By Football Talk.
Fabio Capello could be set to call upon Spurs pair Jermaine Defoe and Michael Dawson in a bid to rescue England’s World Cup campaign, according to reports this morning. After two disappointing draws against the USA and Algeria, Capello has come under a barrage of criticism and is now mulling over making several changes ahead of Wednesday’s crunch tie against Slovenia.
Many are calling for the England manager to abandon his 4-4-2 formation and bring Joe Cole in on the left and play Steven Gerrard off Wayne Rooney up front. But the Telegraph are suggesting today that Capello is committed to playing two strikers as he searches for goals, and believe that Defoe is seriously being considered from the start due to his pace and mobility and he has looked good in training. The major worry for Capello is that Defoe and Rooney have rarely gelled when they have been started together.
The other major decision for Capello is who partners John Terry at centre back, with Tottenham’s Michael Dawson fighting it out with Matthew Upson for a starting place. There is little doubt that Dawson is the form player following his superb season for Spurs, but Upson has the international experience that may just persuade Capello he is the man for the job.
Should Dawson be given the nod, it would be a remarkable turn-around for the player after he was axed from the provisional 30-man squad. But following injuries to Rio Ferdinand and Ledley King, as well as a suspension to Jamie Carragher, Dawson could now be set to win his first ever England cap.
