England: The Wasted Years
I’m not English, but I’m a huge fan of England. Like every fan of England, I’d looked forward to seeing the team go places in Germany. This wasn’t just an emotional or subjective investment; it was a decision I’d accepted first with my head, before putting my heart in it. But then, two things happened to shatter my belief.
No, it isn’t Rooney’s injury; any team with designs to win the World Cup cannot be a one-man team. They must have different permutations to take the prize and they should be able to adjust to the loss of one of their best players, no matter how seemingly irreplaceable. Frankly, I’ve been roundly embarrassed by some of the supine comments following Rooney’s injury, especially those that tend to place too much burden on the 20 year-old boy. Thus, after the injury, I was still very much convinced of England’s chances.
But the first assault on my hope was the appointment of Steve McClaren to the England manager’s job. Yes, I’d almost shouted myself hoarse calling for the appointment of an Englishman as the national team manager, but in my calculation, McClaren shouldn’t have even been considered at all. I am not keen on great CVs or staggering experience of football management for the national job, because history has proved it’s not a great criterion for result at that level. So, on that score, I have no problem with him. My key point against McClaren is that being part of the Eriksson set-up for that long should have immediately disqualified him. Rather than spin this as the obvious advantage after the Scolari fiasco, it should have been clear to the FA that what was needed was not continuity, but real change. True, Eriksson’s record isn’t bad football-wise, but it isn’t great as well. England has bettered Eriksson’s record at the World Cup and European Championships with English managers, so why continue with his system in the guise of McClaren who’d worked very closely with him throughout?
Secondly, I believe McClaren’s presence in the mix was unfair to other applicants. If the FA was interested in who’s worked with Eriksson and who knows the system, it was obvious to everyone that none of the other English candidates should have even been contacted. So, why raise their hopes, disrupt their clubs’ affairs and call them in for more than one interview when all along you aren’t keen on them? The FA should have been bold enough to simply appoint McClaren immediately and give their reasons (whether the public accepts it or not), rather than coming back to him after the rigmarole, time-wasting and unnecessary humiliation they put the nation through. Such near-criminal shoddiness gives nobody confidence.
Again, I thought the appointment should have been used to kick the team up their backsides as a way to mentally and psychologically prepare them for the World Cup. We all know there’d been clear cases of indiscipline and loss of focus within the team. And, even though the players are always quick to announce their respect for Eriksson, anyone can see this is mere lip-service. These guys are virtually law unto themselves as Eriksson had since lost control. For instance, while everyone celebrated England’s qualification for the tournament, not many will forget the fact that England had one of the easiest groups and that the boys showed distinct lack of motivation in some of those qualifying games. It was therefore important for the FA to make a strong statement with the appointment. Sadly, McClaren’s appointment will simply return the players to their slumber because they know him well enough to ignore him or take him for granted, as they did Eriksson. They are not suddenly going to start giving him what they never gave him under Eriksson. They know their positions, as it is now under Eriksson, is guaranteed under McClaren, so why go burst their guts in Germany? But an entirely new man would have put all of them on their toes. They would have been going to this World Cup to impress him in order to keep their places. With McClaren, that obviously can’t happen, because it’s business as usual.
In fact, when I consider the appointment more deeply, as cynical as it may sound, I can’t help thinking that the choice of McClaren as the England manager is an FA conspiracy against English managers. It is a case of the FA giving England an English manager (because the nation clamoured for one), but then choosing the worst possible option amongst those available to increase the chance of failure, in order to have a convenient excuse to continue appointing foreign managers after McClaren.
