Yesterday Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster was replaced by former Shrewsbury Town prospect Joe Hart after Foster had picked up a knock following Sunday’s season opener in the Community Shield at Wembley. Today he has been joined back in England by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard who has withdrawn following what The FA are calling a “tight groin” in a pre-cautionary move.
I am reasonably pleased with both of these changes to the squad as I think that Foster looked quite shaky at the weekend and has not been much different over pre-season either reportedly, while I am a big fan of Joe Hart and think he can become a top goalkeeper. He has made the right decision to leave Man City for Birmingham this season so he can continue his top flight education. The goalkeeper position is one of the key areas of weakness in the England side and so this is a good opportunity to see how the likes of Robert Green and Joe Hart can do. You’d certainly think that with the likes of Van Persie, Huntelaar, Sneijder and Van Der Vaart in the Dutch squad that the goalkeepers will have the chance to impress in goal.
Meanwhile Gerrard’s absence will allow us to see how the 4-2–3-1 system will work when using two wingers rather than having the Liverpudlian on the left flank. Hopefully we will give Ashley Young another chance to see what he is capable of on the left wing. He hasn’t shone thus far in his England career but he has been outstanding for Villa for some time and if he could just replicate that form for England we would finally have another viable option for that left side.
My starting XI for the Holland friendly:
————————– Green ————————–
Johnson —- Ferdinand —- Terry ——- A. Cole
————- Barry ——– Lampard —————–
Walcott ———- Rooney ————— A. Young
——————- Heskey —————————-
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