Who should be on the plane to South Africa?

With the World Cup in South Africa now less than 100 days away, England manager Fabio Capello must spend his days (and probably nights) deliberating over who to take with him on the plane to the tournament. And with England widely tipped to do better than in recent tournaments, all eyes are on the Italian as his 23-man squad begins to take shape.

The average England fan will be able to pick a core 10 or 11 players for the trip but the sheer quantity of options Capello has makes it almost impossible to predict who he will choose to include. But perhaps the most intriguing issue revolves around who he will exclude, especially when it comes to those who will be tasked with scoring the goals.

The news that Michael Owen has been ruled out for the rest of the season is bad news for both his club and country. Sir Alex will need him at some point in the remaining games to come off the bench when things aren't going Wayne Rooney or Dimitar Berbatov's way. His goalscoring record from the bench has been good this season and so he was putting forward a decent case for inclusion to Capello, whose England team could really benefit from the sort of natural goalscorer Owen has always been.

In 2006 it was Jermain Defoe who was a surprise omission, with Sven-Goran Eriksson inexplicably choosing an uncapped 16 year old by the name of Theo Walcott. Interestingly, this time around it looks as though both of these will make the plane.

Defoe looks to be a certainty as his form for Tottenham this season has been more than impressive. He has hit over 20 goals already this campaign and his overall play has never been better. He has his protractors though. He has a greed and stubborness so often found in good goalscorers, but that can often lead to him alienating himself from his strike partner , looking for the shot when a pass to a teammate would have been the better option. But it is that very same attitude which has made him the success he has been and his goalscoring record for England recently can not be ignored. He is extremely quick and lively in and around the box and seems to developed a real poacher's instinct in recent months. For Defoe to be left out again would truly be a travesty, thankfully Capello seems to have more sense than Eriksson.

For Theo Walcott, that hat-trick in Zagreb must seem like a long time ago, and in actuality it was! 18 months have been and gone since then and Theo has taken huge strides backwards. His injuries certainly haven't helped but the very fact that a player of his age is having so many injury problems doesn't bode well for the future. His blistering pace will always put strain on his muscles, especially given his slight frame, but for Walcott to become a truly great international right winger he must toughen up slightly. That is, of course, if Capello sees him as a candidate for this position. He made his name as a forward and was selected for the last World Cup as a forward. It is his natural position so surely there is a case for playing him there.

The bad news for Walcott is that his place is far from assured in either of these positions. With Rooney and Deofe likely almost definitely guaranteed of their places, the likes of Peter Crouch, Emile Heskey, Darren Bent, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Carlton Cole have all made convincing arguments for their inclusions also. Of that list Peter Crouch should be considered a must-take.

There needn't be much of a discussion, but unfortunatley there has been. Crouch is under-appreciated at both international and club level. At Liverpool he was never considered good enough, despite his goal-haul. And now at Spurs he has recently lost his place to Roman Pavlyuchenko, with many fans claiming Crouch offers them very little. That couldn't be further from the truth. Crouch's goalscoring record in the Premier League over the last 5 seasons has been good, his record for England has been even better. So the very fact that he offers the most valuable of attributes, goals, moves him to the top of the list.

Emile Heskey is the man many feel should play instead of Crouch, and it has to be said whilst his individual performances in recent months for England have been underwhelming, the team have performed well around him. It is often said that he brought the best out of Michael Owen when he played alongside him for Liverpool and England and his fans will point to England's improved form when he has played. Perhaps the most telling statistic, however, is his seven goals from almost 60 caps. Crouch, on the other hand averages a goal every other game for his country, for me this is a no contest.

Both men should make their way onto the plane, but Crouch should always play ahead of Heskey. For the outsiders, injuries to any one of Crouch, Heskey, Defoe or (god forbid!) Rooney would pave the way for them to do something none of them have managed to do as of yet, make an impact on the biggest stage of them all.

For most the majority of the midfield picks itself. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry will surely be on the plane come June while James Milner has surely done enough to warrant a place with some wonderful performances for Aston Villa. Michael Carrick is an obvious choice too and with Aaron Lennon in the best form of his life, prior to his current injury, the right midifeld spot should be his.

