10 Big Questions Raised By England's World Cup Squad

4. Will Hodgson Regret Not Blooding The Youngsters Earlier?

If Hodgson has known the majority of his England squad for as long as he says he has, it's strange how few of the young players selected were given the opportunity to get some international experience under their belts before being called up for a competition as important as the World Cup. Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Jordan Henderson, Ross Barkley and Raheem Sterling have fewer than ten caps apiece - Sterling, Barkley and Shaw each have three or fewer - and even pivotal players like Daniel Sturridge, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere have only 10, 14 and 15 caps respectively. That inexperience could allow the players to go into the competition free from the burden of expectation which has weighed heavily on England's pitiful previous attempts at international silverware, but it seems strange that Hodgson would not have given them at least a few more opportunities to get acclimatised to the different style and pace of international football. Being picked ahead of senior players comes with its own set of responsibilities, especially when there have been few opportunties for the players to show they belong on this stage, so Hodgson could simply have replaced one set of pressures with another. This is likely to be a particularly intense tournament for the players, not only because of the weather but also how finely balanced the differences between the major sides are, making it unlikely that even the biggest teams will be taking a safety first approach. Experience and patience will count for a lot if the players find themselves tied at 0-0 in an important game with ten minutes to go: even the acclaimed young Germany team of the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 never made it past the semis.