England have limped to two draws in World Cup Group C action, having failed to score in 176 consecutive minutes following Steven Gerrard's spectacular 4th minute strike versus the United States. Once again England are underwhelming in an international tournament, or are they?
The reality of the situation is that England is severally limited squad with a manager who is a novice to major international competitions. Despite a remarkable club record, Fabio Capello has generally managed front runners, the likes of Real Madrid or Milan. England in terms of international football is the equivalent of Aston Villa or Athletico Madrid, and Capello's methods seem to fall short. Capello is known for strong discipline and knee jerk tactical flexibility: he has never had a true system rather being adaptable and fluid in his methods (perhaps too fluid when it comes to a mediocre side like England). For a Three Lions team on the decline with players that cannot consistently play with a sense of style or purpose (as proven regularly in the past) he was probably a bad fit. Then again, almost any manager would be a bad fit for this group of England players.
Many England fans once again have entered a major international competition lacking perspective and respect for the level of opposition the "mighty" Three Lions face. Without any decent frame of reference, we were once again subjected to cries of England having the best set of players in the world, the best manager, and the easiest group. English fans and writers once again engaged in drunken punch of self delusion and fantasies of grandeur without ever considering the quality of the opposition or England's own limitations both player and manager wise.
England's midfield lacks a true ball winner, like Owen Hargreaves. The midfield also lacks the type of central midfielder that can hold the ball and dictate the flow of a game. The lack of tactical variety and defensive technical adeptness in England's Premier League where the entire squad plays, limits the skill level required to in a midfield role in the league. On a weekly basis, much more technically gifted and efficient passing midfielders are on display in Germany's Bundesliga and Spain's La Liga than in England. Exceptions such as Arsenal's Cesc Fabergas, Everton's Tim Cahill and Manchester United's Paul Scholes are obvious, but none of the three players just mentioned is currently available for England selection.
England's attack is reliant on the best player on the planet (arguably) finding space, creating his own scoring opportunities and finishing chances. This is a herculean task even Pele may not have coped well with. A dysfunctional midfield has forced Wayne Rooney to drop deeper and deeper in midfield to get adequate service and to act as a proxy midfielder because of the ineffectiveness of Capello's 4-4-2 formation. Emile Heskey is good foil for Rooney, but he too is limited by what lies behind him, a midfield full of players who do not move the ball quickly and struggle with one touch football.
Today, we are subjected to taunts about Fabio Capello's fitness for the job. As I stated on the World Cup Buzz Group C Preview podcast, I would choose Bob Bradley, the (highly experienced) US coach over Capello at the international level. My statement, widely ridiculed at the time has now become somewhat prophetic. Capello's major flaws are that he has never managed in a three match round robin group and have made squad selections in the type of manner a club manager would. Secondly, he had never worked with a group this limited in terms of technical ability and tactical awareness. Given this later statement, it is difficult to see many managers doing well with this England team.
Yet the delusional nature of England fans continues to persist. I've read numerous account of fans now believing the team is being hurt solely by Capello and another manager could have led England to winning the World Cup. Firstly, England is still technically alive to win the World Cup 2010 and the traditional top national teams have underwhelmed themselves, so the gap between England (and the USA, Slovenia and Algeria for that matter) and the top nations is actually smaller than I had believed it to be before the tournament. Secondly, with very few vocal England fans actually watching and appreciating foreign leagues and national teams outside Europe, the case can be easily made that Capello's England is not underachieving but simply hitting its natural level with a group of overage and overworked players. (Fixture congestion in England is perhaps the worst in the world.)
England's footballing limitations were obvious for anyone who looked carefully enough pre-tournament. Yet, fans have abused and mocked players, creating a level of expectation which is impossible to meet without incredible luck or match fixing. It is the fans along with their enablers on Fleet Street who have created this atmosphere of backbiting and defeatism that have brought whatever chance and quality England does posses screeching to a halt. The fans themselves owe the Three Lions squad an apology. To imply the team is not trying because despite their best efforts they are not meeting a completely unrealistic and unattainable goal is simply criminal. To verbally attack Wayne Rooney, who wears his heart on his sleeve and David Beckham is unforgivable and bring English fans into disrepute for the world to see.
