Posts Tagged ‘Kazakhstan’
Uefa Euro 2012 qualifying draw – as it happened
All the plastic ball-by-plastic ball action as Europe’s national sides learned their fate in Warsaw
Preview: Poland and Ukraine are the hosts for Euro 2012 and today, representatives of the 53 member associations who’ll be duking it out Royal Rumble style to qualify for the finals, which kick off on 8 June 2012, will gather in Warsaw to learn their fate.
Today’s draw takes place in the Polish capital’s Palace of Culture and Science and will feature 51 plastic balls (Poland and Ukraine qualify automatically as hosts, but holders Spain must qualify the hard way) being swirled, plucked and cracked open by a dizzying array of tanned and well fed men in fetching blazers.
There are 14 berths at Euro 2012 up for grabs and nine groups will be formed in today’s qualifying draw: six groups of six teams and three of five. The seedings are formed on the basis of the Uefa national team coefficient ranking system, with holders Spain automatically top seeded. Each group will contain one side from the first five pots and six of them will also feature a team from Pot 6.
The nine group winners and the best runner-up qualify directly for the final tournament. The eight remaining runners-up will contest two-legged play-offs to decide who gets the four remaining places. You can see who’s in which pot below, where I’ve highlighted the five home nations. England are in Pot One, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland are in Pot Three and Wales are in Pot Four.
Pot One: Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France, Russia
Pot Two: Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia, Romania
Pot Three: Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pot Four: Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Belgium, Wales, FYR Macedonia, Cyprus
Pot Five: Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Pot Six: Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra, San Marino
The draw hasn’t started yet, but on Eurosport they’re broadcasting a pre-recorded interview with Uefa president Michel Platini. He says that today’s preview is a “bit of a preamble” and that they don’t want to “outshine the World Cup”. He says there’s been problems with the infrastructures in some of the smaller cities set to host games during 2012: hotels, airport runways, stadia etc and so on. He says he hopes that Euro 2012 will be a different type of event to those staged in countries such as Germany.
An email: “I am genuinely puzzled that Slovenia, who have qualified for the World Cup, are in Pot Four along with Macedonia, Wales and other luminaries, and below Pot Three, where none of the participants have qualified for anything for a good long time,” writes Richard Woods. “Russia, who lost out to them, are in Pot One. Do co-efficients simply take no notice of real and meaningful competitive results, or am I just grumpy this morning?”
11am: We’re about to begin. Marsha and Piotr are our hosts for today. If their forced “banter” is anything to go by, I presume they’re Poland’s equivalent of Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly. Marsha is wearing a black dsress with very puffed-up shoulders. It may well be a nod to tonight’s Super Bowl.
11.03am: Poland prime minister Donald Tusk is introduced. He says that “Poland and Ukraine are the first winners of this elimination”, possibly misreading the word ‘competition’ on the autocue.
11.05am: Only five minutes in and we’re already on to our first montage of the morning, soundtracked by Chopin and celebrating – I think – 50 years of the European Championships.
11.07am: On Sky Sports News, they’re discussing Fabio Capello’s decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy. Ray Houghton, who’s in punditing for the Uefa draw alongside Terry Venables and John Hartson, among others, doesn’t think it matters who the captain is. I’m inclined to agree with him.
11.10am: Sky cut to Bryan Swanson in the media centre at the Palace of Culture and Science, which is – unsurprisingly – full of people like Bryan Swanson.
11.12am: Piotr and Marsha introduce Poland legend Zbigniew “Ziggy” Boniek and his Ukrainian equivalent Andriy Shevchenko, who’ll be assisting with the draw. A couple of very longwinded interviews involving multiple translations ensues. Suffice to say, they are both looking forward to Euro 2012. Cue: another montage, showing what fans who travel to Poland and Ukraine can expect to see. A lot of building sites, is my guess. Perhaps I’m being too cynical.
11.17am: “Can you confirm that it has been agreed in advance that Ireland will be drawn in the same group as France?” asks Kevin Dardis. “That this will be the ‘replay’ some people were screaming for? And that Brian Kerr’s Faroe Islands will also be in the group? And Cyprus (as usual).”
11.18am: I can report that Poland and Ukraine both look very nice places – I’ve never been to either, so I’m only going on what they’re showing in the montage, which features a lot of Lovely Girls.
