I thought while this isn’t an England website, and I’ve bit my tongue well since the world cup started I should at least pass judgement on the teams exit from this years tournament, as everyone else is doing.
Watching Sky Sports News this morning I had to laugh. As they were going through the papers I had to wonder if the journalists that wrote the pieces were the same guys who were claiming Capello had finally turned the FA dubbed “Golden Generation” from also rans into world champions only 6 months ago?
These are guys who are doing what I and many would look on as the perfect job. Travelling the world, watching football (and other sports) and then just writing down their thoughts on it. What I can’t fathom is how during all the matches they watch, from all the contact they have with the players, from all the conversations they have with coaches, trainers and managers that they don’t seem to pick up any knowledge whatsoever about the beautiful game. If only I had written down what I’ve been saying for the last year about the England team I’d have some actual proof instead of just sounding like I’m jumping on the “Let’s Hate England” bandwagon.
The fact is the England team and many of it’s players just aren’t good enough and have never really shown any signs while wearing the 3 lions that they are. The group the team so easily qualified from was always a poor one. So much so I didn’t watch many of the matches because the result was never really in doubt. Apart from facing an ageing Croatian team England had no real challenge and defensively they have always looked shaky at best.
With my Spurs head on I’d say that’s due to too many players in the team that don’t ply their trade in N17 and while that would create howls of laughter from many if not all sections of England, it’s not a completely stupid point to make. England have been playing with the same players that haven’t made the grade for the last 8 years. If England were a club, the manager would’ve sold many of them by now and bought in replacements who might be able to turn things around. Personally I don’t think we’ve got English players that could do that but why hasn’t anyone tried?
Gareth Barry somehow became the best player England have in the build up to the World Cup, when as far as I can see he loses the player he’s meant to mark more often than not for City and did the same at Villa. Am I meant to believe he’s better than Huddlestone? I don’t think for one second big Tommy’s ready for the international stage but I can’t understand why he’s seen as such an underdog to Barry.
Awesone Dawson was the best English centre half in the premier league last season. There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind about that. If I was Moses and God had just given me 10 commandments I’d put a PS at the bottom saying exactly that so it was carved in stone. How the guy hasn’t got a cap yet is one sign of what’s wrong with the national team.
Matthew Upson? really? John Terry is one of the most overrated players I’ve ever come across. I’m not saying that based on his womanising, dodgy dealings or the fact he’s a Chelsea player. I’m basing that opinion on many of his performances in the last couple of seasons.
You can’t tell me that due to Terry’s inability to keep his pants on there wasn’t division within the England camp? If I was friends with Wayne Bridge I would struggle to work with Terry. Even some of his closest friends in football must’ve lost respect for the man. There was once a time when Terry and Lampard were inseparable, annoyingly so with their arms draped over each others shoulders, but not so any more. Terry and all the baggage he brought with him to the world cup is still better than Michael Dawson? Not in my opinion.
Our little boy wonder, Lennon, didn’t have the best of world cups but did he at any point get the chance to? His final ball was lambasted on TV after every match he played (all 2 of them) but he didn’t do much different to what he does at Spurs when he’s constantly praised. If he gets to the byline he usually cuts it back to the penalty spot for the likes of Defoe and the onrushing midfielders to get on the end of. He did the same but for some reason the England coaching system and players hadn’t told anyone else that’s what Lennon does. Add to that the fact England didn’t actually have any onrushing midfielders and you can see why he was fairly easy to deal with.
Peter Crouch’s record for England, no matter what you think of the lad is second to none. So why didn’t he get more time on the pitch? I’m not one of these people that have a go at Heskey no matter what the guy does. He’s picked to hold the ball up which is what he did in his first 2 games. His goalscoring record is obviously what lets him down. However, I, like so many others would still pick Crouch ahead of him. When Heskey came on with England needing 3 goals to force extra time I made a quick dash to the beer garden to grab the last rays of sun before the working week started again.
Some are saying taking injured players or players prone to injury was a mistake too. I do agree with that sentiment although I think taking Ledley King was a risk they could afford to take given the poor quality of the other centre halves England have at their disposal. Let’s be fair to King, the injury he did pick up was nothing to do with his knee, or lack of knee depending on how you look at it.
Defoe was one of the few bright sparks I thought for England and not just because of his goal. If Rooney is meant to be our best player and the one other teams are scared of, then Defoe showed him up at every opportunity. Again not a player who performed as well as he normally does for his club but in both the games he played he didn’t let himself down either. He ran the line as best he could with the little or non existent supply he got and took his goal well.
All that aside the main reason more Spurs players should’ve been in the England team (and we would’ve still gone out early) is because they’re the only one’s used to playing the 4-4-2 system.
Anyway, I’m far from concerned with England going out as while I get as excited about these big competitions as the next fan, I’ve never been to watch England play, nor do I have the inclination to do so. Tottenham Hotspur is my one true footballing love and even while watching England all I can think about are the Spurs players. I can rest now happy in the knowledge that the players have exited early enough to be able to go on holiday with some girl out of big brother and get rested, ready for what really matters.
There is of course, one massive, grey cloud hanging over all Spurs fans. The Redknapp factor. I’m more than happy for Capello to stay on as England coach even if that means the team suffers because the possible alternative isn’t good for any of us at White Hart Lane.
Discuss this in our forum HERE
Spurs News 24/7
