Redknapp feels for 'ghost' stars
The England boss announced his 23-man squad heading to South Africa on Tuesday, with seven difficult decisions having to be made. Dawson, Parker, Theo Walcott, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Leighton Baines and Darren Bent were the unfortunate men to miss out. Of those overlooked, West Ham skipper Parker and Spurs defender Dawson were the only ones to be left sidelined throughout England's pre-tournament preparations. A lack of action gave them no opportunity to impress Capello in the heat of battle, giving them little chance of making the cut. Redknapp, who manages Dawson at Tottenham, believes the Italian coach handled the situation badly. He feels all of those included in the 30-man preliminary squad should have been given a run out and admits he is particularly disappointed for Parker, who enjoyed a standout season domestically. "They tell me Scott trained fantastically every day in training and could not have done any more," said Redknapp. "He worked his socks off. But whatever he did he was not going to go. "Someone said to me he felt like a ghost on the trip, like Dawson, they were there but not there and they could sense that. "The manager didn't really speak to them or give them much feedback. They have not kicked a ball. "Dawson and Parker have had great seasons but you might as well have taken 25 to Austria. They had no intention of them being in the squad and they made up the numbers."