It. Just. Looks. Wrong.

Our greatest concern should not be who will replace the departed Capello suggests Dylan Terry but which player can step into Rooney’s size nines in Poland. Because managers do not necessarily win you tournaments. Strikers do.

Tired of this Capello/Redknapp game? You’ll know what I’m talking about when I say this managerial exit and possible takeover has been massively overhyped since Capello’s resignation. Unless you’ve been living under a rock that is.

Let’s hypothetically assume Harry does get the job. Then what? All is rosy as England ride off into the sunset with a European Championship victory lying in their wake? It seems unlikely doesn’t it. When a change like this occurs, all the other problems appear to leap out the window, jump on a plane, and land in Poland where we’ll pick them up in four months time. Forget Capello’s exit, and Redknapp being our supposed saviour, there are many other issues that, if forgotten, will cost us just as much as the managerial status, whatever it may be come the summer. The main one being this…

There’s no evident replacement for Rooney.

So, forget the suffocating and endless droning that has accompanied Fabio’s decision to leave, lets concentrate on the Rooney issue and who should replace him.

Rooney, or ‘Wazza’ if you’re indescribably irritating, has been suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012. We all know why, with it being analysed to the point of death and all. So who is going to fill the shoes of Roo? There’s a number of candidates, all of which have their flaws, and none of which provide the intimidation to scare the French. But it’s all we’ve got. So groaning about it appears pointless.

Daniel Sturridge has been in inspired form, playing for a Chelsea side who lets be honest, look far from the finished article. 9 goals in 16 starts would tell you he fits the bill. But wait, he plays on the right side of a three… he’d be a certainty for that first Xl if I was to pick the team. However he’s not a striker.

The work rate he delivers is just not good enough to be in an England side that could be on the back foot for much of the time.

Who are the other options then? Well there’s Carroll, who from Liverpool’s perspective, must resemble that moment after you’ve bought a really expensive car, and you find out it’s got far more faults than you first thought. He’ll improve, but for now, it’s a no. Defoe works far better in a big man/little man combo which England look to be avoiding. Plus, he’s never played in a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation. Darren Bent was another that looked promising. But the work rate he delivers is just not good enough to be in an England side that could be on the back foot for much of the time.

This then, leaves you with Zamora and Welbeck. You can argue the case for either of these but for me it has to be the latter. Bobby is all well and good when playing against sides whose defences can be bullied. But when we come up against a team that dominates possession in France, Welbeck would be far more dangerous in attack. And, with Ashley Young, Welbeck and Sturridge as a front three, that has real dynamism to it. He’s my pick.

My main point regarding the England side is there are far more issues to discuss than the managerial vacancy that lies ahead of us. The starting eleven surely has to be the focus? They’re who will win you a championship; not the tactics, but the quality of player. Granted you can win a trophy without having the best players, but they need to be of a standard where competing with the top, top players, is not an impossible task. We have to get to the point where we have determination at beating sides like Spain, rather than just admiring how much better they are than us. Our players are not up to ‘world class’ standard, and our mentality at bringing through players is too old school. We’re simply not ready to challenge for a major tournament.