Euro 2012: 5 Reasons England Will Struggle Without Rio Ferdinand

I think most of us will agree that the decision to exclude Rio Ferdinand from England's Euro 2012 squad came as a massive surprise, especially considering England has since suffered injuries to key players in the defense.

The Manchester United defender may be 33 years old, but he still appears to have plenty to offer at both the club and international level.

Leadership

I understand that even if Rio had been included he was unlikely to be named England's captain. But being a leader isn't just about having something around your arm. Great teams need leaders all over the pitch.

Ferdinand would have been vital to organize the defense and generally keep the team disciplined. From what we have seen so far from England, Hodgson may live to regret not having these qualities available to him.   

Experience

Rio has had a fantastic career playing at the highest level in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League. In that time, he has played against some of the world's best players. England has a number of young players in the squad, and Rio's experience would have been a great benefit to them

Been There, Done That

Rio has 83 international caps and has very important big tournament knowledge. There will be some players in this England squad who will be playing in their first major international tournament. You would think that Hodgson would want to make full use of Rio's knowledge.

The England manager may not have seen Rio as a first choice player, but there are few players better to have in reserve. 

Unity

There are a number of Manchester United players in the England squad. With Rio, they would have an instant understanding of each other, which could have gone a long way to England having a successful tournament. 

The England manager would have had the option of partnering Rio together with Phil Jones and know they would have an instant understanding.

There Isn't Really a Good Reason to Leave Rio out

The decision to exclude Rio would be more understandable if England had a lot of quality defensive options. But this simply is not the case. The latest removal of Gary Cahill has made things look even more dire. 

Martin Kelly has come in to play either at right-back or center back. Phil Jones is very much the same in the versatile way that he plays. So, I would have thought the England manager could do with some players that are just solid central defenders, but it would appear not.

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