Again Capello may find himself with more than one selection headache when it comes to who he should leave out. The biggest of these headaches will be caused by David Beckham, it almost seems unthinkable for people of a certain generation not to have Becks at a World Cup, his global appeal has created hysteria wherever he has gone for the past 10 years. Capello must look past this though and make his selection based on form. Unfortunately for Beckham he hasn't been playing well enough at a high enough standard to secure his place.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has been struggling for form this season, and despite David Bentley's recent upturn in form he has still been largely disappointing since moving to Spurs. There are other options though, Ashley Young provides the same sort of attributes as Lennon, while Milner can be more than effective there too. And of course there is the afore-mentioned Walcott. With these options available to Capello, Beckham looks a real outside bet. On the other flank, Steven Gerrard, as good as he is, looks out of place on the left. Gareth Barry would be a more obvious choice for this position in my eyes, though his defensive abilities have proved extremely valuable to England in recent times in central midfield. England had such a successful qualifying campaign using this system, everything points to this being Capello's preferred line-up.

Despite the much publicised problems at left-back for Capello, England's back-line is relatively settled. John Terry, despite having his captaincy stripped from him, is a natural leader and will continue to lead on the pitch. Rio Ferdinand will come good when the situation dictates it. His promotion to captain will surely spur him on to better things. Amongst those looking to impress Capello, Michael Dawson could yet prove to be a surprise addition, though look for the likes of Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott to be selected based on their greater experience. Two outside bets could be both Sol Campbell and Ledley King, whilst a fully-fit Johnathan Woodgate would surely be worth considering.

At right-back Glen Johnson has yet to cement his place, though England have few other options here. Wes Brown and Micah Richards should battle it out to be Johnson's understudy.

Ashley Cole will be fit for the World Cup and should therefore start. Wayne Bridge won't be tempted out of international retirement so it should fall to Leighton Baines or Stephen Warnock to fight it out for the other left-back spot. Warnock appears to be a better option for me, though Baines is also an adequate option.

England's final dilemma falls between the sticks. David James, Robert Green, Joe Hart and Paul Robinson hardly match up to some of the goalkeepers in the tournament, with Spain boasting the most impressive stoppers. That being said, James has all the necessary experience to be England's number one for the time being, though his time is almost certainly coming to an end. The matter of his successor should become more apparent after the tournament has ended.

As far as England's chances go, a team with the likes of Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard, Terry, Ferdinand and Ashley Cole running down its spine will always be a formidable force. The likes of Lennon, Wright-Phillips, Walcott and Young can all provide a spark to turn a game on its head, whilst Defoe and Crouch have both proved they can score goals at international level. Expect relatively straight-forward qualification from the group stages and progression to the Quarter Finals, from then on it really is anyone's guess. However, with the right amount of tacticl nous from Capello, as well as a few slices of good fortune, England could well return home having played their best World Cup since 1966. Winning the thing though, is a whole different matter.



My final 23-man squad:



David James
Robert Green
Paul Robinson
Glen Johnson
Wes Brown
John Terry
Rio Ferdinand
Michael Dawson
Matthew Upson
Ashley Cole
Stephen Warnock
Gareth Barry
Frank Lampard
Steven Gerrard
Michael Carrick
James Milner
Aaron Lennon
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Theo Walcott
Wayne Rooney
Jermain Defoe
Peter Crouch
Emile Heskey


Outsiders:
Joe Hart
Micah Richards
Joleon Lescott
Ledley King
Leighton Baines
David Beckham
David Bentley
Joe Cole
Tom Huddlestone
Ashley Young
Gabriel Agbonlahor
Carlton Cole
Darren Bent

Barclays Premier League 2009/2010 Preview

Birmingham City

Having signed a whole host of players in the close-season, Birmingham are something of an unknown entity. Their previous campaigns in the top-flight have invariably ended in relegation but Alex McLeish will be hoping to buck that trend this season.

