When Greg Dyke, the new Chairman of The Football Association, addressed the media recently with his key-note speech regarding the current plight of the English national team, he laid down quite the target for “Team England” to aim towards.
That target? The 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The aim? Win it. That’s all. As I said, that is quite the target and one that he will no doubt be reminded of for years to come, long after the dust, or sand, has settled on this most unlikely of footballing stages should we fall short of what might seem the impossible dream.
Now I have absolutely no problem with those in charge of our national game setting the bar high, for I feel that we need to be bold if we are to snap out of our recent and ongoing international malaise. My concern however stems from the inevitable air of negativity and associated culture of finger-pointing and ridicule that would accompany what, at this point in time, must be viewed as a pretty outlandish claim as a goal. It would appear at this stage that we are setting ourselves up for failure.
In terms of footballing talent, the current England side sits at number 14 in the latest FIFA rankings. Had these claims been made by the head of the FA of Bosnia-Herzegovina or that of Switzerland, the footballing public might well have had a little chuckle to themselves as they read about it in the morning papers or saw it reported on TV. The fact that they are the two nations which currently sandwich England in the FIFA rankings is a stark reminder of how far we have to go to reach such targets.
As a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal in 2022, an intermediary target of reaching the semi-finals of the pan-European 2020 European Championships was also laid down. The fact that 9 of the 13 nations currently above us in the rankings are European is another reminder that targets are sometimes easier to set than to achieve.
According to Dyke the main area of concern revolves around the ever-dwindling number of English footballers regularly playing in the first team at the top level of the game. In particular the Premier League where the percentage of English players starting matches had fallen from 69% in the 1992/93 season to just 32% last season. As he was originally involved in the formation of what some now term “The Greed League” Dyke stopped short of shovelling the whole portion of blame onto their doorstep, with him acknowledging the fact that The FA had to shoulder some of the blame too.
Behind the scenes shake-ups have taken place after a disastrous tournament at Under-21 level, whilst Hope Powell, the long-term manager of the England women’s team also paid the price for failure. Gareth Southgate has been appointed the new England Under 21 manager, whilst ex-West Bromwich Albion Sporting and Technical Director Dan Ashworth has been appointed as The FA’s Director of Elite Development and he will be looking to implement a repetitive regime throughout the age groups with all sides sharing the same footballing philosophy.
Another area that Ashworth will look to improve is the quantity of quality coaches in England. At UEFA A level, Spain and Germany have 12,720 and 5,500 coaches whereas England has just 1,161. At Pro Licence level it’s the same with Germany having over a thousand accredited coaches and Spain double that amount. England has 203.
The facilities that The FA have built and manicured at St George’s Park are up there with the best around and give the , not to mention the coaches, the best possible surroundings to work hard, dedicate themselves and improve.
The players themselves must also take a long hard look in the mirror and ask themselves whether they are doing as much as they possibly can to achieve their own personal goals. We all know the temptations and distractions that everyday life can offer, not to mention to the young millionaire that everyone wants to be around, but being disciplined at the right times and looking after your body is just as important as any amount of ability on the pitch. The list of wasted talents is long and sad and the clamber to become another name on the list seemingly never ending.
I don’t see us being able to achieve the major objective of winning in Qatar, at whatever time of year they decide to play, but I do believe that we can improve. Indeed, we must improve. Good habits need to be taught if they aren’t already instilled and the move has to be forward. The young English players coming through the age groups in Academies up and down the country will get their chance if they work hard and apply themselves and behave in the correct manner. If they are good enough I firmly believe they will play, which is how it should be. People pointing the finger at foreign imports blocking the path are burying their heads and looking for excuses.
The excuses need to stop. England’s resurgence needs to begin.
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