The squad led by skipper Steve Gerrard are owed an apology from the fans whose delusions of grandeur doomed England's dressing room psychology before the tournament even began. A goodwill gesture would be for the fans and tabloids to formally apologize to captain Gerrard and wish the side well in its do or die clash with Slovenia on Wednesday.
OTHER GROUP C THOUGHTS
- For the first time in its history, the USA have achieved results against two European sides in a single World Cup. In some ways this is a high water mark for the program, but the side still has yet to win a World Cup game against non CONCACAF opposition since the first group game of the 2002 World Cup. That's eight consecutive draws or losses against the rest of the world.
- I loved the way Algeria moved the ball in the midfield yesterday. The Desert Foxes could have won Group C if midfield maestro Mourad Meghni was available for the competition. That's how even Group C has been. As it stands, Algeria is likely to finish last in the Group.
- Slovenia has not meet my personal expectation for their play either tactically or technically yet in this World Cup. Despite this, they lead the weak group with four points and simply need a draw versus England to advance.
- The American media has been in a frenzy about the disallowed Mo Edu goal that would have given the USA all three points yesterday versus Slovenia. Yet, little or no time has been spent on the obvious blown call where Clint Dempsey should have been sent off in the first minute for viciously leading with his elbow. Either the official was incompetent, or simply did not want to affect the game reducing one team to ten men with eighty nine minutes of football left to play. We saw Daniele De Rossi sent off and suspended three additional games for a similar elbow against the US in 2006.
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19 comments… read them below or add one
Your points about England are valid and you have been proven accurate in your pre tournament assessment of Capello both on Twitter and on EPL Talk.
However, it is completely irresponsible of you to advocate fans spending large portions of their savings traveling to South Africa apologize to pampered footballers making millions of pounds a year. They have the right to scream at Rooney and Gerrard all they want.
Kartik, I know some England supporters online, and I too think they had unrealistic expectations about their side. My main question before the tournament was depth — how would they deal with injuries, and accumulated yellows, and simple fatigue? Even very optimistic fans would need to agree that England lacks a Dani Alves or Mellito or Elia (or Robben) to bring into the 2nd half of a match.
I do have a question about Rooney: is it possible that he’s just not accustomed to playing with so few talented players, and especially talented attackers? Stopping him is obviously job one against Manchester Utd, but Man U also has lots of other dangerous players. I can’t imagine teams are as worried about Emile Heskey as they are about Nani, for instance. In contrast, I think that Dempsey’s situation as one of the better scorers at medium-talented Fulham has got to be better training for his international role than if he were to join a top club where he’d be an afterthought to opposing defenses, and would have more freedom to operate and get used to better opportunities and better service than he’ll get with USMNT.
What are you, the internet’s resident idiot on matters pertaining to football, or just its resident clown? Bradley as England coach? What a pedigree! Coach to a middle ranking team who’s players, supporters, and media don’t know the meaning of the word humility and constantly embarrass themselves and their country with their constant arrogance and the laughable attitude that they consider themsleves ‘major players’ on the world football scene! The only reason the USA makes it into the World Cup time and time again is the fact FIFA is such a whore to its own self interest that it plays the USA in a feeble group that virtually guarantees it passage to each World Cup and even grants the nation football’s most prestigious tournament regardless of the fact it had no professional league at the time and despite the fact other countries had far more right historically and otherwise to host the event.
The US football team is a joke with delusions of grandeur every four years, talking up its chances, going down with unfailing regularity, and taking with it 99% of the American viewing audience who automatically switch off once the ‘great American team’ is knocked out. That’s true football aficionados for you. I know some Americans who actually root against their own team because of the appalling arrogance put on display every four years.
