Tonight we fielded a B-team that would have struggled to make the first teams of the other home nations. With the exception of established stars Ferdinand (who only played 45), Gerrard and Barry, our team was drawn largely from players who either fail to make their club starting XI or turn out every week for second rate sides. We had in our squad, for example:
Foster (Birmingham City, 18th in Premier League)
Jagielka (Everton)
Gibbs (our left-back tonight, despite being kept out of his club side by the French reserve left-back)
Lescott (fails to make Man City first team)
Walcott (fails to make Arsenal first team)
Henderson (Sunderland, on debut)
Carrol (Newcastle, on debut)
Richards (fails to make Man City first team)
Smalling (fails to make Man Utd first team)
Cahill (Bolton Wanderers)
Johnson (fails to make Man City first team)
Carlton Cole (West Ham, 20th in Premier League)
Green (West Ham, 20th in Premier League)
Bothroyd (Cardiff City, Championship, on debut)
With such a team I would have been amazed if we had beaten a French side featuring players like Benzema, Malouda, and Nasri.
Despite the usual doom and gloom emanating from the discussion on 5 live, there was a gradual recognition of two points that I have been making about England for some time:
1. Grass roots football - rich, though it was, for David Ginola to gloat about how skilful and creative the French were in comparison to the English, he was undoubtedly right in his criticism. Ginola made the point that if the French midfield took on the English midfield in a small game, the French would win every time. The same would be said of the Brazilians, the Spanish, the Argentinians, and the Germans. Why? Because we have a system of grass roots football in this country that fundamentally ignores key skills.
Anyone who has seen Sunday League games between children will identify the following characteristics: fathers screaming at their kids to 'get stuck in', long balls, swarms of bodies chasing long balls, 11-a-side games on full pitches, rigid formations etc etc. What do you think happens in Spain? They learn to pass, move, and control the ball. They don't bump it up field for the big centre forward to lumber after it. Rather, small technical games will be held with huge emphasis on concentration and ball retention.
When my friends and I went to Ibiza a few years ago, we were playing keep-ups on the beach when a 11-12 year-old native came up and embarrassed us with his ability to control the ball. When we were his age, we were learning to boot the ball out of play when under pressure and hoof it up field.
Until we move away from this, we will keep producing centre-forwards like Carrol, Bothroyd, Carlton Cole, and Crouch, and not like Benzema, Messi or David Villa.
2. Balance between Premier League and National Game
It's telling that Gibbs made our national side while Clichy, above him at Arsenal, was on the bench for France. However much Wenger & Co may not like it, the truth is that the influx of foreign players prevents English talent from developing.
Of the players that made the squad this evening, Gibbs, Lescott, Richards, Johnson, Smalling, Milner and Walcott fail to appear every week for their clubs. Four of those players are at Man City, who spent their endless resources attracting foreign players. How on earth are these youngsters meant to develop as footballers by sitting on the bench? It's no answer to say that they can drop down to lesser clubs. Players like Jagielka, Green, Cole, Carrol, Henderson, and Bothroyd are never going to get the same chance to play against the world's best while languishing in second-rate Premier League sides.
The only solution is to impose a fixed number on foreigners that can play in each team. Yes the Premier League will suffer. It may well be the case that we are unable to attract the Henrys, Drogbas, and Ronaldos of the future. However, can anyone really say that the national team has benefited from our league being 'the best in the world'? I would much rather enjoy the immortal pride that comes with winning a World Cup.
Least of all avoiding the disappointment of losing to France at Wembley.
Whilst I agree with you about the grass roots children's game - 5 a side may be a better option? Unfortunately it would appear that a cap on foreign players cant happen because of the EU laws allowing freedom of movement. Also with so many foreign managers in England now a days why arent the academies at top clubs improving the skills of the youth players?
ReplyDeleteNot much can be done about free movement from EU countries I agree. My suggestion would be some form of system that gave incentives for clubs to invest in young talent. There is no such incentive at the moment because it is much easier in the short-term to import an experienced foreigner rather than risk a promising youngster.
ReplyDelete....So basically...affirmative action....for English people...in football?
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..Don't see that happening.
If we could fix the first problem then the second wouldn't be an issue...but as it stands...it really is.......but footballers who get to this level should really be striving for perfection and personal development anyway...I'm not even going to mention it is their job...oh, whoops.
These 'grass roots' should be an obvious thing for coaches to pick on but I don't disagree with you that they are not doing so. If anything we should be getting more foreign coaches, not players, they seem to have their shit together.
All that being said if they don't play in a game situation then they won't gain that other side of footballing, the on-pitch mentality and teamwork...and opportunity to play strong opposition would come eventually if they could just get the basics sorted...I'm just surprised at how poor English football is at the moment =/ but I still believe in the youth, their managers just need to start doing the same.
To begin I fundamentally agree with a lot of what you have said. I believe that our performance against France was purely reliant on young and on the whole inexperienced players that are not playing week in week out for their clubs. Would you question Capello's management and selection process as being poor? Or would you praise his selection process in the fact he is trying to open the Premier League managers' eyes to the potential in English football?
ReplyDeleteI particularly like your idea of restricting foreign players for certain clubs. However a point you have risen which is brilliant is the absence of seeing foreign talent every week such as Drogba, Henry etc etc. Subsequently this will surely allow young English stars to cement a position for their club every week. Is this the point you are hoping to turn the attention towards?
Nevertheless, I do believe there are English players that do our nation no justice. I respect that Capello has attempted to give them a chance. However, players such as Carlton Cole and Robert Green very rarely perform well for their club, West Ham United, so why on earth are they even being considered to compete for our nation? Carol on the other hand, has for me, has essentially earned his England place. Scoring at a consistent standard in the Premier League for Newcastle United demonstrates he is a good striker.
Would you argue that, with the exception of Carol, maybe that desire to earn an England cap doesn't now seem to come as a reward for good consistent performances for club, it comes more out of desperation for players to fill positions?
It seems too easy to be called up for your Country and this is something that is frustrating me. I understand that it is only a friendly but I disagree with the selection process and as you clearly identified our team was never going to compete with the likes of Malouda, Nasri and Benzema.
To conclude, I admire teams such as Arsenal's style of play as they do attempt to erase that typical English style as you highlighted in your post. Fundamentally teams with more English players such as Birmingham and West Ham adopt that typical hoof and chase tactic and look at where they find themselves in the English top division. Therefore, I believe a restriction of five foreign players will still allow the talent to prosper as it will ensure scouts are looking for super talent.
Scouts will look for foreign players such as Fabregas who can lead by example, who can fit into the Arsenal, English style, and train and support young English players to come through the ranks and adopt this beautiful style of football.
Once we have hopefully overcame this hurdle then maybe the English Premier League will actually live up to its title.
Agree with Tony that if we solve the first of my points, the second will cease to be an issue.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the whole balance between club and country is wrong. Look at how Liverpool's fitness coach exploded with rage because Capello chose to play Gerrard - the England captain - longer than 60 minutes when we were 2-0 down. The England manager should have the right to play whoever he wants for however long he wants, friendly or not.
I'm not against foreign coaches and I agree that they are better at inculcating some of the more technical aspects of the game. But if players don't learn it as kids then there is not much hope for them. We aren't going to transform Crouch, Bothroyd, Carrol, Cole & Co into the Messis of this world.
By the way - follow the blog? :) :)
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