Time for England to break the mould and give the younger lads a chance?

For too long England have failed at major tournaments.  The 'Golden Generation' have failed to deliver so surely it's time to kick a revolution into gear.  The inclusion of a player such as Frank Lampard is justifiable as an experienced head for certain situations, but I certainly hope Roy isn't planning on starting him regularly.  A player such as Lampard epitomises our struggles in recent tournaments in that he's been excellent for Chelsea, but often failed to hit the same standards for England, particularly at major tournaments.

Perhaps Roy should rather look to players such as Adam Lallana and Ross Barkley, who might provide a freshness to the starting line-up and give the team a different style. Playing one of Lallana or Barkley may mean sacrificing Wayne Rooney, but given his performances for England in recent years it wouldn't concern me too much. In recent tournaments and recent times Rooney has failed to deliver and there's not much to suggest this time will be any different. Daniel Sturridge has seemingly earned the right to play as England's main centre forward. With 21 goals last season he represents England's best attacking threat.  Therefore, if Rooney's inclusion in the squad potentially hinders Sturridge's ability to be the main man, I would have no issue with leaving Rooney out, and including another bright midfielder such as Barkley or Lallana.

Similarly, Luke Shaw's inclusion over Ashley Cole was encouraging.  Although Cole is clearly a superb full back, his international days were numbered, whilst Shaw's are only just beginning.  He has arguably out-performed Ashley Cole this season with whoscored.com rating Cole's performances at 6.91, compared to Shaw's at 7.14. Therefore, Shaw's inclusion hopefully signals that Hodgson is not afraid to accept that experienced players may no longer represent England's best formula, regardless of their reputations.

Having watched much of the same dross from England at major tournaments for much of my life, I can only hope that Hodgson mixes it up a bit, rather than reverting to the same players who have consistently achieved nothing in major tournaments.