A second division team manager from any of the major European leagues would have more experience and knowledge of professional football than Bradley and his tiddlywink background in American ‘soccer’, and far better credentials to manage the England team. England has a host of problems that have a lot more to do with football history, football education, the national psyche, and its diabolically negative, relentless and unforgiving media. 4-4-2 and issues in midfield are just the tip of the iceberg – the problems run far deeper, as every England manager discovers for himself.
As for Fabio Cappello, a guy who has won the Champions league, taken clubs like Roma, Milan, Juventus, and Madrid to championships, and also has a pedigree as a player that took him to the Italian national side, I think one could safely say the man has a background of success and experience that far outstrips the basically juvenile status of Bradley’s CV.
In short, get a grip – you’re delusional.
You’re the one who is delusional.. Can’t you see USA is outclassing England at this point. I think this is one of the most realistic and balanced commentries on England’s performance and chances I have read.. And to boo your chosen representitives is rephrehensible!
Boy you’re so good at cherry-picking you could really clean up in some of the orchards around where I live. With all due respect England’s groups in the last 2 WC’s haven’t exactly been the most challenging. Also, the US didn’t even make it out of the group last time around which included Italy (the tournament winners), Czech Republic, and Ghana. Try to do some fact-checking next time, k? And I’m sure you have some excuse for the US beating Portugal in 2002. Most commentaries said the US played pretty well against Germany too.
Being an American fan of the game is surely a unique experience. We know that our chances of winning the tournament are pretty slim. But your elitist attitude has no place in the World Cup. Vastly lower-ranking teams have beaten the best in the world. This is what makes the game exciting.
As an American fan, every win means that football picks up more traction here in the US. More people than ever are watching the WC now. The more support our team gets the better it will become which for US fans is a great thing. I fail to see how a team that believes in itself is somehow “arrogant”. What are the guys supposed to do? Go out there, and hang their heads for 90 minutes because they don’t “deserve” to be there in your elitist opinion? The players have said it again and again that if they don’t win, then they don’t deserve to advance. How is that arrogant?
Lay off on the hate, man. US fans have an enormous respect for England and I really hope most English fans are NOT like you. Too bad all your anti-US rhetoric overshadowed the fact that I actually agreed with you that Bradley would not exactly be the best choice for England either.
The England fans don’t owe Wayne Rooney and the England team anything, Wayne Rooney and the England team owe the fans that have spent a fortune to go and watch this rubbish.
Shut up Kartik, you’re a frigging clown
The lack of tactical variety and defensive technical adeptness in England’s Premier League where the entire squad plays, limits the skill level required to in a midfield role in the league.
What?
Are you for f**king real? You do know that the premier league takes the best the world has to offer. The cream from around the world.What are you trying to say, that no national team is any good?
I think there’s only one or two national teams that don’t have a player playing in the prem and one of them is North Korea.
You are the biggest frigging idiot on this site and i find it crazy that you’re allowed to do anything on here.
Are you telling me that you’re more tactically aware than A.Fergurson? Take your head out of your arse will you, you’re not fit to write on a blog let alone pass judgement on people who are managing in what most would consider the best league in the world.
You remind me of that other American clown, A.Lalas
Other than the ridiculous notion that Rooney is owed an apology by our fans, this piece is very accurate. I hate to agree with Karthik as I have been battling him since the last World Cup.
Capello is tactically inept, clueless and destructive. SWP instead of J Cole? Heskey? Gerrard on the left? Carragher? Milner? No Theo? Never looked at A. Young or Gabby A? Squad selection an hour before the match? The Italian has the squad scared to make a mistake because the only thing he knows is discipline.
This is why hiring a club manager was not a good idea by the FA. We need a real international manager with the right pedigree. Someone who had actually managed in a World Cup before. As for his club record, honestly how difficult is it to win titles with AC or Real?
