Fabio Capello recently said he felt England lacked options on the 'wings.' I decided to look in to the matter and prove him wrong.
I've picked out some right wingers and some left wingers to show that England have plenty of options on both flanks. To say England lack quality is a different thing, but do they lack options?
I'll Kick Off with the Right Wing:
David Beckham (LA Galaxy):
Fabio Capello knows David Beckham quite well, after all, the duo were together at Real Madrid where Capello had temporarily axed Becks from the team.
Capello and Beckham made up when they teamed up for England and Beckham is definitely a contender for that position over the right wing. He is one of the older contenders, yes, but his pin-point accuracy from crosses gives him a unique edge over the others.
David Bentley (Blackburn Rovers):
David Bentley has made quite a name for himself in the past two seasons as he has been a prominent part of Blackburn's side and his exceptional performances have meant he is now on the 'wanted list' of big clubs like Liverpool.
Bentley's performances have also got him involved in the England setup of late and he could be Beckham's replacement.
Shaun Wright Phillips (Chelsea):
Wright Phillips has grown out of favour at Chelsea recently and speculation has linked him away from Stamford Bridge.
Despite recent problems, Wright Phillips is still a contender. His lethal combination of pace and power make him a 'class act.'
Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspurs):
Lennon's playing style is similar to Wright Phillips, but he is possibly even quicker.
Lennon has already broken into the England setup before losing his touch, which he has recently rediscovered with Spurs.
Lennon can be a constant threat on counter attacks with his incredible speed down the flanks.
Theo Walcott (Arsenal):
Theo Walcott is a genius. At a very tender age he has shown potential of matching with the best of the Premier League.
Pace and trickery, Walcott has it all, and in the years to come he will be a huge asset for Arsenal—if they don't sell him.
James Milner (Newcastle United):
I've always felt Milner has been terribly underrated. He has all the points needed in a winger and a 'team' player.
He's been amazing for Newcastle in patches but unfortunately, he hasn't lived up to his potential.
He's been remarkable for the England U21 team so why don't you give him a chance, Mr.Capello?
Let's switch to the Left Wing.
Joe Cole (Chelsea):
Chelsea's Joe Cole is already a part of the England setup. He provides a great combination of pace and strength.
He's not the strongest you'll ever see but he is a very determined lad. He's a fighter and he's very reliable as well.
Stuart Downing (Middlesbrough):
Capello probably won't ever notice him because he only ever shows up for games featuring the 'Big Four' but Downing has constantly shown he has the ability to break into the national side.
Downing has played for England before, but never consistently. He definitely has the potential, it's just a matter of grabbing the opportunity when it comes.
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa):
If you leave the Ronaldo and Adebayor transfer sagas aside, Barry's proposed transfer to Liverpool has been the most gruelling transfer controversy of the summer.
Why do Liverpool want him so bad? Because he is very versatile, he can fit in anywhere, and he is the 'complete player.' For England, he is mostly considered in a central position, but, naturally left-footed, he can easily fit in to the position where he has played for Aston Villa before.
Ashley Young (Aston Villa):
Another Villa player, Young is a energetic player who has pace and can easily cut in from the wings to create or score a goal.
Young provides another option to England for the left wing because he is quite talented and has justified his potential since his move from Watford to Aston Villa.
Thus, England have quite a few options of both sides of the pitch and if that isn't enough for you, Mr Capello, you could also consider the following :
Leon Osman (Everton)
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
Mathew Taylor (Bolton)
Jermaine Pennant (Liverpool)
Darren Ambrose (Charlton Athletic)
Have I missed out on anyone? Who do you think should play on the right wing and on the left wing? Leave your comments below.
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3 months ago
This is a great article Salaar. On the same theme we had discussed before, should Lampard even be considered for a starting spot? He and Gerrard never seem to play well together and Gerrard starting is almost a forgone conclusion. Wouldn't it benifit the side if someone else like Hargraves or or Barry benefit the side much more?
3 months ago
Finally someone realises the wonders Milner has been preforming at U21 level, surely he deserves a chance in the senior squad. All the men you included in the original lists should be given a chance but the lads bar Agbonlahor.
Good article Salaar
from 3 months ago
Thanks Marc..
3 months ago
Stuart downing on the left,joe cole on the right,carrick and gerrard in the middle.Thats the best midfield I think! how depressing!
from 3 months ago
Carrick is amazing in the field..his job is so silent..he creates many opportunities..he or Hargreaves could create best foil for Gerrard.
3 months ago
I know you made the distinction between options and quality, but isn't that what Capello's point was? You did a nice job of summing up the possibilities for England... But it also demonstrated what Capello was saying. He's gotta hope Walcott, Bentley, and Young continue to develop.
If England ever depend on any of the last five guys (in some case it would not be the first time), missing major international tournaments will become a habit.
from 2 months ago
Fair enough..Billy but Joe Cole..Lennon..Beckham would you say it's lack of quality??
Thanks for commenting..
from 2 months ago
I'm a Chelsea and Tottenham fan and like both Cole and Lennon, but I do think they don't compare to the options of the teams England competes with for tournament titles.
Portugal is loaded Ronaldo, Quaresma, and Simao, to name a name.
Brazil's got Ronaldinho and Robinho.
Argentina is led by Messi- who no one on England compares to- along with Maxi, who is arguably in Joe Cole's class.
The Dutch look great with Sneijder, Robben, and Babel.
Germany is lethal with Podolski, Schweinsteiger.
Italy and Spain don't have a lot of elite options outside either, so they play free form style that doesn't keep wingers in place. David Silva was all over the field at Euro 2008. England could try something similar in my opinion. That way they could fit Lampard, Gerrard, Hargreaves, Carrick, and Barry on the field together and just let them overlap and pick their time to attack. Barry and Gerrard- and even Rooney- can get outside and send in crosses. The team would be unpredictable. Of course, they may just not have good enough chemistry to achieve this. I'll write a piece about it and try to justify my opinion, rather than sullying up your comment section.
2 months ago
Gabriel Agbonlahor is awesome! Capello should really look at that kid. Aston Villa have a good player there!
Yeah Theo is a genius will continue to grow! I think England have a bright future and a quick one too, Lennon and Theo...whew....burn the grass right off!
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