<div style="text-align: center"><a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-august-2010/image/9537391?term=england+football+national+team" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view1.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/9537391/sports-news-august-2010/sports-news-august-2010.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=9537391" border="0" alt="Aug. 12, 2010 - 06311209 date 11 08 2010 Copyright imago Color Sports Football International Friendly England v Hungary Adam Johnson of England AT Wembley Stage PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxPOLxUSAxONLY Football men National team international match London Action shot Single cut out Vdig 2010 horizontal Highlight premiumd." width="500" height="388"></figure></div></a></div>
The Three Lions resume meaningful international competition this Friday v Bulgaria at Wembley stadium as weary and untrusting eyes focus on equal parts Fabio Capello’s management and various members of the new look England squad. Bulgaria is the opponent and three points towards Euro 2012 qualification is the goal.
A little over two months to the day when England were eliminated by Germany in the 2010 World Cup and with Fabio Capello still at the helm, England will take to the now impressive Wembley pitch somewhat ravaged yet somewhat optimistic as new blood hopes to emerge on the&nbsp;international stage.

Injury has claimed John Terry, Frank Lampard, Peter Crouch, and still Rio Ferdinand at the heart of the England defense.
The good news for England is that they boast some quality young players who are currently in form at club level. Theo Walcott on the right side of midfield in attack for Arsenal leads the Premier League in scoring while Ashley Young of Aston Villa, Adam Johnson, James Milner and the unstoppable Joe Hart in goal, all at Manchester City, have enjoyed fine starts to the Premier League season.
Capello has a decision to make both with personnel and an England set up hopefully oblivious to the failed 4-4-2 of World Cup 2010. At home in the comfortable confines of Wembley, will Capello change his tried 4-4-2 and elect to implement a more preferred continental set up of 4-2-3-1?
For England, a probable line up resembles something close to Hart in goal with a back four of Johnson, Jagielka, Upson or Dawson, and Ashley Cole at left back. Capello will have a decision to make should he change his 4-4-2, yet in actuality, common intellect tells me he won’t. I foresee Walcott on the right side&nbsp;of midfield next to Gerrard and Barry with James Milner on the left, maybe Ashley Young if Capello feels adventurous. Defoe, it match fit, will likely partner Rooney up front.
Still, Capello could pull a stunner and implement the future of European footballing set ups, the tried and true World Cup &nbsp;4-2-3-1. In this formation, Steven Gerrard could sit behind Rooney up front while Captain Gerrard would be flanked by Walcott and Milner in attack. Barry and possibly Carrick would sit back to protected the back four. On paper, the formation is sound as long as the attacking wingers, again, likely Walcott and Milner or Adam Johnson, track back to help in defense when needed. Questions abound over Steven Gerrard’s ability to push forward in that forward attacking and central role. The Gerrard of a few years ago would have thrived in the middle of the ‘3’, yet recent form, besides a brace in a friendly last month, suggests otherwise.
The 4-2-3-1 can be a valuable set up in aiding possession in midfield because of the extra man advantage. The formation also requires a strong player up front such as Rooney who can hold up the ball while the wingers and or central play-maker come into play to support him. Time will tell whether Capello will risk the 4-4-2 or experiment with a new England set up. So early in the qualification process, it may not be such a bad move to&nbsp;try it.
England fans will simply want to see change. A change from the squad who so underwhelmed during the summer and a change which proves England players, minus the odd exception, still have heart and desire to represent their country. A hard fought yet committed and creative 1-0 win and a performance resulting in progress from a batch of the younger England players will be enough to see England and Capello through the weekend and to the eventual meet up with Switzerland on Tuesday.
Although England should take the points on offer, Bulgaria shouldn’t be overlooked. All time leading scorer for Bulgaria and main threat Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United has recently called it quits on his international career. Yet the Bulgarians who will take the field on Friday include a respectable batch of various European league representatives and current Premier League midfielders Martin Petrov now at Bolton, Aston Villa’s ever energetic general Stiliyan Petrov, and expected to lead the line, Parma’s Valeri Bojinov formerly of Manchester City.
My Prediction: a modest win, either 1-0 or 2-1, but a victory at home that shows a new look England. An England with purpose, direction, and maybe just a little passion.

Euro 2012 Qualification Preview: England v Bulgaria

Euro 2012 Qualification Preview: England v Bulgaria - World Soccer Talk

<a href="http://view.picapp.com/pictures.photo/entertainment/sports-news-february-2010/image/8028527?term=mikel+arteta" target="_blank"><div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" src="http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/8028527/sports-news-february-2010/sports-news-february-2010.jpg?size=500&amp;imageId=8028527" border="0" alt="Feb. 20, 2010 - 05509158 date 20 02 2010 Copyright imago Color Sports Football Barclays Premier League Everton vs Manchester United AT Goodison Park Mikel Arteta Everton 20 02 2010 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxPOLxUSAxONLY Football men England 2009 2010 Premier League Liverpool Action shot Single Vdig xkg 2010 horizontal Highlight premiumd." width="500" height="333"></figure></div></a>
Just as the Premier League begins to stretch it’s legs into a stride, the ill-timed, oft-hated and much maligned international break emerges like some disease spread upon the world footballing community. I don’t necessarily dislike the break as some do, but do I look forward to it’s oddly timed, momentum sucking&nbsp;arrival as club football bows to the international slop? No.

