The old argument has been running for season upon season, are International friendlies in the middle of season actually a help or hindrance to our national side?
This time however the argument takes on a slightly different angle, given the number of eyebrow-raising selections in the squad. Many football fans, myself included, used to insist that such friendlies should be used as a trial for players who have impressed for their clubs, not a run-out for the tried (or should that be tired?) and tested players and formations.
This time however there have been questions asked as to why the likes of Cardiff City striker Jay Bothroyd has made the cut. Surely the bigger talking point is why has goal-shy West Ham forward Carlton Cole been called up?
Bothroyd may play in a lower league, and he may not be a young precocious talent who can be moulded into the type of player England require him to be. But the facts are clear. He has scored over a dozen more goals than Cole and his form, at any level, has been scintillating.
Now we could hark back to Dave Nugent's one cap as a Championship player, or even the glaring omission of Bolton skipper Kevin Davies as examples of strikers who have tried and failed on the international stage. But who has the right to say ex-Arsenal youngster Bothroyd will be one of them until we have seen him playing with the three lions emblazoned across his chest?
The friendly tonight will be a dead-rubber, will be hyped-up as much as possible by Adrian 'Daybreak' Chiles on ITV but condemned as a waste of time by the morning's news outlets. But compared to friendlies involving all of the household names from here and abroad which have also left a bad taste in the mouth, at least there is a chance that tonight's encounter will not be a waste of time as, like Rodin suggested, Fabio Capello gains vital experience and knowledge from it.
conveyancing fees
No comments:
Post a Comment