There’s no way Jack Wilshere will be ready for the Euros – Hodgson must learn from past mistakes
It was no surprise after his injury-hit season, but Jack Wilshere just didn’t look match fit against Turkey. It was only the second game he’s started all season, so there’s no way he will be ready for the Euros. I’d be surprised if he played in all three friendlies, at most he will have one more game.
Then again, we don’t know what he’s like in training, only Roy can tell us that and make a judgement, but I don’t think he’s a risk worth taking. We should learn our lessons from previous tournaments and not gamble with players’ fitness. If they’re not 100%, then it’s too big a gamble to take them.
Hodgson should go with one upfront and Rooney in behind
I think Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy upfront is a centre-forward pairing that can work, but I still think that Roy Hodgson will go with one upfront. Wayne Rooney was Manchester United’s best player on Saturday when he played in that deep role but I don’t think that he’s suited to playing that deep with England, there are others players to do that.
I don’t think there is any doubt about him starting; it’s just a matter of where he’ll start. Will Roy go with two upfront and Rooney in behind, or will he go with one upfront with Rooney in behind? My preferred option would be the latter.
Centre-back pairing for the Russia game should be Smalling and Cahill
There were certainly more positives than negatives to England’s performance against Turkey on Sunday evening, as they’re not an easy team to beat. However, I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, we need to work on our defence and defending set-pieces.
John Stones, Gary Cahill and Chris Smalling need to work harder and become more solid as a team. Unfortunately, there aren’t many top class centre-halves out there.
We really only have three options, Smalling, Stones, and Cahill, but other than that there’s nobody and that could end up being our Achilles heel. Of the three, the safest bet for the Russia game would be Smalling and Cahill.
If Rashford performs well on Friday, how can Roy not bring him to France
Another decision Roy has to make is whether he opts for five centre-forwards in the squad. Marcus Rashford was brilliant in the first half on Saturday. His touch was superb, he looked strong, and quick running in behind.
If he was to continue in this rich vein of form, then it would probably twist Roy’s arm to take him to France. He should be involved in Friday’s friendly against Australia and if he performs well, how can Roy not bring him? He’s got no big tournament experience but that can also be an advantage, as he will go to France with a real freshness and energy.
Man Utd disrespectful with sacking of Van Gaal
The sacking of Louis van Gaal has been an absolute mess with the way it had been handled. How it got leaked on Saturday night is anyone’s guess, but nobody should be treated like that. To find out from the press half-hour after winning the FA Cup that you’re about to be sacked is disrespectful to say the least.
Having said that, it would’ve been comical if United gave him another £250 million to spend this summer, when he said that he was only going to stay another year.
Jose Mourinho is a great appointment for Manchester United and his CV is unbelievable. The team need a lot of surgery and he is the man for the job. It’s also great for the Premier League to have Mourinho and Guardiola just minutes from each other at both Manchester clubs.
Atletico can get one over neighbours Real in Champions League showdown
Atletico Madrid have been so impressive all-season and I can’t wait to see what they can do in the Champions League final on Saturday night. I watched them in their first-leg against Bayern Munich and I can’t remember seeing a team work so hard for each other to get the result that was needed.
Real Madrid will be facing an unbelievably organised outfit, who are relentless in their pursuit and work rate. This game is a really tough one to call but I can see Atletico winning it, by the odd goal. My prediction is Atletico to win a tight game and I’ll go for 1-0.
In the meantime, I am playing in the pro-am at Wentworth on Wednesday with Lee Westwood, Ian Wright, and Jeremy Kyle. It will be an interesting four ball to say the least and we will have a laugh that’s for sure!
