Posts Tagged ‘Emile Heskey’
Capello needs to ditch 4-4-2
Fabio Capello must change his formation ahead of England’s do-or-die date with Slovenia.
Against most world cup 2010 prices England have collected just two points from their opening Group C games and they must defeat top-of-the-table Slovenia on Wednesday to seal a place in the round of 16.
While the opening 1-1 draw with the USA was far from disastrous, Friday’s goalless draw with Algeria was a disappointing result. Capello’s charges have failed to hit any kind of form so far and key players such as Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have failed to sparkle.
Capello has started both group games with a 4-4-2 formation with Emile Heskey partnering Rooney in attack, but it’s time now for the Italian tactician to change tact. Heskey has not been the only one to struggle in South Africa, but the Aston Villa man has become a scapegoat for some fans - still he looks all set for the axe against Slovenia.
Fans, pundits and those who bet World Cup 2010 money on England have been calling for Gerrard to be played as a supporting striker behind Rooney and that is certainly one option for Capello. That would free up another space in midfield and Joe Cole, who has not featured at all so far, deserves his chance to shine.
The wideman, who played for England at the last World Cup, should be a shoo-in to start against Slovenia. He is one of just a handful of England players who can beat an man and his clever use of the ball will be a valuable tool for England as the try to unlock the Slovenia defence. Aaron Lennon, starbed off the ball in the first two games, deserves another chance on the right and Lampard and Barry are the men to knit England’s midfield together, but Capello must let Gerrard roam free.
Tags: Aaron Lennon, Ascii, Aston Villa, C Games, Cambria, Capello, Ditch, Div, Emile Heskey, England Players, Fabio Capello, Font Definitions, Font Format, Footer, Frank Lampard, Group Games, Joe Cole, Midfield, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Pitch, Props, Pundits, Sans Serif, Scapegoat, Slovenia Fans, Steven Gerrard, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Tactician, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Two Games, Valuable Tool, Wayne Rooney, Wideman, World Cup 2010
Zamora for England? Maybe, just maybe!
Just a few short months after he was barracked by his own fans, the chances of Fulham striker Bobby Zamora securing a place in England’s World Cup squad seem to be improving rapidly.
Zamora was seen as a bit of a joke figure at Craven Cottage in the run-up to Christmas, with his boss Roy Hodgson at something of a loss to explain why they would be turning on one of their own players.
But the 29-year-old has proved to be something of a revelation in the three months since that low point, taking his tally to nine goals in his last 15 games when he scored the match-winning free-kick in the 2-1 victory over Birmingham City on Sunday.
Zamora has goals in each of the last four games and suddenly it is not just Hodgson clamouring for him to get a chance in Fabio Capello’s squad – and it is interesting that the Italian was at Craven Cottage to see Sunday’s match with only Zamora and Birmingham keeper Joe Hart as serious possibles for his squad on show.
Sadly for Zamora, Capello had already left his seat by the time Zamora scored, but Hodgson felt his overall performance would have done enough to impress and could be enough to earn him a call-up for the first pre-World Cup friendly against Egypt on March 3.
What of the competition? Well, if we split the striking options up, it seems almost certain that Wayne Rooney (100% certain if fit) and Jermain Defoe will go to South Africa, while Peter Crouch has often been favoured by Capello as the main target man.
Much will, then, depend on the make-up of the squad. If Capello takes only four strikers, as has been mooted, then Zamora will be contending with the likes of Emile Heskey (probably still the favourite), Carlton Cole, Darren Bent (disappointing recently) and Gabriel Agbonlahor for just one spot on the plane.
On this season’s evidence, Zamora and Agbonlahor would be the favourites with World Cup Betting, with Cole unable to find the net regularly or stay fit, Heskey having scored only five times and Bent having hit the wall since a fast start to the campaign.
Far-fetched it might still be, but you certainly can’t fault Zamora for his effort as he tries to score his way into the squad. Something World Cup Picks are far from ruling out.
Tags: Birmingham City, Bobby Zamora, Cambria, Craven Cottage, Emile Heskey, Fabio Capello, Fareast, Favoured, Font Definitions, Font Format, Four Games, Free Kick, Fulham, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jermain Defoe, Joe Hart, Mso, Orphan, Panose, Paper Source, Peter Crouch, Roy Hodgson, Sans Serif, Striker, Strikers, Style Definitions, Style Name, Style Type, Tally, Target Man, Theme Font, Times New Roman, Wayne Rooney, World Cup Squad