Football blog: Should Gerrard return?

Wembley is sold out for this Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan; anyone would think Fabio Capello's men had just stuffed Croatia 4-1 in Zagreb!

For the first time in his reign, the Italian prepares for a match with a team high on confidence, backed wholeheartedly by the traditionally fickle England followers, but that doesn't make his job any easier.

The reason? The notable absence of Steven Gerrard last month. Widely considered one of only two truly world-class players in the England squad (alongside Wayne Rooney), an XI which deliberately excludes a fit Gerrard is almost unthinkable.

Capello could take the easy option. With Joe Cole unavailable, he may shift the midfield around to allow Gerrard back in, or throw the Liverpool dynamo onto the left. But it has been proven that Gerrard doesn't like anything other than a central role; and he blatantly can't play alongside Lampard.

What should Capello do? What should be his team? Send in your thoughts using the boxes below.

Comments

[alfonzo]

James
richards
ferdinand
upson
bridge
beckham
barry
cole
heskey
defoe

[dave]

GK- James
RB- Richards
LB- A Cole
CB- Ferdinand (captin)
CB- Brown
RM- Beckham
LM- J Cole
CM- Gerrard
CM- Hargreaves
CF- Rooney
CF- Crouch

GK:Green
LB:Barry
RB:Richards
CB:Ferdinand
CB:G.Johnson
CM:Hargreaves
LM:Walcott
RM:Beckham
LF:D.Bent
RF:Agbonlahor
CF:Chopra

SUBS:
Robinson(keeper)
King(defender)
Bullard(midfielder)
A.Young(midfielder)
Rooney(striker)

[smileykyle@brierley]

i think this should e the set up
gk:james
rb:g.johnson
cb:terry
cb:ferdinand
lb:a.cole
rm:beckham/walcott
cm:lampard
cm:gerrard{captain}
lm:bentley/a.young
rs:rooney
ls:owen

[Marcus]

gk james

rb johnson
cb ferdinand
cb terry
lb a.cole

rm walcott
dm gerrard
cm lampard
lm a.young

cf rooney
cf heskey

[rich]

henz 73 has got it bang on.

rooney plays like a central midfielder, so i cant see how fabio is going to accomodate the roon, stevie g and lamps in 1 team.

personally i think gerrard and rooney are a class above frank lampard so id prefer they play together with frank a sub for either of them later in the game.

as for strikers, why split up a winning combo, defoe and crouch are working well together at pompey and offer the totally different approaches. but that bring us another dilema, when crouch plays you NEED width, but with rooney and gerrard up and down the middle it resticts the selection of a winger.

its a good job im not in charge, fabio gets paid enough so its his problem

[Marcus]

"personally i thick gerrard isnt in the same league as lampard

if stevie didnt play for liverpool he just be another player but because he is one of the 2 good liverpool players he stands out."

I wouldnt have put my name on that comment either!

[a slater]

Why on earth is Beckham and Downing in the squad? Beckham is way past his sell by date and Dowing is a total waste.

[Arfur waller-joller]

Frank Lampard is a class act, anyone who knows football has to acknowledge that. He covers the whole pitch and works his heart out, he can pass, score and pull the strings, just ask the Villa fans who saw him at his best last week.
Jose Morinho almost signed Gerrard 3-years ago and he could obviously see that Lamps and Gerrard could play together.
So McClaren and Sven coudnt see it and figure it out!! C'mon Fabio, we need both of these players, you're a smart guy earn your wages. I refuse to believe its not possible.
And for Gods`sake Fabio get Michael Owen in as well.

[Joe]

why has he picked downing in favour of ashley young??? its ridiculous. owen shold be there as well, hes doing much better than most of the other strikers seeing as hes stuck at newcastle

[Shazad Ahmed]

I think lampard is a great player but gerrard has a lot more to offer to the england squad.As both player's are doing well this season but as you have seen gerrard whoes a midfield player open the game up so much and creates more chances than any other mid field player in the whole premier L his record speaks for its self.I think we hav a good asset there and we would be folish not to use him

[John]

Lampard gets more goals but thats club form, on internationals Lampard is nowhere near.

