England's Woe

Awakening from my slumber this morning was one of the more interesting aspects of my week. The realization of England failing yet again in International competition coming not so much as a surprise, but even I never expected a performance quite that bad. Much has been said on the matter already, particularly regarding Steve Mclaren, our shiny new scapegoat.

The problems with England stem from a Football Association that lacks any real conviction or belief in our International status, an unfortunately contagious attitude that clearly affects both players and anybody involved in the international setup. This was evident in the choice of manager 18 months ago. That decision set the precedent, a choice lacking in both ambition and drive. The FA opted for a manager of absolute mediocrity, a man with no real pedigree or memorable success, a sinful decision. Steve Mclaren, whilst being a rather likeable chap, is quite simply not a very good manager. Some of his decisions over the past 18 months have bordered on the insane, epitomized by the benching of a certain David Beckham last night. England needed heart and passion last night, drive. As all football fans know, those are just some of the attributes Becks brings to the game. He is also a player with great character, a big game performer and match winner. You would think Mclaren had learnt his lesson from the last time he dropped Becks. Apparently not.

Then there was the inclusion of Scott Carson and Wayne Bridge. How the latter quite deserves a place over the current LA Galaxy and former Manchester United and Real Madrid hero astounds and repulses me in abundant measures. Yet perhaps the most significant mistake last night, again evidence of England’s lack of self belief, was Steve Mclaren’s decision to play for the draw. Given the circumstances, 4-5-1 is not, never was and will never be a successful choice of formation. What exactly was Peter Crouch ever going to do as a lone striker? It is this mentality that undoubtedly cost England the qualifying campaign. No belief, no success. Simple.

Then there is the issue of individual players. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are quite often bandied about as two of the best and most complete midfielders in the world, yet their International careers have been, if not poor, no better than average. In big games, you expect the big players to perform. If you do not have big players, you expect them to fight, to care. England fans have come to expect nothing from these two, only hope. Hope, the story of our national team. A sad tale.

Putting those two aside, each individual on the pitch last night gave a performance similar to that usually viewed in the circus. The passing was comical, a woeful display of ability. These eleven clowns played with so little tenacity and passion, particularly in the first half, that what we have just witnessed is nothing short of an insult to the nation that gave birth to the beautiful game. We do not and cannot expect them to play with the flair of the Brazilians, the tactical awareness of the Italians or the technical ability of the Spanish, but with the once unrivalled spirit of the English. It cannot help either, that so few English players move abroad. Nor can the unstoppable influx of foreign players now embracing the Premiership, a situation unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Buying abroad usually means cheaper players with more quality, and less youngsters being given a chance in our country. Limiting the amount of foreigners available in a team does not necessarily work, however. Spain have a three foreigner limit on all La Liga teams, which as clearly achieved little for their international team, but those circumstances are different. Spain is a country of both political and social differences, many of their players being unable to identify with the national team.

The thought of watching the European Championships without England is a dismal one, truly appalling, but with Mclaren gone, no rash decisions must be made. Careful consideration must be given to his successor, a manager of real world class renown and success the only option. Alan Shearer is too much of a risk in this delicate period. Despite what anybody tells you, Martin O’neill, whilst enthusiastic, passionate and again, likeable, is not an option, his only accolade being the SPL Championships. Hardly a world class CV. Paul Jewell, Glen Hoddle, Sam Allardyce, again, won nothing. Fabio Capello and Jose Mourinho are both available, and love or loathe either character, they are both winners, both displaying the ability to shape players’ mentality for the better and influence games with brilliant decisiveness. Not to mention the character to kick certain individuals into shape, or out of the team if need be. Mourinho’s ties with the likes of Frank Lampard, John Terry and Joe Cole must also be considered, three players he improved drastically during his time in charge. Following his outburst yesterday, Luiz Felipe Scolari is another option, although he has turned the chance of managing England down before. Undoubtedly, the FA would jump at the chance of employing any one of these three, and hopefully such a situation will come to fruition. Sadly, I doubt the English FA are capable of such actions. Brace yourselves for the worst, then. Oh, and props to Croatia. Excellent performance by a very strong team. Expect them to make a real impact at the tournament next summer.