one thing i dont understand is when questioned why he didnt pick richards, he said with rooney out for 2 games, he didnt want to overload with defenders and wanted extra midfield options....surely thinking that way, picking an extra striker would have made more sense.
I think 7 defenders is right if you have at least one that can cover CB and full-back (ie Jones, or Richards if he'd picked him). I would have canned one midfielder/winger for another striker because of Rooney's suspension - although this squad seems to confirm that Hodgson will not be picking a 4-4-2. Only one of those strikers will start the first game - with Gerrard in an advanced role behind them.
I think the major decisions for Hodgson are: Barry or Lampard or Parker? (Pick 2 - I'd have Lampard and Parker.) Who goes up top? (Unlikely to be Defoe on his own - Welbeck probably narrow favourite over Carroll.)
id go with lampard for barry, and jones in for johnson.. cant believe he hasnt picked richards in all honesty, i dont rate johnson as a defender, he is good going forward but cant defend.
Downing being there is a ****ing disgrace, Tim Howard has more goals and assists in the Premier league this season. Shocker
Hodgson needs to use Walcott down the middle, could be that his pace is super-effective in that position at the Euros and he is under the radar still internationally- it wouldn't surprise me at all that he will get an opportunity in this role, then we won't have to worry about the likes of Carroll and Defoe performing
Downing is the worst pick in the squad got to agree with everybody on that, will support him though and I can't see us being as bad down the flanks as we were with Capello and his Gerrard on the left tactical disaster
To be fair, Johnson has only started about 10 league games this season, roughly 1 in 4, and Sturridge's form has dropped off a cliff since RDM came in, and he's lost his place to Kalou, so them not been picked isn't the big deal it's been made out to be IMO.
I'd rather of Roy took some of the younger lads. Does anyone else have any worries that 4 of our centre midfielders are all over 30?
It's a bizarre squad. There were always going to be good players missing out but leaving out Richards (especially with Walker ruled out) and taking Downing ahead of Johnson or Sturridge is just barmy. It was the one complaint I always had about Cappello that he was too obsessed with Downing, why does he always make the squads, he's the exact same sort of player to Johnson, except not as good. I don't get it. I find it surprising that Ferdinand isn't going as well but the Downing pick I really do find incredible. Despite that, I completely agree with what Boothferry_Legend said that we need to get behind the team and the manager this year instead of desperately searching for some scandal to moan about. Let's just enjoy it.
I don't see Hodgson as being too dissimilar to Capello in terms of playing ethos. Which is a bit frustrating, as I felt it was time to break the shackles off and be England again. I felt it was an opportunity to play the way English players naturally want to play, (which to my mind is simple, attack down the flanks and get by as much on spirit as ability) not a safe and restricted style, a kind of faux-Italian design. I'm convinced we'd reach a semi-final at least that way! Summon up the powers of Italia '90 and Euro '96, playing the only way the English really know. I don't see us winning a tournament for decades, but a sign of improvement and re-injection of national pride is so needed right now. But we won't. It'll be very similar to the Capello way, which I think is what turned a lot of people off England in the end. I honestly think we'll do well to get out the group.
I think there will be improvement from Capello's tournament, am a bit more optimistic than some. Hodgson will be more open to change things. It's a shame that he couldn't do a complete sweep-out of the old guard but it was never going to happen. Would have been nice to see a young vibrant squad like the one Germany had against us when we got battered. At least Terry will have a decent partner at the back this time so he won't get torn to shreds, unbelievable that Klose long ball goal against England international defenders.
This is my main area of concern with the squad. Rooney there's no like for like cover available so you have to accept changing system when he's out as it's better than leaving him out in the first place. At right back we don't have a stand out player in the same way, both selections should be the same kind of player, so that if we need to make a change it doesn't impact the roles of 3 or 4 other players. As it is our 2 options are a player with skills and a mentality better suited to being a winger, or at least a wing back in a 532, and a central defender who can also slot in at right back. Changing between them impacts on the role of the centre back(s), the holding midfielder, and the right winger, plus obviously the right backs themselves.
Down to both of them. How the hell Upson was in the team shows that at least we have made progress on some fronts.
