Sven's big gamble on Mills

13 April 2012

When Danny Mills, with astounding stupidity, aimed a petulant offtheball kick at Craig Bellamy during Leeds' defeat at Newcastle in January, thus earning his second red card of the season, nobody would have given him a cat in hell's chance of making it to the World Cup with England.

Even today, as England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson named Mills as the only specialist right-back in his 23-man squad, the inclusion of a player whose disciplinary record this season has been utterly abysmal has to be seen as the Swede's big gamble.

For it's not just the former Charlton man's suspect temperament which is cause for concern. It's the fact that, as yet, there's been no solid evidence that he possesses the defensive qualities required at this more elevated level.

Last month, he put his case for winning the utility vote with a steady if unspectacular job in the centre of defence against Paraguay at Anfield, though the South Americans barely offered a credible threat that night. Yet, rather more ominously, in his one appearance in his normal rightback role against a much more testing Italian strike force, he looked all at sea, even in front of his home Leeds fans.

Not only was he badly caught out of position on a couple of occasions but also his distribution, always seeming to spurn the simple ball from midfield in favour of some aimless hoof upfield, was depressingly poor.

Eriksson may believe Mills can offer an extra attacking dimension with his bold forays upfield but, defensively, he cannot offer the element-of security that Gary Neville would have done. Indeed, today's announcement reminds us that, even if it did not cause the same tremors as Beckham's injury, Neville's metatarsal sequel could yet prove just as damaging for England.

As a man who whenever possible likes to see his players filling the roles which they are most comfortable-with at club level, Eriksson perhaps-felt he had no other choice than plump for the specialist, Mills. In today's squad, the other contenders for the right-back role are Wes Brown and Owen Hargreaves, two bright, versatile young performers but neither possessing the experience in the position to inspire massive confidence.

When Brown played at right-back in Manchester United's Champions League match at Bayer Leverkusen last week, he looked particularly uncomfortable, while Hargreaves has filled the role only on occasion for Bayern Munich.

Perhaps Eriksson feels Mills could instil the sort of inspirational 'up and at 'em' drive which Stuart Pearce once patented but he has too often crossed the fine dividing line between commitment and recklessness this season to offer any reassurance about his temperament in the heat of Japanese battle.

He's been sent off twice, pleaded guilty to using foul and abusive language towards a match official, and collected 10 bookings.

In all, he's missed 10 matches this year through four suspensions, a record which recently even had his club manager David O'Leary tempering his enthusiasm for Mills's unquestioned progress in other areas with the comment: "Danny is a good lad but he does stupid things.

"That stupidity has to come out of him if he is going to improve and I don't think the England coach can afford to be picking him if he has this problem hanging around him."

This is hardly a ringing endorsement, even if O'Leary is also full of praise for the giant strides Mills has made since he signed him from The Valley for £4 million three years ago.

Mills believes too much has been made of his moments of madness - booting the ball at a prostrate Ashley Cole in an early season match against Arsenal was the other low point - and gives a sterling defence of his disciplinary record.

"It was easy for everyone to jump on my back after the Newcastle game and say 'he's so indisciplined'," he noted recently.

"But if you look at my record I've only had five sendings off in my career and that's only the second straight red. All I can say is I won't let anyone down."

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