11.20am: Piotr and Marsha introduce the second pair of tournament ambassadors who’ll be helping with the draw: former international footballers Poland’s Andres Szarmach and Ukraine’s Oleg Blokhin. They too are very much looking forward to Euro 2012. Enough fannying around – let’s get on with the draw.
11.22am: Uefa big cheese Gianni Infantino takes to the stage and introduces a little primer for explaining the procedure: the lowest seeded teams will be coming out first.
Group A: Germany, Turkey, Austria, Belgium, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan
Group B: Russia, Slovakia, Republic of Ireland, Macedonia, Armenia, Andorra
Group C: Italy, Serbia, Northern Ireland, Slovenia, Estonia, Faroe Islands
Group D: France, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Belarus, Albania, Luxembourg
Group E: Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, Moldova, San Marino
Group F: Croatia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Georgia, Malta
Group G: England, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales, Montenegro
Group H: Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus, Iceland
Group I: Spain, Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania, Liechtenstein
11.28am: With the lowest ranked teams out, now we move on to the next pot. The tension here is … non-existent. Armenia get drawn out first, but go into Group B because official Uefa diktats forbid them from being in in the same group as Azerbaijan or Russia.
11.32am: Things are hotting up in Warsaw. No, really. We’re on to the third pot now.
11.35pm: We move on to the next pot, containing Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Rep of Ireland.
11.38am: The Republic of Ireland get Macedonia … again. Bah!
11.42am: So, just the Big Boys left to come out …
11.46pm: So England get Wales, which could make for a couple of interesting matches in Cardiff and Wembley.
11.48am: I’m examining those groups in a bid to come up with a Group of Death, but I’m jiggered if I can find one. Group H, with Portugal, Denmark, Norway, Cyprus and Iceland is probably the toughest, but none of them look too difficult.
11.54am: On Sky Sports News, Terry Venables is talking some seriously incomprehenisble gibberish through his grey goatee about the merits of groups with six teams over groups with five teams. He sounds very, very confused.
11.56am: Sky pundit and former Wales international John Hartson is predictably enthused by the prospect of his country playing England. He doesn’t think England will too worried at having to play Wales.
11.58am: Sky pundit and former Scotland manager Craig Brown has “got to concede that Spain are probably the favourites” to win Group I, where they are joined by the Czech Republic, Scotland, Lithuania and Liechtenstein. Probably the favourites? Probably?
12pm: Ray Houghton is delighted with the Republic of Ireland’s draw. He thinks Russia, Slovakia, Macedonia, Armenia and Andorra are all beatable and reckons there’s no reason why Ireland shouldn’t top the group “and that’s not something we’ve said too often in the past”.
12.02pm: Sky’s Norn Ironish correspondent Lawrie Sanchez looks glum and thinks his country’s chances of finishing in the top two of their group with Italy, Serbia, Estonia, Slovenia and the Faroe Islands are slim. However, he adds, there are some good destinations in Group C to suit any lads organising stag parties.
For full story go to here
Uefa Euro 2012 qualifying draw – live!
Click on the auto-refresh doo-hickey for all the latest action after 10.45am. Send your emails to barry.glendenning@guardian.co.uk
Preview: Poland and Ukraine are the hosts for Euro 2012 and today, representatives of the 53 member associations who’ll be duking it out Royal Rumble style to qualify for the finals, which kick off on 8 June, will gather in Warsaw to learn their fate.
Today’s draw takes place in the Polish capital’s Palace of Culture and Science and will feature 51 plastic balls (Poland and Ukraine qualify automatically as hosts, but holders Spain must qualify the hard way) being swirled, plucked and cracked open by a dizzying array of tanned and well fed men in fetching blazers.
There are 14 berths at Euro 2012 up for grabs and nine groups will be formed in today’s qualifying draw: six groups of six teams and three of five. The seedings are formed on the basis of the Uefa national team coefficient ranking system, with holders Spain automatically top seeded. Each group will contain one side from the first five pots and six of them will also feature a team from Pot 6.
The nine group winners and the best runner-up qualify directly for the final tournament. The eight remaining runners-up will contest two-legged play-offs to decide who gets the four remaining places. You can see who’s in which pot below, where I’ve highlighted the five home nations. England are in Pot One, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland are in Pot Three and Wales are in Pot Four.
