<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

2006 was a disaster for England’s much vaunted strikers in so many ways it was depressing. It was clearly Sven Goran-Eriksson’s nadir as the England supremo as his eccentric choices left England woefully short of options. Michael Owen was so off the pace as to be redundant and his World Cup collapse when he ruptured his cruciate ligament against Sweden. Wayne Rooney’s frustration blew up in the Quarter-Final when he was sent off for stamping on a sensitive are of Ricardo Carvalho and Peter Crouch tried his best but simply couldn’t carry the teams striking options. As for Walcott, he may as well have stayed at home.
Fast forward 4 years and things despite the odd injury scare here and there are much rosier for Fabio Capello. Wayne Rooney is in the form of his life, Jermaine Defoe has made himself a crucial member of the squad, Peter Crouch’s reputation is more positive and certain players are jostling for the remaining squad places. The question is, who will make up the 5 strikers that Capello should choose as his options up front.

There’s no point discussing Rooney and Defoe. They’re on that plane unless something incredibly cruel happens but the 3 other positions are a free for all. Certain players over the last 18 months have made cases to be included but some will face the cruelest cut of all and miss out on a chance of going to South Africa. It’s those strikers I’m focusing on and deciding just who should join the first two names I’ve mentioned.
Yet, I have to say that it is some relief that Michael Owen is injured. Surely I can’t be the only person who was sick of his constant bleating in the media week after week. Capello rightly judged Owen to be damaged goods and whilst no-one can doubt up to 2005 he was one of the Premier strikers in world football, he is no where near the level he was. Capello knows that Owen simply cannot cope with the demands of top level football anymore, which is a shame.
<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
Owen will probably never add to his goal tally for England, which currently stands at 40 and it is a sad way for his career at international level to finish. It looked for years as if he would smash Bobby Charlton’s record, but that achievement looks set to become Wayne Rooney’s mantle. With Owens absence, the stage looks set for someone to come in from the left field but surely the highest scoring English striker in the Premiership, Darren Bent.
With 24 league goals this season for Sunderland and pace to burn, Bent should be a shoe-in but something just seems to rub people up the wrong way with him. In any other country, Bent would probably be in the squad without doubt. He reminds me of Mario Gomez, the German striker, who scores goals for fun in the Bundesliga but has yet to find that form at international level and his goals have all come against lower rated international sides.
<div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter" src="https:\/\/ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https:\/\/images.worldsoccertalk.com/webp/WST_20100429_WST_16880_19bent.england.190.webp&amp;width=190&amp;height=233" alt="" width="190" height="233"></figure></div>
Should he be there? Yes, he should and I don’t feel he’s had a fair crack of the whip internationally. He deserves a chance to go to South Africa this summer and you have to wonder just where Sunderland would have finished this season without his goals. Of the target men that Capello seems to use, Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole and Peter Crouch have all had difficult seasons but Crouch has continued to perform for England when he has had the opportunity. That alone should subside any fears that his absence from the Tottenham starting line up may have and I’ll be amazed if he isn’t one of the picks up front.
Cole has been involved in a dreadfully difficult season at West Ham United and he is not alone at Upton Park in seeing his form suffer. Heskey has meanwhile seen his form go up and down as Aston Villa have continued to prove that they are back as a consistent challenge at the upper end of the table. Heskey does so much for his team mates that I’m sick of trying to explain why strikers don’t have to score goals to be good.
It’s not been the easiest season for his team mate Gabriel Agbonlahor either, but Villa are still chasing down 4th place in Premiership. For all his pace, he’s still too wildly inconsistent for me at league level never mind international level. I wouldn’t take him if I had a fit Darren Bent to choose.
Of the other two options, both would usually be laughed out of hand, but this season has seen both of them receive praise that has been short throughout their careers. Firstly, Bobby Zamora has had the season of his life at Fulham and has been touted as a possible option for England but he seems to have been patched up more than the 6 million dollar man over the last few weeks. He apparently needs an operation but Fulham have delayed surgery until the England World Cup squad has been announced. I’m sorry Bobby, but I just think there are better options available.
The other choice, may make you laugh, but I think it’s a disgrace he’s never been picked for England. Bolton Wanderers fans will tell you just how good this lad has been for years, but Kevin Davies is so underrated it’s become something of a joke. Yes, he perhaps doesn’t score as many goals as he should but his work rate, strength and technical ability are consistently overlooked. If Crouch wasn’t fit to play, he’d be my first reserve.
So the five strikers I’d take are, Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch, Darren Bent and Emile Heskey. What do you think? Who would your choices be? Please leave me your comments as usual.

The England Outsiders #5. The Strikers - World Soccer Talk

The England Outsiders #5. The Strikers

Latest news from Jermaine Defoe. Find out about all the news related to Jermaine Defoe on worldsoccertalk.com

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Jermaine Defoe"

General

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

General

The England Outsiders #5. The Strikers