There are some positive choices to the team too. It’s not all doom and gloom England fans. There are some great additions to the squad. The likes of Phil Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Welbeck and Andy Carroll can give England a bit of hope.
I know I said that Gerrard is the only Liverpool player who should be near the squad based on last season’s form but I’m really excited about the addition of Andy Carroll. The big Geordie will always cause problems for defenders as he proved in England’s friendly against Norway. He holds the ball up well and doesn’t try anything too fancy. He has a rocket of a left-foot and will contribute a few goals. England need a true powerhouse of a striker and thank Christ we finally have a manager who doesn’t believe Emile Heskey is the answer! I predict it’ll be a big summer for Carroll.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been a revelation since he signed for Arsenal from Southampton. Despite only being 18, his form was so good that Arsene Wenger found himself the focus of criticism from Arsenal fans for not picking him more often. What Oxlade-Chamberlain did for Arsenal last season is what they were expecting from Theo Walcott when they signed him. If given time on the field then he will create a lot of goals.
When Danny Welbeck is playing well then he is almost unplayable. He brings power, pace and energy to the team but more importantly he can score goals. The problem with Welbeck is that he is in a constant battle with his own ego. He has a tendency to try a few too many tricks that more often than not don’t come off. However, he’ll have enough experienced teammates around him to drill into him that it’s not always about playing to the crowd. If he stays focussed and plays football then the crowd will be behind him. If Hodgson can get him playing to his full potential then he could be England’s ace in the hole.
Phil Jones is the future of English football. Sure he had a dip in form towards the end of the season but he is an absolute beast and will give strikers a torrid old time should he get picked. When he sets off running with the ball he is very difficult to stop. He is versatile too as he can fill-in in midfield. Pundits, managers and players alike are not wrong when they say Phil Jones will be a future England captain.
So now we have the players what’s next for Roy Hodgson?