However, the last straw for me is the Eriksson-McClaren squad selection for the World Cup. Eriksson isn’t ashamed to tell the world he’s acting illogically by choosing Theo Walcott! What has Walcott done in football to be in the provisional squad? Until three days ago, no one anywhere was remotely thinking of him; but less than 24 hours after Wenger flew his kite, Eriksson jumps at it. This is a boy he’s never watched play! This is a boy who’s played just 24 games with a Championship side (11 as substitute) and who, in spite of the hype had not managed more than 5 goals. Why are the influences of Arsene Wenger and David Dein that strong at the FA? Wenger does not have confidence enough to play him since he’s acquired him, yet he recommends that England picks him!
I think Walcott’s choice is political. Eriksson, introduced to the England job by Dein, is playing paddy-paddy here, especially if we consider also that the boy shares the same agent with McClaren. Eriksson keeps proclaiming his right to make one gamble out of 23, but the fact is, he’s made more than one gamble already and Walcott’s own is particularly senseless, considering the strikers situation. With Rooney and Owen serious doubts, isn’t it utterly ridiculous to expect Peter Crouch and Walcott to score the goals? Isn’t it more baffling when you have Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Marlon Harewood, James Beattie, Shola Ameobi, Dean Ashton and Andy Johnson cooling their heels at home?
Of course, there’s also the case of Aaron Lennon. Granted that he’s been a revelation at Spurs this season, but for Christ’s sake, what did he achieve there? How many times did he begin a game and what experience does he have to rival Shaun Wright-Phillips, even though the latter hadn’t played particularly well this season? Everyone knows that Wright-Phillip’s position is somewhat peculiar, because he’s just come into a Chelsea side with abundance of riches in his position. Having to be kept on the bench by the likes of Arjen Robben and Damien Duff doesn’t mean people like Aaron Lennon or Owen Hargreaves should keep him out of the England team. They didn’t even deem it fit to put him on the standby list. Perhaps, that is David Dein and Wenger punishing the boy (and his father Ian Wright) for choosing Chelsea ahead of Arsenal! Besides, I think the team lacks balance with the lopsided choice of too many midfielders at the obvious expense of strikers, especially where two of the main strikers are doubts. And, with all the strikers apart from Crouch being ‘little’ men, England could have done with another ‘big’ striker.
In any case, I wish England luck and certainly would still be cheering for them, even though right now I have no great hope anymore. Whatever are Eriksson’s intentions, they definitely are not geared to giving England the best possible chance in this World Cup. In fact, even his choice of Rooney is ill-advised. No miracle is going to get the boy ready and match-fit before the end of the tournament. As I implied earlier, it is embarrassing to pin England hopes on a severely injured boy at a time he should have been left to quietly heal and recuperate at home. It is unnecessary pressure on the boy and the medical team looking after him. In fact, this kind of expectation could endanger the boy’s career, especially where they rush him into action too early. He’s still very young and has many major tournaments ahead of him. Why the indecent haste?
The England band of the battered and the bruised, the rookies and the politicians, the goodbye-foreigner and eternal number two is not a World Cup fighting machine. Of course, some of the boys will go there and play their hearts out, but I’m afraid, on this level, England would be found terribly wanting, having pressed the self-defeat button before even boarding the plane. It is my fear that in years to come, the Eriksson and the McClaren decade in English football will be remembered as the wasted years. And the more painful part will be the realization that England has never had it so good in terms of readily available talent to do the business this time around.
Of course, I’d dearly love to be proved emphatically wrong, but I doubt it. There are just too many self-inflicted wounds to pose serious enough problems for the mission.
- Posted at 03:14 PM · Permalink · Print · 1991 views · Last indexed by Google on the 10th May 2008
- Tags: Internationals, Kenn Emetulu, Miscellaneous, Players
Kenn, a good piece but I think your comments about SWP are wide of the mark. SWP has not had a good season with us. I believe he is a good player but for whatever reasons has not had the chance to prove it fully this season. And even when presented with the chance he hasn’t always performed as well as Robben or Cole. It maybe that Jose wanted a year to determine his mental approach and attitude… to see if he’s up to the big job. But that’s quite dangerous considering the money spent. One would hope that this evaluation criteria would have been settled before writing the cheque. However I still feel he has a future with us as my firm belief is that we will sell Duff on. He’s been a good servant but again his perfromances are inconsistent and maybe JM sees SWP as the right wing man with Robben on his preferred left and Cole able to play in either spot when not in the middle.
