Joe Cole has revealed that Fabio Capello is keeping his England players guessing as to who will start Saturday's World Cup opener against the United States.
Cole is one of several players unsure over the places in the starting line-up ahead of the Group C curtain raiser in Rustenburg.
Unlike previous England managers, Capello is keeping his selection cards close to his chest and Cole believes his policy ensures the 23-man squad in South Africa remains on its toes.
"The great thing about the squad now, which is different to all through my England career, is that you don't know who the manager is going to pick in any position, so it keeps everyone on their toes," he explained.
"I've always found at club level when that is the case – when players are not just playing on reputation and are being selected on form, fitness and temperament – that's when you get the better team ethic and the way the team gels together.
"Fabio is a great manager. I've been lucky to work with some great managers and he is right up there with the best of them.
"You need discipline. It keeps us all on our toes. The discipline is very strong and I think that has worked well and we need that."
Capello will keep his starting line-up under wraps until Saturday afternoon but the Italian appears to have selection dilemmas in almost every position.
Any one of Robert Green, David James and Joe Hart could be selected as his starting goalkeeper, while the battle to partner Wayne Rooney up front could be won by Steven Gerrard in a supporting role or a regular striker in Peter Crouch or Emile Heskey.
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"It's great with England there is a lot of competition in the squad," added Cole.
"There aren't 10 lads coming here thinking they're just going to sit on the bench. Everyone in the squad is thinking they have a chance of playing here."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Fernando Torres' agent insists he has been misquoted after stories on Monday morning suggested the Spain international striker was on the verge of leaving Liverpool.
Agent Jose Antonio Martin had reportedly indicated Torres could move to another Premier League club this summer.
However, Martin is adamant that he did not say anything of the kind and is unhappy with the way the story developed, saying now that Torres will remain at Anfield.
"For many months I have not spoken to the England press because their quotes are totally false," he said."Now is not the moment to speak about this issue because Torres is focused completely on his work for Spain.
"After the World Cup (player-agency company) Bahia Internacional will possibly meet with the player but the truth is that Fernando has signed a deal with Liverpool which is for the present and the future."
The 26-year-old is currently on World Cup duty with Spain, having scored 72 goals in 116 appearances during his three seasons with the Reds following his arrival from Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been linked with Torres, with Martin quoted earlier by the Daily Mail as saying:"Barcelona have signed David Villa and now they want to invest the money they have in other players.
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"However, it is very likely that Fernando Torres will stay in the Premier League, but I cannot say that it will be with Liverpool.
"We are working on his future, but right now you cannot guarantee that he will stay with the English club."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
David Silva has targeted a place in the top four this season after completing his £24million transfer from Valencia to Manchester City.
The 24-year-old, who has penned a four-year contract at Eastlands, joins a team that finished fifth in the Premier League last term and will be playing in this season's Europa League but Silva has set his sights on progress for Roberto Mancini's team in the 2010-11 campaign.
"I will be happy if at the end we are in the Champions League – or if we win a trophy," he told the club's official website."My first target is to get into the team and then to fight for the league and the other competitions.
"Roberto Mancini and (chief executive) Garry Cook have told me we are building a very good team with some of the best players in the world and we are going to fight for honours."
Mancini has also signed Hamburg's Germany international defender Jerome Boateng and Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Toure from Barcelona this summer and continues to be linked with a host of other players.
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David Villa has also left cash-strapped Los Che this summer to join Barcelona for £34.2million while Nikola Zigic has moved to Birmingham City.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Liverpool boss Roy Hodgson has confirmed his interest in Joe Cole, but has not held recent talks with the free agent midfielder.
The England international is available on a free transfer following his release by Chelsea at the end of the last season.
The 28-year-old is believed to be interesting Arsenal, Tottenham, former club West Ham United and the Reds.
Bookmakers have stopped taking bets on the possibility of Cole moving to Anfield and Hodgson has admitted he is interested in signing the attacking midfielder.
