WHY ENGLAND WILL NEVER WIN
Posted: Mon Nov 30, 2009 10:36 pm
Pie and Mash.
They don't serve much of it in Italy. But to look at England managers over the last ten years you would think that someone high up in the FA watched a lot of Italian football on Channel Four in the nineties and decided that this was the way to go. First we had Hoddle with a brief to create an England team in his own image; talented technicality with the ball on the ground. And then Keegan with a similar brief; flair please, let show the wops and deigo's we can be as creative as them. And then when that failed (well it would wouldn't it they were both English) the FA showed it's true intentions and appointed two Italian managers. Sven who had made his name in the Italian League and who tried very hard to get England to play like an old fashioned Serie A team, and then, (after a disasterous fling with the wally in the brolly) the present incumbent who is, well, trying to get us to play like a Serie A team.
And there is a problem this and it is as follows; it is not our natural game. It is not what our players play week in week out or what they have been brought up playing year after year; and a couple of weeks a year at Bisham Abbey under the eyes of some Wop who can barely speak English is not going to change that. Rubbish! I hear you say. How come we have already qaulified? Look at the results? Surely there has been an improvement?
I agree there has. Our players have learned to speak passable Italian. And given they are talented anyway, their pigeon Italian will make them look good against lesser opposition, very good even. The problem comes when they come up against real Italians, who are not speaking it as a second language. And then we lose and look ordinary.
Capello's record it good, yes, but what has happenned each time we have played the flair sides that he is trying to imitate? We have lost, and, against Spain and Brazil, lost convincingly. And the same will happen in South Africa. We will do well in the group stages, but will lose (again) in the quarters when we come up against the real deal.
So let us play our natural game. The English game. The premiership game that so many talented foreign players take a good twelve months to get used to, but which no English manager since Terry Venables would let us play. Let us play our best players in their club positions playing the type of game they play week in week out. And in case you are wondering what that is let me tell you.
One. Wingers. For the last ten years England have played without anyone who can beat the full back, get to the by line and whip in a cross. And that is the most destructive ball because it forces the centre halfs to turn around and run back towards their own goalie whilst trying to see where the ball is coming from and simultaneously being unaware of who is coming in behind them; a centre half's nightmare. Beckham never did this because he would never take on a man and would always play his crosses from between the half way line and the area, where the centre halfs could see them coming and knock them away. And Joe Cole would never produce such a ball as he would always have to come inside onto his favoured right foot. And so the ball that is food and drink to premiership strikers week in week out in the premiership forms no part of our international game.
Two. A good target man. I remember watching England France in Euro 04 when we had Rooney and Owen up front. Two talented midgets against two enormous frog centre halfs. Result: we lost. For me it has to be SKD with someone like Defoe or Owen to play off him. But Crouch or even Heskey will do. But give us the option of the long, ball; the wops hate it and as Owen and Heskey have shown many times; it works.
Three. A pure attacking midfielder unshackled. Stevie G. Forget this one stays one goes idea of a midfield. Decide who your best attacking midfielder is, pick him and drop the rest. Play a proper defensive midfielder behind him so that he can rampage forward whenever he sees the opportunity without having to worry about defensive responsibilities. And so it runs like this; you say to your defensive midfielder mix it up. Long ball to SKD. Then out to winger one to attack the right side and whip it in. Then Steve G to come at them through the middle then the other wing etc etc. Add Jimmy Bullard to that list or Lampard. But whatever you do; only pick one.
Four. Pace. Italian, Spanish, South American Football is about keeping the ball and waiting. That is not our game. When we try to play it we just look one dimensional and slow. So; attack. When they have it, get in their faces and make them feel they are playing against 22 men. When we have it move it forward so fast and so often and from so many angles that their goalie will never be able to go to the church with mama again because he won't be able to face another cross.
And we still may not win, but at least we'll be giving ourself a chance.
Nuff said..
They don't serve much of it in Italy. But to look at England managers over the last ten years you would think that someone high up in the FA watched a lot of Italian football on Channel Four in the nineties and decided that this was the way to go. First we had Hoddle with a brief to create an England team in his own image; talented technicality with the ball on the ground. And then Keegan with a similar brief; flair please, let show the wops and deigo's we can be as creative as them. And then when that failed (well it would wouldn't it they were both English) the FA showed it's true intentions and appointed two Italian managers. Sven who had made his name in the Italian League and who tried very hard to get England to play like an old fashioned Serie A team, and then, (after a disasterous fling with the wally in the brolly) the present incumbent who is, well, trying to get us to play like a Serie A team.
And there is a problem this and it is as follows; it is not our natural game. It is not what our players play week in week out or what they have been brought up playing year after year; and a couple of weeks a year at Bisham Abbey under the eyes of some Wop who can barely speak English is not going to change that. Rubbish! I hear you say. How come we have already qaulified? Look at the results? Surely there has been an improvement?
I agree there has. Our players have learned to speak passable Italian. And given they are talented anyway, their pigeon Italian will make them look good against lesser opposition, very good even. The problem comes when they come up against real Italians, who are not speaking it as a second language. And then we lose and look ordinary.
Capello's record it good, yes, but what has happenned each time we have played the flair sides that he is trying to imitate? We have lost, and, against Spain and Brazil, lost convincingly. And the same will happen in South Africa. We will do well in the group stages, but will lose (again) in the quarters when we come up against the real deal.
So let us play our natural game. The English game. The premiership game that so many talented foreign players take a good twelve months to get used to, but which no English manager since Terry Venables would let us play. Let us play our best players in their club positions playing the type of game they play week in week out. And in case you are wondering what that is let me tell you.
One. Wingers. For the last ten years England have played without anyone who can beat the full back, get to the by line and whip in a cross. And that is the most destructive ball because it forces the centre halfs to turn around and run back towards their own goalie whilst trying to see where the ball is coming from and simultaneously being unaware of who is coming in behind them; a centre half's nightmare. Beckham never did this because he would never take on a man and would always play his crosses from between the half way line and the area, where the centre halfs could see them coming and knock them away. And Joe Cole would never produce such a ball as he would always have to come inside onto his favoured right foot. And so the ball that is food and drink to premiership strikers week in week out in the premiership forms no part of our international game.
Two. A good target man. I remember watching England France in Euro 04 when we had Rooney and Owen up front. Two talented midgets against two enormous frog centre halfs. Result: we lost. For me it has to be SKD with someone like Defoe or Owen to play off him. But Crouch or even Heskey will do. But give us the option of the long, ball; the wops hate it and as Owen and Heskey have shown many times; it works.
Three. A pure attacking midfielder unshackled. Stevie G. Forget this one stays one goes idea of a midfield. Decide who your best attacking midfielder is, pick him and drop the rest. Play a proper defensive midfielder behind him so that he can rampage forward whenever he sees the opportunity without having to worry about defensive responsibilities. And so it runs like this; you say to your defensive midfielder mix it up. Long ball to SKD. Then out to winger one to attack the right side and whip it in. Then Steve G to come at them through the middle then the other wing etc etc. Add Jimmy Bullard to that list or Lampard. But whatever you do; only pick one.
Four. Pace. Italian, Spanish, South American Football is about keeping the ball and waiting. That is not our game. When we try to play it we just look one dimensional and slow. So; attack. When they have it, get in their faces and make them feel they are playing against 22 men. When we have it move it forward so fast and so often and from so many angles that their goalie will never be able to go to the church with mama again because he won't be able to face another cross.
And we still may not win, but at least we'll be giving ourself a chance.
Nuff said..