Having said that I wouldn’t have put Hargreaves in the squad unless we need a boot cleaner. The man has NEVER done anything worthwhile in an England shirt, and only slightly more for Bayern. When things were going awry against Portugal and you saw him come on… what did you think? I’ll bet it wasn’t “oh good, here comes someone to change the game”. Hargreaves is a waste of space.
No for me, Sven F*ckwit Eriksson was probably justified in leaving SWP out in favour of a rampant Lennon based purely on form and appearnaces. But, I would have put Bent or Defoe in Hargreaves’ place to shore up the striking force. Walcott is a gamble, a very big gamble and yes, the hand of Dein/Wenger does appear prominent, but sometimes that is the gamble I’d like to have seen Sven take previously so I won’t knock it. It is exactly what Brazil, Argentina, Italy or France would do (in fact Brazil did exactly this with Pele and Argentina with Maradona). I just wished he’d done the same with a young player of 19 back in 2002 when we were playing a 10 man Brazil and looking like the most impotent team on Earth. Yes, Sven the gambler, along with Mogadon Mclaren had the chance to bring on this stylish, greedy, flash, carefree player but refused to. A young West Ham boy as he was then could have been “gambled” on just like Walcott and probably had the right “who gives a toss” attitude to make something happen, but was ignored. Step up Joe Cole, this could be your World Cup.
And on the manager front, I agree totally with you. McClaren is tainted by association and despite what people might think the man who WANTED the job from the outset and made no secret of it should have been given the shot. Sam Allardyce was the man, and this is an opportunity missed. Continuity will produce more mediocrity from fantastic players because of a lack of motivation (unless he recruits Pearce as his sidekick and successor). What we needed was CHANGE to optimize the skills, talent and dedication of our top players. Sadly I think you might be right about the appointment of an Englishman in order to justify a foreign coach next time. GJ
grocerjack, I agree, Brazil did the same with Pele in 1958, but Pele scored 58 goals in 38 games for Santos that season…
After jokingly telling friends that I would start supporting Scotland if McClaren was given the England job (I’m as English as they come…) I’m now resigned to four more years (will McClaren survive four years?) of international football apathy. The man is cliche-ridden, as predictable and banal as they come and seems to have an eye for the ladies too… in fact he’s Sven’s ‘Mini-Me’. God help us.
As for Sven’s England squad: on form and club appearances alone, Wright-Phillips probably didn’t deserve to be in the twenty-three, but should at least be on the stand-by list. He does have the ability to change a game, unlike Jermaine Jenas and Owen Hargreaves who surely are two of the most over-rated midfielders around.
Taking two injured strikers, a striker who’s little better than average, and one who’s never played Premiership football is at best a gamble, at worst complete madness. Sven won’t have the courage or nerve to play Walcott when it matters anyway: he’s utterly impotent when it comes to making brave substitutions or changing a formation to save or win a game.
Nice to see some thought out commentary, the Arsenal fans don’t think the Walcott choice should even be questioned. I mean it’s a great chance for TW to get some fantastic training and exposure before he lines up for Arsenal in August as the replacement for Henry! How did they come up with Hargreaves anyway? For this they pay the man £5mm per annum? Crazy. Still think we’ll win the group, but then over and out.
GrocerJack,
I have not recommended Wright-Phillips on the basis of his present “formâ€, because I know that form is transient while class is permanent. The World Cup is still some weeks away and there’s nothing that tells me Shaun wouldn’t have been ready if he was chosen. It is unfair to compare Lennon’s so-called present form with Spurs and Wright-Phillip’s with Chelsea without taking into consideration the competition. If Duff and Robben were in the Tottenham team, I don’t think Lennon would have sniffed a minute of leather. Wright-Phillips has proved himself and everyone knows what he can offer in an England shirt. We can’t say the same for Lennon. As far as I can see, there’s nothing Lennon can do that Wright-Phillips wouldn’t do better. His record cannot be compared with that of Shaun Wright-Phillips at any level.
