That’s right – we – as everyone else – have written about England’s left back dilemma in the wake of Ashley Cole’s injury. But what about our right back? That’s arguably a bigger issue…

Glen Johnson is the man firmly in possession of the right back berth in Capello’s England side. And there are doubts about him – he has been injured for several weeks, and Liverpool are in horrible form. If they drag down the toilet seat thief, or if he gets injured, or if it proves that he is as bad positionally as many suspect, who do we turn to?

The list… erm….

Wes Brown

He is probably next in line. But he is a centre-back who would be playing out of position, is always liable to make an error, and inevitably is injured. He offers little going forward and does very much look out of position when he plays at full back. Against a genuine left winger I certainly wouldn’t have confidence in him.

Who next? Erm….

Micah Richards

Ability and gift wise he should be challenging Johnson. He is big, quick, and strong, and gets forward well. But again his positional sense is in doubt and he has undoubtedly not progressed in the manner everyone hoped after he burst onto the scene with Man City a couple of years ago.

Gary Neville

Is he knocking on the door? Alex Ferguson, no mean judge of a player, trusted him to track Ronaldinho against Milan and he performed solidly, including a less-than-trademark-but-still-occasional excellent cross for Rooney’s first goal. He has the experience, has been there, done that etc, and probably wouldn’t let anyone down. But he has hardly played for an entire season, and there is a definite feeling that, to employ an old, lazy cliche, his ‘legs have gone’.

Phil Jagielka

A great defender, no question. But again he has been out injured for ages, and again he is a centre back who would be playing out of position. Probably too late to play himself into the side in any case.

Owen Hargreaves

If he is ever fit again, he is arguably England’s best right back. However he is also our best defensive midfielder, and if he is fit he will almost certainly play there.

Luke Young

Has retired from international football. Never thought I would lament that…

James Milner

On great form, and probably wouldn’t let anyone down if shoehorned in at right back. Probably. But he would be out of position as well, and that always raises doubts.

Ummm…. I think that’s it. Have I forgotten anyone?

At left back, after Cole, we have Wayne Bridge (if he hadn’t stepped out), Leighton Baines, and Stephen Warnock. Any of those would probably be better options than all the above (were they right backs) save Hargreaves, who won’t play there.

I never thought I would say this, but Glen Johnson is invaluable to England. Fingers double crossed nothing happens to his form or fitness before South Africa. No doubt Capello echoes those sentiments manifold.

The right back issue is more worrisome than the left back one.

Take me, Take me!

Shaun Wright-Phillips – although Walcott’s ineptitude made him look a world beater, SWP did cause havoc down the right once he came on. And he scored. Much as I hate him, he did make a difference. The worry is that he is SO inconsistent – next time out he’s liable to have a shocker.

James Milner – England’s most in-form player continued his rich vein. He looked bright and dangerous and may yet find his way into the starting eleven.

Peter Crouch – Two goals took him to 20 in 37 internationals, a good record by pretty much anyones’ standards. He should go; he’s a handful for defenders, both in the air and on the ground, and is a natural big man foil for Rooney. Will he displace Heskey? By scoring more in 90 mins than Heskey has managed in his whole career, he can have done himself no harm.

Rob Green - The man in possession did little wrong and re-inforced his position as first choice with Joe Hart and David James on the bench.

Michael Carrick – England looked far better when Carrick slotted into centre-midfield. He used the ball well and is positionally excellent. A great article from the superb Zonal Marking goes into Carrick’s performance in more detail.

Leighton Baines - Nothing amazing, but he looked solid and will be unlucky to be dropped for Warnock on this evidence. Especially considering the latter’s abject performance in the League Cup final.

Not me, Not me!

Theo Walcott – The biggest disappointment, Walcott was, as fully expected, useless. He came into the game in bad form and did nothing to suggest he will break out of it. After SWP’s performance he is now 4th in line behind him, Becks, and Aaron Lennon. A dramatic fall from Croatian grace.

Wes Brown – Disappointing, he offered little at right back to suggest he can be employed as a utility defender.

