English football team - Politics, injuries leave Fabio Capello in a tight spot
As the day for the announcement of England’s final 23 men for the FIFA World Cup squad draws nearer, Fabio Capello is under more pressure than ever. There are injuries, there are players who are not up to expectations and then there are some tough calls that have to be made in the selection of players.
Such cases are a regular site near the disclosure of the final team. For instance, Frank Lampard has been making statements about Joe Cole’s inclusion in the English squad. Cole went through an in-off season however the footballer played an role in Chelsea’s title victory this season.
The defensive mid-fielder has a keen eye on the field and is able to deliver stunning passes, splitting the opponents’ defence. Lampard said, “I hope Joe will be in the squad because he is my mate and he is a great player. He is the sort of player who gives a team something different.”
Lampard further said that he knew about the troubles involving Cole this season but was unsure that the mid-fielder wasn’t promising enough. Lampard said, “Even though he has not played that many minutes this season, there is an argument to say that makes him fresh and more dangerous.”
Lampard and Cole aren’t the only players to have paired up in the media. England captain Rio Ferdinand has kept a close eye on the selection procedures. Ferdinand has been contemplating continuously over the selection of players that he presumably wants to be in his squad. Lately however, the man in focus is the controversial Ledley King. A great star without any doubt with talent oozing out, but the only question is can he deliver?
King has had a chain of injuries this season that had constantly played without practice in the matches with good performances. He indeed helped his side qualify for the Champions League next season but can he remain stable for the World Cup.
Ferdinand has full confidence on him anyway. He said, “Ledley is a top player. For someone to play as well as he does despite not training is phenomenal. It’s just disappointing he has had so many injuries and not had a sustained crack at being an international player.”
Ferdinand trustingly added, “Ledley will do a grand job if he is selected and comes over to the World Cup.”
It is hoped that Ledley uses the opportunity to prove his metal. Ledley hasn’t shown a lot of confidence to prove that he worth the buy. However, there are players who are confident enough to make their own statements. For instance, Theo Walcott has been in the spotlight about proclaiming his importance in the team. He says that he has been playing throughout the season and expects his qualification in the final team.
Walcott was included in the 2006 World Cup squad but the player didn’t have much of a chance to play. However, in the Under-21 Cup, Theo Walcott did represent England until they lost in the final. Walcott claimed that this years World Cup in South Africa won’t be like the surprise last time when he was 17 years old and included in the squad. He explained that the Under-21 Cup would give him an edge too, “The Under-21s Championship last year was my first tournament experience of actually playing, and it doesn’t matter what age group it is the experience of Finals is invaluable. We played against Germany, Spain and Sweden in front of big crowds. It was a great experience.”
Capello has other worries too. Rooney seems quite injury prone at the end of this season. In the match against Mexico, the aggressive striker was not up to the mark. Though they won it 3-1 in the end, England could barely come out with a good performance in the second half against Mexico.
There were problems in the mid-field as well. The new players just didn’t seem to adjust in the first half of the match. At last, it was only when Steven Gerrard and Lampard joined the action that the English team was able to reply with an attacking game.
On this issue, Capello said, “We never suffered a lot during World Cup qualification but this time, I put two different players in, Milner who has played in midfield this year, and Carrick. I changed it after half-time and put Steven in the middle, where he played very well.”
While complementing both the players, the manager had this to say, “He is a really good player and can play in midfield, as a number 10, in lots of different positions. Gerrard can play in midfield with Frank Lampard but we have to wait and see which players will be fit.”
It is predicted that the English squad will be announced on the 1st of June and presumably, most of the politics and outrage would have happened before that. Despite having the world’s most lucrative domestic leagues in the world, England has consistently failed to win the World Cup for the second time in history.
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