World cup squad

[Dan]

Some outstanding e-mails being published on football365.com today:

...Have just seen the England squad announced... Theo Walcott.... Now seriously.

David James has played more times as a striker in the premiership.

Not happy.
Dave, Nottingham


...I've never played in the Premiership, can I go too?
M Wilson

[GSH]

As far as the squad goes, I would have thought it logical to pick 5 strikers and put one of the midfielders as stand by especially considering the injury problems we have currently.

Two players I would have liked to have seen in the main 23 are Shaun Wright-Philips and Jermaine Defoe. I'm sure Theo Walcott will grow into an accomplished player given time, but to go straight into the top line surprises me to say the least.

 

[TaipeiAngel]

I think the point of only taking 4 strikers is this - would Defoe, Bent, Johnson score more than Gerrard, Lampard, Cole? Probably not at this level. My feeling is that without Rooney we will see a 4-1-4-1 system with the wide players linking up with Owen when attacking to go 4-3-3. Every team should play a system suited to it's strengths and ours are Lampard & Gerrard being free to join the attack at every opportunity. Therefore we need a holding midfielder to sit and cover the back 4, Carrick or Hargreaves. King is a Defender not a Midfielder and the role should rightly be given to player who plays there week in week out, either of the above two. Crouch / Walcott / ANOther should be used as option B in the second half. If we had Rooney fit later then of course 4-4-2 makes more sense - but without him I have no problems playing Owen up front on his own what with the firepower we have in the midfield area.

TaipeiRamsey

[Gazza]

GSH has brought up another player that has been excluded - Shuan Wright Phillips. Personally, I think he's done himself no favours joining Chelsea and would have bettered his England prospects had he stayed at Man City, gaining regular first-team football.

PS - Owen Hargreaves has only got 29caps I believe Dan....

[Dan]

I noticed that in the paper this morning, clearly I was cross-eyed when reading the table of caps and goals yesterday. 

[IanRichards]

We wont know whether or not Sven has got it right until after the tournament but I think Wallcot is a brave move. Would Bent, Johnson and to a lesser degree Defoe really cut it at international level so why not let Wallcott have a crack.
In '82 we went to Spain with an injured Brooking and Keegan and a young(ish) Bryan Robson was our best player and he wasnt then recognised as a regular. In the lead up to '86 Mark Hateley, Paul Mariner and Tony Woodcock were our main strikers alongside Lineker in the build up but Peter Beardsley came in when no one expected and he forged a great partnership with Lineker.
1990 Gascoigne and Platt were our top players and neither of them played a lot when it was Robson and McMahan (Liverpool) , Owen in '98 etc.
Every England world cup campaign throws a surprise so why not Wallcot, I know he's young but I think its worth a punt.

[kentishman]

there is an option missing re Walcott -  that Sven is just ****ing mad!

[JM]

Wait and see. Boy wonder - very likely  . If not, we tried and failed again. And it won't be down to the boy.

I go into every England game full of hope. I' m invariably disappointed. It won't stop my heart beating and my patriotism from the start. I just hope we end up proud, one way or another. 

[Dan]

The squad numbers have been announced:

England squad numbers:
1 - Paul Robinson, 2 - Gary Neville, 3 - Ashley Cole,
4 - Steven Gerrard, 5 - John Terry, 6 - Rio Ferdinand,
7 - David Beckham, 8 - Frank Lampard, 9 - Wayne Rooney,
10 - Michael Owen, 11 - Joe Cole, 12 - Sol Campbell,
13 - David James, 14 - Wayne Bridge, 15 - Jamie Carragher,
16 - Owen Hargreaves, 17 - Jermaine Jenas, 18 - Michael Carrick,
19 - Aaron Lennon, 20 - Stewart Downing, 21 - Peter Crouch,
22 - Robert Green, 23 - Theo Walcott.