fabio capello

Well, one thing about Euro 2012 for sure, is that England won’t be led out in their matches by Chelsea’s John Terry. The Chelsea player has been stripped of the England captaincy yet again by the FA, who took the action as the results of Terry’s impending verdict in his racism trial, which won’t conclude until after the summer’s tournament. So the bookie have wasted little time in opening up a great betting market, asking who will be England Captain at Euro 2012? Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand has counted himself out, saying that he doesn’t want the captaincy back, and with him missing the majority of England’s matches anyway over the last year or so, he really wouldn’t have been a strong candidate in the betting market were he fit. Ferdinand apparently just wants to concentrate on playing for Manchester United, and there is no guarantee that he will be in the England starting eleven during the summer anywhere. So where, in all of this England captaincy chaos is the next leader? The obvious next person in line, and the name which has been bandied around the most, is that of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard. He is a quiet, proud and strong leader, and his style of play epitomises just what a captain of a national side should be. Gerrard is favourite in England Captain at Euro 2012 betting, trading at 5/6 with Ladbrokes, but with his injury problems and fitness issues, there is no guarantee that he is going to be the formidable force that he has become to be known as. Where was he when he captaining England through their miserable 2010 World Cup campaign? He went missing a bit there, and if he is handed the captaincy again, it would only be a short term fix because Gerrard is getting on in age. Gerrard has also often been overlooked by Fabio Capello when it has come to handing out the armband. But, the Liverpool star is the front runner, but there are still question marks about him.

Those question marks really highlight the fact that England are really lacking leadership on the pitch. Chelsea’s Frank Lampard is another man in the running, but like Gerrard is at the wrong end of his career to be taking on the mantle, and at 14/1 with Ladbrokes, the Chelsea midfielder doesn’t make a great option. He is also spending more time on the bench, and Capello may opt for youth in starting matches over Lampard, who has delivered goals, but not always top performances for his country. Again, like Gerrard a temporary fix. So is there any youngster likely to step up? We can’t look at Wayne Rooney of course, because of his ban, missing the group stage matches of Euro 2012, so where is the real leadership in the squad? Not only for Euro 2012 but beyond when Fabio Capello departs? Keeper Jo Hart is trading at 8/1 with Paddy Power in the England Captain at Euro 2012 betting market. Is the goalkeeper really the position of captaincy to lead a side through struggles? There’s no criticism over Hart, but goalkeeper captains really aren’t ideal when you can’t walk up to a striker in the middle of the game and shout in their face to get them motivated. But his Manchester City team mate Gareth Barry, from his holding midfield role could fit the bill. You don’t look at Gareth Barry and really see captaincy quality, because he is really understated, just going about his job quietly, and he is not someone you notice on the pitch. The Man City midfielder is 9/1 at SkyBet to take the armband at Euro 2012. He could be on the periphery of a starting too, with Scott Parker likely getting a start over him. What about Scott Parker at 5/1 with William Hill to Captain England at Euro 2012? The Spurs midfielder is highly respected, but another quiet man on the pitch. Hasn’t got the tournament leadership experience that England may require, but doesn’t make too bad of a shout in the betting market though to be honest.

So really, the punters aren’t exactly spoilt for choice in this market, and neither is England boss Fabio Capello in trying to make this decision. If Jack Wilshere was fit, he would probably make a very good candidate for the future, because he is a natural, enthusiastic leader. But putting him under the pressure of being England captain at a tournament? For 40/1 with Bet Victor, it doesn’t seem likely. But there is one name which has flown under the radar, and it is a wonder why this player has never gotten more of a look in when it comes to  leading his country, because more often that not he is the most reliable player on the pitch, and plays with a great fire. That is Chelsea defender Ashley Cole. The bookies are really split between him, with him behind as short as 12/1, but way out at 33/1 with Ladbrokes. It is Ashley Cole really out of the entire bunch who probably deserves the biggest shot at the England captaincy. He will motivate and get in the faces of his team mates, and he generally leads from the front in trying to push the team forward from the back. He is the most natural choice really but Capello hasn’t even ever considered him before and so he may get overlooked again. Could be worth an outside flutter though, especially at the price which Ladbrokes are offering.

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Capello looks to keep England on track for future

Focus will be back on Fabio Capello as England v Netherlands international friendly betting takes place on Wednesday, August 10th. The timing of the friendly has been much criticised, because the new season of the Premier League starts just three days later. Well, no matter what, Capello will have to field a side and because of the timing we are likely to see a strong outfit for half of the game only. That is understandable, but it will break the players back into international duty ahead of England’s next Euro 2012 qualifier on September 2nd out in Bulgaria. After missing out on the last qualification match against Switzerland, England should be able to welcome back strikers Andy Carroll and Wayne Rooney into the fold. Their absence left England a little short up front, and the Three Lions played out a disappointing 2-2 draw at Wembley. So Capello will be happy to have a little more punch up front, and will most keen to get Andy Carroll some valuable minutes in an England shirt up front. Capello though will be missing Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere from the squad, most likely anyway, as they are nursing injuries which probably means that they won’t be risked. Their respective clubs won’t want them taking part anyway, not a few days before the new Premier League season. So England won’t have any big surprises in the squad when it is trimmed to 23 players on the weekend. Manchester United new boy Phil Jones will earn a place in the squad, and keeper David Stockdale should be back in the fold after missing the Switzerland match due to wedding commitments.