Krishnaiyer is over the top on the Premier League but is correct in stating that England’s midfielders cannot trap, touch or control the ball like many foreign mids. If you do not believe that you are simply delusional like the fans K describes.
Is Bradley better than Capello? He proved it last week, and right now I would swap ANY manager except for France’s with ours. Seriously, any manager. This guy is so arrogant, and hard nosed while being clueless about selection and formations that rolled into one it is exceedingly destructive to our chances and the morale of our players.
The team spirit has been broken because the FA spent millions of £ on this untested and completely inept foreign manager who could not relate to our players or adequately prepare the squad.
I cannot believe people are defending Capello here. Honestly, did you watch the first two games we played and have you watched any other games in the tournament? Other than France, we have been the worst team. That is crazy considering the world class talent we have.
For the first time ever I have read a KK piece and agreed with about 97% of it.
The players are not the problem, If you asked any coach in the world to pick 11 players from any team in group c, how many would be non english? Not many and that’s a fact.
The problem seems to be with creating a team out of these players, finding a formation and tactics which get the best out of them. To say they are bad players is rubbish, they prove it year in year out, not only in the prem but also in the champions league.
As for Kartik, thinking the English fans owe the team and rooney an apology and thinking that he knows more about defensive tactics that the likes of Fergurson and Wenger, well, does it even deserve a response?
When did I say I knew more than Fergie or Wenger? I respect the heck out of both those managers as you’d note listening to EPL Talk podcasts. I stated the defensive technique of English defenders and defensive tactics in England’s top flight save some sides like Tony Pullis well drilled Stoke side do not reflect the international game, and with all of England’s players playing in a league where the style of play and tactics are exceedingly different than that of the international game does not help Capello’s situation in the very same way it hurt Sven. Keagen, Hoddle, Venables Taylor, etc before him.
As for Wenger, the English league is the most watchable in the world, has some of the best training methods and attracts some of the best foreign players because of his legacy. He more than anyone else made the Prem what it is today. Well he and Eric Cantona another Frenchman.
Also, the technique defenders use in England is less suited to the international game than you see in other leagues. We’re talking technical skills, on the ball and tackling skills not formations and tactics.
Additionally, midfield play in England’s top flight is not as strong as it is in Spain or Germany. The ball skills and technique of midfielders are better on the whole in those top divisions than in England. That is not to say their are not some outstanding technical midfielders in the English game, but simply that their are far fewer than in the two leagues I mentioned. I know I am not alone in this view……in fact this is probably one of the few points our host Richard Farley agrees with me on!
On Capello, I think he has proven in the past several weeks he has a lot to learn to be a top shelf international manager. I am sure he will go back to Juve, Milan or Inter and win a Scudetto if he chooses to do so after the Euro 2012 tournament, but he’ll never win silverware at the international level without some serious adjustments to his approach.
Kartik you might actually have an argument if the Premier League teams did poor in Europe but the fact is they don’t. The English clubs have the best record out of any other country in terms of reaching the latter stages of the European competition and who do they play? Sides from Spain, Italy, Germany and France. The very leagues and style of play that you seem to rate so highly.
The problem is Capello is not looking at the top teams in the premier league and seeing how they play, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, and even Liverpool all play with a 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation. If Fabio could only see this and play the players in their best positions and in this formation, we would be through by now.
You could have Gerrard and Lampard in the same midfield if you had Barry in the holding role of a 4-3-3/4-5-1. Rooney has already come out on TV and said that he prefers to play up-front on his own. He has been fantastic for Man Utd up their on his own.
We could have J Cole on the left and Lennon on the right to give proper width.
Capello’s record is fantastic but I think at the moment he is missing the obvious, play the players in the position that they play for their club. It’s not rocket science.
