UEFA Euro 2012 Preview: Who Should Make Fabio Capello's England Starting XI

On a steamy night in Sofia, Bulgaria, England put on an impressive display to dismantle their hosts, 3-0. To ease the dilemma facing England manager Fabio Capello, we provide our selection of players to carry the Three Lions flag onto the battlefield in Ukraine/Poland next summer.

Since the World Cup debacle (or that 4-0 "Mullering" by Germany, to use official terminology), Capello's team selection has seen an influx of youth. A stream of youngsters have replaced what was supposed to be the golden generation of English football but instead turned out to be a generation of perennial bridesmaids.

Old heads like Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand and Emile Heskey were unceremoniously shown the door. The trend continued against Bulgaria with Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard starting on the bench for the first time in four years as his spot was usurped by the younger Gareth Barry (who himself is no spring chicken).

The single most important myth that must be debunked is that leadership comes with age and experience. The most glaring examples are the German national team that took the 2010 World Cup by storm and, more recently, the Manchester United team that has begun the domestic season in sparkling fashion.

German nationalmannschaft boss Joachim Low was forced to play dynamic youngster Sami Khedira at the World Cup in place of Michael Ballack, whose injury at the 11th hour proved to be a blessing in disguise. With Khedira anchoring the midfield, Germany rampaged past England and Argentina in the knockout rounds with blitzkrieg levels of ruthlessness.

Another myth is that making gradual changes maintains stability. National teams come together at most about seven times a year; how much stability are we really talking about? At the national level, stability is really ensured by selecting players whose footballing philosophies (whether they know it or not) are a good match.

This simply means that a team of Ryan Shawcross, Danny Collins, Rory Delap and Peter Crouch could prosper just as much as a team of Wayne Rooney, Ashley Young, Jack Wilshere and Phil Jones. In each case, the players all have the same mentality (or style) toward the game, which makes it tenfold easier to develop an understanding.

A by-product of this is that players like Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry and Ashley Cole, who were raised under a different footballing ethos, must make way for more current models like Jack Wilshere, Tom Cleverley and Leighton Baines.

This is not a shot at any of the old hands: indeed, even though Ballack was a great player, his absence allowed the replacement "engine" Khedira to be such a success. The same way, although Terry, Lampard, Barry and Cole are still at the top of their game, their departures will facilitate the crystallization of a futuristic England side with the potential to vanquish all before them.

Except maybe Spain. But to be honest, it seems that those kids just want to score brilliant goals regardless of which net the ball ends up in. Note the reaction of keeper David de Gea, with the world's least convincing rendition of, "Hey, you want a piece of me?"

Having made our excuses early, it is time to indulge in a brief, lighthearted glance at those who should be in Don Fabio's name-pot, those who should absolutely not and those who should simply be shot.

Disclaimer:

This article contains passages of heavy bias towards youth and heavier bias against Chelsea Football Club that may induce severe reactions in Blues fans. Readers are urged to peruse with caution. Parental supervision is mandatory in the case of those who believe Fernando Torres is anything other than a one-man mission to wreck Emile Heskey's reputation as the most inherently useless thing in the universe.

GK: No More Heartbreaks in Net — Joe Hart

Despite his rather questionable auto-erotic asphyxiation fetish (see the picture), Manchester City keeper Joe Hart is currently head and shoulders above any other English keeper.

And at a scale-breaking 6'5'', he is quite literally head-and-shoulders above teammates like Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermaine Defoe and Theo Walcott.

A virtual lock between the sticks, it is hard to imagine anyone challenging the young shot-stopper for the No. 1 jersey.

RB: Shooting Star — Chris Smalling

Despite his young age and the apparent discomfort that smiling causes him (see picture), United defender Chris Smalling has prospered for his club playing out of his favored center back position.

The story of his meteoric rise from Maidstone to Manchester United and England within two years will undoubtedly find its way onto the desk of a Hollywood writer fairly soon. The writer will add a bucket load of explosions and a handful of curvaceous women who can seemingly afford the best tanning oils but have to scrounge around for scraps to clothe themselves.

And voila, Hollywood brings you the latest summer blockbuster (insert movie trailer voice):

"

This summerrrr...from acclaimed director Michael Bay and RioFerdy5 Pictures comes the tale of a young boy.

