As we are all aware, the Easter weekend has been tagged as the period for the final international break of the season as coaches would have a final look at their squads ahead of their selections for the forthcoming Europeans Championships. For England boss, Roy Hodgson, it would offer him a chance to see the Premier League’s finest strut their stuff at international level. The former Fulham and West Brom manager has named his squad for the friendlies against the Netherlands and Germany and as you’d expect, there are a couple of fresh call ups in the side with the inclusion of Danny Drinkwater, that has been outstanding for Leicester City.
In goal, Jack Butland, Fraser Forster and Joe Hart have done pretty well for their respective clubs with the Southampton goalie’s form recognized as he won the PFA Player of the Month award for February. There are familiar names in the defense with the likes of Gary Cahill, Phil Jagielka, John Stones, Chris Smalling, Nathaniel Clyne and Kyle Walker in the list but youngsters like Danny Rose and Ryan Bertrand made the grade. Arsenal’s Kieran Gibbs was deservedly overlooked, as I don’t believe that he has done enough this season to warrant selection.
In midfield, it hurts to see my compatriot, Bamidele Alli, in the team list but I’m happy for the lad because he has been in outstanding form for the enemy. There were also call ups for Adam Lallana, Ross Barkley, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and newbie, Danny Drinkwater. In attack, I have no qualms with the call ups for Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Danny Welbeck but does Theo Walcott deserve a place in the England squad at the moment?
In all honesty, my answer would be ‘NO’!!!
Many fans feel that his selection is based on the fact that he’s playing for one of England’s biggest clubs because if we were judging based on form, he would be at home watching the game from his TV screen. This has been a terrible campaign for the England international, even though he reached a personal milestone when he clocked a decade with the Gunners.
This season, he has played up front on his own, he has featured on the left wing were he was so peripheral in games and of course, he has gotten a run out on his ‘favored’ right wing position. In 32 games, he has scored eight goals but his importance to the team is becoming questionable because he doesn’t tend to make any impact when he’s summoned to do a job on the pitch. We were all happy for him when he ended his drought with a two-goal haul against Hull but I’m still hoping that he makes a good contribution for the team between now and May.
He has been usurped from the first team by Joel Campbell despite injuries to right wing favorites, Aaron Ramsey and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Following Alex Iwobi’s impressive outing at Camp Nou, he may just get the nudge over a non-performer like Walcott.
With his poor form, he has been selected for the Three Lions and it would be interesting to see if he’d get a run out on the pitch.
Sayonara.
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