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8th March, 2010
LONDON: England World Cup winner Geoff Hurst is not convinced Fabio Capello’s squad can match the achievement of 1966 and come back from South Africa as world champions.
Hurst feels that the Three Lions should reach the semi-finals of the competition this summer, but lack the fire-power to go all the way.
He is also concerned that the squad lacks depth in a few other key areas, especially at the back.
“We’re a tiny bit short up-front. If we had a Fernando Torres up-front with Wayne Rooney, then you’re looking at a different proposition,” Hurst told BBC Radio 5Live’s ‘Sportsweek’ programme.
“We are little bit thin on the ground if we get injuries to major players-if we lose a Rooney or a Steven Gerrard.
“If that back four went in against one of the leading lights at the World Cup then I think we could be in trouble.
“Hopefully everybody gets back fit-Glen Johnson gets back in, Ashley Cole recovers, he’s the best full-back, and Rio Ferdinand recovers as well.
“We need a fairly settled back four as soon as we possibly can.”
Hurst does believe though that the right man is in charge ahead of the summer’s footballing showpiece, with Fabio Capello not dissimilar to the great Sir Alf Ramsey.
“I saw [Fabio] Capello in operation when I was a guest of the team in Germany last year and, of course, I played under Alf [Sir Alf Ramsey] for six years, so I’ve made my own mind up on the similarities,” Hurst added.
“Off the field you can’t be undisciplined with everything you do in the build-up – the training, the staying in hotels, the eating together.
“We have seen a marked difference, and I observed that at very close range in my visit with the team last year.
“We are starting to see a team, and the people in charge, that are as well prepared as they can possibly can be.”
Capello will reveal his final squad of 23 for South Africa in a group meeting with his World Cup hopefuls.
The preliminary squad of 30 will have a week training in Austria leading up to the May 30 friendly against Japan and Capello will have his final selection made by the time that game kicks off.
Capello was quoted as saying in The Mail On Sunday: “The last week we are training in Austria.
“Before the last game we play with Japan we have to decide.
“There will be a meeting with all the players. I will speak with them together and say, ‘Thank you very much but I have to choose’.
“It’s not the best moment for me. I would like all the players to be with me. They are very good players.”
He continued: “I hope to take 30 players to Austria but these are difficult moments, with the FA Cup final and the Champions League final at the same time.
“At the moment I have 30 players in my mind, the last one was the centre-back Ryan Shawcross, as you know. These are the players from which I will choose the 23.
“It will be during one meeting and after that we will speak to the media. I think it will be important for all the players to know my decision at once.”
The squads for the last two World Cups were announced publicly by Sven-Goran Eriksson, with the players finding out whether or not they were included through the media.
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