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England continued their good form and goal scoring record with a 3-1 win over African champions Egypt, but their once solid defence has fallen apart. With just 4 clean sheets in 16 games there are certainly some things to worry about before the World Cup.
The problem with England used to be the lack of attacking threat, but their solidity in defence made up for that. Now they have improved their attack, their defence has hit problems. Just about all 5 defensive positions including the goalkeeper are still open for selection before the World Cup. Arguably John Terry and Rio Ferdinand should start in central defence, but only if they keep injury free. Otherwise there is no firm choice. As with the left and right back positions, Ashley Cole will struggle to make the World Cup, and Wayne Bridge doesn’t really want to play along side Terry and more. The right back position is also a worry if Glen Johnson gets injured again. Gary Neville has never regained his form after injuries a couple of years ago, and there aren’t really many other right back options other than Wes Brown.
News of Gary Cahill’s blood clot was reported last month, and many thought it was a great pity due to his excellent form and rise in presence on the football pitch. The initial indication was that he would be out for 4 months, so would miss the World Cup, but it looks now that he could be back in 4 weeks, so right back in with a chance to make the squad.
With all the defensive problems, although an outsider, his current Betfair price of 10.0 is a great bet to make. Don’t miss out on this one as they don’t come along too often!
