England World Cup Qualifiers

[Hoop Blah]

I see Lennon is bigging up Gary Hooper again

Is he really that good and worth a call up? - he's only 24 or is it a ploy for Celtic to be able to bump his price up in January if clubs start taking interest in him?

It's very difficult for him to prove himself playing for Celtic. The likes of Holt, Lambert and Zamora are probably still ahead of him in the queue because they play in the Premier League, and then there's others who play/played well in the Championship (like Le Fondre or Bothroyd perhaps) who have a similar claim. You can't knock his scoring record though, but he'll probably need to move back to the Premier League to get a call up as his goals record alone at that level won't impress many people will it?

[Hoop Blah]

Butland, Rodwell and Caulker (and also Henderson and Sterling) were all included in the U21s squad yesterday so there might be a couple of 'surprises' in the squad as they won't be involved with the Senior team.

According to Oliver Kay of The Times, Shawcross and Fraser Forster will be called up. I quite like Shawcross but can't say I've seen much or Forster.

[Pepe the Horseman]

Squad for San Marino and Poland


Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy;

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, Ryan Shawcross, Kyle Walker.

Midfielders: Michael Carrick, Tom Cleverley, Steven Gerrard, Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott.

Forwards: Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Welbeck.

[Hoop Blah]

Interesting that Hodgson has again included 3 left backs. He did that last time with Bertrand, Baines and Cole, who subsequently dropped out through injury. I wonder if this is Hodgson assessing the long term successors to Cole now or if Cole has again got some kind of knock that means he won't be able to play both games.

I'd forgotten about Aaron Lennon. That's probably a deserved call up as he seems to have been playing pretty well recently.

[TBM]

Whoops

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19827887

[Hoop Blah]

Not as big an whooops as Coles tweet!

I wonder if Hodgson knew this storm in a tweetcup was brewing and hence selected the 3 left backs in case Cole suddenly gets a convenient injury.

[Royalclapper]

Not as big an whooops as Coles tweet!

I wonder if Hodgson knew this storm in a tweetcup was brewing and hence selected the 3 left backs in case Cole suddenly gets a convenient injury.

Almost certainly.

[Hoop Blah]

Not as big an whooops as Coles tweet!

I wonder if Hodgson knew this storm in a tweetcup was brewing and hence selected the 3 left backs in case Cole suddenly gets a convenient injury.

Well one left back has now pulled out but, shock horror, it's Kieran Gibbs with yet another injury. Bertrand has been called as a direct replacement and, oddly enough, Jonjo Shelvey has also been added to the squad (up from the U21s) even though no midfielders have withdrawn.

[No Fixed Abode]

Jon Jo Shelvey

[sandman]

'greed

Not sure how he'll cope against the might of San Marino.

[cmonurz]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Having a very good season so far, not a massive surprise this one.

[Hoop Blah]

The surprise for me with Shelvey is that he's been called up with no other midfielder dropping out. I'd read somewhere that they were looking to keep the U21s as strong as possible for their important games and so this seems a little odd to me.

I like the way Hodgson is doing this though. That's quite a few young English players he's taken along with the squad at various times which is only real way he can suss them out for the future. That's the kind of thing that shows a good bit of forward planning and is a bit more 'club England' than just dragging someone in from the cold when they're finally ready or needed.

I'd be surprised if he's involved in either game though (although he could well get a run out against San Marino I guess).

[Stuka]

Was offered England v San Marino tickets for free from a sponsor.

Even as a card carrying England fans member, I can't be arsed with this one.

[No Fixed Abode]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Having a very good season so far, not a massive surprise this one.

[cmonurz]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Having a very good season so far, not a massive surprise this one.

You seem rattled m8. Shame McEachran isn't doing much, or he might have been called up instead.

[cmonurz]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footba ... mbley.html

Praise from Kyle Walker for Gary Neville's coaching - what with his punditry too, Neville really emerging as a real thinker in the game, didn't expect that at all when he retired.

[Vision]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Having a very good season so far, not a massive surprise this one.

Hodgson explained this when calling up Lallana & Sterling as replacemenst for the last squad. He's no longer going to call up experienced players as replacements for those that pull out ifs they have little to no chance of playing. Instead he's going to bring younger players in so they can have a look at them within the senior international set up. This time Bertrand and Shelvey come in.

That said, you still have to be showing a modicum of form and I'd guess that Bertrand wouldn't be far off being the 3rd choice left back anyway.

[peterroyal76]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Totally agree, do we really have that little strength in depth or players coming through.

[cmonurz]

Jon Jo Shelvey

Totally agree, do we really have that little strength in depth or players coming through.

Now Reading are in the Premier League, there's less excuse for not watching MotD or not having an understanding of players in form/impressing for their club/who are young and English and so fit Hodgson's plan.

[No Fixed Abode]

Shelvey is a top championship player at best.