Stuart Pearce tries to Abracadabra some TACTICS!
Looks like I’m running point today, which means you’ll get yet more England talk!
To wit: Stuart Pearce’s U-21 squad for two big U-21 Euro qualifiers just around the corner (at Portugal, 9/3 and home v. Lithuania on 9/7).
And it’s a strong squad indeed, if you like this sort of thing, and I do, simply because the yoof represent our best chance of winning anything for a while at the international level.
That Squad in Full:
GK – Frankie Fielding (Blackburn R), Scott Loach (Watford), Alex Smithies (Huddersfield T)
DF – Ryan Bertrand (Nott’m F, on loan from Chelsea), Phil Jones (Blackburn R), Martin Kelly (Liverpool), Michael Mancienne (Chelsea), Micah Richards (Manchester C), Chris Smalling (Manchester U), Kyle Walker (Tottenham H)
MF – Marc Albrighton (Aston V), Tom Cleverley (Manchester U), Jack Cork (Burnley, on loan from Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Sunderland), Henri Lansbury (Arsenal), Victor Moses (Wigan A), Fabrice Muamba (Bolton W), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham H), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)
FW – Andy Carroll (Newcastle U), Nathan Delfouneso (Aston V), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Sunderland, on loan from Manchester U)
While some known idiots think this is a sign that Capello’s not ready to call them up yet, or is simply not ready for a “revolution”, I’d say this is more a helping hand to Pearce in that it’d be better for the U-21s to have a full-strength squad for some qualifying games as opposed to letting those lads loiter around the subs bench for the senior side, whose current lot should be able to bag results against Bulgaria and Switzerland in their own Euro 2012 qualifiers.
These players will get their chance soon enough, once they’ve finished their work with the U-21s. Meanwhile, Capello’s frantically calling around for middle-aged men to pad out the squad, so he’s clearly not concerned either.
Until then, consider this collective the next wave of English soccer, which probably means they’ll be ignored until at least age 25, then forced into a 4-4-2 to sulk, complain, and sell a few tawdry autobiographies before marrying a pop star.
It feels like Fabrice Muamba has been U-21 for an extraordinarily long time.
Strong looking squad, shame most might be too jaded by the time they’ll be called upon to make a difference at the senior level.
Does Jay Spearing not make the list?
Think he’s too old, Chris.