Pot One: Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France, Russia
Pot Two: Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia, Romania
Pot Three: Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pot Four: Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Belgium, Wales, FYR Macedonia, Cyprus
Pot Five: Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein
Pot Six: Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra, San Marino
For full story go to here
Euro 2012 qualifying draw could pit England against Scotland
• Draw for finals in Poland and Ukraine to be staged in Warsaw
• Serbia arguably strongest team England could face
Fabio Capello heads to Warsaw for his first qualifying draw as England coach on Sunday probably half-hoping to meet Craig Levein, but definitely wanting to avoid Nemanja Vidic. Capello nearly walked straight into a reunion between England and Scotland when he succeeded Steve McClaren in the wake of the team’s failure to reach Euro 2008.
With both countries eager to generate some interest at the start of a barren summer, the oldest international fixture was briefly back on the agenda. It would have happened if Rangers and Celtic had agreed to release their players instead of forcing them to attend their own post-season tours. Since then, England’s fortunes have curved sharply upwards while Scotland have headed in the opposite direction.
The two countries have not faced each other since 1999, when a second-leg fightback from Scotland at Wembley narrowly failed to deny England a place at Euro 2000. The Scots will be drawn from Pot Three.
The Republic of Ireland – who England have not met since 1995 when a friendly in Dublin was abandoned amid violent scenes at Lansdowne Road – represent a bigger threat given how close they were to securing a spot at this summer’s World Cup. They will also be drawn from Pot Three.
For Capello, though, the biggest danger to automatic qualification for the Euro 2012 tournament – to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine – will be the team seeded second in England’s group.
The real heavyweights – Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy, Portugal and France – are all avoided, but not Vidic’s Serbia, probably the best of the five World Cup contenders among the nine in Pot Two.
Northern Ireland’s recent improvement offers them a spot in Pot Three, giving England a 33% chance of drawing familiar opposition. The same is also true for Wales, in Pot Four along with Belgium, a measure of how far both countries’ fortunes have plummeted.
Capello might quite like one of those two, if only for the ease of travel. On that geographical basis, Switzerland, Scotland, Wales, Iceland and Luxembourg would be the dream draw. The polar opposite would see England undertake trips to Turkey, Israel, Cyprus, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and clock up plenty of air miles in the process. Substitute Romania for Turkey, Bulgaria for Israel and Belarus for Cyprus and you have the least fan-friendly group.
Indeed, Pot Five, including Albania, Georgia, Moldova and Armenia, as well as Kazakhstan – who England defeated twice on the road to South Africa – looks the least appealing, while all the home nations have a 33% chance of missing anyone from Pot Six, meaning only eight qualifying games have to be played over a 13-month period.
With 14 places up for grabs, all nine group winners, plus the best runner-up, go straight through. The remaining eight go into four play-off matches, which, much to the Republic of Ireland’s annoyance, were seeded in World Cup qualifying.
So, if England and Scotland do miss each other – and they have not met in a qualifying group as we now know them in any other major competition before – there could be plenty of space to arrange that reunion.
For full story go to here
England among top seeds for European Championship qualifying draw
• England join Europe’s elite international teams in pot one
• Rep of Ireland and N Ireland joined by Scotland in pot three
England have been named among the top seeds for February’s European Championship qualifying draw, but Scotland are in the third band after slipping down the rankings.
Fabio Capello’s side won nine of their 10 qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup and they will again be the highest-ranked team in their group.
But Scotland’s dismal showing in their failed World Cup qualification campaign has led to a drop down to 26th in the European rankings, meaning they join the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in pot three, with Wales among the fourth seeds.
How the teams are seeded
Pot One Spain, Germany, Holland, Italy, England, Croatia, Portugal, France, Russia.
Pot Two Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Turkey, Denmark, Slovakia, Romania.
Pot Three Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Pot Four Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Belgium, Wales, FYR Macedonia, Cyprus.
Pot Five Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.
Pot Six Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra, San Marino.
For full story go to here
World Cup qualifier: Ukraine 1-0 England
It was the result Fabio Capello needed, although he will never own up to the benefit of seeing his side reintroduced to the truth about themselves. The England manager has a habit of emphasising his desire to win, as if this distinguished him from counterparts who presumably have a song in their hearts regardless of the outcome. The true difference lies in his ability to organise a side and keep its competitive spirit burning.
