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da bet sport： Roy Hodgson has only been England manager for 23 days yet criticism of the man has been rife since day one. Despite securing a pair of victories from his first two games, whilst keeping a clean sheet in both, the former Liverpool boss has come under heavy scrutiny for the omission of some key names from his Euro 2012 squad.
The main issue taken with Hodgson’s original 23-man squad was his decision not to select Rio Ferdinand. With the 64-year-old quoting ‘footballing reasons’ for his decision to omit the former England captain, the matter was left to lie. But a series of injuries in the build up to this summer’s tournament has required he add some new faces to his side, and it is these decisions that have been the cause for much debate.
Gareth Barry has long been the bane of numerous England fans, yet having been integral in Manchester City’s Premier League winning campaign few would have denied him a spot in the squad. Following a knock picked up against Norway he was ruled out of the tournament and Phil Jagielka was called up. Though it is not a direct positional replacement, it eased the possible reliance on Phil Jones to provide cover for almost three positions. The Manchester United youngster will likely remain above Jagielka in the defensive pecking order at the centre of defence, but should he need to provide cover in midfield Hodgson will not find himself left short.
Frank Lampard was next to be forced to withdraw through injury. Many had expected Michael Carrick to replace the Chelsea midfielder but Hodgson instead chose Jordan Henderson. Carrick had previously stated that he did not want to be on the fringes of the squad at Euro 2012, and Hodgson clearly took his statement at face value. He would have stood little chance of being first choice in the initial squad with Lampard, Barry, Steven Gerrard and Scott Parker, but with two of those players dropping out the his absence now seems illogical.
Jordan Henderson had been touted as the future of England’s midfield but after a big-money move to Liverpool he has struggled to perform consistently, whereas Carrick produced some of his best displays in a midfield alongside Paul Scholes that narrowly missed out on being crowned champions of England. The Three Lions now seem to be without a midfielder who can control the ball, survey his options and distribute possession precisely. Carrick is a player of that ilk and he will now be sorely missed.
Yet it is the case of Ferdinand that has left many supporters and pundits so perplexed. Following Gary Cahill’s withdrawal, many saw the United defender as the ideal replacement. He offers a wealth of experience at international level, yet Hodgson named Martin Kelly, a player whose England debut coincided with the manager’s.
The ongoing racism row concerning John Terry and Ferdinand’s brother, Anton, provides a murky undercurrent that distorts the decision in an immoral shroud. But the suggestion that Hodgson’s ‘footballing reasons’ are merely a lie is repugnant. At 33-years-old Ferdinand is coming to the end of his career and even at club level he will soon begin to take a back seat. He would also have been unlikely to feature in the first team with Terry, Lescott now seemingly the centre-back pairing of choice.
The investigation into the comments of the Chelsea defender should not have been allowed to drag on for such a long period. The lack of reconciliation has created an animosity between the duo that would make it impossible to expect them to work together professionally. If the FA had handled the issue in a more swift and appropriate manner then Hodgson himself would not be in the firing line now.
Kelly was not a picked ahead of Ferdinand as a direct replacement for Cahill but as another designated right-back to back up Glen Johnson. The real question that should be therefore be posed is not why has Ferdinand been overlooked, but how has Micah Richards not got into the squad? If a right-back is what was needed then Hodgson potentially had a Premier League winner waiting for his phone to ring. Richards’ omissions under Fabio Capello were somewhat understandable as he suffered a stall in his development, yet this season has been his best yet. Powerful, pacey and just 23-years-old the reasoning behind his absence is unfathomable. But instead, the media are more interested in discussing why a player who is in the latter stages of his career is being ignored rather than why a burgeoning talent has been foregone.
After the shambles of the World Cup in 2010 the consensus was that England needed to introduce younger players to the squad. Germany had impressed with a youthful group and once again Joachim Low’s team have the youngest average age of all nations involved in Euro 2012, yet they remain one of the favourites. It is baffling that the reaction to offering of spots in the squad to a new generation has been so adverse and full of dissent.
Of course, much of the debate over the England selection would have been irrelevant had it not been for injuries. Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker and Jack Wilshere would have meant that players such as Henderson, Carrick, Kelly and Ferdinand would have been out of the running from the off. However, in the current set of circumstances it is the absences of Carrick and Richards that will be most felt. The Ferdinand debacle will not die down but Hodgson deserves to be judged for the actions of his teams on the field, not berated before a ball is even kicked.
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