Almost half a century ago, on home soil, England did something they would not do for many years to come; they won the World Cup. Despite the undoubted ability of Wayne Rooney, the trickery of Raheem Sterling, the defensive prowess of Leighton Baines and the charisma of Joe Hart, England are utterly hopeless when they play in the games which REALLY matter.
At club level, the aforementioned men are accustomed to regularly seeing the opposition obliterated with flowing, stimulating, attacking football, so what must it feel like when they pull on the English jersey? One would assume that it must be utterly frustrating, similar to teaching a horse the alphabet. We all love a bit of fiction, but the English media seem to live for it. While common sense tells us England may never win the World Cup again, they do not seem to accept logic, asking the same question every four years: “Is this ‘our’ year?”
Additionally, the frightful levels of invasion by the British media will leave any manager of England with absolutely no privacy. From the inglorious days of Graham Taylor taunts to the endless stories about Sven-Goran Eriksson’s private life, no stone was ever left unturned. But seriously, how did Sven attract such beautiful women? He must have a huge…. bank account.
1966 was not just the golden year for English football, it may very well be the only one worth discussing for decades to come. This was the year that the three lions actually roared. Defeating their archenemies West Germany in the final, this was supposed to pave the way for English football to blossom like a beautiful flower.
Fast-forward almost five decades; take a look at a garden overrun with weeds, not a beautiful flower in sight.
Too harsh? Perhaps so, but let’s inspect the composition of arguably the best league in world football, the English Premier League. Here, the top teams are assembled largely around the capabilities of overseas players, especially in the final third of the field.
Chelsea, for example, will look to the quartet of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and Oscar to provide the firepower this season. Manchester United and Arsenal will look to Robin van Persie and Giroud to score goals on a consistent basis, while City will pray that Aguero and Silva stay fit. Apart from Rooney and Sturridge, another reliable English goalscorer in the top division simply does not exist. The abovementioned duo fluctuate quite a bit, and are certainly not in the ‘world class’ category like Costa, Neymar, Suarez etc.
Then, unfortunately, there is Danny Welbeck: a ‘striker’ in the loosest of terms, typically diabolical in front of goal, often mirroring a new born foal when he runs with the ball. Will he fall; will he stay on his feet; who really cares? Some claim that Welbeck’s desire to run compliments United’s team dynamic, and that might be true, but if he wishes to be labelled a decent striker, then he simply must score at least 15 goals a season.
With Jay Rodriguez to come back from injury, however, he could yet prove to be quality. For the time being, his full potential has yet to be realized.
The current state of English football is a fascinating one. Firstly, take the thriving club scene, with English teams often producing some of the most impressive football imaginable. Along with being one of the most exciting to watch, it is the most erratic, each game is unpredictable, and any team can beat any team.
A Jekyll and Hyde scenario, on the other hand, for far too long we have witnessed a hopeless international team overflowing with big names. From their failure to qualify for Euro 2008 to early elimination at this year’s World Cup, England’s ineffectiveness has damaged the image of the national game, leaving many fans questioning how capable club players can get it so wrong at international level. Before England departed for Brazil, let’s be honest, many fancied them to progress past the group stage. Even if you didn’t, surely performances so inept were not expected.
Next up, the England manager – always an interesting/farcical subject. Hodgson’s tactics are primitive, to say the least, and whilst nations like Germany and France have developed elaborate systems, England seem to have retreated down a dark alley, quickly approaching a cul-de-sac. After watching other nations switch effortlessly between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 formation at the World Cup, England mirrored Piers Morgan’s presenting style; boring, absolutely void of any creativity.
Of course, some will argue that Hodgson does not possess the players who can pass and press forward with the same ingenuity as Arjen Robben, Angel DiMaria, Thomas Muller and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
But that excuse does not sit well, especially if players like Wilshere and Henderson can dictate play admirably at club level. This malfunction could have something to do with the attitude and approach to representing England. As Paul Scholes so accurately alluded to, many players simply use the national team as a catalyst for their club careers. Basically, the prestige and camaraderie once associated with representing England seems to have vanished. What was once a regarded as a privilege is now viewed as an undesirable chore. Harry Redknapp added fuel to an already scorching fire just before the World Cup when he claimed that Spurs players had asked for his help to avoid representing England during his spell at White Hart Lane. This statement from the QPR boss reinforced the widespread belief that English players draw little satisfaction from representing a nation continuously built up to be knocked down.
That is not the case in Germany, so let’s focus on the Bundesliga for a moment. While Joachim Löw has certainly benefited from his players playing abroad; he has also benefited from the strong numbers of German players plying their trade domestically. Perhaps Hodgson’s and co. will continue to fail until England starts to promote young, home-grown talent who actually get real Premier League playing time.
Germany will continue to benefit from the cultural experiences of Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil, for sure, but numerous young German players in Germany are being given the proverbial nod over foreign players. While some young English players are getting their chance- Raheem Sterling and Ross Barkley are two of the most obvious names- many overseas players form the nucleus of English clubs.
It is no fluke that Germany hit top form at the biggest tournaments. When you watch this team play, undoubtedly there is something embedded in the German psyche that convinces each player they have the ability to overcome any obstacle. In addition to having a perfect temperament for competitive football, there is arrogance in their play, a real belief that they are better than anyone else. And as this summer’s performances showed, they are.
This footballing arrogance is very different to the way German players behave off the field; there is a humility that separates them from English players. While Jack Wilshere is caught on camera smoking, it is very rare that you hear of German players ‘looking cool’ or parading their wealth.
After dismal displays at Euro 2000, when Germany crashed out at the group stage with just a solitary point and a single goal, their football philosophy plunged into a phase of soul-searching, and this is where the humility has come from. You see, Germany have learned from their mistakes. Even though England exited so pathetically in Brazil, just watch as Hodgson’s men continue to underwhelm, producing meaningless excuses instead of meaningful results.
Interestingly enough, the German’s premature exit fourteen years ago saw the introduction of a pioneering proposal. The footballing blueprint involved a new requirement at all 36 professional clubs; compulsory youth academies. A study from four years ago revealed that well over 50% of Bundesliga players had come through the academy system. Impressive, right? What is even more impressive is the fact that this mandatory system produced talents like Thomas Muller, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Gotze and the man mountain also known as Manuel Neuer. Furthermore, each of these men opted to remain on native soil rather than accepting big money moves abroad.
By examining the German philosophy, perhaps England can one day make a real impact at a big tournament. Well, they can certainly make a more valiant effort.
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