The squad looks to have been strengthened no end with some good quality players coming in. Joe Hart has joined on loan and should take the number one shirt because he’s an excellent young player, he may be busier than he would like though this year.

That is mainly because the defence still doesn’t look up-to-scratch. Roger Johnson and Scott Dann have come in but both are inexperienced in the Premier League having both moved from Championship clubs this summer. Giovanny Espinoza may prove to be a shrewd signing, but the truth of the matter is... we just don’t know!

The midfield is shaping up well though, and making Lee Bowyer’s loan move permanent was a good step. Barry Ferguson is a good player also and provides a bit more Premier League experience but it is upfront where Birmingham are strongest.

Record signing Christian Benitez is an excellent player who should get a fair few goals in his first season, while he is competing with the likes of Kevin Phillips, Cameron Jerome, Gary O’Connor, James McFadden and Marcus Bent. All of whom have played Premier League football before.

Prediction: 18th – If Birmingham stay up it will probably be Alex McLeish’s biggest achievement. On paper their squad doesn’t look strong enough to ensure survival though. With a weak backline, Birmingham will be exploited by teams with a good strikeforce, of which there are many this season. That is why I predict them to head straight back to the Championship. You can guarantee they’ll put up a fight though and if they can go on a good run of results at some point in the season, they’ll have every chance of staying up.

Key Man: Christian Benitez – The Ecuadorian is strong and quick and can score goals. If he can do that on a regular basis he’ll more than good value for Birmingham’s money.

Barclays Premier League 2009/2010 Preview

Aston Villa

In what was a highly impressive season under Martin O’Neill, Aston Villa surprised many with their brand of fast-paced, counter-attacking football. And even though they eventually missed out on Champions League football, the fans can look back on what was a highly successful season.

Things might not go so well this season though. The sale of Gareth Barry to Manchester City not only weakens Villa’s side but strengthens one of their serious rivals in the race to the Champions League. It could have a destabilising effect on the team, of which Barry has been a major part for many years. It is now essential that Ashley Young is kept. Losing the winger as well would be a disaster. Barry’s departure, coupled with Martin Laursen’s retirement due to injury, threatens to undo the good work Martin O’Neill has done over the past few years but there is still cause for optimism.

Stewart Downing is now on the books and the England winger, despite being out injured until at least December, not only provides competition for Young but offers Villa another dimension with his left-footed crossing. The likes of John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor should thrive on that service.

The somewhat over-priced, but nonetheless talented, Fabian Delph has also joined the ranks and whilst the youngster may not feature too heavily in the first-team this season, Villa fans can expect to see more of him in the coming years, and it is then that we will see his true value.

The lack of a direct replacement for Barry is a concern for Villa and if O’Neill can’t get somebody in before the window closes Villa will certainly be substantially weaker for it.

Prediction: 7th – If Villa can repeat the kind of football that saw them comfortably in fourth mid-way through last season then they may yet be capable of challenging the top four. But it is looking increasingly unlikely. Barry has to be replaced and Young must be kept. A new centre-back should also be a priority after Zat Knight was sold to Bolton. Habib Beye, whilst being a useful squad player, should not be in Villa’s starting line-up each week.

Key Man: Ashley Young. The England winger may have to occupy both wings at various times this season but you can guarantee he’ll be equally as effective on either flank. He is lightning quick and has scored his fair share of goals. Without him, Villa start to look like a very average side. Keeping him, despite the attentions of other clubs, is absolutely essential.

Barclays Premier League 2009/2010 Preview

Yes, it’s that time again. Football fans up and down the country are literally bursting with excitement at the prospect of seeing their side turning out once again in the best league in the world.But how might each side fare this campaign, in what is sure to be one of the toughest, most competitive seasons ever?

Arsenal


Arsene Wenger has yet to strengthen his side significantly, with the only notable signing coming in the form of Thomas Vermaelen, the £10 million defender joining from Ajax. He will have to act as a direct replacement for Kolo Toure however, as the Ivory Coast centre-back, and last remaining member of the famous ‘Invincibles’ squad, has moved onto big-spending Manchester City. And he’ll be in familiar company as he is joined at Eastlands by big striker Emmanuel Adebayor. The Tongolese international looked out of sorts at times last season but nobody can deny his goal threat. It is something that Arsenal will miss.

