Tough decisions to make for England (From The Northern Echo)

Tough decisions to make for England

9:28am Thursday 9th September 2010 in

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FABIO Capello has less than a month to decide whether he really has created a new England, or whether he is going back to the future.

Capello’s squad for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Montenegro on October 12 should contain the names of John Terry, Frank Lampard and skipper Rio Ferdinand.

Of more significance will be whether they all make the starting line-up.

Without the illustrious, but injured, trio, England have opened their qualification campaign in style.

Phil Jagielka has slipped seamlessly into the position of defensive anchor while both Theo Walcott and Adam Johnson have brought a bit of devilment to the flanks.

As James Milner is suspended, one change is inevitable.

But there remain questions over who will replace him, how the formation will change and what Capello will do in defence.

“I have always said the door is open for all the players,”

stressed Capello.

“I have to decide who will come in. After that I will decide who is in the first XI.

“But these players did very well. They won two games and scored seven goals. Also, they created a lot of chances.

This is a nice group.”

Terry, Lampard and Ferdinand are part of the so-called Golden Generation, whose class is real but have so often been a let-down.

Jagielka, Walcott and Johnson may not be quite as good.

But neither are they tainted by past failings and it could send a negative message if they were all immediately ditched in favour of the old guard.

Certainly Capello would appear loathe to discard Jagielka, the man he described as “the driver” of his defence on Monday.

Ferdinand is a better fit as partner for the Everton man, who does have his faults, although omitting Terry may lead to accusations of revenge given the Chelsea skipper led a hastily abandoned challenge to Capello’s authority at the World Cup.

And that is not to discount Joleon Lescott, who responded to his surprise inclusion last night as replacement for Michael Dawson with admirable fortitude.

Milner’s absence could hasten Lampard’s return. It could well be that Capello has to address the thorny issue of choosing Gerrard or Lampard, but not both, especially if he is of the opinion that the best way to expose an underrated Montenegro team, who like his own side boast a 100 per cent record from two matches