I mentioned in another thread that a lot of countries have mostly average players and a couple of stars and have successful tournaments. Meaning we dont have to be so set on star players. So which English players who dont play for England would get in most other World Cup squads? Huddlestone? Hooper? Lescott? Asley Cole would walk in. Carroll to. Nolan? Joe Cole? Downing? Rodwell? Dawson. Tom Ince. Some could be big deals for there countries!
Yes most of them would get into other WC squads, but only those of equal or worse status than England. None of them would get into the real top 10 - 15 teams in the World.
England may well have benefited from Terry being there tbh. Cahill has been shown to be suspect without someone like Terry, bit of a ball watcher. I hate Terry but you can't deny he's a solid CB. Spain could have done with him
So which country are we talking here? Greece for example? Sure they might however I have to say it's not average so much as lazy and unambitious when you say downing and such If we said for example.... Flanagan, Dawson (how the f did smalling go) However that said the options up front are very limited