Following England’s opening World Cup defeat to Italy, the general consensus among supporters was that the team had performed, on the whole, pretty well and were perhaps even a little unfortunate to be on the wrong end of the score line. Fast forward to the aftermath of England’s second group defeat against Uruguay however and the atmosphere in the room has changed quite dramatically.
The first match against Italy saw Wayne Rooney’s place in the team called into question following an unfamiliar role on the left wing ahead of Leighton Baines. The fact that a lot of Italian pressure came down their right hand side caused many observers to pinpoint Rooney as the problem player, despite the fact that he created the only goal for England by supplying the left wing cross for Daniel Sturridge to tap home.
For the second group match, Rooney and Raheem Sterling, who in the previous game had operated more centrally, switched positions, enabling Rooney to play in his preferred central role in support of Sturridge. The fact that none of the three had particularly good games was a bigger problem for me than their respective positions on the pitch. England needed someone to step up to the plate and deliver on the grandest of stages, but unfortunately for them, the Uruguayan that did was all too familiar and simply too clinical in front of goal. Luis Suarez, world class in front of goal, took his chances, leaving England on their knees, desperately hoping for favours and a huge slice of luck in order to progress. Unfortunately, no favours would come on Friday in Brazil.
Lack of Quality Cost England
England have nobody at that level in front of goal, whilst the defence is also as weak as it has been at the top level for a very long time. The difference at top international level between Leighton Baines and his predecessor Ashley Cole is as striking as the difference between Brazilian attackers Neymar and Jo. For me, there is simply no comparison, and regardless of the stop-start-stop time that Cole endured at Chelsea this past season, I would not have even considered leaving him at home.
After the opening match, Rooney had the finger pointed at him by a nation who accused him of offering little protection to his full back behind him, but throughout the length of Cole’s England career, he has actually shone in those exact conditions, consistently proving himself to be one of England’s only world class players in his position. Whichever left back accompanied him, he would’ve definitely been one of the first names on my squad sheet. A wise old owl like Roy Hodgson ignoring not only his experience but also his class was, to me, a huge mistake and a decision that I am sure he would like again.
There are certainly lessons to be learnt from the experiences of this World Cup for England, and not only from the players and the staff either. The public also need to realise that jumping up and down, screaming and shouting for the next man up to replace the fading, ageing star isn’t always for the best in the immediate. Consider that left back is actually one of very few positions where England are blessed with genuine options but even there, the transition from the world class Cole to the ‘people’s favourite’ Baines proved to be anything but smooth. After defeat to Uruguay, the unfortunate Steven Gerrard is the next man in the cross-hairs of a public baying for the younger option but without that younger option actually having a name. Likewise with Rooney following the Italy defeat – who is there to replace him in the team?
The truth of the matter is that England are lacking in quality across the board and though small steps forward have been taken, even in defeat at this tournament, there is still a huge way to go before England can compete with the real big hitters of international football. As I hinted at earlier, the current centre back pairing is the worst recurring partnership in my living memory, whilst the full backs are nowhere near top international level at present. Worryingly, right back and centre back depth is much more of an issue than it is at left back where Luke Shaw and the unlucky-to-be-overlooked Kieran Gibbs offer quality support. Further forward, who is the heir apparent to Steven Gerrard in the deep-lying midfield role to which he isn’t really suited himself? The amount of time it takes to consider your answer should set the alarm bells ringing loud and clear, as the options simply don’t leap out at you.
And what about Rooney? At 28 years of age and with an international record reading 93 caps and 40 goals, he should be held in much higher regard than he is by a country which has taken his talents for granted for far too long. By shifting him around the pitch constantly in order to accommodate the next up-and-comer, you aren’t giving him the best possible opportunity to impress and with so few players of genuine top level ability available to England, that in itself is a crime.
England have been undone by their own defensive fragility in Brazil, and though there have been some small signs of improvement in some areas offering encouragement for the future, unless they can find the right blend of old and new, whilst utilising players in their preferred positions, then the next international tournament could very well end up with the same feeling of deflation.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @LWOSFommyTarr. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at r/football.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at Sports Injury Alert.
Main Photo:
