and England appearances he has shown this season.
Attackers
Arguably England’s achilles heel, the partnership&nbsp; options involving Wayne Rooney have not quite been resolved. Based on form Emile Heskey is the man to make way, having not scored since February and unable to hold down a regular starting berth at his club, it is time to accept that dispite his obvious qualities, he is not an international class striker.
Therefore Jermain Defoe, Darren Bent and Peter Crouch join Wayne Rooney as England’s striking options.
Overview of Preparations
The&nbsp;most worrying part of England’s preparation for the tournament has to be a lack of depth, with all the questions raised during&nbsp;the recent friendlies; I hope that Fabio Capello has more of a clue of his best 23 than I do.
The only comforter from recent performances is that very rarely are these true indicators of tournament performance.
Follow the World Cup with the <a href="http:\/\/epltalktoolbar.ourtoolbar.com/">EPL Talk Toolbar</a>
<a href="http:\/\/epltalktoolbar.ourtoolbar.com/"></a>
<a href="http:\/\/epltalktoolbar.ourtoolbar.com/"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/epltalktoolbar.ourtoolbar.com/"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100530_WST_20226_download-now.webp&amp;width=240&amp;height=90" alt="" width="240" height="90"></a></figure></div>

The 7 Players Fabio Capello Should Drop From England&#039;s World Cup Squad - World Soccer Talk

The 7 Players Fabio Capello Should Drop From England's World Cup Squad

Latest news from David James. Find out about all the news related to David James on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "David James"

England

Hart Set For A Long Spell as England's Number One

Leagues: Championship

David James Signs For Bristol City – Eyes Promotion

General

5 Players to Watch During England v Germany Round of 16 Clash

General

World Cup Poll: Should England Pick David James or Joe Hart?

General

The 7 Players Fabio Capello Should Drop From England's World Cup Squad