Jermaine Defoe – Proved that he and Rooney are incompatible, and with Rooney 150% sure to start that is a concern. He will still go as the goal-getting substitute, but hopes of a starting berth have been dashed.

Matthew Upson – Slip not really his fault but it’s concerning that he is first reserve behind injury-prone Rio and Captain Spastic John Terry. Actually it’s terrifying. Offered a reminder of the gulf in class to our deputies. Oh for Woodgate and/or King.

Meh! Meh!

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard - Neither really shone, but both will definitely go and almost definitely start.

Wayne Rooney – By a mile, England’s most important player. We must pray he does not get injured.

Carlton Cole - Not enough game time to impress, and running out of opportunities. Which is a shame, as he has the potential to be a goalscoring Emile Heskey.

John Terry - A worrying tendency to commit errors has crept into his game since his philandering was revealed. England need him to be 100% focussed during the World Cup. (Potentially the most obvious statement ever)

Gareth Barry – The only man who has started England’s last three games. He will probably continue to start too. He is solid and reliable if unspectacular.

Predicted starting eleven, predicted starting eleven!

Currently, this is how we think England will line up (though not necessarily how they should…)

Is that the team that will win the World Cup? I think not…

We wrote about this before, but now it’s even worse. A quick run through…

Goalkeeper

David James has spent most of the season injured, and even when fit is a concern. He is always liable to make a calamitous error. And the back-ups inspire no confidence – West Ham fans hate Rob Green he’s that bad, Joe Hart is young and inexperienced (and when a Premier League club loans out your international goalkeeper as he’s not as good as Shay Given, you know you have a problem). And then we have Paul Robinson. ‘Nuff said.

Defenders

We don’t have a left back anymore. We don’t have a right back. One of our centre-backs has just been stripped of the captaincy and the other is never fit. Their back ups are Matthew Upson and Joleon Lescott. That is literally terrifying.

Midfielders

We don’t have a left midfielder. Our best right midfielder (Lennon) has succumbed to the injury curse leaving the archaic David Beckham next in line. Our best defensive centre midfielder (Hargreaves) is on the verge of being put down. Gareth Barry and Michael Carrick are not world class midfielders. Gerrard has not played well all season and never really for England. Joe Cole has been out for a year. Only Lampard can we be content with. And the form of Milner, who may not even play.

Forwards

There is an unhealthily total burden on Wayne Rooney. Good as he is and has been, if he gets injured we are in a world of trouble. Crouch hasn’t scored for seven games. Heskey never scores. Defoe can only come off the bench. Carlton Cole is just shit. Owen looks good for 20 minutes every couple of weeks then gets injured.

So…

The outlook is bleak. There are problems all over the park. It’s not out of the question that our right side consists of Gary Neville and David Beckham, one or both of our Centre Backs are Upson/Lescott, our left back is Stephen Warnock, our left mid is an out of form Gerrard, our holding midfielder is an out of depth Carrick, and – God forbid – Rooney gets injured leaving Defoe and Heskey upfront. Christ.

Back in November we looked at England’s potential squad – the definites, possibles, maybes, and no-ways – and it looked pretty rosy, pretty balanced. Fast forward three months and it has a whole different, far more worrying appearance…

You can read the initial article by clicking here – but here is the squad we thought (at that time) would go:

David James, Rob Green, Paul Robinson

Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson, Glen Johnson, Wes Brown

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, David Beckham, Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott

Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch

Let’s look at these in detail…

David James - Has barely played this season. Desperate to go on loan to ensure he doesn’t miss out. Needs to play pretty much all the rest of the season to make sure he is first choice. Although that air of calamity still clouds him. We must hope he does regain fitness and find form as the alternatives are borderline terrifying.

Rob Green – Had a big chance to step up while James was injured and failed to take it with either hand, making a couple of high profile errors. The fact many West Ham fans don’t like him speaks volumes.

Paul Robinson – Experiencing something of a renaissance at Blackburn but doubts persist over his ability to deal with both long-range shots and crosses.

Ashley Cole - No worries over form or fitness, he is playing some of the best football of his career and is physically resilient. Fingers crossed he does not get injured, as the alternative is Wayne Bridge.

