England at the World Cup

Manager: Fabio Capello
Captain: John Terry
FIFA Ranking: 7
World Cup appearances: 12
World Cup Winner: 1966

Profile:

England or ‘The Three Lions’ as they’re often referred to, go into the world cup in tremendous form after they sailed through what looked to be a tricky looking group. Both Croatia and Ukraine shaped up as the biggest challengers for that one and only automatic qualification spot but England swept the pair aside and Fabio Capello & Co can now concentrate on, what they hope will be, a South African World Cup they will never forget.

Spain were widely renowned for being the biggest underachievers in international football but since the Spanish won the European Championships back in 2008, England have now taken over the mantle after going 56 years without a major international victory. We think the thing that hurts English fans the most is the fact that England have rarely gone close to winning either a European Championship or a World Cup. They’ve always possessed a squad capable of going all the way but, for one reason or another, matters on the pitch just haven’t gone to plan.

Manager:

Fabio Capello has been a revelation at the England helm since his arrival back in January 2008. He took over from former manager Steve McClaren who didn’t enjoy a successful period as England manager, with McClaren failing in his bid to guide England to the Euro’s, with England failing to qualify for a major tournament for the first time in 14 years when they the failed to make the cut when attempting to qualify for the 2008 European Championships in Austria/Switzerland. Fortunately, for the English faithful at least, that hasn’t been the case under the Fabio Capello regime and the straight-talking Italian guided England to South Africa after an impressive qualifiying campaign.

Mr. Capello certainly possess an immaculate CV, although his previous managerial role in international football came over 30 years ago when he managed his own country – Italy. He’s been at some of the worlds greatest clubs including; Italian giants Roma, Juventus & two spells at AC Milan, while Real Madrid required his services on two occasions also and it’s evident that the Italian is a wanted man. After taken a look at his honours list as manager, you can clearly see why.

Managerial Record:

Milan

Serie A Titles – 4
Supercoppa Italiana– 3
Champions League – 1
European Super Cup – 1

Roma

Serie A – 1
Supercoppa Italiana – 1

Juventus

Serie A – 1

Real Madrid

La Liga – 2

Key Players:

John Terry -

Yet another captain makes for one of the key players of an international team and i don’t think you can really underestimate the importance of a quality leader and John Terry is certainly up their in terms of players who provides a real presence and inspiration to a team and it’s players. John Terry has been a rock at the back for England but he’s now been handed the captains armband and he will do his utmost to repay Fabio Capello for the faith he’s shown in the Chelsea skipper.

John Terry’s attributes range from being an inspirational leader to a phenomenal header of the ball. Not only can he thwart the oppositions attacks but he can also add to their woes with one bullet of a header from set-pieces. In our opinion, he’s the complete defender and an important part of the England set-up as they bid to end their World Cup woes.

Steven Gerrard -

The Liverpool skipper is often criticised for not showing the same sort of form which has seen him win countless awards at club level, into his international games. However, one thing is assured when Gerrard plays and that is he can grab you a goal from out of the blue. One swift of his gifted right foot could save the day for England and that’s just one of a handful of reasons why Gerrard is crucial to England’s world cup ambitions. The Liverpool midfielder can leave a player for dead with his surprisingly blistering pace at times, while he can perform inch perfect passes from one end of the pitch to another. If Steven Gerrard has a big tournament then so do England.

Wayne Rooney -

Wayne Rooney was already an immensely talented player but he has now added versatility to his game under Sir Alex Ferguson. The Merseyside born star can literally play anywhere on the park but we’re hoping Capello will field him in a more central role for the World Cup. England’s biggest flaw is their forward options and, for the time being anyway, our hopes will rest solely on the shoulders of Rooney for regular goals and we know for certain that he’s up to the task. There is nothing this lad cannot do nor achieve, and just like Steven Gerrard, Rooney can win a game in an instance. Big players thrive in the big games and Rooney’s a big game player.

Strengths:

England do like to keep hold of the ball. However, England will seize on the first opportunity that does arise. Unlike similar nations who put together pass after pass, England can often break out of their patient mould and spring an instant attack. If you were to sum England up under Fabio Capello then you would say they were ’solid’. Their defence doesn’t look as vulnerable as it was in qualifying for the European Championship back in 2007-2008, while their attacks look sharper then ever. 26 goals in qualifying is the evidence to back up England’s improved form in the final third and we think it’s fair to say that England are a quality striker off being the ‘perfect package’.

Weakness:

England do lack an out-an-out striker which is surprising when you look at their goalscoring record in qualifying. However, England have had to rely on Wayne Rooney a tad too much and once again it would appear the hopes of the nation could rest on the feisty ‘Scouser’. We’ve been in a simialr situation in previous tournaments and Rooney has failed to deal with the immense pressure piled on his shoulders. Will he cope this time around?

England also have a minor problem in goal. We’ve still not found a permanent number one with David James now losing his spot due to some bizarre goalkeeping displays for club & country. Paul Robinson & Scott Carson have been tested on the big stage and failed miserably so our one remaining hope could be West ham’s Robert Green. He’s a consistent sort but he’s yet to get a taste of the big time for his country.

Qualification:

Sector: Europe
Group: 6
Position: 1st
Win-Draw-Lose: 7-0-0
Goals Scored: 26
Goals Conceded: 4

Last Updated: 21/7/2009

Qualifying statistics:

England have been the most prolific team in qualifying, scoring a whopping 26 goals in just seven matches.
Wayne Rooney has been lethal in front of goal, registering eight goals in qualifying. That’s an average of just over one goal every game.
Frank Lampard has spent more time on the pitch then any other England player with 620 playing minutes on the clock.
Fabio Capello has got discipline in check with England. Not a single England player has received a red card in qualifying thus far.

World Cup Potential:             5/5

England have the potential, once again, to go all the way. However, the England of old always disappoints. Will South Africa be any different? Fabio Capello is well equipped to deliver the goods and were England to lift the trophy he would be put in the ‘Legend’ category of England managers. Although, there isn’t too many ‘Legends’ to be fair. England cannot simply turn up and think the tournament is there’s though. They will need their big players to step up to the mark and produce their A-game when it really matters.

Current World Cup Odds:         15/2 – Bet365

World Cup Group C - Table

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