Predict England’s Final World Cup 2010 Squad Of 23
By Ollie Irish
With England’s provisional squad of 30 set to be announced on Tuesday, here’s my semi-educated stab at predicting Fabio Capello’s final 23 (which must be announced by midnight on June 1st).
Note: This is the squad I think Capello will pick, rather than my own choice.
GOALKEEPERS
Rob Green (West Ham)
Joe Hart (Man City, pictured)
David James (Portsmouth)
DEFENDERS
John Terry (Chelsea)
Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd, pictured)
Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
Leighton Baines (Everton)
Ledley King (Tottenham)
Matthew Upson (West Ham)
Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
MIDFIELDERS
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham)
James Milner (Aston Villa, pictured)
Adam Johnson (Man City)
Gareth Barry (Man City)
Theo Walcott (Arsenal)
Joe Cole (Chelsea)
FORWARDS
Wayne Rooney (Man Utd)
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham)
Emile Heskey (Aston Villa)
Peter Crouch (Tottenham, pictured)
* * * * *
As you can see, I suspect Capello will go largely with experience (that’s his style), so no place for form players such as Tom Huddlestone, Michael Dawson, Bobby Zamora and Scott Parker.
City winger Adam Johnson will be the one wild card. I also predict the Italian will manage to coax Jamie Carragher out of retirement, and that he will gamble on Gareth Barry’s fitness too.
Do you agree? I’d love to hear your predictions…
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Gareth Barry still at villa?
Green, Hart, James
Terry, Ferdinand, Dawson, A.Cole, G.Johnson, Baines, Upson
Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, A.Johnson, Walcott, Lennon, Barry, J.Cole
Rooney, Heskey, Crouch, Defoe, D. Bent
P.S – Ollie, I think you’ve only chosen 22 men.
@ Podge – Doh. Amended.
@ Chris – Doh. Added Joe Cole to make 23.
Difficult to predict but i would take;
Green, Hart, Robinson
Terry, Ferdinand, Dawson, King, A.Cole, G.Johnson, G.Neville
Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Lennon, A.Johnson, J.Cole, Huddlestone, Walcott
Rooney, C.Cole, Crouch, Defoe, Bent
Hart, Green, James
Terry, Ferdinand, King, A.Cole, G.Johnson, Carragher
Gerrard, Lampard, Lennon, Huddlestone, Milner, A.Johnson, J.Cole, Barry, Scoles (I wish), if not Parker
Rooney, Heskey, Crouch, Defoe, D.Bent
I think Milner can be cover for Ashly Cole at left back but also be a change up player in the middle. King be the difference between glory or tears he can play anywhere across the back 4, if his knee was ok he could also play defensive midfield. If he is fit, I would play him instead of Terry.
I’d love for Scoles to go, I know its a long shot, but image him coming on with 20 minutes to go in the final, he can change everything, when he plays for England he scores GOALS!!
With no Becks Adam Johnson is the change on the right I reckon, another game breaker. I’d take him rather than Walcott.
What do you reckon??
Cheers
Chris
Green, Hart, James (3)
Terry, Ferdinand, Dawson, A.Cole, G.Johnson, Bridge (he will change his mind), King (7)
Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, A.Johnson, Walcott, Lennon, Barry, Hargreaves
(8)
Rooney, Heskey, Crouch, Defoe, Zamora (5)
James, Hart (2)
Terry, Ferdinand, Dawson, King, A.Cole, G.Johnson, L.Baines
Gerrard, Lampard, Lennon, Milner, Huddlestone, Barry, A.Johnson, M.Taylor, Walcott
Rooney, Crouch, Bent, Defoe, Zamora
Capello’s 23
Green, Hart, James;
Terry, Ferdinand, A.Cole, G.Johnson, King, Carragher, G.Neville;
Lampard, Gerrard, Milner, Walcott, Lennon, Barry, A.Johnson,J.Cole;
Rooney, Crouch, Heskey, Defoe, Agbonlahor.
Certainties:
Green, Hart, James
Terry, Ferdinand, A.Cole, G.Johnson,
Gerrard, Lampard, Milner, Lennon, Barry,
Rooney, Heskey, Crouch,
Very Probable:
Baines, Carragher(after the meetings he had I think its seeled) King/Dawson (will only bring one, my money on King)
A.Johnson
Defoe
That leaves 3 places very much up for grabs.
1. With the way Caapello plays Heskey up top and Heskeys odds of turning up to each game in an ambulance I think he has to take Zamora.
2. Given Barrys injury I think he will take one of Huddlestone/Parker as extra cover.
3. The last place is a complete lottery. He could punt for the extra defender and bring Dawson or the extra middfielder and bring Hudd & Parker. I think the squad at this stage is well balanced and Capello will look for something different to spring from the bench i.e Walcott or J.Cole. Both men had very poor seasons, both men prob not fully fit. You already have pace in there with Lennon so bringing Walcott doesn’t add much, therfore I think he will go with J.Cole to recapture some of that guile he showed in years gone by.
no n’zogbia?
this list is void
how can anyone have heskey over zamora?? thats crazy
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Rooneyy you are the star of this sport (*)
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