English Squad announced

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

Don't exactly look like world beaters to me. Wayne Rooney aside and possibly Gerrard (although he seems to be out of form), not too many others would get in to say the Spanish side.

SWP ahead of Downing? Madness. Also, I'd have Agbonlahor in ahead of Heskey.

The goalkeeper was always going to be tough but their defence looks pretty solid. Carragher has played at right-back before, no?

Carragher, ffs it's clear that he's there as RB cover but it's hard to believe there isn't a better English Right Back available??

It's a team full of crocks haha. Downing has been dreadful for Villa Superfrank. I know SWP form has been no better but he's done well for Capello when brought on as an impact sub so I imagine that played a factor.

The Capello index was also dropped within 24 hours......

I see very little wrong with the squad. He's rewarded players that have served him well and also picked players based on club form. I agree that Heskey shouldn't be in the squad, or indeed a professional footballer at all but that's just one of these things that will seemingly never change. Agbonlahor and Zamora are far more deserving of a place than him, even Kevin Davies is if you ask me. I think Carragher is a great inclusion, I'd start him at right back ahead of the time bomb that is Glen Johnson. He might be done for pace once or twice but Johnson probably would/will be caught out of position constantly and is an all round poor defender. Carragher has huge experience against the best players in the world in big matches and is a natural born leader and winner. I'm glad that they have given Tom Huddlestone a chance also but would be surprised if he made the final cut. The English seem to prefer players that run themselves into the ground aimlessly than players with a bit of guile. Dawson and King simply had to be there on form, as did Johnson from Man City, and if King could play most of the games at the tournament he could be a real trump card. I'd have him ahead of Ferdinand every day of every week. This team would probably be considered too attack minded but I would go for...

Hart

Carragher King Terry A.Cole

Lennon Lampard Huddlestone A.Johnson

Gerrard

Rooney

The only player I would make a place for is a fully fit Hargreaves and it would probably be Lampard I would sacrifice, who doesn't really do his best work for England.

Zamora told Capello he couldn't make WC because he needs an operation. He's taking injections to just get him through the season.

England are ****ed if Rooney is only half fit.

I can name his starting team now (assuming everybody is fit)

James

Johnson Terry Rio Cashley

Lennon Lampard Barry Gerrard

Rooney Heskey

As soon as it meets Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany it's heading home.

Well that's the team he preferred through the qualifiers so there's nothing to suggest he'll stray from it now. Their best bet is for Johnson to be exposed early on (without it being too costly result wise) and dropping him for the real games. Also Heskey to be gone when it gets serious. Gerrard on the left is pointless in my opinion and Barry has had a poor season. James also has a big game mistake in him, not much point in going with experience if the experience has been bad. Heard that about Zamora alright but it seemed a bit far fetched to me for some reason. Probably being too cynical on that one though I accept.

England and Chelsea rocked by Terry foot injury scare

The news is a major scare for England ahead of the World Cup

England and Chelsea defender John Terry has been taken to hospital for a scan on his right foot - less than a month before the start of the World Cup.

Terry suffered the injury in training for Saturday's FA Cup final at Wembley against Portsmouth, where he is expected to captain the side.

The club website said he left the training ground "walking freely in a protective boot."

Chelsea expected to receive the results of a scan on the injury on Thursday.

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Originally Posted by DeLorean

Heard that about Zamora alright but it seemed a bit far fetched to me for some reason. Probably being too cynical on that one though I accept.

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Its hard to believe isnt it - If I put myself in the shoes of a player on the verge of a world cup squad spot, Id have to say I'd be in no rush to rule myself out of contention. Kudos to Mark Kennedy back in 2002 for doing that very same thing, giving S Ried the opportunity to go to Japan.

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

As soon as it meets Brazil, Spain, Italy, Germany it's heading home.

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Think they'd beat Italy and Germany tbh

looking forward to their quarter final exit against brazil on penalties (hopefully)....in fairness to capello he's tried to mix things up with some new faces,the spurs lads def deserved to be in the squad...dont know what he sees in emile heskey,has scored about 5 goals all season and playing second fiddle to carew and agbonlahor in the latter part...

Anybody watch the game last night?

If Mexico could defend set pieces they'd be dangerous. It was fun watching them in the first half. Didn't get to see much of Hernandez which was a shame.

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Anybody watch the game last night?

