England will head to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup keen to avoid repeating their disastrous run at Brazil 2014. But what lessons can Gareth Southgate take from Roy Hodson’s failure?
The Three Lions fly to the Middle East this winter looking to improve on a semi-final finish four years ago. Southgate took England to their first final-four appearance since Italia 90 at Russia 2018. Far from their abject misery in South America after exiting in the group stage.
Hodgson oversaw England’s worst World Cup performance since the Three Lions had failed to even qualify for the 1994 edition. The Three Lions failed to win a single game and scored only twice in Brazil. Not since at Sweden 1958 had England gone home after the first round.
Lampard was among the England stars to say goodbye to the World Cup in 2014
Hodgson was not without a host of talented players during England’s calamitous campaign at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney would all bid goodbye to the FIFA tournament for the final time in their careers in South America.
Gerrard and Lampard also captained their nation at the competition. But their final acts as England players before retiring from international football was to draw 0-0 with Costa Rica. Rooney took over the armband after the World Cup and led the Three Lions for Euro 2016.
Leighton Baines, Raheem Sterling, Jordan Henderson, Phil Jagielka, Daniel Sturridge, Gary Cahill and Jack Wilshere also made England’s squad in Brazil. But Hodgson also included a more questionable pick in Rickie Lambert, who would only feature for two mere minutes.
What went wrong for England at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil?
England would ultimately bow out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil after just two games in Group D. Costa Rica stunning Italy and winning 1-0 in Recife ensured there was no way for the Three Lions to overtake Los Ticos. Hodgson’s men paid the price for two early defeats.
Mario Balotelli would emerge as the pantomime villain of England’s inaugural fixture with Italy in Manaus. Antonio Candreva found the striker to head in on 50 minutes at the Arena da Amazonia the would-be winner. Claudio Marchisio and Sturridge had hit in the first half.
Luis Suarez scrawled his name on the pages of England’s sorry history books in Sao Paulo. The forward fired home five minutes from time his second of the day after Rooney had put the Three Lions level. And with it, the axe waited for England whilst Costa Rica edged Italy.
Hodgson made a number of changes to his XI against Los Ticos in Natal but England would only avoid a third defeat. Homeward bound the Three Lions crawled with their tails firmly between their legs. So much had gone wrong for England so soon at the 2014 World Cup.
Hodgson can only blame the conditions so much for England’s issues
The uncomfortable conditions in Brazil during the 2014 World Cup took their toll on the England squad. But Hodgson can only blame the heat so much for the Three Lions’ issues. His tactics throughout the 2014 tournament were just as much to blame for the disasters.
A midfield pivot of Henderson and Gerrard could not get to grips with Italy’s game plan in the first fixture or Uruguay in the second. Lampard and Wilshere would only offer so much against Costa Rica, as well. The Italy tie should have given Hodgson every warning needed.
The Azzurri dominated England in the centre of the field with the Three Lions never able to press with enough intensity. Italy could play the game at their pace and Uruguay took full advantage of the lifeless product Hodgson’s midfielders presented in their defensive duels.
Gerrard, in particular, was a shadow of the player he was for Liverpool over the Premier League season before the World Cup. His tackles had no bite and laid the foundations for Uruguay’s first goal. Suarez eventually peeled off Jagielka to meet Edinson Cavani’s cross.
Without either of England’s deep-lying options able to replicate their Reds performances in Brazil, Hodgson’s side had no footing in games. Yet against Italy and Uruguay, Hodgson took too long to react with Gerrard unmoved and Henderson playing 73 and 88 minutes.
Hodgson’s left-sided link of Baines and Rooney was not up to the task
A lot of Italy’s success against England came through toying with Hodgson’s left-sided link of Baines and Rooney. The partnership was not up to the task and was often at sixes and sevens. Welbeck replacing Rooney on the left could not prevent Italy’s second goal, either.
Welbeck had no real say in the action against Uruguay, as well, despite starting in front of Baines. While Rooney moving into a centralised position saw the striker score his first goal at a World Cup. He was the Three Lions’ best player, coming close with a number of shots.
Yet a lack of quality elsewhere proved costly as England’s 2014 World Cup came to a quick and disappointing end. Hodgson’s backline never seemed settled in South America and on many occasions played nervously. They were also often a yard off their opposite number.
What lessons can Southgate take to the World Cup in Qatar?
So, what lessons can Southgate take from England’s disastrous 2014 World Cup to Qatar for the 2022 edition? Well, the first would be to have an identity the Three Lions can play to win with. Too often England was the team chasing the game under Hodgson in Brazil.
Another would be to know where to play his best players and let them express themselves in those roles. But in England’s recent UEFA Nations League ties, the Three Lions boss has deployed his stars out of their natural positions and paid the price for their inexperience.
Southgate should also look at how proven performers in Gerrard and Henderson could not keep it up at the tournament. He has shown with Harry Maguire that form and playing for one’s club are not always the decisive factors in his decisions, which will be risky in Qatar.
Lastly, Southgate must accept England cannot play while keeping the handbrake firmly on. Otherwise, the Three Lions will be setting themselves up to stumble on the global stage in November and December. The 2018 World Cup had promise, but can England back it up?
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