Agbonlahor and Jenas likely to benefit from Capello's opening shot
Italian's fresh eye looks to give youth a chance in Swiss friendly
Sunday 27 January 2008
Related articles
He has talked the talk, through an interpreter, and now he must pick the squad. This Saturday, the English public will be given a significant insight into the way Fabio Capello's football brain works when he names the two dozen or so players who have impressed him sufficiently in the past six weeks to merit inclusion for his first match, the friendly at home to Switzerland on Wednesday week.
Apart from major tournaments, few squads are scrutinised with as much interest as a manager's first. What will his particular prejudices be? Who does he like and not like? Steve McClaren, like Bobby Robson before him, made a pointed statement by dropping the captain, David Beckham, as well as David James, Sol Campbell and Scott Carson, but later had to recall all four, who must now convince a new manager all over again.
As a foreign coach, Capello has been casting a fresh eye across the whole landscape, just like Sven Goran Eriksson and the ubiquitous Tord Grip did. The Italian team, with Franco Baldini in the Grip role, have studied videotapes of England's doomed European Championship qualifying campaign and watched club matches live since the opening weekend of the year. It has therefore been a good month in which to find some form, like Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jermaine Jenas, and abad time to lose it, like Paul Robinson and Theo Walcott.
Although McClaren has bemoaned the declining amount of international quality available, there is no shortage of candidates. The squad named for the fateful last game against Croatia and the preceding friendly in Austria contained 25 names, to which Darren Bent was later added. Nine other serious contenders, including John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Wayne Rooney, were unavailable and two more, Michael Carrick and Jenas, were omitted.
So three-dozen players are immediately in the frame. Then there are those who have figured in the past and might please the new man. Just as McClaren recalled Phil Neville after more than a year's absence, might the Italian have taken a shine to, say, Robert Green, Glen Johnson, Luke Young, Michael Dawson, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock, Scott Parker, Aaron Lennon, Kieran Richardson or David Nugent?
By adding a handful of Premier League regulars – Kevin Nolan, Kevin Davies, Carlton Cole and Reading's James Harper – the list is close to half a century before even considering graduates from last season's successful Under-21 side. Of that crop, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Joe Hart, James Milner and Tom Huddlestone have all begun the year well; while Steven Taylor, Leighton Baines, Nigel Reo-Coker and Matt Derbyshire must all be harbouring hopes for the future, if not next week.
Choosing between James, 37, and Hart, 20, in goal will give an indication of whether Capello leans toward experience or youth. Were he immediately facing competitive games, he might remember his compatriot Dino Zoff winning the World Cup at 40 and opt for James, but the four or five friendlies beforeSeptember offer an opportunity for the younger brigade. Green also deserves to return in place of Robinson.
Of those defenders who missed out last time, Ferdinand and Ledley King are fit to return but Terry and Gary Neville are almost certainly not. Three left-backs being a luxury, Nicky Shorey may miss out to the Chelsea pair of Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge, while Wes Brown will need to hold off Johnson.
In midfield there is a surfeit of wide players on both flanks, and a shortage of defensive ones to understudy Owen Hargreaves. Capello saw excellent performances at Everton in midweek from the Chelsea pair of Joe Cole on the right and Wright-Phillips in the centre – neither of them playing in their normal international position. Ashley Young has done well enough to stay in, and assuming David Beckham is to feature for the 100th and last time, Milner will probably have to wait.
Tempting as it is to leave out Michael Owen on current form, Capello may want to see him alongside Rooney in attack, while retaining the tested options of Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe. A crop of strikers including Alan Smith may lose out, perhapswith Campbell, Phil Neville and Stewart Downing.
Possible squad: Carson, Green, Hart; Richards, Brown, Ferdinand, King, Upson, Lescott, A Cole, Bridge; Hargreaves, Beckham, Bentley, Wright-Phillips, Gerrard, Barry, Jenas, J Cole, Young; Agbonlahor, Rooney, Owen, Crouch, Defoe.
Latest in Sport
Sport blogs
iBet: Mercedes and Hamilton to roar in Monaco
Monaco is a street circuit where driver ability is more important than anywhere else and if we take ...
by Gareth Purnell
24 May 2013 02:00 AM
On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages
Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...
by Martin Ayres
23 May 2013 05:29 PM
iBet: Rose has the ammunition for Wentworth
McDowell did brilliantly to land the World Match Play title in Bulgaria last week, but it’s a format...
by Gareth Purnell
23 May 2013 09:13 AM
-
David Moyes delighted after Rio Ferdinand agrees to stay at Manchester United with new one-year contract
-
Sergio Garcia / Tiger Woods 'fried chicken' racism row takes fresh twist after 'coloured athletes' comment
-
After racist remark, Sergio Garcia fights for reputation as Tiger Woods slams 'hurtful' fried chicken joke
-
New Manchester City manager must deliver five trophies in five years
-
Manchester United slash interest bill by £10m a year
- 1 Pope Francis: Being an atheist is alright as long as you do good
- 2 Man and woman arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder victim of Woolwich machete attack, named as Drummer Lee Rigby
- 3 'Sickening, deluded and unforgivable': Horrific attack brings terror to London’s streets
- 4 Archaeologists uncover nearly 5,000 cave paintings in Burgos, Mexico
- 5 Lord of the Sings: Sir Christopher Lee, 91, to release heavy metal album
Get your summer started with British Military Fitness
BMF is the UK’s biggest and best loved outdoor fitness classes
Visit York
Find out what The Independent's resident travel expert has to say about one of the most beautiful small cities in the world
Making reading fun for kids
Nook is donating eReaders to volunteers at high-need schools and participating in exclusive events throughout the campaign.
Introducing the 'Get Reading' campaign
Get the latest on The Evening Standard's campaign to get London's children reading.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Career Services
Day In a Page
The man who's eaten everywhere
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?
Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed
Edward VIII’s phone calls - and how MI5 bugged them




Comments