This is a very important period for England boss Fabio Capello, as he will be exiting the hot seat after Euro 2012. England are really looking to him to ease in a new youthful era of English football, and while he is heading in that direction, there are still position which need some forward planning for. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard may or may not make the game, and along with Frank Lampard, make up the back bone of a midfield who may not be around much longer. At the back, Rio Ferdinand and John Terry surely won’t carry the hopes of England’s defence on their shoulders too far beyond Euro 2012, so Capello needs to start giving experience to England’s future. He needs to leave England in a strong position for the next manager to step in, who will be guiding them through World Cup 2014 qualification. LA Galaxy’s David Beckham will be disappointed as he still has England ambitions, but his name was not on the list for the provisional squad. England need to be a bit better than they have been in their past few games. Their friendly defeat by France at Wembley was an eye opener, a draw against Ghana was a disappointment, and then failure to overpower a one dimensional Switzerland at Wembley suggested that there is still a lot of work to do to secure England’s future. England have now only won two of their last six matches, which really is not good enough. While getting to Euro 2012 of course will be the big concern for England fans, the set up really needs to start looking beyond that or risk getting left behind further by the modern football that the likes of Germany, and next Wednesday’s opponents, the Netherlands are playing. England v Netherlands International Friendly Betting Odds really are showing nothing between the two sides.

As for the Netherlands, who made it to the final of the 2010 World Cup and then let themselves down badly, things are continuing to look on the up and up for them. They have kept faith with coach Bert van Marwijk, and rightly so, as they continue to play very good football. They are breezing through their Euro 2012 qualification group, scoring plenty and conceding little, and will provide England a very tough test at Wembley. They play some of the best international football around, and forget that abhorrent display in the World Cup final, that was not the real Netherlands. The men in orange, currently ranked number two in the world, are a threat to most teams across the globe. They have a great set up, are very organised thanks to a holding midfield, but break free with some really clinical ruthlessness. They have the control of a very slick passing game, holding on to possession, but also know how to inject pace. Compared to England’s often one dimensional game, the Netherlands look very versatile and adaptable. The Netherlands took a trip across to South America in the summer to face Brazil and Uruguay in international friendlies. Both of those matches ended in draws, but there were several main players missing from the squad. That gave Marwijk a chance to have a look at some promising youngsters, and three of them have been kept in the squad to face England. Kevin Strootman, Georginio Wijnaldum and former Chelsea full back Jeffrey Bruma will all stay on senior duty to face England at Wembley. The Netherlands are waiting on the fitness of apparent Manchester United target Wesley Sneijder, Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben and Tottenham’s Rafael van der Vaart. So just like England, we may only see a glimpse of the Netherlands’ real strengths in the match, but England v Netherlands International Friendly Betting Odds could offer more value in backing the away team.

England v Netherlands International Friendly Betting Odds
England to win: 7/5 at Bwin
Draw: 12/5 at SkyBet
Netherlands to win: 9/5 at Bwin

England v Netherlands Head to Head
Well the head to head between these two nations have provided a lot of drawn matches, so that will probably be a very good indicator for your England v Holland betting here. Out of 18 encounters, nine of the matches have ended in a draw. As for the win column, England have won five, while the Netherlands have scored four victories. So really nothing to split the teams, and England have netted 26 goals in those 18 matches, while the Netherlands have bagged themselves 21. The last time they played was back in 2009 in Amsterdam, when England came back from a 2-0 half time deficit to draw. That was the fourth draw in a row between the two sides. The last time they played in London was back in 2001, when Holland came away 2-0 winners. The last time England beat Holland in London, was back in 1982.

England v Netherlands Betting Tip
With the start of the domestic seasons really more of a priority than this, and because the teams won’t play to full strength for ninety minutes, and because of all the drawn matches between them, look for a draw option on your England v Holland betting. Four consecutive draws between them looks set to be added to.

England boss Fabio Capello has rung the changes for the side, as they step out at Wembley on Tuesday to face Ghana in an international friendly. After coming through their test in Wales on Saturday with comfort, it will be time for Capello to field some of the reserves who are competing for a starting place. England eased to a 2-0 victory in front of a sell out crowd at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday in their Euro 2012 qualifier, and while England played very well, only one criticism would be that they were not ruthless enough in going on to score more goals. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day though was England’s formation which Capello set up. Known for being rigid with his 4-4-2, the Italian broke free and fielded a starting 4-3-3 formation, with Scott Parker doing the holding in midfield. This worked a treat as it allowed Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere and Frank Lampard freedom to get forward, adding extra force to England. Aston Villa’s Ashley Young was another bright spark in the new formation, earning a penalty and setting up the second goal for team mate Darren Bent to knock in from close range. England may have just found their new starting winger, and after a week of negative press surrounding the captaincy of the national side, England were finally drawing applause for the way they played. Now the Wembley fans will be able to see how the second string will fare against their African opponents, as Capello released players from the squad, back to their teams for a rest.