All Chris wanted to do was play football. But sometimes, your past managers and agents will do anything to shoot you down. Especially if catch the attention of...

Don...

Fabio...

CAPELLO!

Featuring Tom Cruise as Chris Smalling, Angelina Jolie as a ruthless agent from Maidstone, and Cameron Diaz in a meaningless role because some people will do anything for a quick payday, and coming soon to a theater near you: Maid in Manchester

"

CB: Beckenbauer Can Be in Two Places at Once — Phil Jones

Firstly, it should be against the law to grow as big and imposing as Phil Jones. Secondly, this is the first time that such a gigantic species of footballer can be described as having "quite a decent touch" without the clichéd need to add "for a big man."

At the tender age of 19, Jones has a composure on the ball and a vision that many established centre halves can only dream of. Add to that his ability to go marauding forward at will and a portrait quickly takes shape of a new Franz Beckenbauer. But not just Beckenbauer; this is some beefed-up, genetically engineered version of "der Kaiser" on steroids and protein shakes.

It takes something very special to knock Manchester United stalwart Rio Ferdinand out of the starting lineup at club level. Having made child's play of that task and already earned his first England call-up (though he watched from the stands in Sofia), Jones should not find the challenge of displacing John Terry from the starting XI too daunting. Especially if he keeps producing moments like this one: keep in mind that the player he blazed a trail to catch up with is Spurs speedster Gareth Bale.

With the greatest of respect to Chelsea's talisman and captain, even he has to be aware that his days are numbered courtesy of the phenomenon that is Phil Jones.

Note: Being a United fan has little to do with this selection: Phil Jones is simply the most imposing and talented centre half in the country at the moment, and I was a big fan even before his move to Old Trafford.

CB: Worth Only £6 Million? Surely You Jest, Monsieur — Gary Cahill

England debutante Gary Cahill fulfills the role of the quiet defender who inspires through his actions on the field. Where John Terry (and in the future, Phil Jones) is the loud, aggressive marshal directing the Three Lions defense, Cahill slots in next to him as the immovable object that has defeated many an irresistible force.

It is still hard to believe that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saw fit to bid only £6 million for the Bolton Wanderers defender. Although he was visibly insulted, Trotters boss Owen Coyle did well not to respond by bidding a shredded tire, a half-eaten dog biscuit and £500 in Monopoly currency for Robin van Persie.

Having scored this absolute peach for his club on the opening day of the season, Cahill did not disappoint the traveling faithful on his England debut either. Having stayed up after a free kick, Cahill opened his England account by scoring through the legs of the onrushing keeper.

And judging by his performance, there will be many more of those over the coming years.

LB: Pint-Sized Excellence — Leighton Baines

Fresh from his victory over Sauron in Mordor, the Everton left back had a splendid season last year and has carried his form into the new year. With incumbent Ashley Cole pushing 31, perhaps the time has arrived to start planning for the future.

Euro 2012 will give the 26-year-old Baines exposure at international level that will serve him well in Brazil 2014. Although Cole is currently the better player, Capello must realize that he cannot possibly maintain that level of excellence (whether in football, adultery or the popular sport of face-shooting pioneered by former US vice president Dick Cheney) until the World Cup.

Besides, seeing as Baines hiked across Middle Earth to destroy the one ring that ruled them all, surely scoring against Iker Casillas is a cake-walk after that?

DM: Making Gareth Barry Obsolete Since 2007 — Tom Huddlestone

Physically strong, tall, blessed with a superb range of passing and a long-range shot powerful enough to split the Earth in half, Tom Huddlestone should be the anchor in midfield around which the team is built.

Currently, that responsibility is shared between the underrated Scott Parker and the overrated Gareth Barry, each of whom will soon be 31. At 24 years of age, Huddlestone looks like a promising prospect and his selection next summer depends heavily on the progress he shows at Tottenham Hotspur this season.

As German attacker Mesut Ozil so kindly exposed at the World Cup, Gareth Barry has all the pace of an amputated tortoise. Meanwhile, Scott Parker has limited experience at an international level and while his travails at club level merit an international call-up, Huddlestone deserves no less.

