Yesterdays encounter in Bloemfontein demonstrated everything that is wrong with English football. The lack of technical ability was really highlighted by the youthful German side that look like they could dominate International football over the next few years. Having trounced the England under 21s a year ago 4 players had progressed straight into the full side for this World Cup. Where is the next English player of any note coming from? In Neuer, Ozil, Khedira and Boateng the German’s possessed hungry young players who are desperate to repeat last year’s success on the biggest stage of all.
Once again every England player and fan is trying to blame anyone but themselves and Capello’s tenure as England’s manager will surely come to an end in the next few days. The FA will face a tough task proposing this job to anyone after the last 2 weeks. Why can they play in the Premier League so well and then play this poorly for England? The answer lies in the psychological make up of some of the players as well as the fact that they simply are not good enough. How can these players play at the top level when none of them can put their foot on the ball and pick a pass in the final third. Ozil already looks a more accomplished player than Gerrard and he is only 21.
If England are to improve many of the current players should make way for the younger players coming through. They need experience playing at this level and the European Qualifications should be a training exercise for the young players. Get Wilshire in the squads and let him train with Rooney etc so its not such a big jump in a few years. It is time for the likes of Ferdinand, Terry, Lampard, Gerrard and Barry to be put out to pasture. The supposed ‘Golden Generation’ have delivered nothing and have had their chance. It must be time to start from scratch, surely England will not get any worse??
Here here, this team has had an atrocious past and the future for them isn't looking much brighter. The big question is, are we going to be able to get anyone better than Capello? I suspect the answer is "No". He all of people should have the balls to drop Gerrard, Lampard, James and Terry and have a vision for the future, bring in Adam Johnson, Lennon, Dawson, Carlton Cole and Wilshere. Admittedly names that are unlikely to strike fear into the opposition but these guys are the future, what we saw on Sunday was the past and the sooner that we all realise that this group of players wasn't good enough to win against Algeria let alone win the World Cup the quicker we can all move on
ReplyDeleteIts definitely the way to go. The big question is whether Capello has the 'balls' to do it. He intimated in his press conference yesterday that he wanted to bring in some younger players but then why did he leave Johnson out of the final 23? I think he has realised the hard way that these players simply aren't up to the level of other teams in terms of technique. Even Algeria and Honduras passed the ball around with more assuredness than England. Where they go from here is anyone's guess at the moment, the future looks fairly grim at the moment!
ReplyDeleteEngland's players do not seem to have the intelligence to play effectively as a team and most are made to look better than they really are in the Premiership & Champions League.
ReplyDeleteIn those matches other players do the thinking for them and create the space for them to play their percentages (Lampard plays with proper holding midfielders at Chelsea which allows him the luxury of taking 100 shots in the hope that 10 or 15 go in, mostly from deflections - similarly Rooney and Gerrard are given a free role by their managers because they are possibly too dumb or selfish to stick to team tactics).
Also I think it's the Hollywood nature of the Premier League that has a negative effect on the England team - it's the so-called superstars that are accommodated into the team irrespective of team dynamics. (Capello is as guilty as Sven etc of this).
Suppose that they were both English - would Park and Fletcher get into the England team at the expense of a Lampard or Gerrard? (I very much doubt that Lampard & Gerrard would get into the Utd team at the expense of Park & Fletcher.)
It pains me to say it, but the only hope for England is to either appoint Arsene Wenger as manager or to hope that Arsenal bring through some decent young England players in the next season or two, because at least Wenger tries to educate his players to pass and move and play for the team.