With big Champions League matches coming up, the England boss very cordially let Chelsea’s Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry sit this one out, along with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and Tottenham’s Michael Dawson. Capello had to of course pick another new captain after letting Terry go from the squad, and the captain’s armband has been passed to Manchester City’s Gareth Barry, who held it briefly when England played in Denmark last month. Barry will come into the middle of the park along with the impressive Scott Parker, who really took his big chance to nail down a place in the side. The West Ham man, who many believe is in the running for footballer of the year awards, really slotted effortlessly into the side. There are also starting places for Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines, along with Liverpool’s Andy Carroll up front, as Capello looks to his reserves to show their hunger and level of competition for places in the main starting eleven. In total there are going to be seven changes to the starting eleven for England. The back line is the most changes, with Jagielka partnering Gary Cahill in the centre, and Baines taking the left back spot from the rested Ashley Cole. So, this could take a bit of the string out of this match, as it is a test which really offers something different for Capello’s men. The African sides, Ghana in particular, play their football at pace and like to keep the ball on the deck. However, it is a test which really isn’t going to serve England in any other way apart from giving youngsters like Jack Wilshire and Andy Carroll some big international match experience. With the focus on Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine, the Ghana style of football is something which England is going to come up against competitively in the foreseeable future.

It is an international friendly match nonetheless, and the players involved will want to make their points, and their respective managers will hope they come through the match unscathed. As shown in their run to the 2010 World Cup quarter finals, Ghana like to attack. However, Ghana lost on the weekend, going down 1-0 at home to Sudan, as qualification for the 2012 Olympics began across Africa. Ghana did create a lot of chances in the match, but they just weren’t sharp enough in front of goal, and suffered a late stoppage time goal. Sunderland’s Asamoah Gyan and Chelsea’s Michael Essien are of course, the two most familiar names to English football fans, and while Ghana will be facing something of an England B-team, it is time to weigh up your betting options on this match. As with most international friendly matches, they aren’t always spectacular match, and you generally looks towards a draw a little bit more than you would in a competitive match, and that is probably the best place to go to for your football betting on this historic match. England will surely be a little bit disrupted with the changes, and with players looking to book their places in the team, and Ghana, who like to attack, will provide much better opposition than Wales did for England on Saturday. Ghana can play nice football and aren’t afraid to break forward with speed. That is one area in in which you would expect them to have the edge, but England should still play a pretty efficient game.

That’s why there is a good chance of a draw happening here, but to kick things off, there is a great price of Evens on England -0.75 Asian Handicap at Stan James which is worth looking at if you are backing England to win this one. Better value than the outright odds, and it pays out a half win if England win 1-0. Oddly enough, punters are swinging the other way, with 50% of Asian Handicap bets going on Ghana -0.5 for 19/5 at Bet365. Ghana are also taking 53% of all betting going down on the outright market for a win (with England taking just 34% on the win) so there is heavy leaning towards Ghana getting a result here. The outright draw odds is decent value in itself and should be considered.

England v Ghana Betting Odds

England to win: 3/4 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 11/4 at BetFred
Ghana to win: 9/2 at Totesport

England will not have to face the threat of Welsh winger Gareth Bale on Saturday in their Euro 2012 clash, as Wales manager Gary Speed has ruled the Tottenham star out with a hamstring injury. Bale was expected to make a start for Wales, who desperately need a win in the group, but will have to go through this one without him. Speed has installed Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey as captain for the match in Cardiff. Ramsey and Bale were the duo Wales were going to be looking to for that spark of inspiration to get something out of this game, now will have to explore other avenues. It’s not been a good time on the injury front for Wales, with Rob Earnshaw, Jack Collison and Sam Ricketts already out of action. Speed has been boosted by the news that Aston Villa centre half James Collins is fit and raring to go. Wales are bottom of Group G without a win so far in the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and they can’t leave it much longer to get their campaign going. There is already a lot of ground to make up between themselves and England, along with leaders Montenegro. But the Welsh can do themselves a huge favour in Cardiff on Saturday, and they are fired up for this one. What they really need is to get an early goal, and that will give them so much confidence and belief to get something out of this game. Even as the home side, the bookies have them down as underdogs, out as much as 8/1 with Paddy Power. That is the size of the task which is facing Wales at the moment, who truthfully don’t look a big threat up front, while not looking very solid at the back either.