Despite the lack of signings, however, Arsenal fans can still look forward to the new season. The returns of Eduardo and Tomas Rosicky to full-time action are a major boost to Wenger and with Cesc Fabregas fully fit they should still be able to cement their top four status.

Whether simply ensuring Champions League qualification once again is enough for Arsenal fans remains to be seen, but a title challenge is simply beyond them unless Wenger strengthens the team in all areas before the window closes, something which looks increasingly unlikely.

Prediction: 4th – Arsenal simply do not have the squad to mount a serious title challenge this season. They will also have to contend with a string of improved sides below them all looking to take the Gunners’ Champions League spot. They should still manage it, but expect them to be pushed even harder than they were last year.

Key Man: Cesc Fabregas. The Spaniard holds the keys as far as Arsenal are concerned. With him on the sidelines last season, Wenger’s men lacked creativity going forward and thus scored less than expected. If Fabregas can stay injury-free he should combine well with the likes of Andrei Arshavin, Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky to provide plenty of scoring opportunities, as well as chipping in with a few goals himself.

Season Review- Blackburn Rovers

A season of stagnation for Rovers as Paul Ince’s disastrous reign came to an end almost before it started and Big Sam came in to save the club from relegation.

A surprising 3-2 away win over Everton on the opening day of the season saw Paul Ince’s reign as Blackburn manager start with real promise. The former MK Dons boss moved to Ewood Park weeks before the season start after Mark Hughes moved to Man City but had yet to capture the fans’ imaginations with any notable signings, further to that, star player David Bentley had been sold to Tottenham for a over £15 million and the money had barely been spent, only Paul Robinson had been snapped up as a replacement for the departed veteran Brad Freidel.

One positive the fans could take was the club’s ability to keep striker Roque Santa Cruz on the books despite the attentions of the newly-rich Manchester City.

Two heavy defeats at the hands of West Ham and Arsenal showed the faithful that there was plenty of work still to do. Some inconsistent results saw the team lingering in the lower regions of the table but things soon took a turn for the worse as six straight defeats, including ones against fellow strugglers Tottenham, Portsmouth and Sunderland, forced the team into the relegation zone.

Ince was relieved of his duties on December 19th following a heavy 3-0 defeat at the hands of Wigan and Sam Allardyce, formerly of Lancashire rivals Bolton of course, was sworn in the very next day.

The switch seemed to have worked. A comprehensive 3-0 win over Stoke was the start of a 9-match unbeaten run which was enough to virtually ensure the club’s safety. There was still work to do though and a last-gasp win over Spurs at Ewood Park was probably the highlight of Allardyce’s reign in an otherwise disappointing campaign for the former Premier League champions.

Going into the summer, Blackburn will need to strengthen in key areas. Roque Santa Cruz will leave the club to join Manchester City so Allardyce’s main concern will revolve around replacing the big Paraguayan. Matt Derbyshire looks set to make his loan move in Turkey permanent so Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts will need competition. Darren Bent’s Tottenham career seems to be coming to an end so perhaps a bid for the out-of-favour striker is on the cards. It is unclear, however, how much spending money the boss has been given and Bent would come with a hefty price tag.

In defence, Andre Ooijer could be sorely missed, if not for his versatility more than any other outstanding attribute. Aaron Mokoena has also left the club on a free. Allardyce will have to search the globe to find suitable replacements but don’t bet on Rovers troubling the big boys or challenging for Europe next season unless he finds some real gems.

Final standings:
Premier League: 15th
FA Cup: 5th round
Carling Cup: Quarter-final

Season Review - Aston Villa

Aston Villa, for the most part, flourished under Martin O’Neill this season with a sixth place finish. But that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Some shrewd signings during the summer transfer window made Villa an exciting prospect for the season to follow, but few could have predicted the excellent start to the season they were about to have.