"I'm not a betting man so that doesn't actually play a big part that betting is suspended," Hodgson told Sky Sports News.
"I don't even know enough about betting to know what that means.
"As far as I know, Joe Cole is still a player looking for a club.
"I know we've been connected with him – and it's good to know we're connected with players of that quality – but I don't have anything to report on the subject.
"I haven't had any discussions with him, but I had a brief chat a while back.
"If you want to know about transfer targets and how things are progressing, you'll have to ask (managing director) Christian Purslow because he's the man looking after those discussions not me."
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Meanwhile, the Reds have agreed to sell Argentinian defender Emiliano Insua to Italian side Fiorentina.
Hodgson added:"A deal has been struck with Fiorentina. We wish him well for the rest of his career and thank him for his time spent at Liverpool.
"I am expecting him to join Fiorentina next week."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Bob Bradley has emerged as one of the favourites to succeed Martin O'Neill as Aston Villa boss with the American confirming that he would be keen to coach in Europe.
Villa owner Randy Lerner is desperate to bring in a new manager as soon as possible after O'Neill decided to resign just five days before the start of the new Premier League season.
Current USA boss Bradley guided his country to the last 16 of the World Cup where they were edged out by Ghana and has a wealth of experience.
He is currently preparing for his team for this week's friendly international against Brazil, and revealed:"I've said over and over that I'm always excited about new and different challenges.
"Certainly coaching in Europe at some point is something that I'd love to do.
"At the same time, I also consider it a challenge when you finish one (World Cup) cycle and begin the process of working on another one. From the time one World Cup ends, you begin to go through the process of assessing where you are."
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Bradley, who was linked with the manager's job at Fulham before the Cottagers appointed Mark Hughes, added: "People spoke to Fulham on my behalf. I did not actually speak to anyone at Fulham."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
When Joe Hart embarked on his loan move to Birmingham City just over a year ago, even he could not have envisaged the transition to England’s number one goalkeeper being so close.
As a Birmingham fan it does not come as a surprise having watched him all of last season, nor does the fact that his return to a more “fashionable” club in Manchester City means he is being praised far more often.
Hart said: “I can’t stress enough how important that year was at Birmingham, I was very grateful to Alex McLeish for giving me that opportunity.” And if we are to going to revel in the 23-year olds dazzling graduation for England then perhaps Birmingham should be credited more so than any other- the move to St Andrews instigated the realisation of his talents.
And those talents are now blossoming under the spotlight that has always shone on England’s number one spot. Hart’s save from Stanislav Angelov to stop a Bulgaria equaliser was an indicator that Capello was wrong in his suspicion of inexperience and although hardship is yet to blemish his admirable modesty it seems England have their best goalkeeping prospect in many a year.
He claimed he goes out and plays with “enjoyment and not fear” and a keepy uppy cameo did little to disprove his theory against Bulgaria.
Whilst some may have seen it as inappropriate in a competitive game others will have endorsed it, feeling that his spontaneity is just what England need after the dull predictability of the so called “Golden Generation”.
His rise in stature and presence when farmed out to Birmingham City in search of a change of fortune coupled with the failings of his England competitors should be paid homage to, not ignored. Alex McLeish’s faith in the youngster was pivotal in his progression.
Ray Clemence described his performance against Tottenham a few weeks ago “a bit special” and the unassuming manner in which he conducts himself is quite uplifting in the dawn of a new era and as England set upon their road to recovery, they can do so safe in the knowledge they have in my opinion the best keeper in the country right now – the number one spot may finally have met its match.
A welcome addition to the Premier League’s Wag arena – Click on image below to view gallery
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Manchester City head coach Roberto Mancini wants to see an end to some of his players complaining to the press about a lack of opportunities at Eastlands.
The likes of Shay Given, Emmanuel Adebayor and Craig Bellamy have all been outspoken about their City prospects, with Bellamy subsequently moving to Cardiff City on a season-long loan.
