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English National Team
Where do I start with the English national team? England
is currently fourth in Group E of Euro 2008 qualifying. Given that the top two teams advance out of
their group, England
will have to get their act together in September when they face off against Israel. The last time the two teams met, they drew
0-0. This will be a great opportunity
for England to
gain some valuable points in their quest to qualify for Euro 2008.
With that said… how is England
really doing? With the most bias media
coverage on the planet, England
is very difficult to dissect. Aside from
the blunders in Euro qualifying (draws with Macedonia
and Israel, and
a loss to Croatia),
I see a few things going well for England
at the moment:
- David Beckham has fully committed to playing for England.
Beckham’s
presence is enough to uplift the English side.
I saw a much more confident and organized English team with Beckham in
their lineup. Beckham really showed his
leadership role in their 1-1 draw with Brazil. Beckham
also absorbs a lot of the media coverage and pressure from the ridiculously
tough English fan base, allowing players like Gerrard and Lampard to focus on
their play on the pitch.
- They have only conceded 2 goals in 7 qualifying games.
England has only allowed 2 goals in 7 qualifying matches
and both of them came against their 2-0 loss to Croatia. England played a 5-3-2 lineup against Croatia, which included Jamie Carragher as the
fifth defender alongside Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand,
Gary Neville and John Terry. It would seem
obvious that the 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 would be
more effective for England, based purely on results. The
English defense is solid as ever and is definitely a bright area of their game.
- Stuart Pearce’s England U-21 squad looks promising
In
international football, you’re only as good as your next generation of
stars. England’s U-21 squad has some bright talent that we
will see in the future. Justin Hoyte,
Nigel Reo-Coker, Ashley Young and Leroy Lita are among the promising young
stars that England is developing.
Although many consider England
to be underachievers, having not won a World Cup since 1966, we may see some
trophies come their way in the future.
What are your thoughts on their chances in Euro 2008? Will they qualify? And if so, do they have a chance to be Euro
champions?
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RoyalOrange
Ranking: 12
Accuracy: 40%
Points: 256
England... still a long way.
The Britons. The Red Coats. The Monarchy. The Three Lions. The black pudding.
What is left to say about the English' aspiration to become Europe's elite soccernation? Surely the Premiership is the world's most entertaining league qua diversity of players and styles. With all the media coverage bestowed upon the EPL due to lucrative contracts, many believe England is home to the best players ever to grace our humble planet. Wrong.
While the EPL certainly produces the most entertaining football globally, it does not do so through the hands (err..feet) of native English players. I might run out of room on this page to list all the international and foreign-born players currently on contract with the EPL teams. What's a manager to do with young aspiring talented English youth players when pressure from above tells them to import players to increase fan-base attractiveness and to sell more merchandise. With the option of playing overseas in other leagues diminshed by the arguable top-flight quality reputation of the EPL, taking a seat on the bench and becoming a regular in the B-team seems to be common. How could a young footballer loaded with talent ever sensationally break out and develop more skills in his arsenal of weapons? For the sake of argument, let's name Joe Cole and compare with Ashley Young. Despite his promising future, Cole remains an active benchwarmer for both Chelsea and the 3-Lions although he possesses an explosive skill-set that seem subdued because of its inability to grow and expand. Hailed for having an eye for creativity and technique, he's often chastised for his lack of overall contribution to his team. (selfish ballhog basically). Ashley Young, on the other hand, made the option to move to a team that he felt will help him progress and stand noticed. (He rejected 5 offers from unnamed clubs before accepting Aston Villa's offer to strike alongside veteran John Carew). Aligning himself with a veteran striker on a pitch with routine starts will only help Young to develop into a more complete player down the line.
But what's a manager to do? Focus on elevating domestic players for the sake of national pride or focus on bringing in titles?
If England wants to win National and International titles and be regarded as one of Europe's elite, it has to foster its domestic players, most preferrably in their own backyard since they boast about having the most competitive league in the world. But since this cannot be achieved, players need to expand elsewhere to grow and be able to successful (Hargreaves - Bayern?) and be able to compete in top-flight football (Owen - Real Madrid?).
And not just blame a philandering swedish national for its own faults.
England winning Euro 2008 under tutelage of English-born McClaren with the cast led by the reborn and reinvented Beckham? I honestly don't see it happening.
Football is Life
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