Sunday, 20 April 2014

Young Lions Hoping To Leap To Brazil

    Only 53 days until the FIFA World Cup in Brazil and there are some players who are picking the right time to perform to get themselves on Roy Hodgson's radar.

A number of places are all but set in stone - barring any injuries - figures such as Joe Hart, Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere, Gary Cahill etc. but many names are still being thrown around regarding who will board the plane to Brazil.
  23 is the limit that Hodgson can choose for his disposal, meaning some will be left watching the tournament like the rest of us, from a TV screen.

Performances from a few individuals this season have called for some consideration, giving Hodgson a welcomed selection headache. Luke Shaw (Southampton) and Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), two not long ago were part of the England U21 set-up and that have progressed further than many could have imagined in such a short space of time too.

A battle in the left-back berth commenced long ago. The trio fighting it out are Chelsea's veteran, Ashley Cole, the ever-impressive Leighton Baines and this seasons consistent Southampton youngster, Luke Shaw. Question marks arose not too long ago over Cole's 'right' to be on board, appearing on 21 times in all competitions this season.
 An argument is at hand that his experience will be crucial against strong attacking sides like Italy and Uruguay, but for me, I believe despite his old head he may get found short due to his lack of match time and possibly it is time for him to hang up his international boots to prolong career at club level.

Baines has to be first choice. Too little has he been sat in the shadows behind Cole, and he's proven he can perform at the highest level in the last year through his performances at club and international level. The Toffee's player most definitely doesn't lack experience either, having spent almost 7 years in the Premier League at Everton, he's exactly what Luke Shaw should be looking to emulate and like most.

Although Shaw is somewhat of a raw talent, with the guidance of Baines he has the ability to be a very capable back-up and as I'm sure many will agree, has proven potential to become one the world's best left backs for years to come.

Raheem Sterling, another English youngster featuring prominently as well as shining above many others has had a big hand in getting Liverpool to the summit of the Premier League. The 19 year-old's brace against Norwich earlier today in the 3-2 victory took his tally to 10 goals for the season as well as keeping the Red's title hopes intact. Hodgson will probably choose this livewire for Brazil, in my opinion Adam Lallana is the only English winger to have bettered him this season. For me, Adam Lallana has a lot more in his locker to offer but if England are ever in need of pace to get behind defenders then Sterling will be the go-to man.

Sunderland's Connor Wickham is my final highlight. A loan spell with Sheffield Wednesday earlier this season seems to have brought Wickham to life, having failed to make any kind of impact following his move from Ipswich. He scored 9 goals in 17 appearances for the Hillsborough side, he steered the Owls away from danger, before moving on loan to Yorkshire rivals, Leeds briefly before being recalled by Gus Poyet due to an injury crisis.
  On his return Connor Wickham scored 2 goals in a surprising 2-2 draw with Manchester City and bagged a goal at Stamford Bridge during Sunderland's 2-1 victory on Saturday. The Hereford-born striker may feature in a England friendly before Hodgson picks his final 23, however I don't believe his end-of-season form will be enough to earn him a World Cup place, Rickie Lambert and Andy Carroll most likely ahead of him in Hodgson's mind.

So, with only 3 games remaining for most teams in the Premier League, performances can still catch the eye of the England manager and the final 23 places are by no means filled.



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