CM: Joker in the Pack — Jack Wilshere

Most Arsenal fans are aware of the fact that talented youngster Jack Wilshere enjoys the occasional (or everyday) Twitter joke like this little beauty of Nicklas Bendtner practicing his on-field moves.

If possible, Wilshere's passing on the field is even sharper than his witty Twitter posts, which makes for some fantastic interplay between him and Emmanuel Frimpong at Arsenal. Having more than proven himself with a stellar season, Wilshere should be a virtual lock for the play-making role in Capello's Euro starting lineup.

CM: New Kid on the Block — Tom Cleverley

Now hear me out! Although the Gerrard-Lampard axis of awesome things turned out to be a disaster on the scale of the Hindenburg, Spain have a very successful Xavi-Iniesta core spraying passes and through balls to their front men.

Both Cleverley and Wilshere showcase some splendid passing and have great vision but more importantly, they are much more dynamic and thus will not crowd each other. As a result, they should prove to be a much more compatible pairing than the ill-fated combination of their forerunners.

I would definitely like to see Cleverley and Wilshere paired up to play off Tom Huddlestone. There may not be much international experience in that midfield trio, but the youthful energy and sheer brilliance of Wilshere and Cleverley should more than suffice.

CF: The Incredible Bulk — Emile Heskey

Psych!

We simply felt the need to break the monotony with some comic relief.

AM/CF: At the Head of the Diamond — Wayne Rooney

In the build-up to the England-Bulgaria contest, Wayne Rooney took some time to pose in front of some trees and dark clouds, wearing a Three Lions tracksuit and looking very serious.

Other things that Rooney does brilliantly include scoring and assisting others to score, regardless of whether it is done home or away. OK, that was uncalled for. Suffice it to say, though, that on his current form Rooney is virtually unstoppable.

And after current incumbent John Terry, Rooney is probably next in line for the captain's armband.

He is placed at the head of a midfield diamond (with Wilshere and Cleverley the sides and Huddlestone the anchor) with license to roam at will. This should hardly be a problem for him seeing as he already does exactly that at club level.

LF: Coming Soon to a Webcam Near You — Ashley Young

Forget the embarrassment of his online misdemeanors. Forget the fact that he wears a woman's watch (see picture). And forget the fact that, at one point, his club was managed by the only Frenchman who can do as much damage to a club as Tiger Woods' ex-wife.

After a stunning preseason, Young has taken the league by storm this year. In three games, he has racked up a stunning two goals and four assists.

Against Arsenal, Young scored this beautiful goal that curled so much that it almost ripped apart the curvature of the universe. And in stoppage time, as if just to prove that he could, he went and did it again!

If he keeps this form up, it is hard to see past Young on the left side of the Three Lions attack.

RF: Young Player of the Year...Already? — Danny Welbeck

In the interest of full disclosure, it took me about 20 minutes of fiddling and rearranging to be able to work Rooney, Young and Welbeck into the same England formation without sacrificing the versatile Wilshere-Cleverley axis that I would so love to see.

Young Welbeck has been a complete revelation this season and already received his first England call-up. Unfortunately it was for the ill-fated game against Holland that was called off because some socially inept, inbred young hooligans wanted to "show the rich people we can do what we want."

Welbeck was quickly becoming a runaway favorite for the Young Player of the Year (yes, in the third week!) award before his hamstring gave out against Arsenal.

He would give the national team that powerful presence up front without the drawback of being absolutely useless at everything or "Heskey syndrome" as it is popularly known. However, it should be noted that Welbeck is the very definition of a "confidence player" and his inclusion is subject to him recovering from his current injury and putting together a confidence-building run of games.

On the Bench

The supporting act, resting in the dugout, consists of:

GK—David Stockdale: Uncapped Ipswich keeper Stockdale has been handed the No. 12 jersey by Capello as a reward for some impressive displays at club level.

LB—Ashley Cole: He made way to usher in the new generation, but can by no means be written off completely. He remains the best thing (on a completely performance-based scale) about the current Chelsea squad and would provide a brilliant alternative for Capello to call on.

CB—John Terry: See Ashley Cole.

RB—Micah Richards: Tall, powerful and already capped 12 times (with one goal), Micah Richards would be first choice if he was not prone to the occasional error. He would also have to cement his place as first-choice full back at club level for Manchester City.

