The England Strikers For the World Cup 2010
England Look Likely to Deploy only Four Strikers in South Africa
Nov 13, 2009
England are relatively well stocked when it comes to experienced and competent defenders and midfielders. However, it is in attack that England find the cupboard somewhat bare. The Premiership is replete with foreign strikers, leaving homegrown goal scoring talent a little thin on the ground, certainly when compared to previous eras.
Wayne Rooney The Best of the England Strikers
Fit and happy Wayne Rooney represents England’s most potent attacking option. All potential world cup challengers will be able to field a world-class attacking fulcrum and Rooney fulfils this role for Capello. The Manchester United man, at twenty-three, is maturing into a quality all round player. Rooney scored nine in the qualifiers, albeit against moderate opposition; finally coming in from the cold as a goal scorer after a barren run in competitive games. Rooney can be deployed in a number of attacking positions, though he appears most comfortable dropping off the central striker into “the hole”, a position from which he can exert maximum influence.
Rooney’s composure and temperament appear to have improved under the unrelenting gaze of the Italian. He has been booked only six times in twenty-seven appearances this season, which seems to suggest his more youthful predisposition towards recklessness have been curbed somewhat. However, the pit bull spirit is never too far from the surface, notably when haranguing referees over any perceived injustice.
That Capello rates Rooney as England’s most important striker is evident in the indulgence he shows the Manchester star. Yet for all his paternal cosseting Capello will know that Rooney’s indiscipline is more than capable of letting England down and he will no doubt be hammering home a message of calm between now and the start of the tournament.
Emile Heskey A Capello Favourite
Emile Heskey represents Capello’s widely perceived tendency to continually select favourites irrespective of form. The statistics don’t bear the out the feeling that he is an effective foil for Rooney, despite the Manchester man’s stated preference for him as a partner. Heskey’s international goal scoring record is shockingly profligate, only 7 strikes in 57 games suggests that in terms of penalty box predation he is certainly no Ferenc Puskas.
Added to this is the fact that he rarely plays at club level. Heskey has only made five appearances for Aston Villa this year, as he appears to have fallen out of favour with his long time mentor Martin O’Neill. The English press have become increasingly vocal in their criticism of his barren run in front of goal, championing the much more free scoring Jermain Defoe. There is a growing sense that Capello, in persisting with Heskey, is retarding England’s overall goal threat.
The Supporting Cast
Capello is an unashamed admirer of Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, a player who in 2010 remains little less of an enigma than he was in 2006. Walcott has been plagued by injury over the last few years and has featured only sparingly for Arsenal let alone England. His explosive treble in qualifying against Croatia appears to have bought him a lifetime of grace as far as Capello is concerned. The Italian will assuredly move heaven and earth to make sure the pacy and direct winger makes the trip to South Africa.
Jermaine Defoe has exploded onto the England stage this year, scoring five goals. Defoe is an out and out predator: pacy, selfish and direct. His emergence as a genuine threat at international level has marginalized Michael Owen and cast severe doubts over the Manchester United strikers potential involvement in the World Cup. Owen has clearly not enjoyed enough starts for Sir Alex Ferguson to impress Capello.
Peter Crouch appears fated to inhabit the margins of both club and international football. Condemned to the bench at both Liverpool and now at Tottenham Crouch looks set for a season long fight with Carlton Cole for the final place in Capello’s squad. Crouch has the advantage: He offers England something unique with his height and presence; in addition to this he is a proven scorer at international level (having notched 18 goals in 35 games).
Can The Strikers Steer England to Glory?
Capello is a conservative; he is unlikely, at sixty-three years of age, to deviate from the game plan that has brought him so much success at club level over the years. While fortune in football does often favour the brave he has stated that he will settle for four strikers in South Africa, a flawed plan brutally exposed as negativity in England’s last World Cup Campaign. In 2006 Italy took six forwards to Germany, they all scored. Taking a forward line of Rooney, Defoe, Crouch and Heskey to the World Cup will leave England woefully short if injury or suspensions strike, as they did in 2006. If England are to prevail in 2010 it looks highly unlikely that victory will come as the result of a torrent of goals from the forwards.
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