That situation has annoyed Mancini, who said:"I played football. Sometimes I had this behaviour. I can understand it, so it is not frustrating for me.
"But at the same time it is important they start to change their mentality. If they want to become a top squad and a top team they must change it.
"It is impossible that every three days players do interviews complaining that they are not playing.
"They need to knock on my door and speak with me so I can explain the situation.
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"I want to create an atmosphere like they have at Chelsea and Manchester United, but maybe it is easier for them to accept it because they have had success."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
England’s flat and uninspired display against Montenegro had much to do with the strike force that was available to Capello. With both Bent and Defoe injured and Rooney out of form, it was no real surprise that England lacked potency in front of goal.
After the injury to Bent it is difficult to explain why Owen didn’t find himself included in the squad. Owen has an extraordinary record for England, netting 40 goals in 89 games including representing England in three World Cups. It is a credit to Capello that he saw through the media spin on Kevin Davies and called him into the team but not to only have three front line strikers was clearly a mistake.
With the greatest respect to Kevin Davies he is not a player that will change a tight game from the bench, with only two goals from seven starts before the match at Wembley his record suggests this. With a player like Michael Owen, you get a predatory instinct from the bench. Remember the Manchester derby last season? With Capello asking his wingers to cut in onto their favoured foot, Crouch became an isolated figure and the introduction of Davies did nothing to alleviate the problem. Any loose balls or deflections in the box would have suited a proven goal scorer in Owen rather than Davies.
A call up for Owen would not be a long-term solution for the striking problems England have. However most England fans must agree that with the greatest respect in the world, they would rather have seen Owen come on for the last ten minutes than Davies. Owen started the season in limbo at Old Trafford. With the signing of Hernandez and emergence of Macheda it seemed that Owen’s days in Manchester were numbered.
However, Owen has clearly worked hard in training and his performance in the Carling Cup brought Owen back to starting line up against Sunderland. Owen without doubt is not the same player that left Ayala for dead in 1998 – with the situation England found them selves in he would have given England’s attack a different dimension.
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It is not a convincing argument that Owen is passed it for England. Owen netted a hat trick in the Champions League last season and has been brought on against the top teams in England. Looking from the outside it seems that Capello either has forgotten about Owen or simply has little trust that he can still give something at international level. Maybe when every front line striker is fit Capello is right not to include Owen. Capello and England go into the new year on the back of an abject performance. Owen would not have changed the performance but it is not inconceivable to think a winning goal could have been achieved with Owen on the pitch.
So Sven is back on these shores; Should we be surprised? Not many would have predicted his return to British football would be at the Walkers, but then again, there is no reason why he wouldn’t; no country is too far, no pay-check too large. In homage to the Swede, here are my list of ten of the most surprising appointments to be made on these shores.
10 Attilo Lombardo & Thomas Brolin, Crystal Palace, 1998 When Mark Goldberg assumed control of the club in 1998, manager Steve Coppell was made Director of Football, thus creating a vacant space for the manager’s position. Goldberg employed the club’s two most flamboyant players to steer the club to safety. Lombardo’s absence through injury made it difficult for him to influence their performances from the pitch, and the club were duly relegated. Brolin left to seemingly gorge on cake, while Lombardo reverted back to a player under new boss Terry Venables.
9 Paulo Sousa, QPR, 2008 Suddenly a very rich club, Flavio Briatore wanted a big name in charge. Paulo Sousa was a gifted player – winning the Champions League back to back with Juventus and Dortmund in ’96 and ’97 – but had no managerial experience. He had coached the Portugal under-15 team, and was then briefly Carlos Queiroz’ assistant with the senior team before he got the call to head to West London. His success as a player was not replicated and he was sacked after 6 months.
