England v Hungary – ‘The home coming’……

Prior to the programme, ITV built this up as a new beginning, ‘the rejuvenation of England’ I think was the term used, my hearing was muffled from the yawning reflex I get when settling down to watch an England friendly.

Host Adrian Chiles opened the programme with the hopeful statement of, “I knew you couldn’t resist it.” This was then followed by shots of smiling young England fans outside Wembley, there cheery faces telling you that their lives of supporting England just beginning, give them another four years and that pre-match optimism they all share will have faded into the permanent frown the rest of us wear when watching our Country play football. Chiles oversees the pictures, “there are lots of kids here, but have they been brought as a treat or for punishment.” My yawn morphed into an appreciative chuckle.

The new look England, which consisted of 7 starters that were humiliated in Bloemfontein only 6 weeks ago by Germany, opened brightly in front of what seemed to be a confused, yet impressive, 72,000 crowd who appeared to have forgotten their reasoning for attending this ‘homecoming friendly’, with a mix of jeers, claps and half hearted chanting throughout the evening.

The neat passages of play England enjoyed during the game would have no doubt been followed by the International viewing tourettes many armchair fans get, as the almost approving murmurs of the ‘That’s more like it’ seep through are unwilling lips.

The end of the first half was greeted with ITV singling out one moronic England fan doing his best Mike Basset impression. His jesters to the England bench that we should be playing four four two just highlight what a fickle breed we are as this was probably the same moronic England fan that was shouting at his TV 6 weeks ago, questioning why we weren’t playing four five one.

To summarise the game that nobody wanted, England wasn’t bad. We looked lively in parts and knocked the ball around well. The opposition wasn’t of the highest calibre by any stretch of the imagination, but you can only beat what’s put in front of you and well beaten they were. Fabio Capello also got to see some impressive displays, in particular the energetic Adam Johnson and effective Theo Walcott, part of the new, dare I say it, ‘silver generation’?

Hungary made a game of it though and took the lead after 63 minutes through a Phil Jagielka own goal, which immediately looked dubious. As the country experienced a Frank Lampard flash back our fear was confirmed as replays shown Michael Dawson clearing before the ball managed to cross the line.

England’s dominance shown for nothing and as the host’s trailed that all too familiar emotion of English embarrassment was back alongside us, shadowing our ever-quickening deposit of lager.

Pantomime villain Wayne Rooney lapped up his hostile reception when being substituted three minutes later for Fulham’s Bobby Zamora, by waving back at the fans that booed him. I’m still not 100% sure if the reaction was for his abysmal performance at the World Cup or for the fact Bobby Zamora was about to make his England debut, this was a confused crowd of people at Wembley remember.

England hit back with two goals in the space of five minutes that if had come from the boot of a David Villa or Andres Iniesta, we’d be hearing about as world class for the next few years.

Captain Steven Gerrard dug the team out of the sinking foundations that was to be ‘the new beginning’ with an absolute screamer from 25 yards. The winner came from the same source and was equally as impressive. The Liverpudlian’s quick feet inside the Hungarians area enabled him to get away from four defenders before adding a deft chip over the oncoming Gábor Király.

Stevie G had brought to Wembley what we’d all been begging him to bring to South Africa, his best Liverpool form and he’d done it in the position we’d all been begging Fabio Capello to play him in throughout our drab World Cup stay.

Well 6 weeks too late, Fabio Capello obliged to our formation prayers and guess what? It worked.

Carragher – “England still in good shape”

Jamie Carragher is fit and ready to step into the breach and help to rebuild England’s World Cup ambitions after their opening draw, according to the player.

A goalkeeping howler by Robert Green meant an uninspired England could only draw their opening Group C game 1-1 with the USA, and Carragher was forced to come on in place of Ledley King at half-time after the Spurs player injured his groin.

Carragher had a disappointing domestic season as his Liverpool side missed out on the Premier League top four and the defender returned from international retirement before the 2010 Football World Cup at the request of manager Fabio Capello.

It now seems that the Italian will pick the Liverpool man to play alongside John Terry at the heart of the England defence in their next game against Algeria.

Carragher has said he is confident himself and Terry can form a strong defensive partnership if they are “given the opportunity”, adding he is sure due to the “ability” both the players have.