England were fully committed in a fixture of no importance to them but they also suggested that they are not part of the elite. While the end of the perfect record in the group is regrettable there was a reminder that the side will have to make great improvements if they are to be a force at the World Cup finals. Above all England are doomed in South Africa should they be such a soft touch again.
The defence swayed so often on Saturday that you felt seasick if you stared at it for too long. Robert Green conceded the penalty that Andriy Shevchenko squandered in the 16th minute by clipping the outside of the post as the substitute goalkeeper David James dived the other way. Green had been startled by Rio Ferdinand’s failure to cut out a pass from the right and was tentative about coming to meet the impressive Artem Milevskiy, whom he brought down.
James, at 39, has a laconic touch that meant he had no qualms about stepping into an arena where the England penalty area had been inundated in the first minute with flares hurled from the stands. “Fortunately I was prepared to go on and had even taken my Pro Plus,” said the veteran. Green had been on edge. Even so Ferdinand was far more blameworthy.
The new career as saboteur appears to be coming along nicely. He had set up one of the Dutch goals in the Amsterdam friendly and has come up with the odd error for Manchester United as well. Ferdinand does not appear imposing for the time being but that may reflect his state of mind more than the condition of his body. The defender is extremely significant to England, since the alternatives lack his inherent quality. It was to be expected that Capello, in public at least, would brush aside the towering blunder.
“He made one mistake,” said the manager. “The ball bounced and he didn’t judge the direction well. But after that he played a good game, like the other players. We had good chances to draw.” Having been coaxed into agreeing that Ferdinand has not been dependable for his club, Capello then rallied. “You cannot question his value,” the Italian insisted. There is a rationale to that assertion but it is not a happy one. If Capello ditchedeveryone who causes him anxiety, he would condemn himself to building a new back four from scratch.
John Terry had a moderate day and Glen Johnson keeps suggesting that he is a full-back mostly because it is a nice spot from which to hare off down the wing. Even Ashley Cole, who has been outstanding for Chelsea, was fallible at the goal. He tried a drag-back near his area and lost the ball. Vasyl Kobin raced across the face of the area and when he was tackled by Johnson possession ran to Sergii Nazarenko. The ensuing 25-yarder deflected off Cole, still trying to atone for his lapse, and beat James.
Ukraine, who are virtually sure of a play-off slot, were also to hit the post inthe first half and there should be no cavilling from England. The 22-year-old Yevgen Khacheridi, on his debut, impressed in defence. The visitors did menace on occasion as they tapped the prodigious efforts of Wayne Rooney, who did the work of two players since England were a man down. “It is incredible,” said Capello. “He can play forward, left, right, he defends.” That will not count for much if eccentricity at the back undermines people like him, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, who went off with a groin injury at half-time.
England’s clean sheets in the group have come merely against Andorra, twice, and Kazakhstan. The situation is so ridiculous that it must be a priority at Wembley on Wednesday to keep Belarus at bay. Life would be better for Capello if he could coach the side out of its brittleness at the back but the blunders come, as in Ferdinand’s case, from individual aberrations more than organisational failings.
Everyone would find life easier if they could count on an efficient defence. Team-mates chose to display solidarity with Ferdinand. “I think he’s doing well,” Rooney asserted outlandishly. “Everyone makes mistakes. He knows he is a top player and he will forget about that. There is no need to go on too much about it.”
Terry, too, was emphatic. “I don’t feel for Rio,” said the captain. “I don’t have to look out for him. He’s suffered from a couple of injuries of late but he’s one of the best defenders in the world. We’re all human. After a mistake the good thingis that he doesn’t just fade away. He’s abig personality. We know we can all trust each other.”
Perhaps so but it may have done no harm for a chastened England to appreciate that they can be vulnerable even with Capello in charge.
For full story go to here
Fabio Capello enters new phase with vacancies to fill for England | Kevin McCarra
England have qualified for South Africa comfortably from Group Six, but the hard work starts now
Fabio Capello will be hoping for the chance to prove that he can have reservations about perfection. England’s match with Ukraine today may well be extremely hard, but it is quite possible that the visitors will win in Dnipropetrovsk before beating Belarus at Wembley next Wednesday. The squad would then have taken the full 30 points on offer in the group.
