Pick and Miss

According to reports, England manager Steve McClaren (or should that be ‘head coach’?) has “not turned his back” on Portsmouth’s David James and Sol Campbell. He just hasn’t picked them, that’s all. Not this time. Not at any time anyone can recall. Now that’s a bit odd, since both of them have been absolutely outstanding in Portsmouth’s best season for a long time and disappointment and surprise at their omission is by no means confined to Pompey fans. After all, Spurs’ keeper Paul Robinson hasn’t been covering himself with glory lately and neither Chris Kirkland nor Ben Foster are loaded down with top level international experience. And as for the centre back slots, with John Terry’s fitness still a cause for concern, McClaren should be applauded for bringing back Jonathan Woodgate but he would have also been justified in recalling Campbell.

The case for James and Campbell is not diminished by the fact that there are a number of players whose continued selection for England squads is more a matter of routine than wisdom. Phil Neville for instance isn’t getting any younger, or better. Jermaine Jenas is, if anything, getting worse – something which Bolton’s in-form Kevin Nolan must find particularly frustrating. And lucky Shaun Wright-Phillips doesn’t even have to turn out regularly for Chelsea – a situation which no doubt exasperates a player of David Bentley’s technical ability as he impresses week in, week out, in a Blackburn shirt.

But at least Joey Barton, Gareth Barry, Michael Dawson and the gifted Kieron Dyer have made it into McClaren’s squad, and that is laudable. Though whether they are allowed on the pitch in the friendly against Spain is another matter entirely.