Taking the Chelsea job was never going to be easy for Carlo Ancelotti. He still doesn’t speak much English and he is going to have to adapt to the pace on the Premier League pretty quickly.

Ancelotti arrives at Chelsea with a pretty decent pedigree having led Milan to two Champions League successes as well as finishing runner up once. However, Luiz Felipe Scolari had a similarly impressive record and we all know what happened to him.

The Brazilian World Cup winning manager has no doubts about what upset his time at Chelsea. This is what he had to say to the O Globo newspaper: “The real owners of football at the moment are the players. The coach, in most European clubs, has no strength to contradict them.”

“That was my problem at Chelsea. (Didier) Drogba, (Michael) Ballack and (Petr) Cech did not accept my training methods or my demands.”

Whether or not this is true I don’t know for sure, what I do know is that these rumours about Drogba and Ballack in particular keep surfacing and I’m inclined to think there is ‘no smoke without fire’, as the old adage goes.

For Ancelotti to be successful he must either reign in the problem players or replace them. With Cech and Ballack this may not be so difficult, I’ve never been overly impressed with the German midfielder and Cech looked uncomfortable at times last season. Replacing Drogba will be nearly impossible, as on his day he can be the best striker in the world. However, if his attitude problem really is as bad as the media and Scolari have suggested Chelsea have no real choice but to allow him (or force him) to move on.

Similar rumours have appeared surrounding John Terry, he was supposedly instrumental in the sacking of Jose Mourinho. Terry himself has dismissed these claims but it does not bode well for Ancelotti, who will need the players on his side if he is to bring silverware to Stamford Bridge next season.

I have no doubt Ancelotti is a great tactician and if he is given the time and power at Chelsea I’m confident he will be a success. Guus Hiddink seemed to be able to handle the players but he was only a temporary boss and the situation is different now. After the first 10 games or so we should have a general idea of how well the Italian boss will do but until then questions will be asked about whether he has the authority and ability to handle what is largely reported to be a very difficult Chelsea squad.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about Premier League betting news for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Bolton’s reported pursuit of Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde got me thinking. Premier League managers have become hesitant to dip into the lower leagues over the years but anyone who follows Championship football will know there are a couple of gems out there who could indeed make the step up.

Here is a list of five players I think could make the grade if given the chance.

Joe Ledley, Cardiff

It may be Ledley’s team-mate Roger Johnson who is attracting the interest of Premier League sides but Ledley is a player who could also make the step up. The 22-year-old Welsh international is a clever player with a lot of creativity and a decent shot on him. The talented midfielder has courted interest from the Premier League before and it could be hard for Cardiff to hang on to him if they’re not promoted next season, or indeed if he decides to leave this summer.

Kyle Naughton, Sheffield United

The Blades’ 20-year-old right-back has reportedly already been the target for Everton who have apparently seen a £5million bid turned down by Sheffield United. Naughton only established himself in the Blades team last season but has already proved his worth at Championship level. He is a great attacking right-back but there are questions over his ability to defend, though Glen Johnson seems to get away with that so Naughton should be all right. It looks fairly likely he will be at Bramall Lane next season but I would imagine Naughton will make the step-up at some point in his career.

Matthew Mills, Doncaster Rovers

Another South Yorkshire based defender who received rave reviews in Donny’s debut Championship season. Mills is a very assured, no nonsense defender who is also pretty quick and good in the air. At 22 he still has plenty of time to improve and it wouldn’t surprise me if the former England under-21 international graced the Premier League in the near future.

Fabian Delph, Leeds United

Delph currently plays in League One with fallen giants Leeds United but I think it is safe to say he will play at a higher level in the very near future, be that with Leeds or someone else. The 19-year-old has already attracted plenty of attention and Leeds reportedly value him at somewhere between £5million and £10million. He is a box to box midfielder with bags of pace, an excellent sense of positioning and awareness and a pretty decent shot as well.

Jonathan Walters, Ipswich Town

At 25 Walters is the oldest player in this list and if he is to make the step-up it will have to come soon for the Tractor boys striker. The former Blackburn trainee also plays on the wing, which perhaps accounts for his low goal-tally last season, and is an integral part of the Ipswich team. Walters covers so much ground during a match and also gets involved in defensive duties, showing he has a great work ethic and commitment to the team. I feel he could comfortably adapt to the rigours of Premier League football personally and it remains to be seen whether a top-flight manager will take a gamble on him.