Of course, I have no problem with Sven’s selection of Lennon in principle, because at the end of the day, it’s his prerogative. But where such exercise of prerogative smacks more of politics than achievement, then it is proper for people to question it. This is a chap whom Martin Jol said is still way off an England call-up. Eriksson keeps talking about his pace, but his manager says he doesn’t know how yet to use that pace! In fact, talking about pace, I don’t see him as any better than Wright-Phillips in that department. And if we add to that experience and the fact that the latter has always performed well when he plays for the national team, keeping him out now rankles greatly.
Frankly, you’ve hit the nail on the head when you questioned the inclusion of Hargreaves. In fact, I’d add that if it were a matter of form, Hargreaves shouldn’t have been there at all, since he’s spent the better part of the season sidelined by injury. My own little conspiracy theory is that Lennon was chosen to ‘compensate’ Spurs for keeping out King and Defoe whose place they gave to Walcott. And, in the manner of killing two birds with one stone, Arsene Wenger and David Dein manages to punish Ian Wright and his son for the latter’s advice to his son to choose Chelsea over Arsenal last summer.
I think the comparison of Theo Walcott with Pele and Maradona are inappropriate. Pele was signed on a professional contract with Santos at 15 and at 16 was already the top scorer in the Brazilian league. Pele was so exceptional that it took a national protest to include him in the 1958 World Cup team at 17. As for Maradona, he actually did not debut at the World Cup for his senior national team until he was almost 22, even though at 17, he was already well-hyped by the Argentine and world press.
Hargreaves can speak German - very handy at passport control. Crouch is perfectly equipped for getting stuff down from the overhead locker. And Walcott should still qualify for child prices on the U-Bahn. Sven’s covering all bases here.
The real weak link is at the back. Rio Ferdinand or Sol Campbell? Poor old JT’s really going to have his work cut out.
Not that it really matters, I always support Chelsea at the World Cup…
i saw sol cambell in recent arsenal matches…Oh my god..He was struggling aganist sunderland / wigan and giving away unnecessary throws..I have lost all hope ..
I dont know who is going to score goals..I dont think crouch can score even in another 10 yrs by himself..I have never seen him tackle or dribble past any playe till today…strikers should have that moment of magic sometimes to score goals if not always…I believe france may become 2nd faviourites considering the team selection and injuries to england camp….
I have never posted before but am a Chelsea fan since 1965. I agree with ken that the FA should have completely broken with the current England management regime. I would have tried to persuade Alan Shearer to take the job. He is widely respected throughout the game and I am convinced the players would look up to him. His record and commitment as a player cannot be questioned.
The Dutch did this with Van Basten and Rijkaard, so why not?
Anyway today I am much more worried about the rumours that Gallas will go to AC Milan. Now that really would be a disaster.
Well, I am not an Englishman but as well suppert England. I remember my self the only in the pub home supporting England in 2002 when Ronaldinho scored THAT goal. Nevertheless, with this team selection…..it looks hopeless from the beginning. SWP did pretty well in all England games!!! I remember he has been praised in all MOTD, Ken right he can pick up form in during this month.
Now about Walcot. One can argue that Owen was 17, Rooney was 19 and so on. however, they all played in Premiership before selection. This kid has not played enogh even in Championship. Swen has not seen him playing at all. It means he picked him because somebody told him… guess who it can be.
I ma really gutted with all this politics in English football. I am really gutted with the way Chelsea treated. I am most probably going to be gutted with England’s performance at the World Cup.
that is bloody pitty we really had a chance this time.