I agree with all of your Group C comments at the bottom, but I disagree vehemently with the headline and basic premise of the rest of the article. Even though Wayne Rooney isn’t being played in his best role and isn’t getting great service, he was awful yesterday. He had the first touch of a brick wall when he did get service. I’m not excusing the play of his teammates, Lampard in particular was astonishingly poor, but saying that Rooney was poor simply because his teammates were poor and his manager made poor decisions is ridiculous.
Unrealistic expectations or not, I agree with the first commenter. Working class people who spent thousands of pounds of their hard earned money to travel thousands of miles to watch this team have every right to boo that lifeless performance.
I am thankful that someone agrees with my point about Dempsey. People have spoken too seem to excuse that wicked elbow as “first minute adrenalin.”
I love Deuce, but that sort of challenge has no place in football. Their has been little discussion of the incident outside of Ruud Gullit mentioning it and saying the US was very lucky to not be down a man in the first minute.
To Everyone,
First, you’re all entitled to your opinions but let’s try and be civil here. You can all agree to disagree and that’s the beauty of football.
Next, let’s just talk about a few main points:
- EPL is the most exciting league in Europe and the world for the last decade. Is it the best league? That’s a debatable point. There are many variables to consider. The pace of the game in the EPL is what makes it exciting but the technique & skills in La Liga are impressive while the tactical & strategic approach to games in Serie A are solid.
- Rooney has not performed well regardless of the supply. With Manchester United he is like a man possessed running around, chasing defenders, recovering the ball and creating opportunities for teammates by just being a pest for the opponents. Where is that Rooney? He’s taking the wrong approach by attacking the fans instead of accepting criticism.
- The media & other news outlets were saying Barry is missing and his return will steady the ship and balance the team: Well, he’s back and theres no major difference. It’s not about 1 or 2 players. It’s about the team as a whole and it’s not like Barry is like M. Desailly at his best or something.
- Euro 2008: England did not make it and they had almost the same players but the difference a new coach was brought in.
- WC 2010 qualifiers: England do well and the media praises Capello (perhaps to much). Now he’s the man to blame for everything?
- The theory of saying a good club manager will not be a good National Team Manager does not hold true: Just refer to another Italian Marcello Lippi. The difference is Lippi succeeded in forging team spirit and creating a club atmosphere with the Azzurri. In addition, Italy (credit to Kartik for also mentioning that on previous podcasts) have tradition and winning mentality. I would add in WC 2006 the Azzurri had the best goalkeeper (Buffon), best defenders (Cannavaro and Nesta), Full-back in Zambrotta, midfielders in Pirlo and Gattuso. They had talent off the bench in Del Piero while Totti held up despite not being 100% after surgery.
- To compare Bradley to Capello is wrong for a number of reasons: Capello was actually a good player in his past and has managed some of the top sides in Milan, Real Madrid & Juventus while Bradley (no disrespect) is managing a neophyte in the USA national team. For those who follow history, just check this out and then make a comment about Capello (and I am not saying he’s prefet but Bradley cannot be compaed to Capello- it’s like comparing apples to oranges):
a) Capello led Roma to their first Serie A title since 1983 when he won it in 2001 despite facing the likes of Milan, Juventus, and Inter
b) Capello led Real Madrid to a title in 1997 and then returned again to win in 2007 despite having a year each at the club! This proves he can adapt and achieve results quick. Those before him failed to do so. This speaks volume of his ability to get the best out of players. He also benched Beckham because of his decision to move to MLS but later went back and inserted him in the lineup! This shows again he can make the necessary changes. I was actually at the stadium for Real’s last home defeat of the season before they went on to win the title. Real looked like non-contenders and just a group of mercenaries yet he was able to get them to play as a team and win La Liga.
c) He led Milan to one of the greatest victories in Champions League history when the Rossoneri crushed a very talented Barcelona side 4-0 in the Final in 1994. I am not a Milan supporter but this was one of the most perfect and enjoyable matches played by any team in the competition despite the absence of key Milan players.
d) England with Capello in charge avenged the elimination at the hands of Croatia in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. This is a sign the players started achieving results because of a better Manager. The players did not get better, they are getting older! Only Rooney is a better player now yet he’s playing well below par in South Africa 2010.
