Now we all say Sven gets a ridiculous amount of money for making obvious decisions a couple of times a year. Well one of those times is upon us as Sven has to pick the England squad for the 2006 World Cup in Germany, in June. My question is, which ones out of our many quality English players would you take to Germany?
Paul Robinson is the number one for England, so as long as he stays injury free (touch wood) he'll be on the plane. Ledley King is out for a couple more weeks so he'll hopefully get fit enough to make the squad too. If he doesn't make it in time, who'll take his ticket to Germany? Anton Ferdinand? Overated in my eyes, Jonathan Woodgate? All he has to do is think about an injury and it comes, Sol Campbell? Well apart from being crazy he's also way past it. And then we have Micheal Dawson. He's put together a string of incredible performances this season. He hardly puts a foot wrong, he can pass very well, he's not the quickest but he's no Dean Richards and most of all he's brave; giving 110% week in week out for us. Having said all this, it's not hard to work out that i'm suggesting him as a possible candidate for that squad. I don't think he'll get picked, but i think he'll be on Sven's shortlist.
Then we move on to the midfield. Micheal Carrick at the start of the year was aiming to make the squad; 9 months on and now his aim is the starting XI. He has been the factor that makes us tick throughout this succesful campaign, and Sven acknowledges that. Even more so do various pundits calling for him to be the holding man in midfield for England. He's definately going then too.
Jermaine Jenas has been in nearly all of Sven's squads this year. Sven rates him very highly and i must say, i agree with him. Jermaine has the potential and the ability to be a Frank Lampard or a Stevie Gerrard. I've been saying this since before we signed him last August and i'll keep saying it until he unravels it. However based on how he actually performs, well, you have to question whether he's been better than the players he's getting in ahead of. He's only shown gimpses of what he's capable of and that makes you question taking him. But seing past all these questions and buts, i would take him.
And then we come to the find of the season - Aaron Lennon. This boy is amazing. He's the quickest i've seen in a long time, maybe ever. He has such great close control that he's almost un-markable!! When he plays, the whole team looks different because we know we have someone who van really hurt teams. But do you take him to the World Cup? I don't think Sven can justify taking Shaun Wright-Phillips. He's gone to Chelsea, who have more wingers than Arsenal have whingers, to get the mega-bucks. Well if that's what he's interested in, then what business does he have with the National Team? Theres no doubting this guy's ability, he's brilliant, but the amount of football he's played is so little, that the kid who cleans his boots must have the cleanest brush outside a supermarket. Having said all that and having watched Aaron skin Ricardo Gardner - a very quick left back - then i would now take Aaron Lennon to Germany.
Now with Wayne Rooney potentially out of the opening stages of the World Cup, there's a vacant position in attack for England. However Sven has vowed to take Rooney to the World Cup, meaning the vacant positions left in the squad, is still only one. And Jermain Defoe may be throwing it away with a string of not exactly impressive performances. He hasn't scored in nine, so his confidence is obviously low. But the thing that's more worrying, for me at least, has been his work rate over the last few games, especially against Bolton. He looked as if he was a player that wasn't interested. I heard someone say the other day that a possible reason for his lack of form is his girlfriend, who happens to be a model. All footballers these days have model's for girlfriends and wives so that excuse is not really good enough. If that really is the case, then Jermain can't call himself a true professional. I believe that that isnt the case. I think that the pressure that Darren Bent has applied to him with his 22 goals for a mediocre Charlton side, has got to him. He's desperate to be on that plane but just can't get his act together. And the combination of low confidence and that imense pressure from other candidates has been the reason for these performances. I think including him in the squad for the World Cup will rejuvenate him and he'll be his old self. So i'd take Jermain to Germany ahead of Darren Bent.
So all the candidates from Spurs really do have great chances to go to Germany in June and when they do go, im sure that they'll do us all proud!
