No Holds Barred

Sven Goran-Eriksson's been telling Sky Sports News that he'll consider using a holding midfielder in Germany. Steve Gerrard and Frank Lampard remain his first choice central midfield pairing (with the ever optimistic Eriksson still labouring under the delusion they'll learn to play together) but it seems Sven wants a proper defensive midfielder for holding on to slim leads.

"It's one area which we are going to look at, that's for sure, because maybe you need it at some stage in the World Cup," said the bespectacled one. "There's time for other players to knock on the door. I will open it maybe."

Players looking to wedge their foot into said door like rabid Jehova's Witnesses include:

Ledley King

Has done the job for England, but we all know he's really a defender, and Senor Riquelme gave him the runaround in November.

Alan Smith

Sort of doing the job for Man Utd, but we all know he's really a striker. The poor man's Roy Keane.

Joey Barton

He's doing it for Man City, but you wouldn't trust him with the cigars would you?

Scott Parker

Been doing a great Makelele impression for Newcastle but Sven keeps looking the other way.

Michael Carrick

The classy passy choice but not a holding midfielder in the tackling sense, more in the Beckham against Northern Ireland sense.

Owen Hargreaves

45eachway's favourite England man did the job against Cameroon in a 2002 pre-World Cup friendly and didn't put a foot wrong. Hasn't put a foot right in the nearly 4 years since.

If England were 1-0 up against Brazil with 30 minutes to go who would you like to see come on and do the job? 45eachway's heart says Scott Parker, but the head knows it will be Hargreaves.

Source: Sky Sports