Who Should be on the Plane to Rio? - With a Twist

We are coming close to the announcement of the English World Cup Squad, and players are keeping their phones close, in the desperate hope of a trip to Brazil in June. Everyone has their own opinions on who should go to Brazil, and I thought I would share mine but this time, I will put on my tinted glasses, and look at it from the perspective of the Scots, Irish, Welsh and Northern Irish.

GK - John Ruddy
The goalkeeping spot goes to Norwich's one and only John Ruddy. The Canaries are sitting in 18th position, with relegation looking very likely. To add more misery onto Ruddy, he has conceded 60 goals this season, only David Marshall of Cardiff City has leaked more (71). With a Squawka Performance Score of a solid -144, he is a sure bet to prevent England from progressing in the tournament.

RB - Kyle Walker
It was a tough decision between Kyle Walker and the deadly double from United, Jones and Smalling. Having not played in any of the last 8 matches, Tim Sherwood has noticed the liability posed by Walker. Throughout the season, he has only one 56% of his duels which included 45/76 headed battles. His poor heading stats would make him a great option for England.

CB - Michael Dawson
Another one of the Spurs contingent is Michael Dawson. With only 45% tackle success and his severe lack of pace, could you imagine Ronaldo or Messi up against Dawson? Things would definitely get messy. Time after time, players have shown a fresh pair of heels to out-pace Dawson and bare down on poor Hugo Lloris. With 3 defensive errors, I'm sure he would add to his tally if selected for the World Cup.

CB - Chris Smalling/Phil Jones
It's a tie between Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Although solid when tackling, Smalling has shown throughout the season that he can flap when under pressure, and his high foul count could work in the favour of the oppostion. Similar to Smalling, Jones does commit a decent amount of fouls, but also has a lower success in the tackle than his fellow team mate. Only if Rio hadn't retired, then it would make my life a lot easier.

LB - Ashley Cole
Ashley Cole isn't that bad, but with Baines and Shaw in contention he seems the more viable option. The reason I selected the Chelsea man, was because he has only played 16 games this season and his inability in the air caps a defensive line that should struggle up against the bigger sides. On offence, he has only completed 9/22 take ons. Please Roy, get him on the plane.

RM - Aaron Lennon
It can be very hard to predict Aaron Lennon. Sometimes he is scintillating to watch, but he can also make a Sunday league player look like Paolo Maldini. This season has proven why he should be on the flight to Rio. With 83 successful duals, he is not even in the top 200 of Squawka's successful duels, with only 30/65 take ons being successful. He is definitely one to be on that plane.

CM - Tom Cleverley
With Tom Cleverley, the ball is guaranteed not to go past the half way line. Even though Cleverley has an 89% pass completion rate, he has not completed a single through ball all season, which can explain the high pass percentage. In addition to this, he has only created 10 chances, none of which have earned him an assist. So much for a playmaking midfielder.

CM - Scott Parker
I have to go for Captain Crop Circle himself, Scotty Parker. The recently relegated Parker has a 41% shot accuracy so it will be unlikely for him to trouble the keeper from distance. Although he has not got the worst Performance rating, he has only created 18 goal scoring chances, something that you would expect more from Scott Parker.  With bags of energy, Parker has the ability to run around in circles all day long.

CM - Jack Wilshere 
Jack the Saviour is arguably one of the most overrated English players about. I'll admit, he can serve up moments of magic, but those are rare. He has 8 Squawka worst awards as well as 4 defensive errors, showing that he can be something of a liability in defence. Considering that a gentle breeze could sideline the Gunner, he is a shoe-in for the final CM Spot.

LM - Danny Welbeck
Welbeck is not the worst player on this list, but he does have a reputation for capitulating under pressure, and the Champions League tie against Bayern proved that. With 55% shot accuracy, Welbeck couldn't hit a barn door with a machine gun, which makes him the perfect candidate to board my plane to Brazil. In addition to this, only 1 out of the 13 chances he created was converted, showing that it's hard to see where the threat from Welbeck comes from.

ST - Andy Carroll
Remember when people were baying for a call up when he was at Newcastle? Oh how times have changed. Unfortunately for Carroll, his injury hit career has led to him being known as one of the flops of the Premier League era. With no Kevin Nolan to receive the pass from, I struggle to see where Carroll will score his goals.

We are blessed with a superb crop of players that would certainly make the cut for this team. Players such as Ashley Young and Glen Johnson would definitely form the bench for the tournament. With the Premier League over, let's hope for another summer of disappointment and frustration for English fans!

Thanks to Daniel Ballantyne (@ballantyne_d) and Andrew White (@whitey997) for the help with writing this piece.