GAZ’S SQUAD HAS NO FEAR

WISE MOVE: Southgate has dropped some usual suspects

I’M prepared to give Gareth Southgate a break over his England World Cup squad selection.

I’m glad that Wilshere and Hart have been left out, it was totally the right decision and a refreshing change to see a manager select players with youth and form on their side rather than just names. I’m not really sure how anyone can criticise him really, I mean, who else could he have picked?

Sure there is a case for Shelvey — perhaps even Sessegnon — and the squad he has named might not immediately excite the way previous teams with the likes of Scholes, Beckham, Shearer, Owen, Gerrard and Lampard did – but wasn’t that the problem?

Those teams always seemed to carry so much hope and expectation based on their league form that they were doomed from the get- go!

This squad should be hungry, keen to experience a World Cup finals – and hopefully fearless and free of the weight of a nation expecting them to bring home the cup.

I’ll be happy if Gareth knows who’s taking corners… THIS is a heartfelt plea to the Football Association. I don’t care if you sell Wembley, the very home of football, to the highest bidder, I don’t even care how much you charge for cup final tickets (but I hope the rumoured Community Shield fan boycott goes ahead to teach you a lesson you greedy sods) all I ask is that you please, please, for the love of all that is sane and to give us just one lasting bit of tradition left in a game that has been totally ruined by TV and money, please MOVE THE CUP FINAL KICKOFF BACK TO 3PM! WHILE fans were getting themselves into a frenzy over the playoffs, there was yet another reminder of how football really is just a game last week with the tragic death of ex Aston Villa player JLloyd Samuel who was killed in a car accident aged just 37.

The tribute paid to him by fans at Villa’s match on Tuesday was perfect, just a shame it had to be TRAGEDY: Samuel done at all.