England reactions – the good, the bad and the ugly

It may have taken us a while, but myself and Young have finally decided to weigh in on all things pertaining to Roy Hodgson’s England squad.  Considering this has been touted as one of those World Cup’s that will be a shocker – either England will play far above expectations, or they will crash out of the group stage in rather embarrassing fashion which would likely cost Hodgson his job.  England is on the cusp of a transitional period, this is not really up for debate, the question is, was this the right time to begin the transition in earnest, or should Hodgson have waited until after the tournament to begin England’s revitalization?  Let’s discuss this for a little bit.

Drew and Young will be commenting on – 1. Initial thoughts on the squad, 2. Any surprises good/bad/or both, 3. Strengths of the squad, 4. The squads biggest weakness, 5. Players that were excluded that they felt should have been included, 6. Can this team be successful this summer, 7. The starting XI they feel will be the most effective;

Initial thoughts:

Drew – I really love the younger players that are transitioning into the squad, especially at a time like this.  English youth are finally starting to become more and more complete as players and are beginning to develop their talents on a more continental level and that needs to be relied on moving forward.  The national team needs to break away from the old guard and the inclusion of Shaw, Barkley and Sterling is a great step in the right direction.

Young – There are a lot of talented individuals on the national team, but the question is can they play together?  In the last two World Cups England disappointed fans for their lack of attractive football.  It’s frustrating that a national team that boasts players from one of the best leagues in the world fails to live up to expectations on the international stage.  Without a doubt, Roy Hodgson selected the best possible players, but can he get this collection of individuals to play like a team?

Surprises (good/bad/or both):

Drew – For me, Frank Lampard.  He has been on the downswing honestly and I am rather unsure why he was selected other than that he brings experience to a team that is bringing in more youth.  He should not be anywhere near the XI but to mentor someone like Barkley could not hurt at all.  Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have the talent and of that there is no question, but neither had solid years for Arsenal, dealh with injuries and even if they find proper fitness, will they find the level of play required for this summer? Big question there.

Young – Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling for me were the most notable inclusions.  Shaw has only been capped once and looks primed to warm the bench behind Leighton Baines.  I think Kieran Gibbs would have been the better backup option due to his experience in Champions League for Arsenal and having a few more caps.  As for Smalling, Terry naturally would have been better but as he is ostracized from the national team set up, this was one of the only options left.

Strengths:

Drew – Pace, a ton of creativity and so many players are coming into the World Cup on the back of impressive seasons at club level, only a few had questionable season’s, but those players won’t even be in the starting X, at least not if it was mine.  The cadre of Liverpool players in the squad must be relied on as well after their attacking displays during the season – they have the ability to be excellent going forward in the attack and it would give not only a different dynamic to the team, but their understanding of one another is something England have lacked for some time.

Young – The midfield – England has a great cast there that boasts vision, speed, passing ability and technical proficiency.  As an EPL fan, I can’t help but drool at the prospects of seeing Henderson along side Wilshere and Lallana playing keep ball.  That is of course, if they do know how to play together.  Historically, England’s midfielders have failed to translate their EPL form to the world stage, so this will be a big test that they hopefully come through on.

Weakness(s):

Drew – Honestly, the inevitable reliance on Wayne Rooney.  For far too long, England has tried to build around the United talisman and it has failed miserably – from playing people completely out of position from making him the focal point, this must stop.  Like it or not he has never performed well for England at a major tournament since Euro 2004.  England must stray away from this habit and rely on attacking players that are not only on form at club level, but have pre-existing understanding coming into camp.  Rooney must be a piece of the puzzle, not the keystone.

Young – Forwards.  Aside from Rooney, none of the other forwards in the squad boast world-class talent.  An argument can be made for Sturridge, but I’m more inclined to believe that he was just a beneficiary of Liverpool’s system and his partnership with Luis Suarez than anything else.  Danny Welbeck didn’t have a great season with United and is extremely frustrating to watch.  Lambert provides a physical presence in the box and would be a perfect substitute in the case that Sturridge and Welbeck get physically dismantled.

Excluded players you wanted to see in the squad:

Drew – For me, Tom Huddlestone and Fabian Delph deserve serious consideration.  Huddlestone provides a much needed boost in physical presence in the midfield, plus his range of passing, howitzer from range and his ability on set-pieces and corners is quite good. As for Delph, he has a motor on him that is one of the best impressive in the EPL – he just had so much energy that England would need, and he is starting to become sound in the attacking third of the field as well.  Also, Steven Caulker deserved consideration in place of Smalling – he was fantastic all season long for Cardiff and is pretty complete as a center-back despite being so young.

Young – It still bugs me that Terry was not coaxed out of exile to appear in this tournament.  He’s a proven leader and would have no trouble starting alongside his club-mate Gary Cahill in the back line.  Chris Smalling?! Get out of here.  And even if you could not get Terry and you had to “deal” with Cahill and Jagielka, surely other center backs were more befitting a call up to the squad than Smalling.

Can this squad be successful:

Drew – It really comes down to how Hodgson deploys tactically and if he allows his expressive attacking players the license to do what they do best.  Relying on the Liverpool players to bring their club form into the national team set up and continue their understanding in an England shirt would be incredibly beneficial, and when you add Adam Lallana to that equation, it could prove to be a master stroke.  In that same light, not being afraid to select an XI that is willing to take risks in the attack, play Premier League football and not traditional England football will make or break their summer.

Young – Daniel Sturridge was the second leading goal scorer in the EPL this past season, and plays for Liverpool.  Steven Gerrard, the captain, plays for Liverpool.  Jordan Henderson, who should be starting in central midfield, and Raheem Sterling play for Liverpool.  Liverpool was the most successful offensive team this year behind Manchester City (who only provided two players to the England camp).  The point here? Hodgson needs to apply the Liverpool way to England this summer, sit back and let it go to work.  Hodgson cannot be defensive, he must rely on the wealth of attacking players on form and slot players into the Liverpool system – it’s the only way.

Starting XI:

Drew – Hart; Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Johnson; Henderson, Gerrard; Lallana, Rooney, Sterling; Sturridge

Young – Hart; Baines, Cahill, Jagielka, Johnson; Lallana, Gerrard, Henderson, Sterling; Rooney, Sturridge