Defoe still a no-go

Another  Barclays Premier League weekend passes by, as does another chance for potential Fifa World Cup 2010 stars to show they are the men to lead their country to glory next summer.

Top of that ‘Pick me’ list this week has to be Spurs forward Jermaine Defoe who bagged an impressive and record equalling 5 goals against Wigan on Sunday.

In many peoples eyes this has to make him a guarantee for Englands 23 man squad – but im not so sure he should get the nod. Firstly you have to look at the main attributes he brings to a team, goals. He is the current top goalscorer in the Premier League with 11 goals and impressive as it is – only 1 of those goals has been scored against a team above the bottom six (Wigan 5, Hull 3, Portsmouth & West Ham 1). This would suggest, although being a great finisher, he struggles when up against better players, players that are bit quicker and sharper physically and mentally. Players that you will find in South Africa lining up against England next summer. Can he really create the chances and score the goals given one chance in 90 minutes?

Other than his finishing there is not too much in Defoe’s game that will excite Capello. His movement is so-so, he rarely creates chances for others and he is unable to hold up the ball with any great conviction to bring the likes of Jenas or in Englands case Lampard and Gerrard into play. Players that we need to get on the ball as much as possible if we are to do anything in this competition. This is a key area and an area which I think will convince Capello that he needs to take Michael Owen instead, a player who has spent his career playing one two’s and getting in behind with clever little runs.

By no means am i suggesting that Defoe isnt a quality player – in Premier league terms when you have 38 games to show your stuff he is up there – but its the biggest stage of them all that I fear for him. If Capello has taught us one thing as a nation, its that we need players that play together and play well at the same time, the main reason Emile Heskey will go to the World Cup.

My suggested forward line:-

Wayne Rooney

Emile Heskey

Peter Crouch

Michael Owen

The above four with Theo Walcott down to play in midfield/attack will give us more than enough to be able to play around with formation and tactics if we so need. Carlton Cole nearly got the nod ahead of Emile Heskey but i think the Aston Villa man is just ahead with his experience playing a part.