Friday, 20 June 2014

Why England lost to Uruguay, Steven Caulker and no talk of a Golden Generation



Why England lost to Uruguay.

They just weren’t good enough nor did they want it enough.

Uruguay has a population about the size of Wales with players who, with the exception of Suarez, would struggle to get into a championship team in the UK.

Alf Ramsey said you need at least one world class star to do well at a world cup and he was blessed with three, Banks, Moore and Charlton. England have none. Yep, none. No, it is none, honest. If you are going to call Rooney a world class star then what are you going to call Neymar, Oscar or Robben?

Worse, England were fielding players who would barely count as internationals in most countries. Has Hodgson not noticed the class of Steven Caulker? This idea of choosing only players from the top successful teams is understandable but not to notice sheer class is inexcusable.

Are Jagielka, Johnson or Henderson the sort of players you would see in even a mediocre Italy team? 

Secondly after sheer class comes the ‘desire to win’. You had this quality in Australia, the Dutch and with Uruguay. Apart from Baines was anyone really that hungry for the ball and to achieve anything once they had it? For 90 minutes Uruguay were bursting to close down and get to the ball. They knew where they should be, whether attacking or when defending their single goal lead. Every man jack had a job and knew it and performed it.

 
That said England were unlucky. Rooney hitting the bar with his header, his free kick going wide. A referee who having given Uruguay a single yellow card decided that was enough for them for the entire match. Godin would have been sent off in Europe with a straight red for his karate chop to the neck. 

The game turned on the one world class star on the pitch who hadn’t played for an age, was recovering from knee surgery, whose legs could hardly hold him up at the end.

There was a more realistic approach from the English newspapers this time, none of the lunacy about a Golden generation which turned out to be laughable when the Golden generation were floored when facing a reasonably good Portugal side. A Portugal side where Decco showed what a being part of a golden generation actually looks like.

So until England find a world class star then they have to look what at what Germany have always done. Tight team play, solid at the back, workman like through midfield and take your chances when you get them.

Then they need to follow the lead of the successful teams. Players should roll around on the floor whilst their team mates surround the referee. It ain’t pretty, and I hate it, but you need to decide if you want to win or not. Uruguay decided and may well move onto the next round.

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