Im surprised Agbonlahor wasnt called up, I think 1 targetman in the squad is enough and I dont see the need for Heskey AND Crouch. My team (from the current squad) would be

GK:Green
RB:G.Johnson
CD:Terry
CD:Lescott
LB:Bridge
RM:Walcott
CM:Gerrard
CM:Barry
LM:A.Cole
CF:Rooney
CF:Defoe

Subs - James, Ferdinand, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Heskey.

[JAMES DEAN]

no hope we dont have a world class team the golden age NEVER

FORMATION4-5-1
GK-Robinson
RB-Richards
LB-A.Cole
CB-King
CB-Terry
RM-Beckham
LM-Walcott
DM-Hargreaves
CM-Bullard
AM-Gerrard
CF-Rooney

SUBS-Hart,Ferdinand,Lampard,Bentley
,Defoe

[megapicks]

personally i thick gerrard isnt in the same league as lampard

if stevie didnt play for liverpool he just be another player but because he is one of the 2 good liverpool players he stands out.

lampard give you so many goals gerrard just scored 100 goals for liverpool and hes played there his hole career while lampard has scored 150 with chelsea and he stated of at west ham.

as for owen why should he be in the team hes not in form while agbohnlahor is why go for old and injured when you camn have fresh and talented

[Steve]

Think we will stick to fabio..Roo on his own..more goals in a postponement! Lets hope we get a penalty

[Ashton Boy]

GK - Hart
RB - Richards
LB - A.Cole
CB - Ferdinand
CH - Terry(cpt)
RW - Walcott
LW - Young
DM - Hargreaves
CM - Gerrard
AM - Lampard
CF - Rooney

[Ashton Boy]

GK - Hart
RB - Richards
LB - A.Cole
CB - Ferdinand
CH - Terry(cpt)
RW - Walcott
LW - Young
DM - Hargreaves
CM - Gerrard
AM - Lampard
CF - Rooney

[Ashton Boy]

GK - Hart
RB - Richards
LB - A.Cole
CB - Ferdinand
CH - Terry(cpt)
RW - Walcott
LW - Young
DM - Hargreaves
CM - Gerrard
AM - Lampard
CF - Rooney

[steve]

Stevie G in the centre,playing the world class football he does best, Hargreaves in defensive mid as he does best,protecting the back four. Lamps has had his chances, he can keep the bench warm for a while and converse with joe cole about the goal assist in the last Chelsea game. And wheres Michael..C'mon Fabio "This is England" germany 1 England 5 Was u there? Quality! :)

[Buzzinator]

Bless, that is a top squad but i wouldnt rely on walcott too much.... he will defo get a game on saturday but he is still young and we dont know how consistent he is.
personally i would start him on saturday as he deserves it but otherwise it would have to be Beckham first and walcott a sub to demolish the tired defenders!
also GET BENTLEY OUT OF THE SQUAD!! if capello wants to have people like him in the squad then it is ashley young all the way, even get lennon back in to replace that peiece of turd.
also soon agbonlahor should get a call up if he keeps his form going for aston...
1 last thing
GIVE BULLARD A CHANCE! not just a one off call up and not to be included...

[Bless]

England Squad: James, Johnson, Terry, Ferdinand, A Cole, Walcott, Barry, Gerrard, Young, Rooney, Defoe

Subs: Green, Brown, Lescott, Lampard, Wright-Philips, Crouch, Agbonlahor.

Let me know what you think!

[John]

Gerrard is better than Lampard in my view, and I dont think they can be accomodated into the same team.

In my view Lampard should be put on the bench with Gerrard and Barry (for now) in the centre, then, dependant on form, Gerrard can make way for Lampard and Barry can make way for Hargreaves.

England arent rubbish, far from it, the problem is the Sun, Mirror, and all the other rags not worth their 20p reckon that we should thrash every team apart from Brazil, Italy and Germany 5-0 and that every pass should get to its man and for our players never to lose a tackle - they only ever focus on England and dont accomodate for how well the other team play.

"If Gerrard is so 'world class' how come he can only play in one position?"

Maybe because that's his position and one he has played in at a "world class" level for the majority of his career, apart from when he has played on the left in the odd game.

Gerrard is class and is streets ahead of Lampard who without his penalties wouldn't score that many, and has one good game a month if that.

[??????????????????]

england are rubbish and everyone knows they are