John Terry – Captain spastic is playing well but is increasingly creaky in his old age. His back problems are particularly worrying.

Rio Ferdinand – Has been out injured for ages, although made his return for United recently. Undoubtedly world class on his day – but how many of them does he have left? Hopefully enough to get through South Africa.

Joleon Lescott – Somewhat disastrous at Man City. His place on the plane, let alone in the team, is in severe doubt.

Matthew Upson – Perhaps the only legitimate candidate should Terry or Ferdinand drop out – which is alarming.

Glen Johnson – Huge doubts linger over his defensive capabilities, and opposing teams often cite him as a weak point for both Liverpool and England. His potency going forward is not in doubt – but can we afford it?

Wes Brown - Was abysmal in United’s defeat to Leeds, given the runaround by League One striker Jermaine Beckford. Not a great sign.

Steven Gerrard – Has confessed himself that he’s in poor form – and has had crisis talks with Rafa. Not what we want from one of our supposedly world class players. Although for me his positional indiscipline prevents him from hitting that bracket, part of the reason he has never really shone for England.

Frank Lampard – Mr Dependable has looked a little out of sorts at times this season but seems to now have come into form. Always good for a few goals and a great engine. One of the least worrying.

Gareth Barry – Some seem to think he has been good for Man City, some think he has been disappointing. I’m not really sure. But if he is fit, he will play, and with the death of Owen Hargreaves and poor form of Michael Carrick he is a crucial member of the midfield.

Owen Hargreaves - R.I.P. Barring a miracle bordering on reincarnation he has missed the boat.

Michael Carrick – Seems to have fallen out with Fergie. Not being given much game time, much of which he has had has been at centre back, and he has not been playing well. Touch and go whether he will make it – perhaps will as the only credible understudy to Barry.

Joe Cole - Needs a storming second half of the season. Was England’s best player for a while before his injury and offers that special something that few others can provide. We need him to show he needs to be taken.

David Beckham – Keeps on chugging away. Always good for a 15 minute cameo and excellent dead ball delivery, and a great presence amongst the squad. If fit he will go.

Aaron Lennon – In good form, dangerous, and appears to have added an end product to his pace and penetration. Looks all the better relative to his rivals SWP and Walcott.

Theo Walcott – A giant fall from grace since his hat-trick in Croatia. May not even make the plane unless he starts playing – and well – for Arsenal.

Wayne Rooney – By a mile England’s most important player. Without him we would be fucked. Let’s hope and pray he doesn’t get injured between now and our inevitable quarter final exit.

Emile Heskey – Still sparks debate, still allows others to play around him, we still do better when he plays. First choice alongside Rooney upfront.

Jermaine Defoe – Banging them in, a great option from the bench.

Peter Crouch – Offers something different, and a viable alternative to Heskey alongside Rooney.

So there we have it. Concerns range from huge (Goalkeeper, Right Back, Rooney getting injured) to medium (everything else).We later amended it to include James Milner – who must now be pushing for a starting berth – but things certainly don’t look as good as they did a few weeks ago. Don Fabio must be sweating even more than usual.

Now updated after the Ukraine and Belarus games (and some ‘interesting’ feedback) below is the squad we think Don Fabio should take to South Africa, with reason for inclusion – and exclusion…

Who should go…

Goalkeepers

David James – Has been first choice for a while now, and we are yet to find a better alternative

Rob Green – He is the closest we have to a better alternative. His sending off pushed him out of the reckoning.

Paul Robinson – He is the best option for third choice considering Ben Foster is actually shit

Defenders

Ashley Cole – Utter prick, arguably one of the best left backs in the world though

John Terry – Captain spastic. But ever-dependable as long as he can hold off the injuries.

Rio Ferdinand – A world class performer when he isn’t being merked by his back. Will re-find his form.

Joleon Lescott – Ridiculously overpriced but solid and provides an option at left back

Matthew Upson – Shows the paucity of good resources should Terry/Rio get injured. Woodgate breathing down his neck (when he can leave A&E)

Glen Johnson – Yes, has defensive frailties. But great going forward and allows England to play the system they do

Wes Brown – Solid. Plays for Man Utd. Another option in the centre.

