Tuesday, 13 May 2014

Roy Hodgson names World Cup squad

Roy Hodgson has announced his 23-man squad for this summer's World Cup in Brazil, plus seven players on standby.

It was refreshing to see Hodgson pick a number of young players, but there were still a few questions marks.

For instance why on earth are Smalling and Jones going? They’ve both been average at best this season and neither of them has, since they moved to United, held down a regular first team place or had a run of games in their preferred position. In fact in Jones’ case what is his best position? From the outside looking in he seems to be jack of all trades master of fuck all, and yet he’s going to the World Cup!

Also why has Hodgson gone with nine midfielders and only one right back? Surely it would have made more sense to drop Lampard and take back up for Johnson. 

It’s so depressing to me that Johnson is the best right back we can muster he’s awful, every time I see Liverpool he’s always out of position and charging around like a headless chicken trying to make up for being too far up the pitch when he should be defending!

Anyway, all in all this is an exciting squad and hopefully the young players will:

a) get a chance 
b) replicate their club form at the tournament.

As Hodgson has promised to take risks, I hope he follows through on this and doesn’t play with Lampard and Gerrard in the middle and Welbeck out on the left; hopefully he’ll go for a starting XI more like this:

Hart
Johnson
Cahill
Jagielka
Baines
Gerrard
Henderson
Wilshere
Sterling
Rooney
Sturridge

I’ve gone for an XI set-up in the diamond Liverpool play but it can always be changed to a 4-3-3 and then Lallana or Oxlade-Chamberlain could replace Wilshere. 

If England did play this way and played at the pace Liverpool do then whatever happened we’d be a joy to watch, and Hodgson wouldn’t be as cavalier as Rodgers so if we were 2-0 up he’d go more defensive and see the result out.


I still think it will be a struggle to get out of the group but playing this way would give us a better chance than if we did the usual. 

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