Rickie Lambert’s England Call Up Is a Poor Decision by Roy Hodgson

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: August 8, 2013

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Roy Hodgson has named his squad for the upcoming, ridiculously timed, just before the start of the season international friendly against Scotland. Amongst the usual blend of names and faces (except maybe the inclusion of Wilfried Zaha), there is one genuine surprise: Southampton striker Rickie Lambert.

Lambert is a good player who had a good debut season in the Premier League last time out with 15 league goals. But considering he is a 31-year-old striker who has just one Premier League season under his belt, it seems a strange decision to offer him a place in the squad.

You could say that age shouldn't be an issue and Roy Hodgson is merely rewarding his form over the past 12 months, but then if that was the case, why wasn't he selected for international duty at any point last season? What could he have done between Hodgson's last squad announcement in May and now to realistically justify a selection based entirely on form?

If Hodgson's selection was based purely on form, there should be no place in the squad for John Ruddy, Chris Smalling, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ashley Young, Jermain Defoe or Danny Welbeck whom all for various reasons did not exactly have brilliant campaigns last season.

What has Ruddy done to deserve taking the place of Fraser Forster? What has Jermain Defoe done to prove himself more deserving of a place than Daniel Sturridge? Who was probably the outstanding English striker towards the back end of last season.

If all his selections are based purely on form then Grant Holt should have gone to last summer's Euros before the likes of Defoe or Andy Carroll. The whole thing smacks of inconsistency.


Does it actually matter?

It may only be a friendly, but it is a friendly against Scotland, at the start of a World Cup year. A World Cup in Brazil, no less. A World Cup in Brazil that England are still in real danger of not qualifying for. Every pre...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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