The defender stated that he remained assured that England can have a successful World Cup despite their inauspicious start to the tournament.

“A lot of experienced players in the squad have been to World Cups before,” Carragher said.

“I don’t think the squad has changed that much from four years ago. Hopefully [we can] build on the experience from then and go one better.”

The World Cup 2010 betting still makes England among the favourites for the tournament.

In addition to the centre back issues, Capello also has to make a decision on his goalkeeper after Green’s mistake in their opening game and one of those options is David James.

The veteran goalkeeper was overlooked for the USA game but has declared he is “fit and well” and wants to start the clash with Algeria if Capello decides to drop Green.

Capello picks first England World Cup side

He’s keeping the players and the fans guessing but according to England manager Fabio Capello he already knows who will start the side’s opening group game against the USA.

Since taking charge of the Three Lions, the Italian has gained a reputation for playing his cards close to his chest. The days of team sheets being released to the media well ahead of kick off are gone and it seems Capello is taking the same approach to the World Cup.

Speaking to Radio Five Live, he revealed the first XI has already been picked for the game, although he is aware that injuries could force him to change his plans.

He said: “I know the 11 that will play Saturday and I hope the next two days, during the training, all the players will be fit.”

The side’s preparations were dealt a cruel blow just hours after they arrived in South Africa when Rio Ferdinand injured his knee. James Milner and Matthew Upson have also been suffering from a fever, so there’s no guarantee that Capello will be able to field the players he wants. Indeed, the problems in the camp seem to have led to England’s World Cup odds lengthening.

However, the manager is also satisfied with the progress England have made during his time in charge, claiming that “they’ve improved a lot” since his first game in charge back in February 2008.

For now Capello, the players and the fans will just have to pray that England’s World Cup injury curse doesn’t strike again and they are able to field a full-strength side against a USA team who will be no pushovers.

Furthermore, anyone with a betting system will be aware that England have a poor record at the start of tournaments.

It should be remembered that no side has ever gone on to win the World Cup after losing their first group game, so the Three Lions really do need to get off to a flyer.

The List of England’s Seven Possible Fall Out Players

England has the final list of the players who surely will play in the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Fabio Capello kept his lips sealed until he is ready to announce the seven fall outs from the team who will be sent home and have to fight another day.

Although, some of the England fans may be disappointed because their favorite players may be one of the seven players who will not be able to play the World Cup, they have to accept it because Fabio Capello will never send them home for no valid reason. The two friendly games against Mexico and Japan would the games that Capello would be basing his judgment in choosing the worthy 23 players to give a shot for England in the World Cup 2010.

Until England’s manager announces the final 23-man World Cup squad, people are left to speculate who are the seven players to be just watching the games from the comfort of their homes. One of the players who recently emerged and boost his reputation is Jamie Carragher who wholeheartedly played his role as right-back and center back during the friendly games. He underlined his caliber being the best and most experienced “utility man” of England.

Without further adieu, here are the seven possible players who may not be able to give their shot at World Cup;

#1. Michael Carrick – obviously, he failed to convince Capello that he is worthy to be on the plane to South Africa during the friendly match against Mexico. As evidence, he was never given a play time during the game against Japan.

#2. Darren Bent – Capello may prefer to pick the more experienced and the well-known battering-ram Emile Heskey who has been tried and tested during the last 20 minutes of their game against Japan. Bent failed the test of Capello.

#3. Adam Johnson – he performed well during their game against Mexico. However, Joe Cole has had an impressive game and played hand in hand with their goalie during their game against Japan. Johnson may be able to miss out this year’s World Cup.

#4. Michael Dawson – this Spurs defender may not be given the opportunity to give his shot at the WC. His defensive partners Jamie Carragher and Ledley King completed the four center-backs he needed.

#5. Matthew Upson – he had two nervy moments with England’s system of play and even though he had been the regular player for England since 2008, his poor performances at West Ham may cost him his seat at World Cup.

#6. Stephen Warnock – he is one of the players who have struggled enough to play for England. However, being at the bench during their game against Japan suggests that he is a player that Capello can live without in the World Cup.