If you disagree or if you think I’ve missed a few names out along the way so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments box, I’m also interested to know if anyone can think of any League Two players who could make the grade.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about Championship football betting for Betfair.

Also Read: Eight Future Stars In English Football.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Bolton Wanderers captain Kevin Davies is reportedly a transfer target for Bolton’s Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers.

Davies endured a (very) difficult season for the Rovers way back in 1998/99 after a £7.5million move from Southampton. In his spell with the Rovers Davies scored just once in 24 games and was promptly sent back to Saouthampton in the summer of 1999 in a player swap deal. Needless to say Davies isn’t particularly well liked at Ewood Park and it seems as if a move is fairly unlikely.

In contrast to his Rovers career Davies’ time at Bolton has been a huge success for the player and the club. He arrived in a free transfer in 2003 after being signed by Sam Allardyce, the man who now wants to take him to Blackburn, and quickly established himself in the Bolton first team.

Last season was arguably his most successful on a personal level. He forced his way into England contention, though didn’t make the final squad, and bagged an impressive 12 goals over the course of the campaign. Davies was also given the captain’s arm band after Kevin Nolan departed for Newcastle and has flourished in his new role.

To be perfectly honest, even if Blackburn do table an offer, I just can’t see Davies moving to Ewood Park. He has previously described his spell with Blackburn as one of the darkest times of his career and he certainly receives some stick from the Rovers fans whenever he lines up against them. His form at Bolton has been outstanding and he has been voted the club’s player of the season for the last two seasons and at 32-years-old you would have thought he would stay where he is guaranteed first-team football and the love of the fans.

Bolton resisted the attempts of Hull City last summer as Tigers boss Phil Brown, a former Bolton assistant, tried to persuade Davies to join and it would seem as if they’re ready to reject Blackburn’s advances as well. If they are to build on last season and move up the table they need to keep their key players, with Davies perhaps the most important. His work-rate and ability to hold the ball up are matched by few and if Bolton do let him go I doubt they’ll be able to find a suitable replacement easily.

Bolton boss Gary Megson had one of the smallest squads in the league at his disposal last season and I very much doubt he’ll be willing to let any of his first-team players leave without a fight. Reports have stated a deal for Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davis is all but done but Megson still needs at least five new faces to compete for places and make sure Bolton aren’t involved in the relegation dog-fight come May 2010. Sporting Lisbon’s Miguel Veloso, Liverpool youngster Adam Hammill and West Brom full-back Paul Robinson have all been linked with moves to the Reebok but for me it is more important that the Wanderers keep hold of Davies before focusing their attentions on new additions.

By Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about Premier League betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Yaya Toure’s agent has stoked the rumour mill regarding his client. Dmitri Seluk reckons Barca don’t ‘respect’ his client and has suggested the powerful midfielder might be playing his football elsewhere next season.

This is what Seluk has had to say: “Barca have not complied with the gentleman’s agreement that we reached.

“(Barca president) Laporta says that Valdes is the best goalkeeper in the world, the same about (Lionel) Messi, with Xavi, with (Andres) Iniesta… but with Toure, never anything,

“If he is not good enough to play in this team then that will be that.

“He has spent two seasons earning a minimum salary. He earns less than many of the first-team regulars and less even than some of those that hardly play at all.

“We have put our faith in the word of the club, but they have not respected it.

“Clearly he is a professional and if the club do not respect him then he would to go and that would be a shame because he feels at home at the club and in the city. He has adapted marvellously.

“Toure has done everything for Barca and always thinks about the team. He has never cause any problems and remember that last season he played a number of games while injured.

“This term, after Rafa Marquez picked up an injury, he played as a centre back and did so without complaining, while (Seydou) Keita, for instance, said he did not want to play at left-back in the UEFA Champions League final.

“Therefore, I think Toure deserves more recognition on the part of Barca.”

He might well be right, Real Madrid played out a similar scenario a few years ago with Claude Makelele and Toure is certainly an important cog in the Barca machine.  He is the man who is best equipped to win the ball in midfield and play the ball to one of his more skilful team-mates.

I do rate Toure highly but I doubt Pep Guardiola would allow him to go without a suitable replacement lined up.  Reports have linked Liverpool’s Javier Mascherano with a move to the Catalans and he plays in the same role as Toure so perhaps if he does arrive Toure will be allowed to leave.

