England manager Roy Hodgson (he with a 0% England win record) announced the Euro 2012 23-man squad today. His selections (and explanations) were largely pragmatic and determined in some cases by injuries, although the team is strikingly similar to what the previous England manager, Fabio Capello, would have picked, and England are not part of the top Betfair Euro 2012 tips to be in the Euro 2012 final.
With news surrounding the England Euro 2012 squad leaked last night, there were no surprises in the selection, although the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards, Michael Carrick and Peter Crouch would have been very dissappointed to be overlooked.
England squad for Euro 2012:
Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Rob Green (West Ham), John Ruddy (Norwich)
Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Man United), John Terry (Chelsea), Joleon Lescott (Man City), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Leighton Baines (Everton)
Midfielders: Theo Walcott (Arsenal), Stewart Downing (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Gareth Barry (Man City), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Scott Parker (Tottenham), Ashley Young (Man United), James Milner (Man City)
Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man United), Danny Welbeck (Man United), Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham)
Standby players: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Manchester City), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea).
Roy Hodsgon on England’s Euro 2012 Preparations
Roy Hodgson summing up England’s preparations ahead of Euro 2012: “We have to be careful with what we do with the players in preparation. You can end up taking more out of them on the training field particularly after a long season without a winter break. I’d like to think we have enough players to deal with any injury situations. He (Wayne Rooney) got suspended and I’m not suggesting the suspension is wrong. But it’s not very nice going into the first two games without a player who is world class.”
England boss Roy Hodgson on John Terry, who was selected for Euro 2012 despite a July court case awaiting him regarding allegations that he racially abused QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, which Terry denies: “If we take the court case first of all, that’s obviously very unfortunate for him but we must emphasise he is an innocent man until such time as he is proven guilty.
“My decision with John Terry was based purely on footballing matters, I was given a free hand as to the squad I picked. I realised that when I selected him there would be people who would raise eyebrows but that’s the decision that I’ve made, that’s the decision I shall live with.”
Roy Hodgson on John Ruddy’s forthcoming marriage and the absence of Micah Richards from the squad: “He still is I hope (getting married). He offered to postpone the wedding but personally I think it’s dangerous to postpone a wedding. I was considering Kyle Walker before he dropped out. In Phil Jones I have a player who is capable of playing right-back and centre-back. It was going to be one of Phil Jones or Micah Richards and I chose Jones.”
England manager Roy Hodgson on Rio Ferdinand’s omission from the Euro 2012 squad: “It’s a football decision. He’s only played for England once in the last year. It was a hard phone call to make, but it’s based on football – nothing else.”
England manager Roy Hodgson on his Euro 2012 squad: “It’s not been an easy squad to put together but I’m pleased with the squad I’ve put together and I think it’s a well balanced squad.”
Steven Gerrard will captain England at Euro 2012. England manager Roy Hodgson: “I know him as a player and a person and how committed he is to the England cause. He will help me build the team unity and environment we need to thrive in a tournament.”
England Euro 2012 Squad Review
As expected, new boss Roy Hodgson omitted Rio Ferdinand, Micah Richards and Peter Crouch but found places in his 23 for former skipper John Terry, uncapped Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Liverpool’s Andy Carroll.
But it was the inclusion of Carroll’s Anfield team-mate Stewart Downing – seemingly at the expense of QPR striker Bobby Zamora – that was the real surprise of Hodgson’s first selection decision.
With Wayne Rooney suspended for the opening two games against France and Sweden, Hodgson did indeed name just seven defenders, with Glen Johnson the only out and out right-back although Phil Jones has played there more than his preferred central role for Manchester United.
Hodgson, though, named just four strikers, Rooney and Carroll joined by Jermain Defoe and Danny Welbeck.
That decision hints that Hodgson plans playing with just one up, in either a 4-2-3-1 formation or flanked by Theo Walcott and Ashley Young in a 4-3-3.
Even so, the selection of the 27-year-old Downing was unexpected given his horrible first season since his £20million move from Aston Villa.
Downing, who was a member of Sven Goran Eriksson’s 2006 World Cupo squad, did not contribute a single goal or assist to Liverpool’s Premier League campaign, despite 34 appearances.
Zamora, who played under Hodgson for Fulham, was thought likely to get the nod but the England medical team were concerned about the state of his fitness.
The 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain is not the only uncapped member of the squad, with Norwich’s John Ruddy picked as the third goalkeeper behind Joe Hart and Robert Green.
Hodgson also named a standby-squad of five players: Birmingham’s under-21 keeper Jack Butland, Phil Jagielka of Everton, Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, Adam Johnson of Manchester City and Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge.
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