#7. Scott Parker – this West Ham midfielder was given a chance to fill the space left by the injured Gareth Barry, however Capello seemed to try Tom Huddlestone out who did the best he can to force his way to be included in the list of the 23-man squad.

England were ready for the World Cup…not any more!

by Simon Sparrowhawk

Fabio Capello’s preparations for the World Cup are in tatters as injuries and loss of form hit his squad at the vital time.

Capello built a team based capable of going to South Africa and bring the Jules Rimet trophy home. However, when announcing his 30-man Preliminary Squad – he was forced to abandon everything he believes in.

The former Real Madrid boss is meticulous in his preparation and his England side has been based on the same principles that served him so well before. But just as the biggest moment of his reign arrives it all starts going wrong.

Decisions have suddenly been taken out of his hands and his fate is left in the hands of the medical men. However, the number of injured, injury prone, recently returned and out of form players Capello is now forced to rely on means his squad no longer looks such an assured group – there are doubts about a third of it.

Out of 30; here is the list of those who are either injury prone or recently returned. It’s shocking! Glen Johnson, Ledley King, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott, Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Emile Heskey.

In fairness to Mr. Capello…he has done his best with it. Injuries have robbed him of Joleon Lescott (who would not have been in my squad anyway) and Wes Brown so he was always going to have to take a risk in defence. Recalling Jamie Carragher and King is definitely a risk but both were performing well at the season’s close, as was the uncapped Michael Dawson.

Before Christmas, Michael Carrick was making a case to start in the holding midfield role but a horrible end to the season at Manchester United saw him dropped in favour of young Darron Gibson. In my opinion, the £16million midfielder will be fortunate not to be dropped when the squad is finally cut to 23. Only complications in Barry’s return from a cruel injury blow or Capello ruling against uncapped Tom Huddlestone will keep the United man in the mix.

The situation in the wide positions must have given Don Fabio some real concerns. He began the season thinking Theo Walcott would improve on last season’s promising showings, with David Beckham as a different option on the right flank. Instead, Walcott endured a torrid season but Aaron Lennon emerged as a real contender thanks to a brilliant first half of the season only for injury to ravage the second half. In another cruel twist Beckham ruptured his Achilles tendon in March, while Shaun Wright-Phillips found himself ousted from the Manchester City side by young Adam Johnson.

City’s January signing from Middlesbrough has impressed since moving to Eastlands and is in the squad himself but, like Huddlestone, he is uncapped. Sadly the list of problems in wide areas does not end there. Joe Cole has been unable to force his way into the Chelsea team after a long injury absence, while James Milner was converted into a central midfielder by Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa.

Last and possibly least we move onto the strikers. Wayne Rooney is on the plane, of course, but how fit is he? Rooney has been struggling with injury problems since early April and England need him firing on all cylinders to stand a chance in the Rainbow nation. Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch also picked themselves after Spurs’ superb campaign in which both shone throughout, while Darren Bent’s renaissance at Sunderland sees him included, for now. 

However, big question marks surround Emile Heskey. Nothing new really, but he was an automatic pick this time last year thanks to his performances in the qualifiers. But, what has he done this season? Heskey has not been a regular in the Aston Villa side and with only eight goals to his name he is no longer guaranteed a place. It’s a straight fight between Heskey and Bent for the final striking spot, it could go either way.

Unfortunately for Fabio, after two years of deliberate preparation, his best laid plans are unravelling in front of his eyes. All he can do now is hope he selects a squad of players who are fit enough to guide England to glory.

The spectre of 1966 looked like being laid to rest, anybody so sure now?

Carragher brought in by the Capello factor

Jamie Carragher has revealed that working under the management of Fabio Capello was the main reason he decided to come out of international retirement for this summer’s World Cup.

The Liverpool defender retired from playing for England three years ago, but was named in the provisional 30-man squad for the finals in South Africa. The call-up came as a surprise to many, especially those who believed Carragher would stand by the decision he made in 2007.

Steve McClaren failed to convince Carragher to return to the fold while he was England manager, but Capello has succeeded in getting the 32-year-old back into the international picture. Anyone who has placed a free online bet on England will hope the Italian has made the right move.

