With speculation intensifying over Michael Owen’s preparedness for this year’s World Cup, WCH investigates Sven’s best ‘Plan B’ attacking option.

Option 1: Crouch as lone striker. With Crouch leading the line as lone striker, England play 4-3-3 with Rooney and Joe Cole providing the principal attacking support. Crouch could certainly bring this pair into the game by providing a decent target and holding the ball-up - Gerrard and Lampard could also be brought into the attack effectively as well. I don’t think Beckham fits particularly well into this structure however. There are much more suitable support strikers/wingers available, and the midfield trio will provide a narrower scaffold of support than a formation which accommodates Becks’ wide-right role. 4-3-3 is not a very English formation but without a proven out-and-out goalscorer in the squad, it could be the best use of available resources.

Option 2: Defoe or Bent as replacement for Owen. This option focuses the amendment purely on personnel, with Defoe or Bent coming in as a ‘like for like’ replacement for Owen. Rooney would continue to partner this new striker. This option does little to disrupt the established 4-4-2 arrangement of the side, and Defoe and Bent provide pace and the possibility of a decent individual goal return. The main query is how much England can gamble on this possibility. Bent has had a good year for Charlton, but is unproven at international level and underperformed when gaining his first cap against Uruguay. Defoe has struggled to get into the Tottenham side this season and could not be included in the World Cup starting XI with any conviction. Of the two I would give Bent the nod. It might only take a goal in one of the remaining friendlies to provide him with the requisite confidence, thus enabling him to hit the tournament in the right frame of mind. Perhaps Sven will proceed on the principle that a World Cup squad should have sufficient strength in depth, so that even if key individuals are absent, his plans must be implemented without disruption. If this is the case, Sven should put his faith in Bent - and look for a Plan C if the Charlton man doesn’t fire early in the tournament!

Option 3: Crouch as replacement for Owen. Similar to option 2, but this time Crouch comes in for Owen. Crouch is nothing like Owen as a player but has done more in an England shirt with limited opportunities than Defoe or Bent. Crouch would be paired with Rooney and in a sense it would be two support strikers playing together, albeit with divergent approaches – Crouch as target man, Rooney linking play from deep. Without a designated ‘goalscorer’ it may appear that this option’s goal threat is a bit blunt. However, whilst Owen is a very important player for England, Rooney demonstrated at Euro 2004 that he is far and away England’s key attacking player. It is therefore vital that England play to Rooney’s strengths, and Crouch could provide the perfect foil to his game - it is perhaps a shame that they weren’t played together from the outset in the recent Uruguay fixture. I think a Crouch-Rooney combination could generate plenty of goals and, as with Option 1, the utilisation of Crouch may also increase the midfield’s attacking impact.

Option 4: Rooney and Gerrard as strike partnership. Just a thought!

Which option do you think is best? Or is a better option available?

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