English soccer analysts and fans alike were in a panic before the international break. Tempers were rising because an influx of foreign players, perceived to be halting the development of young English players and preventing them from reaching their full potential. Most of the Premier League stars do come from other countries, but the Three Lions roared during the international break, leaving fans singing their praises and the analysts assessing England’s World Cup chances.
For those who missed the matches, England came up with two decisive victories against Montenegro and Poland, securing first place in their group and a trip to Brazil 2014. After a goalless draw against Ukraine in Kiev anything less than two victories would have meant a playoff for England’s World Cup berth, and anything less than qualification would have been an embarrassment to the English game as a whole. So how did Roy Hodgson’s boys turn the sceptics into optimists?
Ironically injuries played a huge part. Both Ashley Cole and Theo Walcott were unavailable, and their replacements Leighton Baines and Andros Townsend were arguably England’s best players during their two victories. Kyle Walker was also unavailable for the second match with Chris Smalling featuring on the right side of England’s defence against Poland. But most importantly, the introduction of these three players meant Hodgson strayed away from England’s archaic 4-4-2 formation.
England’s formation in both matches had hints of this season’s Liverpool. The Reds have taken the Premier League by surprise this season and are currently tied for first place with 16 points. Brendan Rodgers has been playing with three central defenders and using Jose Enrique as a hybrid left mid. Baines is definitely an improvement on Enrique, and his crosses proved incredibly dangerous, something that Wayne Rooney benefited from. Baines was given offensive freedom, and while he was attacking Smalling would shift over as he, Cahill and Jagiekla filled the void. Baines is equally as good at defending though, which he proved against Poland when he was tasked with shutting down Polish captain Jakub Blaszczykowski. Ashley Cole doesn’t possess the same offensive abilities as Baines these days, and it would be somewhat surprising if Hodgson decided to go back to Cole, though that is a very nice choice to have.
Up front England played very similar to Liverpool as well. Daniel Sturridge, Rooney and Danny Welbeck formed a very good partnership similar to Suarez-Sturridge-Moses. Welbeck may have been slotted in on the left side, but he often switched with Sturridge and Rooney, giving the defenders a tough time marking them. Townsend and Baines played dangerous crosses from either side, and pass-master Steven Gerrard was able to link up with the front four often enough. Rooney’s timely goals against Montenegro and Poland proved the difference, and you could hear the collective sigh of relief as he celebrated. Hodgson will rely on Rooney to continue scoring if the Three Lions are to be successful in Brazil.
The one piece England were missing was a midfielder to pair with Gerrard. Michael Carrick played well enough to get past Montenegro and Poland, but well enough won’t cut it against the world’s best in Brazil. Carrick lacked creativity and his play off the ball was average. If Jack Wilshere can stay healthy, he is the perfect compliment to Gerrard. Wilshere excels at pushing defences back and playing balls between defenders, which would benefit the front four. Wilshere, with his comfort on the ball, would take the pressure off Gerrard as the link between the defenders and attackers, while both Gerrard and Wilshere are also strong in the tackle.
In the end it all came down to risk. England are notoriously good at choosing a conservative side with little creative spark. The side that drew 0-0 with Ukraine was a perfect example of this. But by replacing the strong and steady Cole with Baines, and more importantly the reliably boring James Milner with Townsend, England played with a positive spark that normally is not on display: they carried the play and dictated the tempo for the majority of both matches. Hodgson has taken criticism from all kinds of people – most recently Harry Redknapp – but Hodgson deserves praise for gambling on a less reliable side. This international break should serve as a wake-up call to the English FA: playing it safe almost never works.
English football may not be as doomed as everyone seemed to believe. England may not possess the star power that Spain or Germany do, but there is reason to be optimistic. Sturridge is developing into one of the Premier League’s top strikers, Cahill and Jagielka are proving a solid duo in defence, Steven Gerrard continues to be one of the world’s top midfielders, and if Rooney can lead the attack at the finals in the manner that he has during qualification, who knows where England can go.
England’s future doesn’t look too grim either. If developing players such as Townsend and Wilshere can continue to see time for their clubs and country, they could usher in a new era for English and Premier League football. It may be more difficult for Townsend to find playing time at Spurs, and once Theo Walcott returns from injury it will be interesting to see who Hodgson goes with on the wing.
Ross Barkley has impressed at Everton this year, and it would not be surprising if he sees England action in some of their upcoming friendlies. He plays with the same pace as Jack Wilshere, and if his progression continues he could be England’s next big midfielder. Young players such as Tom Cleverley, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Raheem Sterling have all shown potential to be future England starters. Another name to follow is West Ham’s midfielder Ravel Morrison, who is only 20 years old and is on Hodgson’s radar, much like Saido Berahino at West Brom, who Roy knows well from his spell in charge there.
If England continue to play a formation that plays to the Three Lions’ strengths, they could come away with a successful World Cup campaign. No, England’s chances at winning are not good, but they could definitely move out of the group stage and maybe pull off an upset or two.
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