As for England, there is a lot of competition for places going in the middle of the park. With Steven Gerrard absent, the time may just have gone for Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere to fully take the reins in the middle of the park. He has shown incredible maturity over this season with his club, and is being pencilled in as the future England captain. So now Fabio Capello, who will probably stick to his rigid 4-4-2 has to decide on a midfield partnership. Do Wilshere and Lampard play together, with Wilshere holding back more, or does Capello put Wilshere in the more aggressive role and leave Gareth Barry or Scott Parker to back him up? The competition for places can only be a good thing for England at the moment, and there is enough versatility among the contenders to shake things up if need be. When Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have played together over the past twelve months, England’s success rate has suffered compared to when just one of them start. England do need to keep the Welsh crowd quiet, and while it is being touted as nothing more than a Premier League style match, England need to rely on the professional qualification jobs they have done under Capello before, and not get wholly swept up into the occasion. The more sting they can take out of the Welsh, the easier it will be to pick them off. You can’t help but feel that Wilshere could be one of the main keys for unlocking the Welsh. England have firepower in the starting eleven and from the bench. Andy Carroll may get the chance to play the big man role up front in partnering Wayne Rooney (who only has one international goal in his last twelve matches), leaving the pace of Jermain Defoe to come off the bench if need be. England are hot favourites with the bookies, best priced at the moment for 4/9 with BetFred.

BetFred are running their Double Delight football betting promotion for this international match as well. Back a First Goalscorer in the match, and if that player opens the scoring and then goes on to score a second at any time in the match, BetFred will double the initial First Goalscorer odds. The same applies if that First Goalscorer goes on to score a hat trick in the match, and then you can get your odds tripled. This is a great offer from BetFred, where Wayne Rooney is 7/2, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe 11/2 in the First Goalscorer Market at BetFred. The popular online bookmaker is the place to go, where you can get a £50 free bet as well when you sign up. It’s a big week of International Football, and BetFred have you covered very well.

Wales v England Betting Tip: Expect something of a cagey first half, with Wales running hard, but unable to really penetrate England’s solid back four. England should grow steadily into the match. England just have much better options off the bench and should be able to find a goal from somewhere. Therefore a Draw/England Half Time Full Time bet for 10/3 at BetFred is looking decent value.

Denmark v England Betting, Wednesday, February 9th: England take to the field in Copenhagen on Wednesday, as they face Denmark in an international friendly. The Denmark v England fixture came about after England failed to secure other opponents, but this will be a good game for the national side to have a work out ahead of some upcoming Euro 2012 qualification matches. England boss Fabio Capello has lost the services of captain Steven Gerrard, who picked up an injury in Liverpool’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge over Chelsea on Sunday. Almost immediately, Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish withdrew Gerrard from international duties this week. With Rio Ferdinand also missing out through injury, it’ll be interesting to see who Capello hands the captain’s arm band to. It won’t be going back to Chelsea’s John Terry who was stripped of it before. Most likely it will go to either his team mate Frank Lampard, or Wayne Rooney if he is in the starting eleven. Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney has two career international goals against Denmark. One big surprise in the England squad to face  Denmark, is the call up of Kyle Walker, the young Tottenham defender who has been out on loan at Aston Villa and QPE this season. England have a few players out and some who are doubtful for the back line, including Everton’s Phil Jagielka and Manchester City’s Micah Richards. England’s first choice right back looks to be Liverpool’s Glen Johnson, whose performances this season will have sent the England management looking for better alternatives.

With Rio Ferdinand absent again, Tottenham’s Michael Dawson will most likely be John Terry’s centre half partner, with back ups coming from Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott. Up front, there has been a surprise call for Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor, who has missed most of the season through injury, however, he has withdrawn due to personal reason. However, his new striker partner Darren Bent is quite likely to put in an appearance during the game. Peter Crouch was back in the England set up, but was sent home after a fitness test, but the return of Jermain Defoe will probably renew his partnership with Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney. After the withdrawals, Capello has called up West Ham’s Carlton Cole, and with keeper Robert Green after Ben Foster pulled out as well. England have had problems up front in the last few matches because of injury, and really on Darren Bent is on any kind of form. Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale has been called up for his senior squad debut, as he plays number three behind Joe Hart and Robert Green. So, what can England expect from Denmark? Well, the last time they went to the Parken Stadium, England got thumped 4-1 back in 2005, with Wayne Rooney finding the back of the net for the visitors. The very next match they played after that, was in Cardiff against Wales. England’s next game here? In Cardiff against Wales in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

England have actually lost on their last two matches against Denmark, suffering a 3-2 defeat against the Danes in 2003. So this could be a tough test against the Danes, who traditionally are a defence first outfit, and should be a good test of England’s creativity. England are currently ranked 6th in the FIFA World Rankings, while Denmark, managed by Morten Olson, are down in 27th. While there is no importance on the match in terms of result, with it being an international friendly and everything, there are places up for grabs in the team. After making a solid start to their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, Fabio Capello will be looking for a solid performance, and at least some initiative taken by the visitors. If England play with width and pace, then they will likely beat the Danes. However, England have lacked something of a cutting edge, and it could simply be a game of patience and taking that one chance which comes their way. England have met Denmark 17 times since 1948 and England have won ten of those encounters, drawn four and lost two. In the goal scoring department, England have hit 33 goals against Denmark, and have conceded 18, so they have a pretty good record (apart from the last two matches).

In international friendly matches, they have faced off against each other 9 times, with England winning five, drawing two and losing two. In those nine international friendly matches, England have scored 14 goals and conceded nine. The last England triumph came back in 2002 when England ran out comfortable 3-0 winners (in the World Cup Finals). A bit of Trivia for you. Which two England players hold the record for the most caps against Denmark? Well, that will be Peter Shilton and Terry Butcher. The current active player with the most caps is Chelsea’s Ashley Cole with three.

