England - what now?

What seems to be the problem with England’s national team? So much has been made of the ‘golden generation’ over the past few years, that there really is little more to say. The fact is we have a crop of some very good players, with one or two world class performers, but realistically little more than that. What seems to be the greatest problem is that these superstars who perform week in week out for their clubs are failing to re-produce the form for the national team. Is it a problem of motivation? Tactics? Man-management? Or is it simply about confidence. Whatever the problem, the man in charge has to find the solution.
Few would bet against Fabio Capello finding the formula, yet if he does it may not be to the liking of many. The English fans and media are not the most patient, and a series of one goal defeats or unimpressive victories against lesser opposition will not go but down too well, even if it proves to be a work in progress. Wherever he has gone in the past, success has followed him. It’s not always the prettiest but eventually, Capello gets results.
Capello said he learned a lot from the England’s last international. On the face of it a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the World Cup runners up is not a disastrous result, especially if we look at what has gone before in the failed Euro 2008 qualifying campaign. In fact, some would even argue that for periods of the first half against the French, England dominated possession and the tempo of the game. However, it is not what we saw in that game that is the problem, but rather what we didn’t see.
France’s goalkeeper did not have a save of note to make, there was little penetration from either flank, limited attacking support from midfield, and England’s forwards rarely managed to startle France’s defenders. Rewind a month and we saw Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, a living nightmare for William Gallas of Arsenal. Had he not read the team sheet before the game, the French defender could have been forgiven for thinking he was up against a completely different opponent in the England number nine shirt.
They say possession is the key in international football – keep control of the ball and you keep control of the game. However, now more than ever, the fact is that pace remains the most potent weapon in football. France have it in abundance, and surely this was the most startling difference between the two sides.
That evening’s star performer, Frank Ribery, appeared to have two or three gears of acceleration more than his opponents, and the biggest threat to England’s defence was a player they all know too well, Nicolas Anelka. It was his blistering speed which led to the match winning penalty, and left his club mate John Terry in evidence.
Yet it’s not just about pace, Italy conquered the World Cup two summers ago without a single player who is renowned for his speed. It’s surely about finding the right system for the players at your disposal, and thus bringing the best out of them.
The formation Capello started with against the French was very similar to that used against the Swiss at Wembley, with one major difference, the a second holding midfielder, in this case Owen Hargreaves, in place of Jermaine Jenas, a more attack minded player. This, a tactic clearly intended to stifle a stronger French team, did not offer greater security, but in fact appeared to take a certain dynamism away from England.
With this system Capello wants to build his team around Steven Gerrard’s capacity to drive the team forward, as he does so effectively for Liverpool, in a free role behind a lone striker. In the run up to the France game, there were very few Liverpool games at which the England coach was not present. Yet while this is working wonders for Liverpool at present, it’s not proving quite so simple for the national team.
While no one can deny Gerrard’s undoubted talent, he is not naturally this kind of player. Rafa Benitez has found the best way to exploit his talents for Liverpool in this supporting role, but international football is a different story. There is no question that he is the man to lead the England team into the next World Cup, but this should be from his natural central midfield role, alongside a ball winner such as Gareth Barry or Owen Hargreaves. Who can forget Gerrard’s performance against Germany in that famous 1-5 victory back in 2001? That historic night in Munich was arguably his finest display in an England shirt, playing deep in midfield alongside Paul Scholes.
Barry has done more than enough in the last outings to earn continuity. If Capello is to persist with Gerrard in this advanced position, then surely room needs to be found for Michael Carrick alongside Barry or his Man Utd teammate Hargreaves. He has been outstanding for Man Utd over the last two seasons, and he has the kind of maturity and control of the ball any team who wishes to master possession requires.
So where should the greater attacking responsibilities lie? Wayne Rooney and Joe Cole are without doubt England’s most creative players at present and should be given freedom to exploit this. Cole has been England’s most consistent performer over the last two years, transformed from the luxury player, who will simply do to plug the problem position on the left side of midfield, to the one player capable of unlocking a defense with a piece of brilliance. The left of midfield should remain his position, but he is crying out for greater attacking freedom and responsibility.
And what of England’s greatest enigma? Wayne Rooney remains the brightest hope in attack for England. He burst onto the international scene over four years ago now, yet he has not developed into the international superstar many had hoped for. At club level, little more can be asked of him, yet like many of his colleagues, he fails to live up to the billing in an England shirt. Capello is looking to use Rooney in a lone strikers role, and while Rooney the player clearly has the ability to fill this role, as he has shown for Manchester United, does Rooney the man have the mentality and discipline to do this for the national team?
He has always shown a natural preference for the deeper role, affording him greater freedom, dropping to pick up the ball and build play or run at defenders. Perhaps Capello should consider giving Rooney this freedom, testing him out in the role he has thus far given to Gerrard. In doing so it would give the opportunity to play an out-and-out striker, someone with pace or a killer instinct, or both. At his peak Michael Owen provided both of these, and although injuries have slowed him down, recent form has showed he still knows where the goal is. Alternatives such as Peter Crouch, or the youngster Gabriel Agbonlahor who is surely deserving of an opportunity, offer differing styles. There are also the forgotten men Darren Bent or Jermain Defoe, who if given a sustained run in their clubs could also have something to offer.
But is this all Capello has at his disposal? There must surely be other options to look at? We return to the question of pace. Over the past few weeks one or two players who posses this most vital of qualities have begun to show more consistent form. Ashley Young, an expensive signing for Aston Villa from Watford this season has been consistent for most of the season and is growing in confidence all the time, his time must surely come. And of course there is Theo Walcott, who by performances alone is making himself a vital part of Arsenal’s attack. Arsene Wenger is resisting temptation to use him as a regular starter, but it is only a matter of time as his performances coming off the bench have been nothing short of breathtaking of late. Such a pity that his moment of genius against Liverpool in the Champions League came minutes after Capello had left Anfield, yet the England coach must be well aware of the potential of this precocious talent.