It could all be agent talk of course, with Seluk just trying to get a better deal for Toure.  Though Toure has been tipped to join Arsenal in the past but according to his agent their offer is not enough, but he has hinted he could move to Italy or England.

Personally I see no need for Barca to sell Toure, but then again Guardiola has my utmost respect after his impressive trophy haul this season.  He is a quality holding midfielder and also a pretty decent centre-half when called upon.  One thing is for sure though, if Barca do allow him to depart Camp Nou they’ll need someone to fill his shoes because he has had an excellent season with the Spanish champions.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about online football betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Last summer I was bored of all the Ronaldo moving to Real Madrid stuff pretty quickly, it carried on through right up until the transfer deadline and I’m fairly sure everyone was thinking ‘just go already’.

When Florentino Perez started his campaign for the Real Madrid presidency he didn’t seem too keen on Ronaldo and focused his attention on other targets.  Now it has all come back and we’re set for another summer of ‘Will he? Won’t he?’, great.

This is what Perez actually had to say: “He’s a player that would be very good if he came to Real Madrid,

“What I know is what I’ve read, that there is an agreement by means of which he would come for £80million…”

I don’t doubt the Portuguese playmaker is a fantastic player, perhaps not the best in the world but he isn’t that far off.  However, the whole soap opera last summer really derailed Real’s transfer plans and was incredibly damaging to the team.  They didn’t manage to bring anyone of any real note in and Robinho left, though he had been fairly disappointing the previous season anyway.

Basically as good as Ronaldo is I personally think Real should be looking elsewhere.  Reports suggest they’ve already pretty much signed Kaka, while Franck Ribery, David Silva, David Villa, and Sergio Aguero would also be great additions to the Real team. The Real team needs a lot of improvement and I don’t think spending all their time pursuing Ronaldo for a second summer is such a good idea.  If this is indeed their plan then you have to ask is he enough to lift Real Madrid on his own?  For me the answer to that is probably not.

When asked about his future Ronaldo gave a frustratingly ambiguous statement, this is what he said: “My future now is the national squad, so that we can win, so that we can be in a good position in our qualifying group.

“About clubs, I do not want to talk about that, I want to rest, go on holiday, I am very tired, I have played a lot of games, a lot of pressure.

“The future, we will see.”

Whether he goes to Madrid or not, I don’t really care.  I just know I can’t deal with another summer where he dominates the headlines.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about football betting predictions for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

It’s that time again in the Spanish capital, the Real Madrid presidential elections. The current favourite is Florentino Perez and it looks an almost certainty he will be the man in the Madrid hotseat next season.

If anyone out there is unaware of who Perez is he has had a spell as president at the Santiago Bernabeu before from 2000 to 2006 – the Galacticos period. In his previous tenure in charge he brought Zinedine Zidane to Real in a then world record transfer from Juventus. He also sanctioned a move for Luis Figo from bitter rivals Barcelona, which make no mistake was a massive coup at the time. Ronaldo and David Beckham followed and for a time at least they really were the envy of the footballing world.

Then there was the fatal error, an ultimate faux pas from Perez – allowing Claude Makelele to depart the Bernabeu for Chelsea. He claimed Makelele wasn’t worth anything to the team and wouldn’t pay him the wages he was demanding, to be honest this was utter foolishness and extreme arrogance from Perez. Everyone who watched Madrid in that period will have known Makelele was the engine of the side, the player who would win the ball and distribute it to one of the many creative outlets at his disposal. Without Makelele Madrid’s form began to slide, as did their position as the best team in the world.

If Perez is to recreate the Galacticos he will have to have learned lessons from his previous mistakes. The targets he has named are great players in all fairness in Kaka, Wigan’s Antonio Valencia and Xabi Alonso. Valencia might not be the most established name in the world but he is quality and was rumoured to be the player Manchester United had in mind last summer when it was unclear whether or not Cristiano Ronaldo would have stayed at Old Trafford.

Personally I think Alonso would be a great addition to the Real team and could perhaps be even more effective there than he is at Liverpool. Real’s current midfielders of the Alonso type, Wesley Sneijder and Rafael Van der Vaart in particular, haven’t really worked particularly well this season. I’m not sure why to be honest, I’ve always rated both Sneijder and Van der Vaart but they really haven’t hit the heights that were expected of them this season. Alonso has great distribution and alongside Lassana Diarra in a holding role they would be a dangerous combination.