After Thomas Sorensen’s departure the goalkeeping options were reinforced significantly with the purchase of Blackburn’s veteran American keeper Brad Freidel and compatriot Brad Guzan. Promising centre-back Curtis Davies was taken from local rivals West Brom before Steve Sidwell joined after a disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge.

A serious injury to Wilfred Bouma meant that the full-back areas would need to be strengthened so O’Neill brought in two England internationals in the shape of Luke Young and Nicky Shorey. Carlos Cuellar boosted the defensive options after joining from Rangers whilst James Milner moved from Newcastle for a lofty £12 million. But perhaps Villa’s biggest bit of transfer activity was keeping Gareth Barry despite a long, drawn-out saga which almost saw the midfielder move to Liverpool.

The season started with an entertaining 4-2 win against Manchester City, which saw Gabriel Agbonlahor score a hat-trick, and was a sign of things to come as the Villains cemented their place firmly towards the top end of the table.

Impressive wins over Tottenham, West Brom and Sunderland countered defeats against Chelsea and new-boys Stoke and Wigan were thrashed 4-0 at the JJB with the likes of Ashley Young, John Carew and Agbonlahor causing defences problems with their pace and power.

It soon became clear that Villa were a force to be reckoned with and were sat comfortably in fourth place at the mid-way point of the season. Perhaps their biggest result was a 2-0 victory over fourth-place contenders Arsenal at the Emirates in November and with progress through to the knock-out stage of the UEFA Cup secured everything looked very rosy indeed for O’Neill and his team.

But things gradually took a turn for the worse after the turn of the new year. Knocked out of the FA Cup with a 3-1 defeat against Everton at Goodison Park, Villa then went on a poor run of results, including a defeat over two legs to CSKA Moscow in the UEFA Cup. And it was this result which proved pivotal in their season.

With Villa sitting in fourth and having drawn 1-1 with CSKA Moscow at home, O’Neill opted to chase qualification for the Champions League rather than progression through to the next round of the UEFA Cup by sending an inexperienced side to Russia, returning with a 2-0 defeat. It was here that the wheels began to fall off.

A dramatic last minute equaliser from Ryan Shawcross at Villa Park gave Stoke a 2-2 draw before Man City, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United all inflicted defeats on the Villains. Four draws from their last seven games was not enough to secure fourth place and Arsenal and Everton’s excellent late form meant the club finished the season in 6^th place.

While such a finish may have disappointed some fans given their team’s position throughout the majority of season, it can still be viewed as a progressive campaign. The team consistently beat those below them, which is a sign of a quality side, but fell away at the end of the season. This perhaps signals the need for a deeper squad, to cope with more games.

Villa are not short of money and should enter the transfer market looking to add real quality to their team. The void left by the retirement of Martin Laursen will need to be filled but in general they have a quality squad. There just needs to be some reinforcement in some areas and O’Neill can look forward to another successful campaign.

Final standings:

Premier League: 6^th

UEFA Cup: First Knockout Round

FA Cup: Fifth Round

Carling Cup: Third Round

Season Review - Arsenal

A look back at the season all 20 clubs had in 2008-09, analysing the highs and lows of each team throughout the campaign, starting with Arsene Wenger's Arsenal.


2008-09 was a bit of a mixed bag for the Gunners as their early promise faltered earlier than usual only to see an upturn in results at the end of the season, albeit much too late to mount a serious title challenge.

Having finished fourth in 2007-08 Arsenal fans were looking for their team to, once again, establish themselves as serious title challengers at the start of the season, they would have to do this though without important first-teamers such as Mathieu Flamini and Aliaksandr Hleb who joined AC Milan and Barcelona respectively. Ageing squad members Jens Lehmann and Gilberto Silva left also, leaving Wenger with plenty of gaps to fill.

The striking options were boosted by the granting of a work permit to Carlos Vela whilst Aaron Ramsey became the club's first transfer of the summer. He was soon followed by Samir Nasri before Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre arrived late in August.