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster, Joe Hart, David Stockdale
Defenders: Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Glen Johnson, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Kyle Walker
Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young
Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Wayne Rooney

Denmark to win: 11/5 at Bet365
Draw: 40/17 at Bwin
England to win: 23/17 at Unibet

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England have booked a February international friendly against Denmark, as Fabio Capello looks for an all important warm up match before his side take on Wales at the Millennium Stadium in the Euro 2012 qualifier. It was expected that England were going to face South American side Argentina, but with the two sides being unable to work out the finer details of the date, England have decided to play Denmark instead. They will be playing at the Parken Stadium, which may be a clever tactical move by Capello, as the stadium in Copenhagen has a roof which is retractable, just like at the Millennium Stadium in Wales. There is a train of thought that it will mimic conditions in Wales. The Wales match will be England’s next competitive game, as Capello looks to secure safe passage through to Euro 2012 with an away victory, in what will be a hostile atmosphere. As so often it does, after failing to book any other opponent, history now raises its head, as back in 2005, England played a warm up match against Denmark in Copenhagen before they went to Wales to play a World Cup Qualifier. England prevailed in Cardiff on that day, after losing the friendly to the Danes.

There are still speculations of Fabio Capello’s position as manager of England, with the FA publicly announcing that Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is firmly in the running to success the Italian. Capello is contracted into the job until after Euro 2012, and while England are showing solid signs again in qualification, the real proof of the pudding won’t be until they enter tournament football again. Will Capello be there to do it? Capello has to prove that he can make amends for a woeful showing at South Africa 2010, and the FA decided to keep faith with him, after the boss vowed to look to the future with younger players. Harry Redknapp is currently 2/1 at William Hill in a position as favourite to be next England boss, while a slightly scary though of Roy Hodgson being in charge of the national side is 8/1 at Paddy Power. Martin O’Neill may be out of the running because of his nationality, but he is 11/1 at Paddy Power to follow in the footsteps of Capello. Stuart Peace, who has done a great job with the under 21s is 16/1 at Paddy Power, with big Sam Allardyce, who has just gotten the boot from Blackburn, is 16/1 at Stan James.

With all of the injury problems surrounding the status of England’s front line, with the quartet of Wayne Rooney, Bobby Zamora, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe all missing through injury, Fabio Capello has received some good news. On the list for a call up and possible start, were Newcastle’s Andy Carroll and Aston Villa Gabriel Agbonlahor, but both were being assessed for injury after their respective weekend Barclays Premier League matches. Agbonlahor misses out on final selection for the squad, but Carroll is fit to go, and will start the international friendly match against France on Wednesday night. West Ham’s Carlton Cole, who has been struggling with injury for most of the season and has only hit one goal in eight matches for his club, gets drafted in as cover. The big surprise up front of course, has been the selection of Championship side Cardiff’s Jay Bothroyd, who is in sparkling club form, and Capello has decided to take a look at him. Andy Carroll, who is the Premier League’s top scorer so far this season with seven goals, should bring some of that old classic England centre forward style to the team, as the big lad has great aerial power, but a good touch on the ground and has the strength and muscle to unsettle defenders.

England v France Betting Odds

England to win: 13/10 at Victor Chandler
Draw: 23/10 at SkyBet
France to win: 13/5 at Totesport

The injury problems for England, combined with the meaningless nature of this fixture, which is England’s final one of 2010, have led England boss Fabio Capello to put out an experimental and young side. Sunderland’s much touted Jordan Henderson, who is supposedly going to be in a bidding war between Manchester united and Manchester City in the January transfer window, gets to make his debut in the starting eleven. Capello will also give a start to Arsenal’s left back Kieran Gibbs, who has just returned from injury. However, young Arsenal midfield star Jack Wilshere will miss his chance to run the show for ninety minutes, as he sits out through injury. Goalkeeper Joe Hart is also under watch after being injured in training, and with Chelsea’s John Terry picking up a long term injury on the weekend, England are barely scraping together a second string side, but at least it gives fans the chance to see some new blood in an England shirt. Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson, are all senior squad members who are missing through injury as well.

Anytime Goalscorer Markets

Andy Carroll: 9/4 at SkyBet
Peter Crouch: 5/2 at Unibet
Jay Bothroyd: 3/1 at Bet365
Carlton Cole: 3/1 at SkyBet

So there are going to be new faces on show, and throw in the likes of Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott and Ashley Young, and there could be an exciting flow to the game going forward for England. First caps for your country at home are big occasions, and the experience of the senior players will help a lot. The likes of Rio Ferdinand may not get the full ninety minutes in, but this exhibition match should be one which is played at pace as there is nothing to lose and everything to gain for the England rookies. Largely it will be an unfamiliar England, especially as the second half wears on and the substitutes take their places. There is a full Premier League fixture list on the weekend, and Champions League next week as well, so managers of the leading clubs aren’t going to want to see their stars get too much action. England next head into competitive action in March, when they head to Cardiff to take on Wales in the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Fabio Capello promised to turn to youth after the failings of a miserable World Cup in the summer, now he may just get the chance to go all out and throw the young lions into action against the French.