Capello is likely to be indifferent to any such achievement. The manager will appreciate that the correlation between qualifiers and the finals is shaky. Italy are the holders thanks to the shoot-out win over France three years ago, yet both countries kept a low profile on the approach to that tournament.
France dropped 10 points in the qualifiers and in the rest of the Uefa zone Ukraine alone had a poorer record among the group winners. Italy had little to brag about either, having let seven points slip away. Capello must appreciate that the finals in South Africa are a new context in which earlier assumptions must be abandoned.
He does not have any equivalent to the sort of swift upgrade accomplished by the France coach. Towards the end of the qualifiers for those 2006 finals, Raymond Domenech talked Lilian Thuram, Claude Makelele and Zinedine Zidane out of international retirement. Capello does not have such means available, but his appreciation for experience was apparent when he gave David Beckham his 100th cap and, thereafter, a relative security.
The veteran will presumably not be starting games in South Africa, but in his dotage there is a neatness and perception about the way he keeps possession. These are traits that may come to the fore if Capello has to bring someone on to help keep a match under control.
Such steps do not bring joy or excitement, but England’s most obvious weakness of late has been a difficulty in subduing opponents for an entire match. Capello’s clean sheets in his eight qualifiers have come against Andorra (twice) and Kazakhstan. The side will have to be far more resilient next summer against opponents of a high calibre.
It has been unsettling that Rio Ferdinand and John Terry have been the centre-back pairing in only six of the Italian’s 18 international matches to date. Ferdinand, in particular, has been vulnerable. The Manchester United defender is reported to receive regular treatment from an osteopath for a back problem and Capello’s main hope may be that he can be eased through the programme next summer.
Durability is the key since many ultimately respected sides at finals have been scorned before finding better form.England need a back four that can be counted on.
Matthew Upson is preferred when Ferdinand is absent, but Phil Jagielka has a versatility that would be useful in the hurly-burly of a tournament. He deserves consideration if he hits form after getting over his knee surgery. Alternatives at right-back are badly needed, although Capello seems to have satisfied himself that Glen Johnson can defend satisfactorily as well as overlap.
Capello must wish that there were genuine options in goal. Robert Green has played for his country without committing any howlers, but has not seemed commanding either. The 39-year-old David James, fit again, continues to have a claim to the England spot. Paul Robinson was also in this squad, although he has a hip problem and was replaced by Joe Hart.
It is comforting to point out that Dino Zoff took the World Cup with Italy at the age of 40. All the same, that is a well-known fact exactly because he was such a rarity. Capello would, at a minimum, like a persuasive candidate to view with James or Green, but Ben Foster’s standing has declined steeply at United.
The England manager could still find encouragement at Old Trafford. Owen Hargreaves, missing since September 2008 with tendinitis, expects to return to action soon. Of course, he will have to show that he can function with full vigour. In principle, he could enhance the England midfield, while also being equipped to act as cover for other positions.
It sounds absurd to suggest that Capello can have any misgivings about the attack now that his team have scored a remarkable 31 goals in Group Six. Nonetheless, England need a broader repertoire because better teams will nullify them if so much continues to depend on the link between Emile Heskey and Rooney. Some coach or other will have a shrewd scheme to break the bond.
There are vacancies for any forward who demonstrates sharpness and Michael Owen can still not be ruled out entirely if he is ever in shape and form. As much as predators, though, Capello will seek footballers who can open up space. Theo Walcott has much yet to do after injury to confirm that he is developing into a mature professional who still has extreme speed and can deliver more than, say, Aaron Lennon.
Damage, of course, has to be done in a variety of manners and Capello is interested in James Milner. The wide midfielder is now in the party at the expense of his Aston Villa team-mate Ashley Young, presumably because his final ball is superior. England have their place at the finals, but that signals merely that Capello is in a new phase, with work to be done and, perhaps, changes to be made.
For full story go to here
England set to be top seeds in Euro 2012 qualifying draw
• Fabio Capello’s side placed fifth in Uefa’s interim seedings
• Portugal and Serbia among the likely second seeds
England are virtually guaranteed a top seeding in the Euro 2012 qualification draw even though they did not reach the finals of the last tournament.