A few weeks ago on soccerlens I wrote an article entitled ‘What is happening to Real Madrid?’ This was in the week of the 6-2 defeat to Barcelona which all but ended a frankly disappointing season at the Bernabeu, with the title out of reach and a relatively early exit from the Champions League. It would seem that something is happening at Real Madrid and they should have built a better side for next season, especially if they stay away from Cristiano Ronaldo. That isn’t to say I don’t rate Ronaldo, but last summer they wasted so much time and effort trying to get him the real issues in the side were ignored.

Whether or not they will be able to topple Barcelona next season remains to be seen. The Catalans have been by far the better side this season, I don’t think even the most loyal of Real’s fans would disagree with me on that point, and it will take more than two or three new players to change that. Whatever happens at Real Madrid I expect them to offer greater competition next season, whether or not they can regain the Spanish title and hopefully we’ll see more of a return to the attacking style that as a club they are famous for. If Perez is to match or better the success he enjoyed in his previous spell as Real president he will have to have learned from his previous mistakes, namely to realise that the defence is actually quite an important part of football.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about Champions League betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Real Madrid are historically the most successful club in Spain, Europe and probably the world, as well as one of the richest if not the richest club in the world. Over the years they’ve had some fantastic players and played some mouth-watering football but things have changed at the Santiago Bernabeu and as an outsider I have to wonder what exactly is going on at Real Madrid.

I watched Barcelona hammer Real 6-2 in El Classico at the weekend and despite my preference for the Catalan side it was a sad site to see how little contest there actually was in the game. Real tried to get forward in the early stages and even took the lead but while Barca looked fast, inventive and slick Real looked tired, at sometimes clueless and very sloppy. Barca had their Champions League semi-final against Chelsea to think about, Real knew they had to win to stand any chance of lifting the title at the end of the season yet they capitulated spectacularly as Barca simply destroyed them.

The Madrid faithful began to leave as soon as Barca took a 4-2 lead and by the time the score had reached 6-2 the stadium was virtually empty. For a club the size of Real Madrid to lose by that margin at home to their fierce rivals is simply unacceptable and there seems to be something inherently wrong with the way the club is run.

I had enough of the Cristiano Ronaldo saga last summer but for the purposes of this article I’m going to have to revisit it (I apologise to anyone out there who feels the same). Real pushed and pushed to sign Ronaldo but Manchester United wouldn’t give him up despite huge offers (£70million+) and pressure from the player himself. However, it has come to light that the Real coach at the time Bernd Schuster didn’t even want to sign Ronaldo.

“I understood the club would have to pay an extortionate fee to bring that kid, and they made it clear to me that if he came it would be very difficult to get anyone else. Maybe one more, but at a very low price.” Schuster told Marca in April.

“But of course, if he didn’t come we could bring someone else in, someone who we really needed.

“The thing is we didn’t need Cristiano, that was more a theme the club had going. We knew that with him alone we wouldn’t solve other problems because he can’t defend nor play on the wing.”

I’m not sure about the he can’t ‘play on the wing’ bit personally, he has looked all right there whenever I’ve watched him race down a flank but the comments show something disturbing. Schuster describes the quest for Ronaldo’s signature as a ‘theme for the club’ suggesting it is less about what is good for the team and more about the prestige of having the best player in the world at the Bernabeu. This is something that has been a part of Real’s way for a long time but it really seems to be having a detrimental effect on their success at the moment.

In fairness Real have not been a great side for some years now, perhaps since Zinedine Zidane and Luis Figo left the Bernabeu. Their current playing squad is frankly fairly poor, Iker Casillas is still probably the best keeper in the world but I’m less convinced about their defence. In midfield they just didn’t have anyone who could stand up to Barca’s engine and their attack failed miserably in front of goal.

Raul has been a stalwart of the side for many years but the striker is aging now and Real need a replacement. They may have found one in Gonzalo Higuain who plays in a remarkably similar style but just because a player plays in the same style does not necessarily mean he is an adequate replacement. Though to be fair to Higuain he did show some exceptional skill to skip through three Barca players and set up Arjen Robben early on in El Classico but the Dutchman couldn’t find a way past Victor Valdes.