MF—James Milner: The City man has the ideal combination of youth and experience. While I do not rate him as highly as Wilshere or Cleverley, his astounding work rate will provide a welcome shot in the arm if energy levels are flagging around the 60-minute mark.

MF—Adam Johnson: Yes, you heard me. No Theo Walcott, no Stewart Downing and no Shaun Wright-Phillips. While I do rate Wright-Phillips as a top performer, he is not getting any younger. As for Walcott and Downing, many people have a hard time understanding exactly how they earned a single cap let alone getting into double digits.

On the other hand, Johnson has always impressed when given the chance at City and if he can earn seven international caps (two goals) having played a bit role at club level last year, imagine how well he could do if he got a run of first-team games at the Etihad Stadium.

FW—Darren Bent: Any good fantasy football player knows that the first rule of fantasy football is "you never flirt about fantasy football." But more relevantly, the second rule of fantasy is that D-Bent always scores. In addition, he has scored thrice in his last three games for England.

Some Book-Keeping...

As with any team selection, several harsh decisions had to be made in omitting players who would stroll into the first teams of several other nations. Also, there were a few fairly easy decisions. Justification is adequately provided below:

1. Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka: At 29, both players are probably destined to announce their international retirement (as though it actually means anything) when the new generation of defenders becomes first choice over the coming months.

2. Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King: Put it this way, would you design a hammer out of glass?

3. Michael Dawson: Younger and better options were available.

4. Kieran Gibbs: Once he has a sustained run at Arsenal, his potential should become more evident.

5. Steven Gerrard: The World Cup seems to have been the final nail in the coffin for his England career.

6. Frank Lampard: Unable to play due to a scheduling conflict. Lamps should be undergoing a hip-replacement surgery by next summer. And eating only soft foods.

7. Michael Carrick: Undergoing a surgery to stop being the biggest waste of space since Emile Heskey's right foot.

8. Gareth Barry: Overrated. There should be only one winner between Barry, Parker and Huddlestone.

9. Aaron Lennon: Birthday gift ideas for Aaron Lennon include the popular book "Crossing for Dummies" and the ability to make a decision.

10. Gareth Bale: Needs to stop being Welsh.

11. Matt Jarvis: Earns sympathy because he has had an outstanding season, but it is impossible to beat out Young on that left flank.

12. Jordan Henderson: One goal (on the second bite of the cherry) does not an England international make.

13. Peter Crouch: Does not fit the ethos of this new-look England side.

14. Bobby Zamora, Carlton Cole, Kevin Davies and Jay Bothroyd: The first four episodes of a reality show titled "What Was Fabio Thinking?"

15. Andy Carroll: Needs to stop being a wasteful tree in front of goal. Also, see Peter Crouch.

16. Jermaine Defoe: A return to form should see him travel to Ukraine and Poland next summer, but he needs to prove his fitness at club level first.

17. Daniel Sturridge: An out-and-out striker who would fit into the system even better than Defoe. However, the problem with trying to make it as a pure finisher is that Sturridge faces competition from Bent. And if Sturridge remains on the Chelsea bench long enough that he starts to give off a faint odor (as is currently happening), there can only be one winner between him and Bent.

...And Excuse-Making

A heavy emphasis was placed on young players in selecting the England team for next summer. The only player who might be permitted to escape the age barrier is Scott Parker, who seems to only improve with age. Unfortunately, the presence of James Milner on the bench rules Parker out of contention.

However, bearing in mind Don Fabio's unwillingness to part with the relics of a bygone era of inexplicable mediocrity (looking at you, JT and Cashley), it is hard to see such a radical shift to a fluid midfield diamond and a fresh start. In that respect, this team selection represents my wish more than what I believe will be the reality.

Also, please bear in mind that players like Huddlestone, Welbeck and Wilshere have been selected under the assumption that they can get past their current injuries and achieve a sustained run in the first team before next summer.

That being said, everyone has the right to their own opinions, hopes and (in most cases) slightly naughty dreams involving Scarlett Johansson. Rest assured that all your thoughts, comments and suggestions will be appreciated. Even if you insist that Michael Carrick is worthy of a starting place.