Speaking about why Capello was successful in his attempts, Carragher said that working for “one of the best managers in world football” was a huge factor. It seems Carragher asked his Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard what the Italian was like to work with and he liked what he heard.

However, according to the England manager, Carragher is by no means guaranteed a place in the final 23. Capello has said he will “evaluate the performance of each player” during the training camp and friendly fixtures, before making a decision on who makes the trip.

Even if the Liverpool man does go to South Africa, it doesn’t mean that he will be making a permanent return to international football. Carragher has described it as a “one-off thing” and will once again concentrate on club football next season, whatever happens in the summer.

England are many people’s football tips for this year’s World Cup, and Carragher still has some way to go to convince the doubters he can perform at the highest level.

Some have even suggested this attitude, coupled with the manner of his retirement, will cause England fans to react negatively if he plays against Mexico at Wembley on Monday. However, Carragher has shrugged off any concerns. “I will be fine” was the response from the player as he begins the latest chapter of his eventful career.

Germany hit by major injury blow

Germany’s bid to win the 2010 World Cup has been hit by a major blow as their captain Michael Ballack has been ruled out of the tournament.

The Chelsea midfielder hobbled off during his side’s win in the FA Cup final after Portsmouth’s Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng clattered him with a heavy challenge.

Ballack has had an MRI scan back in Germany on the affected area and this has shown there was ligament damage to the ankle that has ruled him out of action for two months. Anyone who placed a World Cup bet on Germany will have been displeased by the news.

The loss of their captain could be a big problem for Joachim Low as he prepares his side for a tough campaign in Group D in South Africa, where they are drawn with Australia, Ghana and Serbia.

A statement from the German Football Federation confirmed Ballack will miss the World Cup as a result of the problem.

“After the diagnosis of national team doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt today, a complete healing of the injury is expected. Ballack’s return to training is possible at the earliest in eight weeks,” it stated.

If Ballack had regained fitness in time, he could have lined up against Boateng when Germany and Ghana clashed during the World Cup, after the Pompey midfielder was included in the African nation’s squad.

Such is the importance of Ballack to his national team, the country’s World Cup odds actually lengthened when news of his injury broke.

However, coach Joachim Loew has called on the rest of the squad to press on and claim World Cup glory.

Zamora’s World Cup heartache

Whatever way you look at it Bobby Zamora has had a tough week. It’s hard to work out what will have been most galling for the Fulham man – he’s club side’s defeat in the Europa League final or the realisation he has no chance of going to the World Cup.

More than one eyebrow was raised when Fabio Capello’s 30-man squad was announced and Zamora’s name wasn’t among the five strikers. However, it quickly emerged this was because of the achilles injury that has been troubling him for the last few weeks. Indeed, this same niggle could be blamed for Fulham’s defeat in the Europa League – it limited Zamora’s appearance to 50 minutes and the Cottagers never looked the same side after he went off.

At the age of 29, it’s highly unlikely that Zamora will get another chance to go to a World Cup, but rather than wondering about what might have been, the forward seems pragmatic about things.

He said: “I knew I wouldn’t have done myself or England justice had I gone,”

“It was a joint decision between myself, Capello, Fulham’s medical team and England’s medical team. The World Cup is a massive tournament. It’s not about myself, it’s about England.”

The World Cup odds make England third favourites, and the Fulham man clearly knows there’s no room for dead weight in the squad.

Whatever he’s felling inside, Zamora will be aware that he has to put the disappointment to one side and concentrate on being ready for next season. He will need an operation on his achilles and that means a long road back.

However, by the sounds of things the England door isn’t completely closed for Zamora and if he’s able to continue his excellent form next season he may well find himself playing a role in the side’s qualification campaign for Euro 2012 – a tournament the best betting site odds make England 7/1 shots to win. International recognition would be nothing more than Zamora deserves.

Sven’s shot at World Cup redemption

When it was revealed Sven Goran Erikson had agreed to take over the reins at Ivory Coast ahead of this year’s World Cup I expect the reaction of most England fans was to tut and comment on how much he likes big bags of cash.

During his rather unspectacular time in charge of the England side he gained a reputation as a manager who was interested in a hefty payday and very little else. Apparently indifferent performances from his players at two major tournaments didn’t help, and nor did the “Fake Sheik” incident.