In Schuster’s interview he also claimed Real were not willing to back him in the transfer market and would only free up money for Ronaldo. He said: “They said they had no money. (There was money for Ronaldo) but not for the others.” If this is true this is absolutely ridiculous for a club like Real, or indeed any club, if they need players surely they need to identify a few targets in case they miss out on their first choice. Can you imagine Alex Ferguson deciding he wants a centre-half, making a move for John Terry and getting knocked back then deciding if he can’t have Terry he won’t have anyone? Nope, me neither. This is a frankly crazy when running one of the world’s top sides and if this is true it comes as little surprise that Real have failed in their hunt for silverware this season.

Historically Real have played exciting, flowing attacking football but whenever I’ve watched them this season it simply hasn’t been the case. They may occasionally display some great stuff but this Real team has been more defensively minded than any Real side I can remember. This is simply not the Real Madrid way and it must be doubly upsetting for their fans with Barcelona playing such exciting football.

If Real are to challenge for the Spanish League and Champions League next season they need to address these (and any other) issues. They need at least a few top-quality players to come in and without doubt they need a creative force who can unlock an opponent’s defence. In Lassana Diarra they might have found a suitable replacement (finally) for Claude Makelele and that was definitely something that was missing but there are obvious problems for Real to address before the start of the next campaign, I just wonder if they will.

By Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

In today’s footballing world the term, “wonderkid,” seems to be thrown around as often as a Crisitano Ronaldo step over. Most of these so-called 16-year-old phenoms come along and shock the world for a couple of months before going into relative obscurity for the rest of their life.

But for a small group of “wonderkids” — and the list is small — the title sticks and said player becomes something special. But it doesn’t happen that often. Currently there are more than enough young footballers out there to make your head spin — but like in any league, there are a couple of gems that are worth keeping track of.

Here are four young talents that could make some noise over the next 10+ years.

Eden Hazard, Lille

Not only does this 18-year-old have a really cool name, he also has a bright future in the world of football ahead of him. Hazard is Belgian born and plays primarily as an attacking midfielder for French Ligue 1 side Lille.

He has attracted attention from Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea amongst others but signed a contract extension with the French club until 2012 despite the high-profile interest. So far Hazard has been primarily used as a substitute by Lille but I can see him stepping up and cementing his place in the first team next season, if his head isn’t turned by a larger club first.

Federico Macheda, Manchester United

17-year-old Macheda hit the headlines a few weeks ago with a fantastic goal against Aston Villa and is surely a player to watch. He scored in his second appearance for United as well with a reflex strike against Sunderland, which proved to be the winner.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has a decent record of bringing through young talent and in Macheda it looks as if he has found another gem. The Italian joined United from the youth set-up of Serie A side Lazio and I’m sure we’ll see a lot more from this youngster in the future.

Mark Davies, Bolton Wanderers

Davies started his career at Wolverhampton Wanderers but was loaned out to League One side Leicester City during the 2008/09 campaign. His performances from midfield were a massive part in Leicester’s rise to the top of the table and led to interest from Bolton Wanderers.

The 21-year-old joined Bolton in January 2009 for a fee believed to be around the £1million mark and quickly established himself in the side. Unfortunately for Davies and Bolton he suffered an injury which has kept him out of action but Davies should be a major player for the Wanderers next season.

Fabian Delph, Leeds United

Fabian Delph has been named in this season’s League One PFA team of the year and has already attracted interest because of some excellent performances for Leeds. In a league game against Brighton he scored with a drive into the top corner after running the entire length of the pitch and has been compared to England international Steven Gerrard by fans and pundits alike.

Rumours have circulated that Leeds have turned down bids in excess of £5million for the 19-year-old and he is tipped as one of England’s future talents. Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neill is reportedly lining up a bid for the gifted midfielder in the summer and it seems more a case of when not if Delph will play in the Premier League.

By Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

I’m writing this pretty much as the news is breaking but it seems as if Toon hero Alan Shearer will take the reins at St James’ Park for the remainder of the season.

Newcastle sit third from bottom and are in very real danger of going down.  Joe Kinnear’s medical problems could not have come at a worse time for the Magpies and stand-in boss Chris Hughton was doing a pretty poor job it has to be said.  In turning to Shearer though, they’re taking a massive gamble as he has absolutely no experience as a manager.

The situation is far from ideal for Shearer to begin his managerial career.  Newcastle have perhaps the hardest run-in of the sides currently in the relegation battle and it will take something a bit special to secure Premier League football next season.  Their last eight games are Chelsea,  Stoke, Tottenham, Portsmouth, Liverpool, Middlesbrough, Fulham and Aston Villa.

