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England’s Euro 2012 Chances: 5 Reasons They Can Still Win It

Yesterday, Roy Hodgson will have felt the true pressures that accompany the England manager, as he revealed his hand and named his 23-man squad for Euro 2012.

Facing the media moments after the announcement, few could argue his demeanour was not polite, persuasive and pleasantly articulate—but some of his personnel choices have come under severe scrutiny in the aftermath.

It was almost tragically predictable that ‘#HodgsonOut’ would begin trending on Twitter at the same time as the names went viral, but it showed exactly how some people felt.

If the exclusions of Micah Richards and Rio Ferdinand, or the inclusion of Stewart Downing, were not the cause, then it was some of the curious reasoning Hodgson gave that may have tipped the balance.

He claimed his main reason for not picking Rio Ferdinand, controversially axed from the squad, was due to his prolonged absence from the international stage. He inherited a squad and felt a loyalty to those in it.

This is fair enough, yet a few sentences before saying this, Hodgson announced Steven Gerrard as his captain, a player who has appeared in his national shirt for 33 minutes in the past 18 months. Less than Ferdinand.

Elsewhere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain may yet prove an inspired addition to the playing party despite only starting six Premier League games.

When asked about this pick, Hodgson revealed it was watching him play for Arsenal against Milan at the Emirates that had swayed him, and especially the way he dealt with Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini.

Considering Ambrosini missed this clash, and Pirlo is now at Juventus, this was another moment Hodgson’s esteemed aura took a bashing in front of the world’s media.

All in all, yesterday only seemed to deflate and further agitate an already uninspired nation. If the public were unsure of England’s hopes before, they now seem even more pessimistic about the entire affair.

Is all faith extinguished already without a ball being kicked? Is there any hope? Here is a desperate attempt to rouse some optimism in some of those doubting minds.

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Bleacher Report – World Football

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Date Published: May 18, 2012 - 1:22 am

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Chelsea Vs Liverpool (2-1), FA Cup Final 2012 – 3News NZ

3News NZ

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS: Chelsea Vs Liverpool (2-1), FA Cup Final 2012
3News NZ
By Greg Robertson Hello and welcome to Wembley Stadium where we have Liverpool V Chelsea in the FA Cup Final of 2012. We bring you highlight and action of all the best bits as soon as they happen, commentary and goals galore as they minute by minute.
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