Uefa has released interim seedings for the draw, which will be held in Warsaw on 7 February. While there are still some matches to be played, England’s current position of fifth should ensure Fabio Capello’s men get a favourable seeding among the nine groups.
With six pools of six teams and three of five, only the group winners will be guaranteed a place in the finals alongside the co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, who England face in Dnipropetrovsk tomorrow. The best runner-up will also go through, with the eight others going into the play-offs.
Capello will not want to be paired with either Portugal – who may yet be eliminated from the World Cup – or Serbia, who currently head a group containing France, both of whom are potential second seeds. A potential ‘group of death’ for England could see them compete for the one automatic qualifying spot with Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, and the improving Slovenia. In geographical terms, a potential group including Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Georgia and Azerbaijan would hardly hold much appeal.
As it presently stands, the Republic of Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland will all be in pot three, while Wales will once again be up against it when they come out of pot four.
Uefa interim seedings
1 Spain
2 Germany
3 Netherlands
4 Italy
5 England
6 Russia
7 Croatia
8 France
9 Sweden
————
10 Portugal
11 Serbia
12 Czech Republic
13 Switzerland
14 Denmark
15 Greece
16 Turkey
17 Slovakia
18 Romania
————
19 Ukraine (qualified as hosts)
20 Poland (qualified as hosts)
21 Israel
22 Republic of Ireland
23 Bulgaria
24 Finland
25 Norway
26 Bosnia-Herzegovina
27 Scotland
28 Northern Ireland
29 Austria
————
30 Latvia
31 Hungary
32 Slovenia
33 Lithuania
34 Belarus
35 Wales
36 Belgium
37 FYR Macedonia
38 Albania
————
39 Cyprus
40 Estonia
41 Georgia
42 Moldova
43 Montenegro
44 Armenia
45 Iceland
46 Kazakhstan
47 Liechtenstein
————
48 Luxembourg
49 Azerbaijan
50 Malta
51 Faroe Islands
52 Andorra
53 San Marino
For full story go to here
David James ready to shoulder the England burden for keeps
Despite injury and Portsmouth’s dreadful start David James thinks he is ready to be picked by Fabio Capello against Ukraine
David James might have suggested it was destiny. This is a player who, as a child, saved up the money earned cutting his neighbours’ lawns to buy a pair of black and white Uhlsport goalkeeping gloves so as to emulate his idol Dino Zoff. In 1982 the 40-year-old Italian lifted the World Cup, a feat James is intent upon matching as a 39-year-old next summer, yet the veteran returns to Fabio Capello’s squad ahead of Saturday’s qualifier in Ukraine with realism rather than romance tingeing his outlook. The Portsmouth goalkeeper has a place to reclaim.
He was first choice through Capello’s first 13 games in charge but his absence in rehabilitation after shoulder surgery proved an invitation for Rob Green to usurp him as England’s No1 over the last five games. James has not been involved since the Ukrainians were beaten on 1 April and returns under no illusions. “Look, I don’t even know if I’m going to start on Saturday,” he said. “Mr Capello doesn’t come up to you on the first day of a squad get-together and tell you: ‘Good luck on Saturday, Dave.’ If he doesn’t want to change the winning formula he has at the moment, then I accept that. But, without causing any issues, I didn’t turn up for the squad not to play. I’m hungry to play.”
James has reason for optimism. Where Capello appears essentially to have settled upon his preferred outfield personnel, the debate over who will be in goal for England’s first match at the 2010 finals continues to rage. Green did little wrong in his five appearances yet still does not appear an automatic selection, even for Saturday’s game in Dnipropetrovsk. Paul Robinson and Ben Foster have had dicey moments at this level, while Joe Hart is still forging his own reputation. The three goalkeepers in the current squad find themselves embroiled in an early-season relegation scrap. James, with 48 caps and 12 years of international experience, might be best equipped to prevent club travails affecting England form.
The veteran arrived at England’s team hotel on Tuesday bolstered by Portsmouth’s latest takeover and with his wages finally paid following the weekend’s first win of a previously pointless campaign. “My own focus has been right. Losing the first seven games of a season would have been enough, in the past, to have made a major dent in my confidence. But the sports psychologist work I’ve done with Keith [Power] has certainly helped me. You see beyond just a loss. It’s about getting the preparation right. I am older and wiser, so I put myself in the right frame of mind for each game.”
