England Squad

Oh dear oh dear. We knew Roy was prone to poor decisions and that his taste in players ranged from bad to Godawful, but this England squad is something new. How do I rate thee squad? Let me count the ways.

Pros

The inclusion of John Ruddy is everything he deserves after a brilliant season.

The inclusion of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who will add another dimension.

Cons

The inclusion of John Terry even though he has had a poor season and may yet be convicted for racism.

No place for Micah Richards in a squad where full-backs are very low on the ground.

The inclusion of Stewart Downing, the goalless wonder.

The exclusion of Aaron Lennon, who I don't rate that highly but has merited being in the squad on form alone.

The overload of wingers. Downing, OC, Walcott, Young and Milner.

The inclusion of Andy Carroll. Has the ability but SQUADS SHOULD BE PICKED ON MERIT.

The use of only four strikers, one of whom will be out for the first two games. Worst decision of the lot.

The exclusion of Grant Holt. Words fail me. He scored 16 for Norwich, Carroll scored fewer for Liverpool where the service was generally better. Staggering.

The exclusion of Daniel Sturridge. Like Holt, better than Carroll.

The standby selection of Jordan Henderson over Michael Carrick. Dear Lord.

The standby selection of a Birmingham keeper I've never heard of over the likes of Carson, Stockdale and Robinson.