Your 23 man squad for the WC

[Messiah]

People picking Heskey!

G James, Hart, Robinson

D Terry, King, Ferdinand, Johnson, Neville, Dawson, A.Cole, Baines

M Lennon, Walcott, Barry, J.Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, A Johnson, Milner

S Rooney, Crouch, Defoe, Bent

I would pick exactly the same but swap Carrick with Huddlestone and J.Cole with Walcott

I actually didn't think about Cole. In that case, I'd add Cole but lose Huddlestone. Cole can go central or wide.

[Silver Fox]

James
Robinson
Hart

Terry
Ferdinand
Upson
Dawson
Carragher
Johnson
Cole
Baines

Gerrard
Lampard
Milner
Walcott
Lennon
Huddlestone
Carrick

Rooney
Heskey
Crouch
Bent
Zamora

[Seal]

Hart
James
Green

Ferdinand
Terry
Upson
King
Carragher
Johnson
Cole
Baines

Gerrard
Lampard
Milner
Walcott
Lennon
Barry
Carrick
Johnson

Rooney
Heskey
Crouch
Defoe

[Hoop Blah]

Keepers
James, Hart, Green (almost Foster as I don't rate Green)

Defenders
Johnson, Ferdinand, Terry, A.Cole, King, Dawson, G.Neville

Midfielders
Lennon, Gerrard, Barry, Milner, J.Cole, Lampard, Walcott, Carrick, Johnson

Forwards
Rooney, Heskey, Defoe, Crouch

I want to take 5 forwards as I think the 5th forward is more likely to be involved or win a game than the 8th defender or 8th midfielder. I don't think it's worth taking Bent though, so that leaves Carlton Cole or Zamora. Because of that I'd probably stick with 4 with Joe Cole and Walcott in the back of my mind as backup.

I'm not happy with the defenders but there's no way I'd take Carragher (not only is he a judas but he's lost half a yard of pace and just isn't good enough these days) and after Johnson and Cole I now think we're really struggling for fullbacks. Because of that I almost went for Lescott instead of Dawson, and I'd still be tempted to free up another midfield position. As it is I'm relying on someone like Milner, or heaven forbids Barry, to fill in at left back if something happens to Cole…risky!

Still a little undecided to be honest, but it does show that we're lacking some depth.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Robinson
James
Hart

Ferdinand
Terry
Upson
King
Carragher
Johnson
A Cole
Warnock

Gerrard
Lampard
Milner
J Cole
Lennon
Barry
Johnson

Rooney
Walcott
Heskey
Crouch
Defoe

[Hoop Blah]

I forgot about Robinson actually. He'd be in with a shout too.

Same goes for Warnock who didn't spring to mind when I was thinking about cover for the left back.

[Wycombe Royal]

No Zamora, but Heskey gets in.......

Squad list

Goalkeepers
Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
Defenders
Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders
Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips
Forwards
Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

[Big Foot]

Really pleased Adam Johnson is there, hope he can make it to the 23 man squad but might be a bit too much too soon...he's looked a cracking player for City since joining them

[Hoop Blah]

I think Parker might stand a chance of making it you know.

I went for Carrick as the final central midfielder, but if you need someone to put their foot in and not just fanny around, I think Parker is the only one there who could do the job.

Really disappointed that Carragher has made the 30 ahead of Neville. Neither are at their best but I'd much rather have Neville on the plane as backup right back than Carragher, who from the looks of that is probably 70% on the plane already.

My only hope is that they take a good look at Milner and Gerrard as emergency cover at right back and then leave Carragher at home.

[Silver Fox]

Given his history I'd imagine Carragher's presence in the 30 pretty much ensures he'll be going to South Africa

Was there any doubt Heskey would be in? As he's Cappelo's choice to start with Rooney I'd always have guessed he'd be in the squad

[Hoop Blah]

Given his history I'd imagine Carragher's presence in the 30 pretty much ensures he'll be going to South Africa

Unless he pisses people off I think, unfortunately, you're spot on.

[Silver Fox]

Why unfortunately? He can cover two positions that England are short of cover in (unless you believe in the Ledley King miracle)

Oh yeah he's a judas, whatever that means

[TBM]

Given his history I'd imagine Carragher's presence in the 30 pretty much ensures he'll be going to South Africa

Unless he pisses people off I think, unfortunately, you're spot on.

He's good to have as a back up for right back or central defence

[6ft Kerplunk]

Looks like Parker is in as cover for Barry's holding midfield role in case he's not fit in time. Johnson has a great chance as he's the only wide midfielder with a left foot. Huddlestone is going to have to injure a few players in training to get a place in the squad.

[TBM]

Johnson has a great chance as he's the only wide midfielder with a left foot

Im surprised Downing didn't get in infront of SWP for that ^^ reason

[6ft Kerplunk]

Capello probably sees Gerrard starting on the left with two of Milner\Johnson\J Cole as backup.

[chilipepper91]

No Zamora, but Heskey gets in.......

Squad list

Goalkeepers
Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green
Defenders
Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock
Midfielders
Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips
Forwards
Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

for me

[Hoop Blah]

Given his history I'd imagine Carragher's presence in the 30 pretty much ensures he'll be going to South Africa

Unless he pisses people off I think, unfortunately, you're spot on.

He's good to have as a back up for right back or central defence

Have you seen him play much in the last couple of years? He used to be very good cover for Terry or Ferdinand but for the last couple of seasons he's been caught out and thats why he's always making those last ditch tackles and bringing people down.

He's slowed down a little and that's just made all the difference in my eyes.

The fact that he walked away from England and said it didn't hurt him as much when he lost playing for them as it did with Liverpool just makes me think we could do better taking someone else. He's played right back on a few occassions this season, but Capello has said previously he won't take players not playing regularily in the position he wants to play them (sounds like empty rhetorik now doesn't it)?

As for the 'King miracle' as Silver Fox puts it....he's by far the best defender not getting in the starting XI (possibly better than the two that will play as well) and he's proven his fitness recently too. Where is the miracle there?

[Row Z Royal]

Why unfortunately? He can cover two positions that England are short of cover in (unless you believe in the Ledley King miracle)

Oh yeah he's a judas, whatever that means

Feck loyalty - he's just not been very good recently.

Dawson > Carra, on form if nothing else.

[Silver Fox]

As for the 'King miracle' as Silver Fox puts it....he's by far the best defender not getting in the starting XI (possibly better than the two that will play as well) and he's proven his fitness recently too. Where is the miracle there?

If Ledley could play in every game (I'll let him off the third group game if they win the first two) then King > Carragher > Ferdinand, I just can't see it and think taking him is as big a waste of a place in the squad as any of Sven's crocked players he took, for which he got no end of stick, although you can hide a crocked centre half better than a crocked striker when you have no intention of playing one of the other 3