Make no mistake, the games against Stoke, Pompey and Boro are pretty much the definition of ‘must win’ games and I don’t hold much hope of them getting anything out of Chelsea and Liverpool.  In a way having Chelsea as his first game in charge could be a blessing in disguise – no one expects them to do anything so if they do nick a point or even a win he’s picked up instant momentum and if they lose it will be what everyone expected anyway.

I’ve focused on the negatives so far but there could of course be some major positives to come from the appointment of the Newcastle legend.  Shearer should provide the players with a huge confidence boost, even if it is just for his status at the club alone.  Newcastle have a stronger squad than most around them and a bit of a confidence lift could go a long way to securing their top-flight survival.

A new manager can do wonders for a club, such as when Terry Venables kept Middlesbrough in the league.  However, usually (perhaps even exclusively) when this has happened in the past it has been done by a manager with some serious previous experience and Shearer has been out of the game since he ended his playing career.

It was a either a brave or foolish gamble in appointing Shearer and I guess in eight games time we’ll know which one.  Yet Again Ashley has turned to a Newcastle legend to help ‘save’ the club but whether it will work or not is anyone’s guess.  If I was writing a film-script or novel Shearer would keep Newcastle up but this is real life and sometimes the dreams don’t work out.

The move smacks of desperation as all other avenues seem to be closing for the Toon but it could turn out to be the move of the year.  All I know at this moment in time is that for me it was a good move – it will at least keep Shearer away from punditry, where he really doesn’t have a clue at all.

Written by Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News

Under Sam Allardyce Bolton were a team full of players from a whole host of international destinations.  Gary Megson has changed all that around though and has a core English element to his team.  Granted Bolton haven’t been great to watch or indeed performance wise this season but three of their players have really stood out to me — Kevin Davies, Matt Taylor and Gary Cahill.

All three are English and I think it is about time Fabio Capello included at least one in his England side.  He has included Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey in his latest squad but no Davies.  Davies did make his ‘long squad’ list before it was trimmed down but in my eyes his form of late, and indeed the season, has been better than both Crouch and Heskey.

As a target man there are few better equipped for the job than Davies and he works tirelessly around the pitch.  His touch is also surprisingly good for a big man and he can pluck a ball out of the air and hold it as well as any other striker in the league.  He has come under criticism in the past for his lack of goals but this season the big Bolton striker is the top English scorer in the Premier League (if you only consider league goals at least, Bolton didn’t get very far in either cup competition this season). Personally, I’m not sure playing with a big target man works as well internationally as it does in the Premier League, but if you’re going to play that way you might as well give Davies at least a go.

Matt Taylor has notched up an impressive eight goals from midfield this season — not an easy feat especially when you’re playing for a fairly average Bolton side.  He wasn’t considered at all for the current England squad (well they might have had a look but he wasn’t in the long squad), but for me I just can’t understand this. Stewart Downing made the team and for me Taylor is so much better than the Boro man it is just ridiculous he didn’t get a look in.  If Joe Cole was fit he probably wouldn’t get in the team anyway but I would never pick Downing over Taylor.

The biggest shock from my point of view is the omission of Gary Cahill.  Cahill almost single-handedly makes Bolton’s defence look solid and hard to break down — a hard task when partnering Andy O’brien in central defence.  At just 23-years-old he will surely get his chance but I’m surprised it didn’t happen this time around. His positioning and aerial ability are outstanding; I watched Bolton face Stoke at the Britannia Stadium and he beat the massive Mamady Sidibe to every ball in the air — definitely not an easy task to say the least.

Cahill was so highly rated at Aston Villa that Villa fans cheered his name when he lined up against them for Bolton at Villa Park and it is surely a case of when, not if, Cahill is called into the England side.  Capello has named Ledley King and Matthew Upson over Cahill in his latest squad.  Granted, King is probably better than him but his persistent knee problems mean it is unlikely he will be able to compete in a tournament. Indeed at the time of writing this piece the news broke that King has had to withdraw from the squad to face Slovakia and Ukraine.  I rate Matthew Upson but I don’t think he is the same standard as Cahill and I’m a little surprised the West Ham man was named above the Bolton centre-half.

By Gareth Freeman, a sports writer who writes about online football betting for Betfair.

From Soccerlens.com - Football News