With so little time to experiment before the tournament, I suspect not. Fabio Capello, in a bid to rejuvenate the squad that had capitulated in South Africa, had given chances to youngsters such as Tom Cleverley and Adam Johnson, as well as unsung players who deserved their chance, such as Bobby Zamora and Scott Parker.
This will be the first time I can remember England going into a major tournament where the press aren't expecting the to Three Lions triumph (although I'm sure a large portion of the media will jump on the England bandwagon closer to the time) and this could be exactly what England need.
People have said that Roy Hodgson brings the best out of mediocre players and does not have the experience managing bigger superstars. At the end of the day, this is what the England team currently are and maybe Hodgson is the perfect candidate. Maybe not for the long-term, but to help England through a respectable European Championship and guide them to the World Cup in Brazil, blooding in the raw, young talent that could potentially grow into a fantastic team.
Critics feel that under Hodgson, like Capello, England will play 'boring' football. With the current crop of players, especially in midfield who have a knack at retaining the ball and soaking up pressure, I feel this may be just what England need. Add to this the explosive speed of the wingers like Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and Ashley Young to launch counter attacks, which will be especially important while without Rooney for the first two games, who Hodgson has said will definitely be in his squad.
I propose England play a 4-3-2-1 formation, utilising a steady, 3-man midfield and wingers playing high up the park, supporting a lone striker. This will be tricky without Rooney and the squad I believe should be on the plane for Poland/Ukraine does not include another striker quite like the Man United hit-man.
Have a look at my squad of 23 players. With two games of the season remaining, injuries may change this list.
I feel between the sticks is a no brainer. A position that would have once been a headache of an England manager is well and truly sorted with Joe Hart thoroughly establishing himself as England's No. 1. The Manchester City stopper is one of England's few world class players and an easy pick. With Hodgson at the helm, I believe Ben Foster will end his self-imposed exile and return to the England fold after proving himself to be a very capable goalkeeper over the last two seasons. The wealth of options for third choice goalie, who will only appear if the very worst of injuries occur, would be Scott Carson. While I haven't kept up with Bursaspor's form this season he has been named in the past few England squads and has possibly done more than John Ruddy or Robert Green to earn his place.
Defence will be tricky. As much as John Terry and the very public racial allegations continue to haunt him, he is still my first choice centreback for England, however, not wearing the captain's armband. I feel Rio Ferdinand's end of season form and vast experience also earns him a call-up but I feel Terry's Chelsea partner, Gary Cahill will be the preferred option at the back. Whether Rio and Terry will see eye-to-eye is still a very concerning debate. My final centreback place goes to Manchester City's Joleon Lescott who has been overlooked in the past but has looked confident and assured throughout the season. Manchester United's young duo Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have both tailed away in the latter half of the season, while Michael Dawson and Ledley King have failed to rediscover form after injuries. Phil Jagielka still does not look comfortable in an England shirt.
Ashley Cole still retains his place at left back and Tottenham's Kyle Walker just gets the nod ahead of Micah Richards for the first choice right back position. Richards is still deserving of a place in the squad and can also fill in a centre back if necessary. Leighton Baines would be my backup left back and I doubt there are many that could argue with these selections. The form of Newcastle's Danny Simpson earns him an honourable mention but not a place on the team, while Glen Johnson has had a poor season with Liverpool.
The England midfield has been a bone of contention for many years. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard cannot play together in midfield but both make the cut. Lampard's form this season has been solid, if unspectacular. Gerrard just makes the team as I feel it would be good for the younger players to have Liverpool skipper in the squad. It will be a selection headache for Hodgson and I have picked Gerrard ahead James Milner. This was a tough choice as Milner's versatility is a strong part of his game but Gerrard is still a very capable player and can offer England different options while maybe not over a full 90 minutes. I have given other central midfield berths to Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick and my England captain, Scott Parker. Both Barry and Carrick have had great seasons and I feel it would be a disgrace if Carrick was not selected. Injuries to Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell rule them out, while Tom Cleverley has not played enough games to merit a place. I do feel all three of these players will have a large part to play in England's future.
I feel it will be on the flanks England have their best chance of achieving success. Despite his inconsistencies, I have selected Theo Walcott who just gets the nod ahead of his Arsenal team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who is still too raw and inexperienced for a big tournament. Tottenham's Aaron Lennon can operate on either wing but I feel Ashley Young would be a better starter, bringing Lennon on as a substitute to wear down weary opponents. There is no room in the squad for Stewart Downing or Adam Johnson while Scott Sinclair and Matt Jarvis deserve to be mentioned for consideration.
With Wayne Rooney missing the first two games, my 4-3-2-1 formation suffers but I still feel it can work. Danny Welbeck has led the line at times for Manchester United, while Rooney drops back, and has done it effectively so he gets the nod up front until Rooney returns. Peter Crouch has been in sterling form for Stoke this season and should be used as an impact substitution to turn a tie if time is running out. My final place goes to Chelsea's pacey forward, Daniel Sturridge who can also play in the advanced winger role as he does for the Blues. I would have loved to include Grant Holt in this selection as his Premier League performances this season have earned him a call-up. However, it would be reckless of Hodgson to include him in his final squad but I feel he should be given a chance to prove himself in the upcoming friendlies against Norway and Belgium. Jermain Defoe has never impressed me for England but could get the nod ahead of either Sturridge or Welbeck to counter the Rooney issue while Darren Bent's decision to rule himself out of Aston Villa's remaining ties, on the brink of relegation, to focus on the Euro's is disgraceful. Bobby Zamora has not had a great season while Swansea's Danny Graham is not good enough at the top level. Talk of Andy Carroll's inclusion in the squad is laughable.
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My team is interchangeable, with Gerrard able to come in for Lampard, Barry for Carrick, Ferdinand for Cahill etc. Rooney's inclusion is based on his return from suspension, with Welbeck or Crouch leading the line until then.
Would you change anyone in this squad?
1. Joe Hart
2. Kyle Walker
3. Ashley Cole
4. Steven Gerrard
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. John Terry
7. Scott Parker
8. Frank Lampard
9. Wayne Rooney
10. Peter Crouch
11. Ashley Young
12. Micah Richards
13. Ben Foster
14. Theo Walcott
15. Gary Cahill
16. Michael Carrick
17. Leighton Baines
18. Daniel Sturridge
19. Gareth Barry
20. Aaron Lennon
21. Danny Welbeck
22. Joleon Lescott
23. Scott Carson
