England beat Italy on Wednesday night thanks to a Jermain Defoe goal, in a friendly which did not matter, after the Azzuri knocked them out of Euro 2012 two months earlier. What to they need to do to qualify for and be successful at World Cup 2014?
The England squad are a much maligned setup that has promised much more but delivered little. For years now it has been amongst the elite within the FIFA rankings, continually defying the ‘on paper’ statistics to underachieve consistently.
It has come as a slightly strange occurrence that a team blessed with an abundance of talent from a top league and boasting premium facilities just hasn’t found the formula for bigger successes in recent times.
It’s not complete doom and gloom – numerous managers have produced great results just not so often when it matters most.
England have a solid foundation to build from and all of the tools to evolve; it’s merely a question of how they can progress from here.
Youth And Experience
The golden generation of Gerrard, Terry, Ferdinand and Lampard are increasingly approaching their ‘golden years’ within the sport. They’re not exactly surplus to requirements but, commonly, they are used much more sparingly and afforded frequent MOT checks.
England shouldn’t retain a reliance on these individuals no matter how much these players gesticulate; instead, they should employ these players as templates for future England stars and allow them to aid the younger players in making a seamless transition into the team.
In order for this idea to work, no third of the pitch should be dominated by the older players as more youth is eased in. Eventually, the new players will gain more international nous, allowing former players to be significantly reduced in appearances before eventually being eased out.
Precise Man Management
Whether it be the new crop or the older crop, there are definitely huge personalities and egos within the dressing room. It’s a very delicate job keeping everybody satisfied as there is always a large squad but only eleven men can ever play on the pitch at one time.
Capello was never going to be capable of perfecting this craft with the language barrier so new boss, Roy Hodgson, already has an advantage over his predecessor. Still, this doesn’t make the task elementary if you consider that many of the players had set their desires on Harry Redknapp getting the top job; furthermore, Hodgson has already come to loggerheads with some of the bigger personalities in his short time as boss.
It’s paramount that Hodgson find a way to ensure each member that enters the setup that they have indispensable role to be played; give the players respect whilst still letting them know, in no uncertain terms, who is in charge.
Camaraderie Within The Team
Give the egos a rest; forget personal glories – after all, football is a team sport. Every cup winning team in the history of international football knows this and promote it to the hilt.
Brazil have, for a long time, relied almost exclusively on the close relationship between the teammates as it helps to build a bond that then translates to the field, allowing each player to express himself and each player to know what to expect.
Spain are the current crop that exhibit this fundamentally and are benefitting greatly from it but it has become so difficult – with ridiculous valuations and wages – for teams to follow suit.
England struggle to build the same rapport, thanks in no small part to the British media who are known for wildly building up or putting down players. It becomes contagious – from the press, to the fans, to the players; so much so that the players become indoctrinated into believing the negative or positive hype.
England have to find a way to counteract this by taking the criticisms of a nation and using them to make themselves more productive.
Ability To Adapt
England have built a legacy from resolute, hardworking displays and it is often enough to get them results. However, this style of play, especially when chasing a game, can be more of a hindrance than a help as they can sometimes find themselves tiring having tried so hard to get back into matches.
There has to be a ‘plan B’; an alternative that relies on intelligence more than athleticism in order to sustain pressure throughout the 90 minutes and beyond. The problem is that this English style has for so long been inflexible with the FA unwilling to investigate the methods of the more prosperous international teams and take note; this isn’t to say completely transform the identity but, rather, tweak the identity to cope better with any situation.
As it is, England now play a brand of football that only rarely fascinates, bordering on the predictable. Why do they refuse to learn from the methods of Spain, Brazil or, possibly most aptly, Germany – who have a similar footballing culture yet have been able to consistently adapt whenever necessary to stay at the top of the game?
Belief
Is there any point in showing up for a tournament if every man involved doesn’t believe that their team can win? The psychological aspect of football is in many ways more important than the physical as a bad mind-set can have physiological ramifications.
Most notably is this annoying acceptance that England are unable to win a penalty shootout. Penalties are as nip and tuck as a coin toss – they can go either way. England’s players need to maintain their conviction even when the chips are down.
Conclusion
The team still has some way to go to catch up to the top sides from around the world. Having spent so much time in obscurity, patriots are way past impatient as they await conspicuous signals that indicate the FA’s desire to improve the long running fortunes of the national squad. Those three lions on the shirt represent pride; it’s time that this returned.
image: © TiM BiG
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