If he was Spanish, he would have won 100 caps, or so they say. Personally, I am not convinced. As fabulous a passer as Carrick is, he does not have the mentality or determination to put his stamp on a match. Alongside a Busquets and Xavi he would no doubt be fine, but England do not have players of that calibre. Carrick is England's equivalent of Xavi and yet he has a fraction of the influence as the Barcelona player. When the going is good, Carrick greases the wheels of England's midfield engine. However, when the Three Lions are put on the back foot, Carrick turns to dust. At 32, Carrick is not getting any younger, and with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard now centurions for their country, Carrick is not bringing much needed experience. Jack Wilshere will be included as long as he is not injured, while the queue of young midfielders is growing almost by the week. Alongside Jones, Carrick held Arsenal at bay in Manchester United's 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, however when Jones moved to centre back United's midfield lost control. When there is someone there to do the running, Carrick's rather languid style is not such a problem but when the opposition gets the upper hand, Carrick becomes a liability. When a United player has only 31 caps despite nearly ten years in the Premier League then something is clearly up, and while in a perfect world the ex-West Ham and Tottenham would help England evolve to a Spanish style, he simply is not good enough for England to rely on. If England are to be successful in Brazil they will have to look to the English traditions of work rate and tempo, and Carrick does not fit into that tradition.
