World Cup 2010: England manager Fabio Capello to pin hopes on Jermain Defoe

[mawspurs]

Source: Telegraph

England manager Fabio Capello is set to give Jermain Defoe the chance to rescue England's World Cup campaign as part of three or four changes being considered.

Joe Cole is also expected to play a part – though its not decided whether he will start – against Slovenia on Wednesday having, so far, been an unused substitute.

Capello is also debating whether to abandon the 4-4-2 formation. However England need to beat Slovenia to guarantee qualification for the last 16 and Capello is unlikely to play Wayne Rooney as a lone striker as he searches for the goals he believes will restore confidence.

Given Capello's apparent commitment to retaining two strikers it will be intriguing to discover what variations in formation he has in mind. Aaron Lennon and, possibly, Frank Lampard, whose form has been disappointing, may find their places under threat, although the manager will also monitor Gareth Barry's fitness.

Defoe's inclusion would mean Emile Heskey being dropped to the bench while Peter Crouch, whose cause was championed by Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp on Sunday, will be disappointed that he appears likely to be overlooked. Both he and his club team-mate Defoe came on as substitutes against Algeria.

Capello had considered including Defoe in England's last match, because of his pace and mobility and sharpness in training, and is understood to believe that he is one of the few players not gripped by a fear of failure.

However choosing Defoe also represents something of a gamble as he and Rooney have not gelled in the games they have started together.

David James is due to be retained in goal after an assured performance in Cape Town.Despite the fact that Joe Hart has impressed in training it was decided that James represented the logical choice given his experience even though, aged 39, last Friday's match was his World Cup debut.

There will be one enforced change against Slovenia. With Jamie Carragher suspended and Ledley King still returning from injury, Capello must decide whether to use Matthew Upson or Michael Dawson in the centre of defence.

[KenilworthSpur]

It seems that no one is mentioning that King may be back. I hope so as Upson and Terry do not give me any confidence

[EmperorKabir]

crouch over defoe if playing with wooney!

[Krafty]

In short, no one has a clue what Capello is thinking.

[Midostouch]

I think Capello has said that Upson will be playing on Wednesday - can't imagine why.

[doom]

drop Rooney and play the tottenham pair!!

[hughy]

At least Defoe looked hungry on Friday. Probably the only person who actually looked like changing the game for us in the whole 90.

[stuffies]

i'd play dawson over that matthew numpty anyday!!
Also i would play crouch and defoe upfront and drop rooney as he's done sweet F.A....except throw his toys out the pram :)
As for lennon.....well it would help if they passed to him and let him run at the defence...The problem lies with GJ getting to far forward ALL the time and against better teams they would make us pay.
Joe cole on the left aswell for me....cole and cole worked well down that left side many a time before and JC has the skill to unlock most defences.
In the middle stevie G and Barry ...can't have lamps and those two in the same team unless he goes 4-5-1

[Jules77]

Lennon Barry Gerrard Cole

Defoe Rooney

[JoeT]

James
Johnson, Dawson, Terry, A.Cole.
Barry.
Lennon, Gerrard, J.Cole.
Crouch, Rooney.
I said on here a while ago that Capello should drop Lampard.

[THFC6061]

It's high time that Capello picked his England side on merit, not reputation.

The now impotent strike force of Wayne Rooney (no goals in his last seven matches) and Emile Heskey (7 goals in 60 internationals) should be ditched in favour of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe.

Michael Dawson should get the nod over Matthew Upson in central defence and Joe Cole should start over Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard - surely Capello has realised by now that he can't play both?

If Capello did this, England might yet stand a sporting chance of progressing out of the group stage.

World Cup Progress Chart 1930 to 2010:

http://www.myfootballfacts.com/FIFAWorldCupFinalsProgressChart1930-2010.html

[tttcowan]

Never gonna happen but,

James
Johnson Terry Daws A. Cole
Lennon Gerrard Barry J. Cole
Crouch Defoe

Don't care about rooney, THE most overated player in the prem... Just doesn't score enough goals. Fact.

I'm not saying the team above is good enough to win the world cup, but it would get us out of the groups at least.


Personally I'm looking forward to this farce being over and the prem to start again so I can watch a proper football team. COYS.

[dickyid]

stuffies - I'd go further & say that GJ is the weakest link. He goes wandering off all the time, and negates Lennon who should be the one stretching opponents.

Lennon didn't have too poor a game v Algeria; his positioning was fairly decent but he got no service, he covered well, possibly too well which stopped him getting into space. Not his fault he's playing in front of an utter moron who has no idea how to play RB, and that he found himself having to cover for GJ very far up the pitch more than once - once even all the way back to the edge of the box while GJ stayed on the wing immobile.

Come back Gary Neville, all is forgiven!

[spencerkeegan]

Never gonna happen but,

James
Johnson Terry Daws A. Cole
Lennon Gerrard Barry J. Cole
Crouch Defoe

Don't care about rooney, THE most overated player in the prem... Just doesn't score enough goals. Fact.