BetFred England Special

There are double and triple odds chances afoot at BetFred for the England game. Back a player as First Goalscorer with the online bookmaker and you will be in for some extra’s if they do that, and more. If any player you back scores the opening goal and then goes on to score a second, BetFred will double your first goalscorer price. If that player then goes on to hit a hat trick in the match, then BetFred will treble the first goalscorer price which you took. This is a great offer, and for what is largely anticipated to be an open game, will Andy Carroll make a big splash on his debut? Carroll is 5/1 at BetFred to score first. With the BetFred offer on the table, then it’s worth a punt!

England v France, Wednesday, November 17th – Sunderland’s Jordan Henderson could be on the brink of earning his first senior cap, as England boss Fabio Capello is leaning towards youth for the midweek England v France international friendly. Henderson has been impressing all season, and could be one of a crop of youngster who get their chance to shine at Wembley on Wednesday. The other name on the list that has gained a lot of attention, is that of Newcastle striker Andy Carroll. The striker has been enjoying a fine season as Newcastle try and secure their position in the top half of the Premier League after returning to England’s top flight this season. Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere should be in line for a start, as England may possibly field a very young side. Manchester United’s Chris Smalling also makes a surprise name on the list, and finally Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbolahor could get a proper chance after making a comeback from injury against Manchester United on the weekend, and looking good. There were hints that there would have been call ups for Matt Jarvis from Wolves and Blackburn’s Phil Jones also, but they both miss out. One surprising call up for the young England squad, is that of forward Jay Bothroyd from Cardiff. The striker is in incredible form this season, having hit 15 goals in the Championship, and with Capello leaning towards an experimental squad for this final match of 2010, Bothroyd could earn a surprise cap. While this is good recognition for a player in form, it does speak volumes about the lack of options available to Fabio Capello in England’s top flight. It is not as if Capello is blessed with a lot of choices.

England v France International Friendly Betting Odds

England to win: 15/13 at Bwin
Draw: 23/10 at SkyBet
France to win: 14/5 at William Hill

England are short on top quality strikers. Wayne Rooney is still nursing an ankle injury. Jermain Defoe and Bobby Zamora are long term absentee’s this season, and with Darren Bent missing for a few weeks as well, the main England strike force has been depleted. Who does it leave? Pretty much Peter Crouch in the squad as a senior striker with experience. So, with Capello having to dip down into England’s second tier to find quality to fill out the squad, where really does that leave the future of England’s strikers? England don’t play competitively until March when they face Wales in a Euro 2012 qualifier in Cardiff, so they should be at fuller strength there. While Agbonlahor, Bothroyd and Carroll make interesting propositions for England’s future, they are of course relatively untested at full international level. Newcastle’s Carroll has been knocking on the door of the England squad, after hitting seven goals in the Premier League this year, and currently being the league’s top scorer along with team mate Kevin Nolan. The likelihood is that the big striker will actually start against France in the friendly, as Agbonlahor is still working his way back to full fitness. Sunderland’s Henderson has been impressive for the Black Cats, and is part of the reason why they have taken a much better step towards consistency. A product of the Under 21 side, his name has been touted around as being a great prospect for the future in the England midfield. He could deservedly make his debut.

There is actually an exciting look about England to some degree, particularly in the midfield. While Frank Lampard is still out injured, the attacking threats from Manchester City’s Adam Johnson and James Milner, along with Arsenal’s Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, accompanied by Aston Villa’s Ashley Young looking quite promising and hints at a good future in that department. As for the England defence that will be on show for the England v France match, there is a little uncertainty. For a match which has no meaning, Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti and Manchester United’s Alex Ferguson may be hoping that Capello leaves Ashley Cole, John Terry and Rio Ferdinand on the bench. It is quite a senior looking back line, but the surprise call up of United’s Chris Smalling, who hasn’t really made any impact at Old Trafford since his move in the summer, could hint at Capello experimenting there too. With Micah Richards, Kieran Gibbs and Joleon Lescott in the defensive corps, it could be a different looking England defence as well, perhaps even just for the second half. Capello may even take a look at Blackburn’s Jones in the back line at some point, as his rise and rise continues to unexpected levels. But up front is the area which will come under the most scrutiny of all. This is a good chance for Capello to really see what options he has beneath the established names. England need to know that they can call on depth up front when the main few fall out of form, or fall foul of injury like they have done. With nothing but pride on the line in the match against France, it makes the perfect opportunity to blood some fledglings.