This summer taught me that international football is far from what it used to be (dead? does anyone really care anymore?). Gone are the days of commitment in attack, a stage big enough to display the brightest stars&nbsp;or even&nbsp;a reason to get excited about your country or adopted footballing nation. Here to stay: caution, defensive tactics, caution, glitzy commercials, hype, controversy, the Gods of football dead as a Ghanaian team carrying the hopes of a continent slashed at the end by some trickery and treachery, and enough cautious tactics to make one pluck out their eye in protest.
Did I mention caution?
As an England fan, I somehow convince myself to&nbsp;stay optimistic. Surely the Three Lions won’t muck Euro 2012 qualification up the way they did for the tournament in 2008. No, qualification isn’t what bothers me this time. Capello will likely get enough out of the boys for the ticket to be punched for 2012.
A few&nbsp;glaring concerns I do have though,&nbsp;one of which&nbsp;is squad selection, the other tactics. The ‘England problem’ won’t likely be solved for the next 15-20 years. So, in the meantime, who will England fans get to see&nbsp;take up the call?&nbsp;I’m not in the class of delusional England fans who think a major tournament is some ‘in arms reach realism’ likely to come before my 40’s. But where I’m drawn in this time, where my interest is acutely peaked is Fabio Capello’s squad selection and tactical formation.
Will his 4-4-2 ever give way to the new continental brand of 4-2-3-1 where the English aren’t outnumbered in midfield?
As the golden generation of English football slowly creaks and cracks into international retirement, the buoyant optimism of young, fresh faces emerging through the England ranks invigorate this England supporter enough to lend a watchful eye to their unassuming potential.
Are the old guard good enough players to get England to Euro 2012? Likely yes. Are they good enough to win it? Likely no. So out of interest and maybe just a little bit of fun, can we have a glimpse of what the younger English talent look like in meaningful matches? The optimist says we already have and Capello himself&nbsp;seems to say yes.
Whether by choice or lack of other viable options due to injury, Capello has included the likes of Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott, James Milner, Joe Hart, Kieran Gibbs, Ashley Young and Carlton Cole in his most recent installment of the BBC hit drama known as the England team.
Odd though, no Germans, Dutch, Brazilians&nbsp;or Spaniards in the&nbsp;mix to represent mother England in this new world of global football. Wait-, should we even go there? You knew it was coming.
Mikel Arteta, the handsome, enigmatic midfielder from Merseyside, yet to speak (in English or Spanish) concerning his international involvement in this international incident continues to pull the strings for under-acheiving Everton as the club languish towards the basement of the Premier League.
Is this Mr. Arteta good enough for England? He certainly looks the part, but what does his potential inclusion to the England squad say about the state of current England players? One part of me says little, the other half screams a lot.
First off, England have a player&nbsp;named Paul Scholes who is all things Mikel Arteta but better, yet refuses to take part in the play. Secondly, is Mikel Arteta really better than Frank Lampard, the man he’d likely be replacing? No. It’s really not even worth pointing out stats, goals scored, etc. over the past few years, Lampard wins all of them in a landslide.&nbsp;Not to mention the Champions League and international experience Lampard has tucked neatly under his belt while Arteta has played a small handful of UEFA Cup matches and obviously, or we wouldn’t&nbsp;be discussing this matter, appeared no where near the Spanish national team in recent years.&nbsp;Does some covert proof exist&nbsp;that Mikel Arteta&nbsp;is the answer for England?
So what of the debate that Lampard and Co rarely perform well on the international stage? A&nbsp;solid and well taken&nbsp;point that is backed up by years of proof, so where do we turn, what to do? Does a tournament finally approach wherein England aren’t expected to win it in a glorious fashion thus allowing football to return home?&nbsp;What will be the expectations this time around? Will a new look, fresh smelling England squad be enough to hold back the rabid haters and tabloid clowns?
An American telling the English to play a Spaniard in place of an Englishman dare not be uttered.&nbsp;Regardless of your stance on the debate&nbsp;or&nbsp;deaf to&nbsp;what Capello or Arteta themselves eventually say on the matter, my recommendation, until I’ve made up my mind, is to look at home first for what you’ve lost along the way, to nurture, and to somehow get into the mentality of the now tainted mind of the&nbsp;English footballer. The idea of my brain being able to work out whether or not a Spanish midfielder should pull the strings in the England set up is an idea too intricate, too complex to want to fathom. Where do we go once that can of worms have spilled upon our plates?&nbsp;
Until this seemingly impossible feat&nbsp;is achieved, that of calming the intellects of the England internationals, England fans can expect more of the same from an England team that so miserably underwhelmed this summer at the World Cup. At least this time around, we’ll have a new batch of untested internationals to blame.

England and the Mikel Arteta Debate: An Undecided Stumble into Euro 2012 Qualification

England and the Mikel Arteta Debate: An Undecided Stumble into Euro 2012 Qualification - World Soccer Talk

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Euro 2012 Qualification Preview: England v Bulgaria

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England and the Mikel Arteta Debate: An Undecided Stumble into Euro 2012 Qualification