That ability to remain strong both in a struggling team and when personal form is suffering could yet be key when the Premier League season gives way to the World Cup finals. “It’s a difficult job playing for England, period, whether you’re a goalkeeper or a centre-forward,” added James when asked to reflect how a succession of younger goalkeepers – Foster, Hart, Robinson and Scott Carson – have failed to grasp a chance at the higher level. “You have to go through these ‘experiences’ when there’s criticism. It’s a cliché to say you’ll come out right in the end. You don’t always. Most people won’t. But it’s all part of the process.”
The 39-year-old will be relieved to be among their number. James’ decision to undergo shoulder surgery before the end of last season, thereby missing the games against Kazakhstan and Andorra, was taken in the belief that he would be fit to return to the national fold for the friendly against Holland in August. Yet his recovery from the operation dragged, an inability to play a full part in training persuading Capello to look elsewhere. The last two international windows were spent watching a DVD box set of The Wire.
“I’m not a happy chap about the fact that I missed games at the start of this season,” he conceded. “Over-eagerness played its part in me not being fit. I’d never had surgery in my career before so I thought that, as soon as it stopped hurting, I’d crack on. Over-enthusiasm … But everything was geared towards making sure I was ready for the qualifiers at the start of the season. With hindsight I should have had a different approach.
“Not being in the squad was horrible. You have a weekend off and not even The Wire can make up for that. Now I’m back but with no expectations. If I’m not the one who starts the game and it’s for the benefit of England, that’s fine.”
For full story go to here
Joe Hart and Gary Cahill drafted in to England squad for World Cup qualifiers
• Call-ups follow injuries to Paul Robinson and Joleon Lescott
• Joe Hart rewarded for solid start to Birmingham loan spell
England’s manager, Fabio Capello, has called up the goalkeeper Joe Hart and the central defender Gary Cahill to replace the injured Paul Robinson and Joleon Lescott in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Belarus.
Robinson, the Blackburn goalkeeper, will return to his club following a hip problem, while Lescott heads back to Manchester City after a calf problem he picked up in the Premier League 1-1 draw at Aston Villa last night.
With Ben Foster’s omission explained as a chest injury, Manchester City’s Hart has been rewarded for a solid start to his loan period at Birmingham.
The Bolton centre-back Cahill, meanwhile, travelled to Kazakhstan in June with the seniors but is yet to make his England debut.
Hart and Cahill were travelling south to meet up with their team-mates while the rest of the squad were at Arsenal’s London Colney complex for training ahead of Saturday’s game in Ukraine.
All 22 players were present for the start of training but the Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole and the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James returned to the dressing room while the others went through their warm-up routine.
For full story go to here
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott handed surprise return to England Under 21 squad
• Stuart Pearce names Walcott in squad to face Macedonia
• Fabio Capello left him out of senior side over fitness doubts
Theo Walcott will make a surprise appearance for the England Under 21s against Macedonia on Friday night after he was handed a late call-up into the squad by manager Stuart Pearce.
Walcott’s participation in under-21 fixtures has been a moot topic since the controversy that accompanied his selection for the European Championship in June.
Arsène Wenger, his manager at Arsenal, was deeply unhappy that Walcott had been asked to play first for Fabio Capello’s England team in two World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra, and then the under 21s. Wenger warned Capello that he would “pay the price” for his international over-use of the winger.
Walcott was granted extended summer leave by Wenger, following his England exertions, but when he did finally appear for Arsenal in a pre-seaosn friendly – he played the second half of the defeat against Valencia on 8 August – he tore fibres in his lower back and was forced to spend a lengthy and frustrating period on the sidelines.
However, he made his return to first team football in Arsenal’s 6-2 victory over Blackburn on Sunday, in which he made a goal-scoring appearance as a late substitute.
Capello was at The Emirates to watch Walcott’s return and decided that the 20-year-old was not sufficiently fit to merit inclusion in his squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Ukraine and Belarus. But Pearce felt that his presence in the U21 squad would benefit both him, the player and Arsenal. Although Wenger’s view on the matter is as yet unclear, Pearce feels that further competitive football will help Walcott return to full match fitness for his club.
