Where England Stand After Euro 2012
Resist. Resist the temptation to focus on England losing on penalties. Avoid that search for a scapegoat and look on a grander scale as to why England failed – as some such as Jonathan Wilson have ruminated before (especially in the Anatomy of England) there is no sole reason for England’s (continued) lack of success.
Still, some search peerlessly for someone to take responsibility, with the main candidates this year Ashley Young and Ashley Cole having missed penalties. However, the wisest words from the England camp came from Theo Walcott when he spoke to BBC Radio 5live after the game.
“Sometimes for the positives, you have to learn from the negatives,” was the eloquent summation from Theo Walcott after another spot-kick heartbreak. Quite a few negatives are there to point out. Even in the two games which were won at Euro 2012, England weren’t impressive. Their weaknesses were there for all to see against, in comparison to previous years, sub-standard France and Italy sides.
On Sunday evening against the Italians, the ball retention was poor as shown by 32% possession and a pass completion ratio 15% less than the opposition. The first touch of many players was also lacking. As soon as any real pressure was applied by Italy to England on the ball, they struggled. Whilst some of the last ditch tackles by Joleon Lescott and John Terry were impressive, it is worrying that in over three hours against France and Italy, England managed only two shots on target. Their only one of the night arrived from right back Glen Johnson – and that came within the first few minutes in Kiev too.
And for all the defensive qualities Hodgson’s 4-4-2 gave England, on numerous occasions, Italy successfully got between the two banks of four to create chances, with Ricardo Montolivo in particular, a constant menace. Now, these rigid tactics which Hodgson used suited the English team overall, but not necessarily the certain individuals like Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney. Those two in particular are used to playing with more creative freedom at their respective clubs. To give them that might have proved suicidal to the team. Still supporters crave the fluidity of play that Spanish and German fans enjoy.
They must realise playing in the fluid fashion demanded does not come quickly. According to Uli Hesse, Jürgen Klinsmann helped to put in place the attacking philosophy which we are seeing from Germany currently, back in 2004. It’s only now that Germany appear to be peaking. Of course, there’s more to this, especially in terms of how football is structured in Germany.
Now, no matter what the choice of style is, there will always be a loud minority, voicing their discontent – such is the nature of it being a national team, everyone feels it is of extra importance to voice their opinion on how it should be run.
Ultimately, as many as possible within the game need to be pulling in the same direction and it’s something that is still not happening in English football, such is the way the Premier League and the FA seem to work against each other, rather than with.
Now at Euro 2012, there was some improvement from the 2010 World Cup debacle. In South Africa, the togetherness and subsequently the passion appeared to be lacking. What was missing in Kiev though was the skill and the technical ability. Not the first time that’s been said either as some like Chris Waddle have bemoaned the coaching of young players in England previously.
He has a point too. As mooted earlier though, you cannot ignore the other factors from trying to explain why England lost to Italy. Whether it’s the amount of time Hodgson has been the England manager, that players were tired after another long Premier League season or that they just weren’t good enough – there is no single, correct answer way to explain as to how England reached the quarter finals.
Whilst the words of Theo Walcott are encouraging in that it gives the impression action will be taken, again, as Chris Waddle pointed out in the aftermath, little has changed technically on the pitch since 2010. To expect major progress when there has only been two years since South Africa is unrealistic – like the expectations of those who thought that having edged past Sweden and Ukraine, “England really could go all the way.”
Hodgson’s team can take positives from the tournament – the new manager still hasn’t lost a game in normal time and there were some good individual performances from some of the squad’s younger players.
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Whilst fans will yearn for more, in both results and in style at the World Cup, they must realise this – Football is not necessarily about being able to play beautifully all the time. It’s about having the ability to play the football which suits the situation. It’s something that England still doesn’t have. Maybe when they can, they’ll have a chance in a major tournament but for now, England are some way from this – and it’s not the first time they have been either.
Article originally written @ Gone With The Rhind – For more musings on Twitter, follow @archiert1
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