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Goal.com UK Poll Results: Readers overwhelmingly back Jermain Defoe to form potent partnership with Wayne Rooney for England's Euro 2012 campaign
But doubts remain over hat-trick hero's ability against top opposition...
4 Sep 2010 13:28:00
By Chris Davie
Following his hat-trick against Bulgaria on Friday, Jermain Defoe has signalled his intent to become England’s regular strike partner alongside Wayne Rooney in emphatic style.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been on the fringe of the international setup ever since his senior debut for England 2004. Out of his 44 caps, he has only started 16 games and Fabio Capello opted to use the brute force of Emile Heskey during both the World Cup qualification process and indeed the finals in South Africa.
With the international retirement of Heskey, Defoe has immediately been promoted to number one choice beside Rooney and his predatory instinct in front of goal will be looked on favourably when compared with club-mate Peter Crouch and Fulham’s powerhouse Bobby Zamora.
After England’s languid campaign in South Africa, Capello has given Rooney a free role ahead of the midfield, therefore a striker is required to lead the line on a permanent basis. Subsequently, Goal.com UK asked you, the reader, to decide whether Defoe is the best option to spearhead England’s attack in the wake of his barnstorming performance at Wembley.
The results are a landslide victory, with 86.29% of the readership believing Defoe is the right player to lead England’s attack following his hat-trick, while 13.71% of the Goal.com UK audience insist Friday’s match was a one-off.
In a breakdown of the results, 54.84% are confident Defoe should feature for England on a regular basis up front, regardless of the opponents' calibre.
Meanwhile, 31.45% insist Defoe can lead the charge but against tougher opposition, Capello may need to consider an alternative. But keep in mind, on paper, the toughest game is likely to be Tuesday’s encounter with Switzerland.
And finally, 13.71% of voters believe Defoe is the wrong player for the role altogether, presumably other options such as Zamora, Crouch, Sunderland’s Darren Bent or Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor would be superior candidates.
It is probable Defoe will start in Basle on Tuesday evening but as the Euro 2012 qualification campaign progresses, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Capello will experiment with a host of strikers, given the criticism directed at him during the summer.
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The Tottenham Hotspur striker has been on the fringe of the international setup ever since his senior debut for England 2004. Out of his 44 caps, he has only started 16 games and Fabio Capello opted to use the brute force of Emile Heskey during both the World Cup qualification process and indeed the finals in South Africa.
With the international retirement of Heskey, Defoe has immediately been promoted to number one choice beside Rooney and his predatory instinct in front of goal will be looked on favourably when compared with club-mate Peter Crouch and Fulham’s powerhouse Bobby Zamora.
After England’s languid campaign in South Africa, Capello has given Rooney a free role ahead of the midfield, therefore a striker is required to lead the line on a permanent basis. Subsequently, Goal.com UK asked you, the reader, to decide whether Defoe is the best option to spearhead England’s attack in the wake of his barnstorming performance at Wembley.
The results are a landslide victory, with 86.29% of the readership believing Defoe is the right player to lead England’s attack following his hat-trick, while 13.71% of the Goal.com UK audience insist Friday’s match was a one-off.
In a breakdown of the results, 54.84% are confident Defoe should feature for England on a regular basis up front, regardless of the opponents' calibre.
Meanwhile, 31.45% insist Defoe can lead the charge but against tougher opposition, Capello may need to consider an alternative. But keep in mind, on paper, the toughest game is likely to be Tuesday’s encounter with Switzerland.
And finally, 13.71% of voters believe Defoe is the wrong player for the role altogether, presumably other options such as Zamora, Crouch, Sunderland’s Darren Bent or Aston Villa’s Gabriel Agbonlahor would be superior candidates.
It is probable Defoe will start in Basle on Tuesday evening but as the Euro 2012 qualification campaign progresses, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Capello will experiment with a host of strikers, given the criticism directed at him during the summer.
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Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 3 Sep 2010 to 4 Sep 2010
Poll runs from 3 Sep 2010 to 4 Sep 2010
Has Jermain Defoe proven he can lead England's strikeforce alongside Wayne Rooney?
Yes - he has exhibited all the signs to make it work
55.02%
Yes - but not against the top opposition
31.33%
No - it was just one game
13.65%
21:50 BST -
And here are some quotes from today's goalscorer, Danny Welbeck: "It's still the same, me and Ashley [Young] playing together.
"We know each other's games and obviously we're training with each other day in and day out.
"So, it was really good to start up top with him."
"We know each other's games and obviously we're training with each other day in and day out.
"So, it was really good to start up top with him."
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