If Mexico could defend set pieces they'd be dangerous. It was fun watching them in the first half. Didn't get to see much of Hernandez which was a shame.

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And if they had any strikers? Good to see Blanco back. England looked awful, if mexico can carve them up so easy imagine what Spain or germany or Holland could do................and Messi woud have loved all that room in front of the English defence last night.

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

And if they had any strikers? Good to see Blanco back. England looked awful, if mexico can carve them up so easy imagine what Spain or germany or Holland could do................and Messi woud have loved all that room in front of the English defence last night.

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Hernandez is that striker. He'd have buried those chances Vela had!!

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Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

Hernandez is that striker. He'd have buried those chances Vela had!!

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tx, will look out for him so

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Originally Posted by bennocelt

tx, will look out for him so

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Man Utd's new signing. Big things expected from him.

Saw a bit of England against Japan today, very fortunate win courtesy of two OG's. England seem to be on a downward spiral with a number of players out of form. What has happened to the team that sailed through qualifying? Fancied them as potential winners then, not so sure now. They seem to have real concerns over GK,CB, LM and who partner Rooney up front.

Latest from Sky Sports News is that Walcott, Baines, Adam Johnson and Bent haven't made the cut. Joe Cole, Wright-Philips & Warnock have.

Poor old Theo....

Have of this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8715254.stm

King is in, no wait hes out, no wait hes in. No wait. Cole in, cole out, other sources say he might be in.............etc etc

Like FFS, what are they like?!? I can imagine the guys on SSN's have 'scoops' from their 'sources' throughout the days as well.
If this is a sign of whats to follow this summer god help is.

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Originally Posted by elroy

Have of this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8715254.stm

King is in, no wait hes out, no wait hes in. No wait. Cole in, cole out, other sources say he might be in.............etc etc

Like FFS, what are they like?!? I can imagine the guys on SSN's have 'scoops' from their 'sources' throughout the days as well.
If this is a sign of whats to follow this summer god help is.

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very strange signals coming out of england camp .. seems capello still not sure on his starting 11 never mind final 23.. heard interview today were the 3 goalkeepers still have not been told who will be the number 1 for the world cup and they said they would probaly be told the day before first game !!! tough luck on bent as he lost out to heskey.. and strange decision to include warnock even though he never featured in any of the last 3 warm up games ??

Can't believe Carrick is in ahead of Parker or Huddlestone.

Rio gone for a scan on his left knee.

Rio Ferdinand has been ruled out of the World Cup after injuring his left knee in training.

The England captain broke down after a tackle in the final few minutes of his team's first training session since landing in South Africa, and was taken to hospital for a scan.

The results of the scan are believed to indicate knee ligament damage and the 31-year-old will take no further part in the World Cup.

Michael Dawson, who was part of Fabio Capello's initial 30-man squad, is the likely replacement, while Steven Gerrard will be promoted to the captaincy.

Capello said earlier: "In the last moment of the training, Rio suffered a problem with the knee.

"He has gone to hospital for a scan. We hope it will not be so bad an injury but we have Michael Dawson on call.

"It came from a minor tackle during the training. It happened in a normal tackle.

"It is his left knee. How bad is it? We will have to wait and see."

Ferdinand had an injury-hit season at Manchester United, being laid low for considerable periods with back and groin problems.

But he was happy with his fitness at the end of the season and during England's two-week training camp in Austria before coming through the friendly internationals with Mexico and Japan unscathed.

Capello's alternatives in the current squad are West Ham's Matthew Upson and Tottenham's Ledley King.

Upson has started nine of the last 17 internationals while King has forced his way into Capello's thinking despite his long-term knee setback.

King has impressed for Tottenham this season although by his own admission he looked far from convincing in the recent friendly with Mexico at Wembley.

Dawson was named in Capello's initial party of 30 for the finals but was excluded from the final 23 after not playing against either Mexico at Wembley or Japan in Graz.

He has had an outstanding season at Tottenham, often alongside King.

There's more important players that England could have lost really. He hasn't been fully fit in over a year really and when he has played he hasn't been the player he used to be. King is a good replacement, although whether his legs hold up is another thing. I can see him playing only 1 group match and saving him for the latter stages. Over the course of last season, Dawson has been a better player than Rio IMO so it's not a disaster tbh.

Better him than Rooney most fans will be thinking, he is replaceable.