Midfielders

Steven Gerrard – One of the best midfielders in the world

Frank Lampard – See above

Gareth Barry – A competent mopper upperer, if a little overrated

Owen Hargreaves – Should and would go if he can prove he isn’t made of glass. Potentially first choice right back. Huge question marks over his fitness.

Michael Carrick – Has yet to perform for England, and perhaps too similar to Barry. Most at risk.

Joe Cole – One of few players who can produce the unexpected. Has been great for Capello when he’s played. Needs a speedy recovery.

David Beckham – Can still change a game with a pass. Also has invaluable experience. And is fit.

Aaron Lennon – Genuine width, end product improving all the time. Terrifies defenders.

Theo Walcott – Incredible pace, that hat-trick, great against tiring defenders, can also play upfront

Forwards

Wayne Rooney – England’s talisman. Pray to God he doesn’t get injured. Our single most important player.

Emile Heskey – Performs an invaluable role and important to England’s style. Could do with more goals though. Needs to leave Villa to ensure he retains his place.

Jermaine Defoe – Until/unless Michael Owen proves his fitness, the best ‘pure’ goalscorer we have. Darren Bent threatening.

Peter Crouch – Another option from the bench, offers a bit of everything, if nothing special at any of them

Who shouldn’t go….

Goalkeepers

Ben Foster – He is actually shit, as proved by his recent mistake-ridden performances. Has done absolutely nothing to justify inclusion.

Joe Hart – His time might come. It isn’t now though.

Scott Carson – Has declined into forgotten anonymity

Chris Kirkland – Injuries have pushed him down the pecking order

Defenders

Jonathan Woodgate – One of our best, ability wise. But just too injury prone to rely on. If he stays fit all season then could displace Upson.

Wayne Bridge – Lescott can cover for Cole if necessary. As could Barry if we’re desperate. Also allegedly the best paid full back in the world, which he has to be resented for.

Gary Neville – Old and injured

Micah Richards – Regressing worryingly. Time may come though.

Gary Cahill - Unsure what all the fuss is about. Massive chav. Capello seems to like him though.

Curtis Davies – Stupid hair.

Luke Young – A Villa defender who’s not good enough.

Nicky Shorey – See above.

Stephen Warnock – See above.

Phil Jagielka – Again, a good season could push him into the reckoning but currently crocked

David Wheater – Don Fabio won’t pick anyone from the Championship. Wouldn’t get in if he were in the Premier League anyway.

Midfielders

James Milner – A Capello favourite, he will probably go, although we don’t want him to. Likely to replace Carrick. Versatility is a plus and can play left back, totally ruling Bridge out (a definite plus).

Ashley Young – Much as it pains me, he hasn’t done enough recently. Could change though.

SWP – A poor man’s hybrid of Lennon and Walcott. Pointless inclusion.

Stewart Downing – Everyone has forgotten about him. But again, a good season would push him back in. If he ever recovers.

David Bentley – Who?

Jermaine Jenas – Just never got what he is or what he does

Tom Huddlestone – A behemoth of a man. Not mobile enough.

David Dunne – A case for his inclusion is bordering on the bizarre

Nigel Reo-Coker – Fall out with MON has pushed him miles out

Forwards

Carlton Cole – Although he probably will

Michael Owen – Poor old Mickey. I would love him there – but without consistent injury free game time and more goals than Defoe, he wont be.

Gabby Agbonlahor – Not particularly good at anything. Except being quick.

Dean Ashton – Dead

That gives us a squad of:

David James, Rob Green, Paul Robinson

Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott, Matthew Upson, Glen Johnson, Wes Brown

Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gareth Barry, Owen Hargreaves, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, David Beckham, Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott

Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey, Jermaine Defoe, Peter Crouch

If Jonathan Woodgate can stay fit, he should go instead of Matthew Upson – but that is a huge if. And there is a strong argument (and one Capello obviously buys into) that James Milner’s versatility is a valuable asset. Expect him to go rather than Carrick. Heskey could be marginalised also, bring Carlton Cole right back into the equation. So many ifs and buts… we’ll see where we are in six months time…