Is Capello right to pick Kevin Davies?

I was really surprised to hear that Bolton striker Kevin Davies is in the England squad for the game against Montenegro.

I have often wondered in recent years what the striker had to do to get into the England squad and at 33 years old he has finally been called up.

Weapon

Davies could prove to be a useful weapon for Fabio Capello to have in his armoury.

He is an old fashioned battering-ram of a centre-forward, which in the modern game are very rare to come by. He offers a good physical prescence to any team.

He is a good target man who can hold the ball up superbly. Davies has worked hard his whole career and his hard work has finally paid off.

Style

His style of play has always caused opposition defenders problems. They never get any peace with Davies around and centre-backs have stated in the past that he is one of the most difficult opponents they have ever come across.

His physical style of play works well in the Premier League. Referees in the English top flight are less strict than their continental counterparts. Davies could fall foul of the referees in international football. His style may not be appreciated by continental officials.

Late

Davies has played consistently well in the last few seasons. You know what you’re going to get from him and I think it’s silly that it has taken this long for him to be called-up. I just think it’s a bit late for him to be called up to the England squad.

Future

England boss Fabio Capello has stated in recent months that he is building an England squad for the future. However Davies is not at an age where he is going to have a very long international career. He is unlikely to be involved in the England squad for the long-term. He will just be a short-term fix.

People are suggesting that Newcastle striker Andy Carroll should be called-up instead. I have even voiced my support of the Geordie youngster receiving a call-up to the full international squad. However he could have selected both.

If England needed a goal then they would be good players to introduce from the bench. Davies is only likely to be used as a backup anyway and I would be surprised if he got on the pitch against Montenegro.

Doubts

Although I am a big fan of Kevin Davies his selection has got a lot of other England fans questioning Fabio Capello’s vision of the future.

You have to wonder what is going through Capello’s mind sometimes. He doesn’t pick players on form anymore, which he claimed to do before he arrived in the job.

I don’t think much has changed since the World Cup and Capello hasn’t changed his thinking much. We won’t discover whether the few changes that Capello has made to the squad in recent months have worked until we get to Euro 2012.

I have a horrible feeling that England will struggle at the European Championships and Capello will leave the job on yet another low note.

Is Capello right to choose Kevin Davies?