I'm not saying the team above is good enough to win the world cup, but it would get us out of the groups at least.


Personally I'm looking forward to this farce being over and the prem to start again so I can watch a proper football team. COYS.


Errrrrrrrr.... you sure?

[tttcowan]

Errrrrrrrr.... you sure?


He's a very very good attacking midfielder... He's a very very similair player to Stevie G.

But he ain't no striker.

[deadlight]

Lennon didn't have too poor a game v Algeria; his positioning was fairly decent

So if that's true, what was Lennon crossing from the LEFT just over Rooneys head?

[Rocksuperstar]

Option of a 4-5-1 with Rooney breaking from midfield and Defoe up front being fed by Gerrard, Lennon & Cole to play high up the pitch on the flanks. Lampard can be rested, he's shown nothing of the form he manages for his club.

Alternatively, play a 4-3-3, with Gerrard, Lennon & Cole playing narrow, Johnson and soppy-bollocks moving up as wing-backs and Crouch playing up front between JD and Rooney. Once we get ahead by a couple, switch back to the standard 4-4-2 by dropping Rooney back into the midfield setup, or taking off Crouch for Barry later on.

[tttcowan]

stuffies - I'd go further & say that GJ is the weakest link.

I was aactually saying before the tournament I'd rather have gary neville there... Which just goes to show what an awful RB johnson is... When was it decided that johnson was a RB and not a RW winger anyway?!?

The mind boggles,

We've got two right wingers, two centre backs, one left back, one defensive midfielder, three attacking midfielders and one striker all some how rammed into a 4-4-2... Is there really any wonder why englands performances are a tad inconsistant?!?!?

[davidmatzdorf]

I think Johnson is a good RB, improving defensively and excellent going forward, but I said before the World Cup that I was concerned about his lack of compatibility with Lennon, stylistically.

The problem is that they want to attack the same spaces and the results of that are (a) that Johnson never passes to Lennon, because Lennon is often where Johnson wants to run with the ball and (b) that Lennon is consistently cutting inside with the ball and meeting two defenders, partly because Johnson is either already up the flank where Lennon would otherwise go or just too close to the touchline to make a one-two feasible. Think of where Corluka goes when Lennon gets the ball on the touchline and has his route blocked - he cuts inside to get a pass, so he can release Lennon further up the line. Johnson hasn't done that once.

It's also true that Lennon has had to track back several times when Johnson has been caught upfield, but I think that's OK, not a mistake by Johnson. Lennon is good at dealing with his defensive responsibilities and Johnson ought to be able to rely on him when going forward. The problem is one of attack - they aren't working well together ... well, they aren't working together at all.

No one else seems to have said it, but it would not surprise me if Capello starts with Wright-Phillips tomorrow, not as a judgment on Lennon's individual performances, but because of the lack of compatibility with Johnson: and we have a better alternative at RW than we have at RB.

[Boony]

Start with Rooney and Crouch for 60...... If we play too many long balls, play Rooney on his own backed by Joe Cole, Carrick (Behind.. I love Carrick), Lampard and Gerrard supporting him, Lennon on the right. Im going to ignore the Rooney comments, as we all know what he is capable of

[dickyid]

So if that's true, what was Lennon crossing from the LEFT just over Rooneys head?

Swapping flanks to mix it up a bit cos GJ was standing right where he wanted to be? :)

davidmatzdorf - SWP might be too similar, maybe Joe Cole or Milner, someone less mobile who could compliment a bit more & do with a bit of space made for them by a quick RB overlapping. I think GJ was caught wandering a few times too often though, and Lennon had to worry too much about his defensive game. I agree though that of them has to go, and it's a shame that it's our Azza.

[tttcowan]

I think Johnson is a good RB, improving defensively and excellent going forward, but I said before the World Cup that I was concerned about his lack of compatibility with Lennon, stylistically.

I'm afriad I'd have to disagree with you on the Johnson front... I just think, very much like bale, he's a very very good winger but nowhere near upto scratch defensively to be a right back... Nowhere near, he gets turned inside out so many times it really isn't funny. Maybe someday he'll sort the defensive side of his game out but for now, he aint no RB.

As for your points on lennon being replaced by SWP, i wouldnt be suprised at all... Not becuase lennon and johnson get in each others way but because lennons head just doesnt seem in it... Can you really blame him?

He defo doesnt fancy going past anyone. Perhaps becuase chances are he'll get crucified if he fucks nething up so he always takes the easy option? I just hope he comes back in one piece both mentally and physically.

[davidmatzdorf]

...chances are he'll get crucified if he fucks nething up so he always takes the easy option?

Well, that's my pocket description of what's wrong with the whole team, almost word-for-word, so I'll certainly agree with you. The words I used in my post-Algeria-match post were "hesitant and inhibited". They're all terrified of Being Blamed by the English press and it's arguably causing virtually every attempt at creativity to break down, because creativity in football is about improvisation, which is a split-second thing and has no room for hesitation or inhibition.