However, England fans are not exactly the most balanced of football pundits. The vast majority of them expect their side to win the World Cup, seemingly forgetting that there are seven or eight teams who are just as good as, or better than, the Three Lions.

The truth of the matter is England neither overachieved nor underachieved while Erikson was in charge. They got to two quarter finals and that was about their level then and, to be honest, it probably still is now. The betting site odds that make England third favourites for the current tournament are not a reflection of how good the side is, but just how heavily they have been backed by overexcited fans.

If you want an example of a bad England manager look at Steve McClaren or, if you want to go a bit further back, Don Revie. The latter failed to get the side into Euro 1976 and then quit to become coach of the United Arab Emirates, selling the story of his resignation to the Daily Mail along the way.

This brings us nicely on to the Fake Sheik story. Yes Erikson was foolish, but can anyone blame him for trying to line up a new job if England won the World Cup? And how many people in whatever field they work in don’t look for a new position while currently contracted to an employer?

With the Ivory Coast in such a tough group Erikson has his work cut out, as glance at any betting guide will tell you as much. However, with a few good performances this could be his chance to rehabilitate his reputation as an international manager.

List of Capello’s Injured Players who will miss World Cup 2010

Fabio Capello’s heart rate may have risen as he closely watch his men being injured one after the other, making England’s odds in World Cup 2010 narrow enough. FIFA World Cup 2010 will start on June 11 and will last for a month in South Africa. This month long competition between the fast and the strong will show the world who really is team to be hailed victorious and raise the trophy of victory. For others, it is fun, but for Capello, it is a great challenge since he already has lots of casualties even before the World Cup starts.

Here are five of Capello’s injured players who may not be able to play in FIFA World Cup 2010;

David Beckham

He has been an effective Captain for England, has played side by side with other high profile players, and has worked hard to be able to play in the World Cup which happens only every four years. However, while on duty for AC Milan in Italy last week, David had another injury which was thought to be minor at first. But when the news came out, it confirmed that his Achilles tendon has been badly torn ruling him out of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Although the surgery was successful to repair the damaged tendon, the timing of the injury seems to be a problem since he will be able to play only later this year and would completely miss the World Cup.

Wes Brown

He suffered from injury due to broken metatarsal six weeks ago and is hopeful to be back this weekend. However, it seems that his condition is still not really good for the World Cup. He still needs to practice after six weeks of being inactive. But most likely, he will not be able to play just like David as his broken metatarsal is still fragile and needs attention most of the times.

Michael Owen

He is supposed to be England’s World Cup striker but everything vanished when a hamstring injury hit him during United’s Carling Cup against a worthy opponent, Aston Villa. The injury was serious that Michael has to be ruled out of the World Cup. This 29-year old striker has made his way up since 1997 when he made his first goal and never stopped since then. He has become England’s 7th most capped player with a national record of 26 goals from total of 40 in 89 appearances.

Wayne Rooney

Being the best striker Manchester United can have this season, the injury of Wayne Rooney has put the team into a difficult situation of racing for the Premier League. The torn metatarsal has stopped this invincible striker to help out his team have better chances for this season. Although it is not yet confirmed, Rooney may also be ruled out of World Cup if he will not be able to play early. Rooney is a big loss for United and also for England. Everyone is still hopeful for the full recovery of Wayne Rooney.

Joleon Lescott

He made his first ever appearance under Capello during a friendly match between England and France last year as a substitute for John Terry during the half time. It could have been a great time playing for Joleon Lescott who has just recovered from a knee injury. However, after playing seven games, he was hit hard by a hamstring injury ruling him out for the whole season. Thus, this suggests that he will also be ruled out from the World Cup.

The Bottom Line

Injury is just one thing that no coach can ever control. However, England’s World Cup Squad injuries have become so alarming. Sports News said that Capello never expected to have his first choices be vanished by injuries which started with his star player, David Beckham. It must have been so frustrating to see his striker, Wayne Rooney, went down with yet another broken metatarsal. The National Coach, Capello, is still hopeful to be able to have a pool of good players for the FIFA World Cup 2010. He is even more inspired to come home bringing the trophy.