I'm really disappointed that Beckham won't be getting his 100th cap on Wednesday. I wanted to see him get that milestone and then fade into the sunset. The friendly is meaningless. We might as well use one of our SIX substitutions on him. But I understand that Capello is looking at this as an unemotional decision and maybe that's what we really need.
Fantastic Decision to not name Beckham in the squad imo. He hasnt played for four months, he wouldnt even be considered in any other teams national side. He will get his 100th cap in the Summer when he is playing again, but to have included him in the squad and play him ahead of a player who is playing week in week out in England while Beckhams opening up academies would be like spitting in the players faces.
Joe Hart, and perhaps a little surprisingly Aaron Lennon, have been named in the England U21 squad so they are not in the senior squad. Full squad in case you're interested Goalkeepers Joe Hart Tom Heaton Joe Lewis Defenders Craig Gardner Michael Mancienne Joe Mattock Nedum Onuoha Ryan Shawcross Steven Taylor David Wheater Midfielders Lee Cattermole Tom Huddlestone Adam Johnson Aaron Lennon James Milner Fabrice Muamba Mark Noble Jamie O'Hara Andrew Surman Forwards Cameron Jerome Luke Moore James Vaughan Theo Walcott
Michael Owen has apparently been left out of the England squad as well. We will see soon. EDIT: Turned out that was a load of crap. Full squad coming in a minute.
Squad announced. http://www.thefa.com/England/Senior...Postings/2008/01/EnglandSwitzerland_squad.htm Goalkeepers: James, Kirkland, Carson Defenders:Bridge, Cole, Curtis Davies, Ferdinand, Terry, Johnson, King, Shorey, Brown, Lescott, Richards, Upson, Woodgate, Midfielders:Carrick, Gerrard, Barry, Jenas, Hargreaves, Cole, Young, Downing, SWP, Bentley Forwards: Heskey, Owen, Crouch, Agbonlahor, Rooney
PROVISIONAL ENGLAND SQUAD Goalkeepers David JAMES Scott CARSON Chris KIRKLAND Defenders Wayne BRIDGE Ashley COLE Curtis DAVIES Rio FERDINAND Glen JOHNSON Ledley KING Nicky SHOREY Wes BROWN Joleon LESCOTT Micah RICHARDS Matthew UPSON Jonathan WOODGAGE Midfielders Michael CARRICK Steven GERRARD Gareth BARRY Jermaine JENAS Owen HARGREAVES Joe COLE Ashley YOUNG Stewart DOWNING Shaun WRIGHT-PHILLIPS David BENTLEY Forwards Emile HESKEY Gabriel AGBONLAHOR Michael OWEN Wayne ROONEY Peter CROUCH
SSN is reporting that Capello said that Hart, Lennon, Walcott and Wheater were also under consideration but selected for the U21s due to the importance of the qualifying game. Not a bad squad at all. I had horrible visions of Matt Derbyshire being included as he was left out of Pearce's squad. Green is probably the only notable omission. Davies is the main surprise and also Upson and Jenas have both been in excellent form and deserve a recall.
There should have been none. Everyone knows the English players that are performing and merit inclusion. Capello is the first manager to actually include them.
Nice provisional squad. I can already see how Capello is trying to put his team together. Will be interesting to see the final cuts..
capello will nail down a real squad when he has been around afew months. i remember when sven first picked a squad and he had names like powell and mccann in there. and no phil neville. didnt take him long to realise that phil only knows how to punt diagonal long balls and concede fouls.
I was never a huge fan, but he has been playing very well for Portsmouth this season. With Gary Neville out of the picture he was an obvious choice to come back in.
I imagine they'll all get a chance to stake a claim before next season. There's no obvious clear leading candidate.
I definately wouldn't start James.. James once again showed little effort yesterday in attempting saves..
If you were going to trim this from 30 to 23, who would you cut...? Davies, Upson, Woodgate, Jenas, Young, Downing, Heskey? Remember that perennial favourites Terry, Lampard are injured and not in either list. Hopefully we have seen the last of Phil Neville and Gary 'I speak in the 3rd person, Neville.
It will depend on any injuries/withdrawals following the weekend games. I imagine he would ideally be looking to lose 4 defenders (there are three left backs in the squad), 2 midfielders and a striker.
Jenas has been playing well of late, and Capello has watched Tottenham closely. I imagine Jenas will get a spot in the final 23. Heskey should receive a call up too. I guess it is going to depend on what type of formation Capello has in mind. I could see him using a 4-3-3, if Heskey keeps his spot.
Bridge and Downing are two players I never want to see in an England kit again. I would have liked some u-21s to be called up like lennon and walcott. I think they'll both be important during qualifying. Anyways it was nice to see hesky get another shot after his performances under McClaren, even if he doesn't make the 23 man squad.