England squad to play France

Goalkeepers: Ben Foster, Joe Hart, Rob Green
Defenders: Kieran Gibbs, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott, Micah Richards, Rio Ferdinand, Chris Smalling
Midfielders: Theo Walcott, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young, Steven Gerrard, Gareth Barry, Adam Johnson, James Milner, Jordan Henderson
Forwards: Gabriel Agbonlahor, Jay Bothroyd, Andy Carroll, Peter Crouch

The visitor’s Laurent Blanc’s new look France are bringing quite an experienced side to Wembley for the fixture v England. Four players based in the Premier League make the squad, with Chelsea’s Florent Malouda joining the Arsenal trio of Bacary Sagna, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri. After failing miserably as well at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, France are in rebuild mode and are sitting top of their Euro 2012 qualifying group, having won three and lost one. The defeat came in their opening match, a 1-0 defeat at home by Belarus. They have picked their form up after that though, keeping three clean sheets as Blanc starts stamping his authority and influence over the team.

England v France Statistics

There have been twenty International Friendlies between England and France
There have been seven competitive matches between England and France

Competitive Matches
England have a W3, D2, L2 record

Friendly matches
England have W13, D2, L5 record

Last 5 head to head
2008 – France 1, England 0 (Friendly)
2004 – England 1, France 2 (European Championships)
2000 – France 1, England 1 (Friendly)
1999 – England 0, France 2 (Friendly)
1997 – France 1, England 1 (Friendly international tournament)

David Beckham holds the record (jointly with Billy Wright) for the most caps for an England player versus France (5)

England vs Montenegro Euro 2012 Betting Odds and Tips

European Championship
Date: Tuesday, 12/10/2010
Venue: Wembley Stadium
Kick off 20:00 BST

England to win: 1/5 at Bwin
Draw: 5/1 at Bwin
Montenegro to win: 11/1 at Bwin

England v Montenegro Match Preview

England will take a natural advantage going into their third Euro 2012 qualification match. England v Montenegro betting will be firmly behind the home side for this one. Their opponents, Montenegro will have played a home fixture against Switzerland just a few days before, while England’s over worked stars will have had a good rest between Premier League fixtures and turning out for international duty. That, coupled with playing in front of the Wembley crowd, should ensure that England keep their strong start to their Euro 2012 qualification campaign going. England opened their account with a convincing 4-0 drubbing of Bulgaria, and then a very good 3-1 win in Switzerland. There is still some concern over whether Man Utd’s Wayne Rooney is going to be fully fit, as he was pencilled in to miss three weeks of the season after picking up an ankle injury. There has also been a question over his form and how much mental pressure and stress he is under after his personal life against hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Rooney, who cut a disjointed figure in England’s World Cup 2010 campaign, has netted just once in his six club matches this year, and hasn’t looked like in any kind of shape to actually be picked for his country. Capello has picked Rooney though, after the decision as to whether or not Rooney will be judged fit enough to take part, was handed to England boss Fabio Capello.

England are 9/1 at Paddy Power to win Euro 2012 Outright

With Fulham striker Bobby Zamora suffering a cruel break just as he was securing a place in the squad, the other call ups are Peter Crouch, Darren Bent, while the surprise pick was Bolton’s Kevin Davies who comes from nowhere to win his first cap. With Jermain Defoe, Bobby Zamora and Villa’s Gabby Agbonlahor all down injured, and West Ham’s Carlton Cole overlooked, Capello had to look somewhere. No-one saw Davies coming though, and for a player who has only broken double figures once in the Premier League, and standing at a ripe old age of 33, it’s hard to pick out the logic. It certainly can’t be a long term choice, so has it been made out of sympathy after the player spoke at the start of the season about sadness over missing an England call up. There were calls for Newcastle’s young rough and rugged star Andy Carroll, who has 4 goals in 7 matches this year to be selected, if Capello was serious about looking to youth. Without Rooney it is still not a formidable looking pack of forwards, but England should have enough quality to take maximum points off Montenegro.

In the midfield, Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard will miss the England v Montenegro match, leaving the influence of captain Steven Gerrard to drive the team forward. While England still are a long way short of being technically capable of living with the best teams in the world like your Argentina’s and Spain’s, they have to play to their own strengths. Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, who has earned another call up, certainly has some of that technical ability on the ball which is lacking, but it’s hard to see him get an extended run just yet, as he has also been named in the Under 2-1 side. England do have good options in width, and Man City’s Adam Johnson, who came on to score a cracker against a resilient Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday, is seen as a bright future, along with team mate James Milner. There are concerns that Spurs’ Aaron Lennon is not on top of his game though, and with Arsenal’s Theo Walcott out injured, England aren’t at full depth out wide. They have recalled Joe Cole who has had a troubled start at Liverpool. At the back it will be interesting to see if Capello gets Rio Ferdinand back into the line up after his return to the Man Utd side. Ferdinand has been missing for a long time, and still needs some match sharpness, so Capello will have a decision to make, over whether to put him back into a partnership with John Terry, or give Everton’s Phil Jagielka a continued run in the side.

