THERE were few surprises as Sven-Goran Eriksson named his provisional 23 man squad to contest the European Championships in Portgual.
Wes Brown missed out on a call-up after the Swede decided to bring Jamie Carragher and Ledley King into his squad due to injuries to Gareth Southgate and Jonathan Woodgate, and Rio Ferdinand missing the finals through suspension.
His Reds team-mate Phil Neville, however, booked his spot on the plane thanks to the versatility he offers the squad as a holding midfielder or right-back.
As expected, United stars Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were named in the line-up, as was Manchester City's David James. But the Blues' player of the season Shaun Wright-Phillips failed to make the cut, although he had been seen as an outside bet for selection.
In the forward line, Darius Vassell made the squad despite stong competition from Jermain Defoe, while Joe Cole gained a midfield berth at the expense of team-mate Scott Parker.
Eriksson can makes changes to the England squad prior to June 2.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: James, Robinson, Walker
Defenders: G Neville, P Neville, A Cole, Bridge, Campbell, Terry, King, Carragher
Midfielders: Beckham, Butt, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Scholes, Dyer, Lampard, Cole
Strikers: Owen, Rooney, Heskey, Vassell
Replacements: Defoe, Smith, Upson, Wright, Southgate, Parker
Agree with Sven's selection? have your say
Tweet
Comments
Login or Register to comment
What is Eriksson doing picking the underperforming, and unfit Dyer ahead of Wright-Phillips and not even putting him on stand by. We lack natural width and he is the only player that posseses it.
It is good to see that once again an England manager selects players who are in form to play for their country!!!!
Emile Heskey - on fire
Joe Cole - plays every week
Owen hargreaves - Can't get off the bench for bayern.
Why no Shaun Wright-Phillips. Name a player in better form who can terrorise defences, track back and defend AND score vital goals!!
Sven, you are a joke.
Should have put wright-phillips in there and played him left midfield.
Looks like the goals will have to come from midfield.
The heskalator P-leeaase!
i may be a city fan but speaking from a england point of view i would prefer a player like shaun wright on the bench than an injury prone (only played about five games this season) keiron dyer plus i feel shaun is more explosive and give give england that injection of pace and power needed when we are not getting things our way.
It's a bit of a joke really, when Sven picks Butty after his worst ever season for the Reds, and DOESN'T pick Parker! Time for the Buttster to move on, I'm afraid - let's all hope he has a good championship - all the more money from his transfer...
Rick - I take it you haven't watched any football in the past two months by your criticism of Joe Cole.
Man of the Match against Leeds, a regular started since February and a player who's shown he can play anywhere in the middle or even, as shown in recent weeks, up front.
As for SWP - please eveyone give it a rest. He's the modern day Danny Wallace, no better, no worse. Head down, run at defenders, fire in a hopeless cross or run into a blind alley. The occasional good goal in a poor team doesn't suddenly make him international class. Ask yourself this - in a hard fought match against a top nation where space is so limited would he really have the technique to take a difficult pass, control it and move it on safely to a team mate. Of course not. Give him 60 yards to sprint into and he looks decent but that never happens in top flight football, only in the defensively mediocre Premiership.
He is Ray Parlour without the hair. Andy Reid without the left foot. Jermaine Pennant without the freekick expertise.
He is flavour of the month, he is average, he is flattered by being surrounded by arubbish in the City midfield.
He will never, and I say this with absolutely no fear of being proved wrong, be an international regular so get over it.
The keepers are ok,Gareth Barry should have been ahead of Butt, Phil Neville is EXTREMELY LUCKY, why havent we tried Bridge at left back and Ashley Cole at left mid in a friendly. SWP not really good enough, Carragher your having a laff, Just imagine if injuries to players happen and we are forced to put out a side like this.
GK: Walker
BACK 4:P Neville, King, Carragher, Bridge
MIDFIELD: Dyer, Butt, Cole,Hargreaves
FORWARDS: Heskey, Vassell.
That is a nationwide standard team!
dont think u should have heskey playing but start defoe
If that is the best England has to offer!!!!!!!!! Some of these players are NOT worthy of representing their country, they just don't have it...in some cases if they ever did! Thank goodness Darren Anderton isn't included....but then again, why not, if these other "turkeys" are there?
The other European teams must be relishing the thoughts of playing this very, I mean VERY, weak-looking England team!
Brian Cooper, Newmarket, Ontario, Canada.