By that time the league campaign had already started but a narrow 1-0 home win over newly-promoted West Brom did little to instill confidence. Things got worse still the following week as they were defeated by Roy Hodgson's Fulham at Craven Cottage with the only goal of the game coming from defender Brede Hangeland.

Things began to pick up soon after though, as advancement to the group stage of the Champions League was secured with victory over FC Twente and Newcastle, Blackburn and Bolton were defeated comfortably. But there was to be drama at the Emirates in late September as Premier League new-boys Hull City, inspired by Geovanni, upset the Gunners with a 2-1 win.

Although concerning, the result certainly seemed to have little impact on the team initially, however, a home fixture against bottom of the league and fierce rivals Spurs did some damage. After having gone behind thanks to David Bentley's goal of the season contender early in the match, Arsenal stormed back to take a 3-1 lead mid-way through the second half. Darren Bent pulled one back for Spurs but Robin Van Persie added a fourth to seemingly secure the game for the Gunners with just ten minutes left on the clock.

But Tottenham, lead by new manager Harry Redknapp, had other ideas. Jermaine Jeans scored a marvellous individual effort to turn the pressure up slightly before Aaron Lennon scored an injury time equaliser to leave the Arsenal faithful with faces as red as their shirts.

As though that wasn't enough, a 2-1 defeat away to Stoke followed and Arsenal's title aspirations soon evaporated. A victory over Manchester United was the reaction but the inconsistency continued the following week when Aston Villa, competing with Arsenal for fourth place at this stage, came to the Emirates and left with a 2-0 victory.

With the team sitting in fifth place for most of the first half of the season Arsene Wenger knew something had to change. His reliance on buying youth and breeding them was failing him and fans had begun to question his methods. His response was the purchase of Russian star Andrei Arshavin.

But the playmaker joined during a concerning period of results for the team with four consecutive 0-0 draws highlighting the attacking problems at the club. Things began to change, however, when Arshavin started to feature after regaining full match fitness. Wins over West Brom, Blackburn, Newcastle and Wigan showed the team had turned a corner before another 4-4 draw came at Anfield, with Arshavin having his biggest impact to date with four goals.

Despite matching Liverpool in that game, the same could not be done recently against Chelsea, who proceeded to inflict Arsenal's heaviest defeat of the season, with a 4-1 win at the Emirates. Manchester United clinched the league having drawn 0-0 with Arsenal at Old Trafford before Stoke were soundly defeated on the final day of the season. But in truth, Arsenal's campaign was over much earlier than that.

Arsene Wenger can perhaps take solace in the decent cup runs of his team, reaching the semi-finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League, but there are serious problems at the club, and not just on the pitch.

William Gallas was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy in November after a verbal attack on his teammates and his discontent seems to have spread. Striker Emmanuel Adebayor, so deadly in front of goal the season before, looked out of sorts for most of the campaign and seems unwilling to remain at the club over the summer. Whilst fans have raised questions about Wenger's transfer policy after waiting all season for him to fill the void left by Flamini, it appears neither Alex Song or Denilson are the answer.

For Arsenal to move forward they need to change. Wenger will, reportedly, be given more money to spend this summer and he should try his hardest to bring in some of the world's best talent, regardless of age. Another centre-back is required urgently, Toure and Gallas have looked poor at times whilst Silvestre has proved a poor purchase. Should Emmanuel Adebayor leave then a suitable replacement must be found because without the Tongolese forward, the team will struggle to score goals. David Villa will almost certainly leave Valencia this summer and Arsenal fans would see him as big name who would bang in the goals. Perhaps the most pressing issue for Wenger to address though, is the central midfield position. Alex Song has played their recently and has done well, but Arsenal fans want more, a permanent partner to Cesc Fabregas is needed and Wenger will need to draw on all his expertise to find one. Yaya Toure has been touted as a possible candidate and that is certainly the standard of player that a club like Arsenal should be chasing.


Final standings:
League position: 4th
Champions League: Semi Final
FA Cup: Semi Final
Carling Cup: Quarter Final