England squad: Ben Foster, Robert Green, Joe Hart; Ashley Cole, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Rio Ferdinand, Joleon Lescott, John Terry, Stephen Warnock; Gareth Barry, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Jack Wilshere, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Ashley Young; Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Kevin Davies,, Wayne Rooney

England have never gone up against Montenegro, who are still in the fledging part of their independent international career. Montenegro have named an unchanged squad for the two fixtures, putting faith in the players which have earned the country 1-0 wins over Wales and Bulgaria. With six points from six points and being at home, England will start the match as clear favourites on the Wembley turf. The bad memories of South Africa 2010 are slowly being pushed aside, and with another solid win, the somewhat new look England should be able to take steps forward with a younger squad. One of the nice things has been the performances of the new call ups, and no so much reliance on the older established heads in England soccer. England v Montenegro will be the last chance England fans will have to see their side in competitive action for 2010. There is just one more game after that, an international friendly against Laurent Blanc’s France in November. A win at Wembley for England v Montenegro will at least give Capello some closure on a difficult year for England on the international stage, and they will have one foot in the door for Poland and Ukraine 2012.

Online Bookmaker Bwin have been one of the first to roll out prices for the England v Montenegro match, as can be seen above. Bwin are one of the leaders in online bookmaking, and continue to deliver a fantastic service for online sports betting. England v Montenegro betting is of course, just one match in a busy few days of international European matches, as the race for Euro 2012 hots up. Bwin offer a 100% matched bonus for customers who open a new account with them, and this available up to the value of £27. Bwin really do excel with their online bookmaking services, from live streaming, fantastic stats and some of the most competitive prices around. Bwin come very highly recommended.

Switzerland v England football betting – while the media dust doesn’t seem to be settling any time soon amidst the alleged scandals surrounding Wayne Rooney, England boss Fabio Capello has to decide whether to put him in the firing line from the start in the Switzerland v England match on Tuesday night. The player himself has apparently told the England boss that he is ready to go and fully focused on the match, but all of this can’t be great for Fabio Capello as he tries to add some respectability back into English football after the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Rooney was quite influential in England’s 4-0 win over Bulgaria on Friday night, even though he didn’t find the back of the net himself. It was a marked step up, playing deeper behind Jermain Defoe, from the almost anonymous appearances he put in for his country at South Africa 2010. While he remains England’s talismanic striker, how much is disciplinarian Fabio Capello willing to take. Media scandals about Rooney’s personal life is the last thing he would have wanted on his hands, after having to strip John Terry of the captaincy because of rumours over his personal life ahead of the World Cup.

England to win: 10/11 at BetFred
Draw: 5/2 at Bet365
Switzerland to win: 7/2 at Ladbrokes

England v Switzerland Anytime Goalscorer Odds
Wayne Rooney: 8/5 at Bwin
Jermain Defoe: 9/5 at Bwin
Steven Gerrard: 5/2 at Paddy Power

Will Capello act out some kind of punishment to Rooney, maybe start him from the bench in order to keep up appearances and to maintain discipline?. Certainly while some people though Rooney would remain at home to sort out his personal life, he has stayed with the squad, and Capello seems to like that. England without Rooney is a bit of an unthinkable prospect, and in all likelihood the Man Utd man will pull on his shirt for the starting eleven. This is England’s toughest match in a Euro 2012 qualification group which they are expected to win. They will need all of the craft and guile they can muster to break down a Swiss defence which doesn’t let a lot through. That is because coach Ottmar Hitzfeld likes to put out a blanket defence to moot the threat of the opposition, usually killing off games into a dull spectacle. That is the Swiss way however, and it has served them well. Their defence can expect to have to stand up to Wayne Rooney at some point, even if it is not for the full 90 minutes.

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With Fulham’s Bobby Zamora missing through injury, the other striking options which Fabio Capello has for the England v Switzerland match, is Carlton Cole, Darren Bent and hat trick hero Jermain Defoe to select from, but the coach insists that Rooney will be playing. That means England should really start with the same side which kicked off against Bulgaria, with the expectation of Spurs defender Michael Dawson who misses out through injury. There is a battle between Bolton’s Gary Cahill (Dawson’s sub on Friday), Manchester City’s Joleon Lescott or the recalled Matthew Upson to partner Everton’s Phil Jagielka in the centre of defence. England have received some good team news, in that Swiss Keeper Diego Benaglio, who impressed so much during the 2010 FIFA World Cup for his country and has attracted a lot of attention from Europe’s top clubs, won’t be between the sticks. That could have a huge bearing on the outcome of the game, and football betting on the Switzerland v England match, as he really is a top keeper. This will be Switzerland’s first outing in the Euro 2012 qualification group and that should mean England are just that little bit sharper on the night. The Swiss defence will be hard to break down in Basle, but England, especially if Rooney is in the right frame of mind and can get as much of the ball as he did against Bulgaria, should drive on to a win.

Football betting may just be wary of the possibility of a draw in this one, and the Swiss are a tough, organised and well balanced side. One football betting option worth looking at, may be an Asian Handicap result which gives some kind of coverage on a draw. Switzerland give teams a hard time, and England may not be able to create too many clear cut chances on the night, but they should be able to at least win by a margin of one goal and that is where the betting tip will rest. Check out our Asian Handicap Betting guide for more information on the benefits of football betting with it.
England -1 Asian Handicap: 67/40 at Bet365

England v Switzerland Form:
England: DDWLWW
Switzerland: DWLDWD

Euro 2012 Outright Odds: England 12/1 at SportingBet