9. Are The Defenders A Good Fit For Each Other?
Perhaps the most worrisome part of Hodgson's squad selection is the lack of strength and depth in the defensive positions. With only one specialist right-back, and not an especially defence-minded one at that, and a total of seven choices instead of the expected eight (allowing two players for each position), England are looking distinctly frail in an area they have often relied upon to bail out their inconsistencies further up the field. On the plus side, Hodgson has a good record for instilling defensive discipline into his sides. On the downside, the options he has selected for this World Cup campaign not only look a little short in number and quality, but may not even be a particularly good fit for each other. Gary Cahill is undoubtedly the outstanding defensive player in the squad, having enjoyed a terrific campaign under the tutelage of José Mourinho at Chelsea. However, Hodgson may require him to adopt the role of leader and organiser, a role to which he is not ideally suited. At Chelsea, he relies on the security of John Terry behind him for the freedom to press a little further forward and turn interceptions into counter-attacks. When required to play the deeper role, he has suffered lapses of concentration when it comes to tracking runners. It's a role he can play but is not ideally suited to, and whether the similar Phil Jagielka can offer the security he needs to play his natural game remains to be seen. Neither will be helped by Glen Johnson and Leighton Baines' tendency to push forward at the first opportunity, and while one of the midfielders will surely drop deep to offer additional protection, Hodgson's first choice back four is looking more of a rag-tag assembly than cohesive unit. The back-up options aren't much more inspiring, with Smalling having endured a rough season at United - and never having looked particularly good at right-back, where he will be expected to fill in should Johnson pick up an injury - and Phil Jones yet to fully settle into his game. While a less talented defender than Jagielka, one has to wonder whether Joleon Lescott - who has played only eight fewer games this season than his Everton counterpart, with four of them in the Champions League - would have been a better fit as a covering partner for Cahill.
