Some of England’s finest footballers will be nervously tossing and turning in their beds tonight with Three Lions manager Roy Hodgson due to name his Euro 2016 squad tomorrow.

Jack Wilshere. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA WireJack Wilshere. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

The announcement had originally been scheduled for last Thursday but Hodgson took the sensible decision to postpone and get today’s final round of Premier League games out of the way. This being England, you never know when a metatarsal might go ping.

By my calculations there are roughly 40 players vying for the 23 places on offer, so at least a dozen Wags need to be at their consoling best over the next 24 hours.

Because, despite what we may think about the average millionaire footballer, the majority of them still see playing for their country as the ultimate honour. And missing out on a tournament like this will be heartbreaking.

Jordan Henderson. Photo: Barrington Coombs/PA WireJordan Henderson. Photo: Barrington Coombs/PA Wire

Much of this England squad picks itself, as they generally tend to do in these situations. The likes of Joe Hart, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, James Milner, Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and Wayne Rooney already have their plane tickets to France. In fact, I would say 17 of the places up for grabs are pretty much set in stone, barring last-minute injury.

But the real test of an international manager’s credibility is how he fills the six slots that remain once the no-brainers have been pencilled in. Those are the decisions that can make or break a team.

Mark Noble. Photo: Nick Potts/PA WireMark Noble. Photo: Nick Potts/PA Wire

In this case, Hodgson has to decide whether or not, for example, he should gamble on the fitness of Jack Wilshere and Jordan Henderson. Both would normally be among the group of certainties but both are only just returning from injury.

Does it make sense to gamble on them both or should he take one and fill the other slot with someone like West Ham United’s Mark Noble, for example, who has had a brilliant season and is fully match fit.

Then you have players like Theo Walcott, whose fitness is fine but form isn’t. He would once have been a squad certainty but why would you take him to the tournament and leave behind Andros Townsend, who has been sparkling in a doomed Newcastle United team?

Danny Drinkwater. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA WireDanny Drinkwater. Photo: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

And does Danny Drinkwater, with his single England cap, really offer more than Fabian Delph? Should he gamble on the fitness of left back Luke Shaw or go with the reliability of Leighton Baines? The flexibility of Phil Jones or the specialisation of Eric Dier?

And that’s before we get to the strikers, were Mr Hodgson has a major selection dilemma on his hands. Rooney, Kane and Vardy are the obvious picks but what about the other two slots, assuming he opts for five strikers.

Andy Carroll might not be everyone’s cup of tea but he offers the team something different: a focal point to launch balls at if you are losing with just minutes to go. Marcus Rashford is young but offers trickery, pace and vision. Daniel Sturridge would already be deciding on his in-flight meal if his legs weren’t made out of glass. And what about Jermaine Defoe? He may be getting on a bit but he has a wealth of international experience and has just enjoyed an excellent season helping save Sunderland.

The real test of an international manager’s credibility is how he fills the six slots that remain once the no-brainers have been pencilled in

By this stage, with just hours to go, you would like to think that Hodgson has already made up his mind. And that it is just a case of making sure his chosen 23 come through today’s games unscathed.

But considering this tournament is going to decide whether he is re­membered as a great international manager or a failed one, he may still be agonising over a decisions or two right up until the last second.

In some ways I don’t envy him. It won’t be easy making those decisions and it certainly won’t be much fun telling those he has left out that they aren’t coming to the party.

But then again, that’s precisely why he is paid millions of pounds a year while I’m not. So I will stop short of feeling sorry for him.

Andros Townsend. Photo: Adam Davy/PA WireAndros Townsend. Photo: Adam Davy/PA Wire

Just for the record, however, this would be my 23:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, Fraser Forster, Ben Foster.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Nathaniel Clyne, Phil Jagielka, Gary Cahill, Chris Smalling, John Stones.

Midfielders: James Milner, Eric Dier, Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Raheem Sterling, Adam Lallana, Mark Noble.

Attackers: Wayne Rooney, Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, Daniel Sturridge, Jermaine Defoe.

Luke Shaw. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA WireLuke Shaw. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

Now let’s see what names Mr H has come up with.

Going out with a whimper

As last days of the season go, this is not going to be very exciting, is it?

In fact, I can’t remember the last time pretty much everything of importance was decided before the final day.

We know the champions, we know who is going down, we know three of the top four places. In fact, the only thing we don’t know at this point is which of the two Manchester teams is going to take the final Champions League slot.

Marcus Rashford. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA WireMarcus Rashford. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA Wire

United’s latest false dawn came to an abrupt end last Tuesday when they were beaten by West Ham, meaning they now need to beat Bournemouth while hoping City lose to Swansea.

Neither of those two things are impossible, but you would still put City down as favourites for fourth place.

And that’s about it. Yes, West Ham and Southampton are sort of involved in the battle for Europa League football. But it’s pretty hard to get excited about that.

Eric Dier. Photo: Adam Davy/ PA Wire.Eric Dier. Photo: Adam Davy/ PA Wire.

So I suppose we will just have to sit back and watch this season go out with a whimper. And then start counting the days till it all stars up again.

Ninety, if you were wondering.

Pull the other one

I have to admit to having some sympathy for Marouane Fellaini.

Ever since he tangled with Robert Huth during Manchester United’s game against Leicester City, pundits have been queuing up to criticise the Belgian for being a serial-elbower.

Jermain Defoe (left) and Leighton Baines. Photo: Owen Humphreys/ PA WireJermain Defoe (left) and Leighton Baines. Photo: Owen Humphreys/ PA Wire

The truth is, under normal circumstances I would have to agree with them – he does have a tendency to use his elbows as weapons and that has nothing to do with his height, as some have suggested, but everything to do with his attitude.

The lad clearly has a problem controlling his aggression. Instead of focussing his talent – and he does have some – on playing football, he seems to think his skill lies in assaulting his opponents.

So, on that basis, why would I feel sorry for him?

Well, because in the incident with Huth I actually think his reaction was vindicated.

When was the last time you had your hair pulled? And I mean really pulled. Not caught-up-in-a-moment-of-passion pulled, but grabbed and properly yanked like a couple of schoolgirls fighting in the playground?

A long time ago, I would wager. Which means you have probably forgotten how much it hurts. So, grab a few strands right now and give them a tiny pull. Go on. Bloody painful isn’t it? Eye-wateringly painful, in fact.

Now put yourself in Fellaini’s oversized boots at Old Trafford. He was tussling for the ball with Huth and suddenly felt someone grab his hair (of which there is plenty) and yank it. So he retaliated.

It wasn’t a clever thing to do, true, but in the heat of the moment, I don’t think there are many players who wouldn’t have tried to fight back in one way or another. Having your hair yanked like that is bound to provoke a massive, and instinctive, reaction.

I can’t condone Fellaini’s elbows. But in this case I can certainly understand why they were deployed.

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade

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