- The England players perform better for their clubs because they are surrounded by some of the better foreign players such as Essien (Injured this season but usually plays with Lampard), Drogba and Cech for Chelsea while Arsenal does not have any England stars despite being top 4 sides in the last few years (only Walcott but he was not picked). As for Liverpool they were a mess last season and Gerrard as well as G. Johnson and Carragher have Mascherano, Torres and Reina to rely on and had Xabi Alonso the previous season.
- Only Rooney, Gerrard and A. Cole would probably challenge for a spot on the top teams in the World. The other England players are not up to par. In goal, the English GKs are a laughing stock and do not compare to Julio Cesar, Buffon or even USA’s Howard. In defensive role, none of the players except A. Cole would probably have a chance to play alongside the likes of Brazil’s Maicon, or Italy’s Chiellini, or France’s Patrice Evra. (Yes, Evra not playing well but France have their issues).
In attack, only Rooney would play on an elite national team because the rest would barely make it on the bench (Crouch, Heskey, Defoe, etc…). Finally, in midfield only Gerrard would have a chance to play on a top national team as the English wingers are simply all about running and pace yet provide nothing in terms of tactical awareness, intelligent passing, solid crosses and even Capello knew that and that’s why he was desperate for Beckham to play with Milan (before his injury) in order to provide some second-half minutes for the Three Lions. Spain alone has a plethora of midfielders who would walk into the English team when at their best: Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Fabregas, Iniesta and D. Silva.
One has to be realistic and just acknowledge England’s squad is and has been short on talent for decades. The best achievemen has been the semi-final berth in WC 1990 (and one World Cup title at home in WC 1966 which France duplicated at home in WC 1998).
Kartik: I apologize.
I too laughed at your predictions on the WC podcast about group C. Although one could argue your prediction that about the ENG-USA game was wrong (it was ENG 1-0 + a gift) the general tenor of your remarks–notably about Capello–was spot on.
I’m sorry; it won’t happen again.
I’m mystified as to why you think that the fans shouldn’t be able to boo their players and most especially that they should apologize to the players. The relationship of the press, fans, and players may be a kabuki drama but it isn’t required of the players… the players can opt out. If you put on the England jersey you will be decried or feted for your performance. Choose a different country or don’t go if you don’t want what comes with it.
The players don’t have to play for England. The players know what comes along with wearing the England jersey. No one is forcing them to play.
Agree that the USA was lucky to escape a red but I think that Slovenia could have seen a red as well.
Capello might still figure it out. Lippi’s Italy struggled in the early stages of the 2006 world cup. They not only drew with the USA but needed a late controversial penalty to eke by Australia. And it looks like Lippi will lose 1-1 today to New Zealand as well. But yes, Italian tradition allows a team to lose/draw and still win the world cup. English tradition tends to favour self immolation.
Do you have similar thoughts on Vicente Del Bosque?
This England has huge holes. I don’t dispute that. I figured that they would get knocked out in the first knockouts, if they lost in the quarterfinals then the world cup would be a big success. But, to look this listless, this bad, is still shocking and deeply disheartening. It’s one thing for England to be in the top half of world cup teams. It is quite a different thing for England to look a step ahead of Malta and Liechtenstein and four or five steps behind Denmark.
Nigerians have to win their macth today and also pray that agentina should win grece and nigerians have to scor 2 or 3 goals for them to have hope of qulifing in the group stage.
England fans going to Bloemfontein for the Germany game should take some time to visit Lesotho, the Mountain Kingdom, where they can play charity football matches with Lesotho2010 and Kick4Life and help vulnerable children in real Africa. The charity is supported by Fabio Capello and uses football to transform vulnerable children’s lives. Daily trips available (only 1 and a half hours drive), as well as additional cultural and adventure activities. Email: enquiries@lesotho2010.org