TO be fair to Roy Hodgson, barring a couple of glaring exceptions, it's hard to see what else he could have done.

We've all seen enough recent England performances to know there is no rabbit waiting to be produced from a hat, no potential superstar hiding away in the shadows.

If we are debating whether Danny Welbeck or Daniel Sturridge is more deserving of a place in the squad for the European Championships, then we are probably not talking about a group of players that is poised to take Poland and Ukraine by storm.

And yet it is still hard not to feel a sense of disappointment in the wake of yesterday's squad announcement for Euro 2012.

A brave new era? A radical departure from the mediocrity that has gone before? Not a bit of it. The identity of the man fielding the questions at Wembley might have changed, but the overarching narrative remains the same. As does the identity of the bulk of the players that will be charged with the task of ending 46 years of failure next month.

Let's start with the most controversial of those players, John Terry, and the man whose position in the squad has been so closely intertwined with the former England captain, Rio Ferdinand.

Terry is in, Ferdinand is out. If we take Hodgson on face value and accept that Ferdinand's omission is down to footballing reasons alone, then we must acknowledge at least a partial desire to move away from the old guard.

That is to be commended, although it is also worth noting that for all that Ferdinand is 33, his recent performances for Manchester United have been generally praised and he has missed just one of his club's league matches since the turn of the year.

Terry, on the other hand, has failed to produce his best form for the majority of the campaign, looked washed up on the international stage two years ago when he was embarrassed in England's World Cup defeat to Germany and had his shortcomings brutally exposed by Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez in Chelsea's penultimate league fixture.

He misses this weekend's Champions League final because of a petulant kick at Alexis Sanchez in the semi-final, and that's before we even get to the issue of his impending court case for alleged racial abuse.

True, Terry is innocent until proven guilty. But he has been guilty of enough crimes against top-class defending in recent years for his anticipated presence in the starting line-up for England's opening game against France to cause pangs of fear.

One other quibble defensively, why the continued absence of Micah Richards? With Kyle Walker unavailable because of injury, surely Hodgson should have selected arguably the most exciting right-back in the English game?

Phil Jones' versatility has enabled him to make do with seven defenders instead of eight, but if Glen Johnson starts in Donetsk next month, then he, like Terry, will have dodged a bullet that should have proved terminal to his international career.

On into midfield, and again the same old faces appear. The presence of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard was to be expected, and given a lack of central-midfield alternatives, is probably desirable.

But Gareth Barry? How many times does his lack of pace have to be exposed at international level before he is deemed surplus to requirements? Even if Hodgson is to play 4-2-3-1, Barry has been found wanting too often for him to be an automatic choice alongside Scott Parker.

And what about his club mate James Milner? Another player who has become a fixture in the England squad despite a string of thoroughly underwhelming displays. Yes, his versatility is an asset. But instead of relying on a player who is average in a large number of positions, shouldn't we be picking someone who is brilliant in one?

At least the inclusion of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provides an exciting, untried option, although it remains to be seen whether the Arsenal youngster is entrusted with a place in the team.

His prospects are likely to be shaped by the performance levels of Theo Walcott, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, three wingers who are capable of brilliance on their day, but whose day does not really come around often enough.

By selecting nine midfielders, Hodgson has restricted his options up front, and with Wayne Rooney suspended for England's opening two matches, selecting just three eligible strikers is a risk.

England are unlikely to be playing with two orthodox centre-forwards very often, so it could be argued that a fifth striker would have been a luxury. But if one of Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe or Welbeck was to be injured in the opening game, the cupboard would be just about bare by the time Hodgson was selecting a side to face Sweden.

Nevertheless, Carroll's inclusion is a bold move, and with Darren Bent unavailable because of injury, Defoe's presence is understandable.

It says much about England's attacking prospects, however, that Rooney is comfortably favourite to be the nation's leading scorer even though he might only be playing in one game.