So Roy Hodgson has picked his squad for the European Championships. Hodgson always comes over as rather a dour man (I'm sure he isn't) and his squad reflects this.
It is difficult to see just where this team is going with a mixture of semi over the hill players and others who have scarcely set the world alight. My main worry is up front. Take out Wayne Rooney, as we have to do for the first couple of matches due to suspension, and the strikers we are left with are Jermain Defoe, Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck. I can't see many opposing defenders having sleepless nights about facing any of them.
Defoe has been a bit part player in the England set-up for many years, Carroll has scarcely produced the goods since moving to Liverpool and the more I see of Welbeck the more I think he is a very ordinary player.
The whole squad seems to lack originality and there are few surprises. personally I would have included Peter Crouch and Grant Holt instead of Carroll and Welbeck. Crouch has never let England down and scored some fine goals and Holt deserves to be there on his contributions for Norwich this season. He would have been a surprise package and an unknown quantity. As Norwich fans have said repeatedly this season - who would you rather have playing for you Carroll or Holt and I think the answer is decidedly the latter.
Good to see Norwich's John Ruddy in the squad. He may be third choice goalkeeper but it's just reward for a fine season for the Canaries. I wasn't a Ruddy fan when he first came to the club. I thought his positional skill was poor but this season he has put in some fine performances. Good to see Robert Green back in contention as well. These two are from a long line of superb Norwich goalkeepers. Of course neither Green or Ruddy are likely to play in the Euros apart from injury or suspension to Joe Hart. Hart is head and shoulders above any other English goalkeeper at this time. Not only is he the best 'keeper by a country mile, he also has an infectious personality which is just what you want from the last line of defence.
Back at the grass roots level of football - we had another long but very productive Hethersett Athletic meeting last night. Tonight it's back to the village running club. I feel a little stiffness coming on for tomorrow.
It is difficult to see just where this team is going with a mixture of semi over the hill players and others who have scarcely set the world alight. My main worry is up front. Take out Wayne Rooney, as we have to do for the first couple of matches due to suspension, and the strikers we are left with are Jermain Defoe, Andy Carroll and Danny Welbeck. I can't see many opposing defenders having sleepless nights about facing any of them.
Defoe has been a bit part player in the England set-up for many years, Carroll has scarcely produced the goods since moving to Liverpool and the more I see of Welbeck the more I think he is a very ordinary player.
The whole squad seems to lack originality and there are few surprises. personally I would have included Peter Crouch and Grant Holt instead of Carroll and Welbeck. Crouch has never let England down and scored some fine goals and Holt deserves to be there on his contributions for Norwich this season. He would have been a surprise package and an unknown quantity. As Norwich fans have said repeatedly this season - who would you rather have playing for you Carroll or Holt and I think the answer is decidedly the latter.
Good to see Norwich's John Ruddy in the squad. He may be third choice goalkeeper but it's just reward for a fine season for the Canaries. I wasn't a Ruddy fan when he first came to the club. I thought his positional skill was poor but this season he has put in some fine performances. Good to see Robert Green back in contention as well. These two are from a long line of superb Norwich goalkeepers. Of course neither Green or Ruddy are likely to play in the Euros apart from injury or suspension to Joe Hart. Hart is head and shoulders above any other English goalkeeper at this time. Not only is he the best 'keeper by a country mile, he also has an infectious personality which is just what you want from the last line of defence.
Back at the grass roots level of football - we had another long but very productive Hethersett Athletic meeting last night. Tonight it's back to the village running club. I feel a little stiffness coming on for tomorrow.
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