8 Dr Jozef Venglos, Aston Villa, 1990 The first non British (or Irish) manager to take control of a top flight club in this country. At the time of his appointment, he had already managed for 24 years with ten different jobs, including stints in Australia, Czechoslovakia, Portugal and Malaysia. Things did not go well and Villa only just survived relegation to the old Second Division. Still, he kept his travel miles up with jobs in Turkey, Oman and even a year with Celtic.
7 Chris Coleman, Real Sociedad, 2007 Not strictly on these shores, but Coleman decided to top up his tan (despite being the most tanned Welshman of all time) and head to sunny Spain. He had actually been recommended by the outgoing manager, John Toshack, and ended up doing a good job, despite the short amount of time he was there. After seven months, and with the club in a heady 5th place, and only one defeat in their last 11 games, he resigned, citing differences with the new club president.
6 Harry Redknapp, Southampton, 2004 Having resigned at Portsmouth due to the appointment of Velimir Zajec as Director of Football, it was only a matter of weeks before Redknapp was appointed boss of the club’s closest rivals. The ease of not having to move house was more important than upsetting any Pompey fans, and Redknapp very nearly kept the struggling Saints up. It was equally as surprising when Redknapp was back at Fratton Park soon after, to do what he couldn’t manage at Southampton and stay up, adding an FA Cup and a lot of expensive players along the way.
Continued on Page TWO
5 Arsene Wenger, Arsenal, 1996 Who? Some lanky Frenchman who had arrived from Japan was never going to make it the Prem. Or, he created some of the best teams the Premiership has ever seen, and has a philosophy to the game unparalleled in this country. He may have had a few barren years recently, but he led The Invincibles, a feat that will almost certainly never be matched.
4 John Barnes, Celtic, 1999 What was he going to do, rap his team-talks? Even under the wing of Kenny Dalglish it was a weird move. For obvious reasons, it was a disaster, and he was sacked pretty swiftly, with Dalglish having to step in.
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3 Gazza, Garforth Town, 2010 The little club with the big headlines (remember Socrates?) appointed Gazza as their boss last month. Previous unsuccessful jobs at Algarve United (yes, really) and Kettering have not deterred Garforth from making him their leader, and neither have the drug problems, alcoholism and mental health problems. I love Gazza for all the reasons everyone else does, but management material….
2 Joe f***ing Kinnear, Newcastle, 2008 Mike Ashley suddenly seemed to want as much negative f***ing press as possible in one go; after the c***ing Cockney Mafia had set up their northern faction, and Kevin f***ing Keegan had walked the f*** out, what was needed was the appointment of a blast from the past. Out of the game for four years, and with a heart condition, Joe Kinnear arrived on the scene, swore at every c*** and promptly had to leave to head back to hospital. We haven’t seen the him since.
1 Claude Anelka, Raith Rovers, 2004 Making as much money as possible out of his much more talented brother as his agent. He offered a host of clubs £300,000 to be their manager, and Raith for whatever reason decided that it would be a good idea based on, well I have absolutely no idea. His record at Raith: 8 games, 1 draw and 7 defeats.
I’ll give you £300k if you get updates on my articles by following me on twitter.
Chelsea and England midfielder Frank Lampard believes current Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp should be the next national team manager.
The FA have said that they will be looking to appoint an Englishman when Fabio Capello's reign as manager ends after Euro 2012.
Redknapp guided Spurs to fourth spot in the Premier League last term and his side impressed in Tuesday's 3-1 Champions League victory against Inter Milan.
Lampard said of his uncle in The Sun:"Harry's the best choice. For me, it's got to be him.
"Obviously, I'd be very proud if he's the next England boss because of the family connection.
"If we're looking for a home-grown manager next, Harry's definitely the one.
"Six months ago people would have said Roy Hodgson, he was the favourite but not now.
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"Look where Harry's taking Tottenham right now. Who can argue with this week's performance against the European champions Inter Milan?
"And remember what he did at Portsmouth and West Ham before that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email