Carroll\'s inclusion in squad leaves \'Big Ron\' puzzled

Andy Carroll\'s inclusion in Roy Hodgson\'s England squad for Euro 2012 is a gamble, according to former Manchester United boss Ron Atkinson, who says the Liverpool striker was only chosen on account of his FA Cup final cameo. Wednesday\'s otherwise \"safe-ish\" squad announcement typified a lack of current options, Atkinson said of a team bereft of the injured Jack Wilshere. But picking Carroll ahead of more proven strikers confused ‘Big Ron\'. Atkinson, 73, told Gulf News: \"I would also have liked to have seen Grant Holt being given a chance in one of the friendlies to see what he can do, because at least he\'s a proven goalscorer. We haven\'t got an abundance of scorers. Andy Carroll has got into the team on the basis of 15 minutes in a cup final. I think the manager\'s taken a gamble on him in the hope the tournament will bring out the best in him.\" Atkinson added: \"It\'s a safe-ish team but we didn\'t have too many alternatives. [Alex] Oxlade-Chamberlain is a big call. People may have said ‘let\'s give Darren Bent or Peter Crouch a call\' but it\'s swapping like for like. We\'ve only got two or three world-class players, apart from that it\'s all much of a muchness.\"