Fabio Capello has reacted calmly to EnglandâÂÂs injury crisis by recalling George Camsell from the international wilderness â despite the forwardâÂÂs death 43 years ago.
With Darren Bent having joined Emile Heskey, Peter Crouch and Carlton Cole in the limping queue snaking outside the Three Lions treatment room, Capello has reinvigorated the England career of the long-dead Geordie.
NEWS: Capello: Crouch to start for England
âÂÂThey tell me he has scored 18 goals in nine games,â said the Italian. âÂÂAnd you cannot argue with statistics like these.âÂÂ
Camsell, who played for Durham City and Middlesbrough, last featured for England in 1936 but Capello is not worried about the cadaverâÂÂs lack of match practice.
George: "Cross!"
âÂÂLook, in Italy we value experience,â said the coach. âÂÂHe has played at the top level and you donâÂÂt lose that quality. To me, if youâÂÂre good enough youâÂÂre young enough.
âÂÂBesides which, heâÂÂs got to be fitter than that Michael Owen bloke you keep banging on about.âÂÂ
While critics have been quick to suggest that CapelloâÂÂs logic is flawed, FourFourTwo.com would join Brian Barwick in pointing to the ItalianâÂÂs world-class CV, a trump card that, when played, forbids any kind of criticism of The FA, its employees or their families.
Nevertheless, a nagging sense that the Camsell gamble may not pay off has prompted us to compile a list of other strikers Capello might like to consider.
1. Paolo di Canio
Featured sporting the new England shirt and talking about his Englishness in the new issue of FourFourTwo (on sale now, folks), Di Canio never got to play for Italy. He did, however, get into a fistfight with Capello at AC Milan so would liven up a dressing room thatâÂÂs spent the week plumbing new depths of sycophancy concerning their âÂÂbrilliantâÂÂ, âÂÂgeniusâ and âÂÂoddly attractiveâ coach.
"I'll play, but only after tea-time"
2. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake
The Football LeagueâÂÂs Player of the Year (see the new issue of FourFourTwo, on sale now, folks), the Wolves striker was the ChampionshipâÂÂs Golden Boot winner last season and has outscored himself this term. Called up by England U21s, he pulled out through injury so is technically unavailable. But wasnâÂÂt Agbonlahor too knacked to play for the U21s too?
3. Kevin Davies/James Beattie
Identikit barrel-chested English target men who rarely look like scoring. Could fill the space vacated by Heskey, then. Asking them to step up to international level might be a stretch, but on the plus side you could probably get away with putting both on the pitch at the same time without anyone noticing.
"No, YOU'RE gonna play for England!"
4.Gary Lineker
He may deny it, but who really believes that Lineker doesnâÂÂt wake up every day thinking about what might have been if he hadnâÂÂt opted for that chipped penalty against Brazil. Still one goal behind Sir Bobby Charlton in the England scoring charts, Links could be tempted out of the studio for one last hurrah. As long as he gets pens.
5. Michael Owen
Unlikely. Though he has apparently been pencilled in for the friendly against History in June.
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