The Roar
The Roar

Advertisement

England find their level, Iceland exceed theirs

28th June, 2016
Advertisement
England's Gary Cahill reacts during the Euro 2016 round of 16 soccer match between England and Iceland, Monday, June 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Claude Paris)
Expert
28th June, 2016
53
1396 Reads

“We are into the next round and nobody will want to play us. I haven’t had anything to do in the whole tournament to be honest. We have been playing very well as a team.”

England goalkeeper Joe Hart’s comments preceding his country’s Euro 2016 round of 16 clash against Iceland were typical.

As were those suggesting defeat to Iceland would be the nation’s biggest embarrassment.

Bravado, overconfidence, entitlement and with a hint of insincerity. Believing in a team is one thing, ignoring its limitations is another.

It is true that England had dominated possession in games against Russia, Wales and Slovakia. Yet they had come away with a draw, a last-gasp win and another stalemate. Despite finishing second in Group B, however, they were still awarded an ‘easy’ path to the Euro quarter-finals.

In their group games, England struggled to find rhythm and a ruthless streak in the final third, their midfield looked laborious and slow in transition and all the hype over Wayne Rooney’s new role in the centre of the pitch was overblown. The only truly impressive aspect of their squad was three quality fullbacks.

Still, the excuses were already there. “If we face a team that tries to play football, we’ll show our true quality,” was a common response. It was the wrong attitude. This was not a functioning unit, rather a bunch of stars squashed into a line-up with little thought how they would coordinate.

Contrast this temperament with the Italians, who had earlier faced Spain in Monday’s other round of 16 fixture. In the minutes before kick-off, you could already see which team was progressing to the next round. The rousing rendition of Il Canto degli Italiani was, as usual, breathtaking.

Advertisement

Captain Gigi Buffon led the pre-game bear hugs and what you saw was a team, willing to fight as a team, win as a team, lose as a team. They magnificently defeated the Spanish 2-0, signalling an end to a great era of La Roja under Vicente del Bosque.

Similarly, preceding the England versus Iceland game, just from looking at the once again over-exuberant confidence exuding from Joe Hart, all fluster no buster, was ominous.

Hart’s persona in world football encapsulates not only the England football team, but a section of their supporters as well, and English pundits, who all thought the Three Lions were a good chance of going far in this tournament. And capable of easily dealing with Iceland.

All ego, no substance.

This group of players have been pampered their entire lives. Highly paid, assured their talents are above and beyond those in other countries because they play in the ‘best league in the world’. Quite a few EPL fans have similarly been pampered, quick to disregard the talents on display outside the top teams in other leagues.

Roy Hodgson inevitably is copping much of the blame in the aftermath of England’s defeat to Iceland, an island of about 330,000 as opposed to a majority of an island with 53 million inhabitants.

It would be unfair to lay all of the blame at his feet, but for a man who said, “Systems win you nothing. Football players win you games”, it is understandable.

Advertisement

Hodgson made bizarre tactical substitutions, persevered with Harry Kane over Jamie Vardy and failed to find a cohesive midfield. He took Marcus Rashford over Andy Carroll, Jordan Henderson over Danny Drinkwater and a clearly unfit Jack Wilshere over England’s only genuine winger, Andros Townsend.

One thing Hodgson should at least be commended for is starting the process of blooding youth – this was the youngest squad at the Euro – even if it came too late.

The truth behind England, though, is that this squad found its level. They were not good enough.

Top 16 in Europe is about right for England at this moment. Sure, they should have beaten Iceland on paper, but it would have just delayed the inevitable. It is doubtful whether any of the England XI, outside their fullbacks, would have made the first teams of Germany, Spain or France.

They would have even struggled to break into Italy’s ‘worst team in 50 years’, where coach Antonio Conte, in his own words, “chose 23 players who all have my utmost trust”. How many of England’s stars would have developed Conte’s trust with their attitude?

Now the search for a new England manager starts, and perhaps they should turn to Australia. After all, we have already provided the country with their rugby union (Eddie Jones), rugby league (Wayne Bennett) and cricket (Trevor Bayliss) coaches…

However, enough about the overrated founders of football. This should be about the plucky underdogs, Iceland.

Advertisement

What a story theirs has been so far. A dentist has conquered a nation known for its poor dental hygiene. A nation with an infectious Viking clap-chant has once again marauded its neighbours across the Atlantic Ocean, sending them back to a past life they so desperately sought in a recent referendum.

You could say that whatever happens from here, Iceland can be proud. Bugger that, France are next on the chopping block. As The Roar‘s Matthew Connellan said, why not?

For while England fans were adamant that once their team was allowed to play football they would show their true quality, Iceland gave them that very opportunity. They defended in numbers, but they were also exciting in attack – and not just for the first 20 minutes.

They were passing the ball crisply at times, switching possession intelligently to catch England’s static shape out of place and creating chances at an impressive rate for a country with no professional league.

While Iceland were indeed boring and unfashionable when stealing a point from Portugal in their opening game, the confidence levels have slowly surged, culminating in a wonderful display of both defence and offence against the Three Lions.

There was no fear, there were no nerves. Captain Aron Gunnarsson’s beaming smile when missing a one-on-one to put Iceland 3-1 ahead said it all. This team was confident, but it was also enjoying the ride.

When England went ahead from an early Wayne Rooney penalty – inch-perfect it must be said – most thought the game was over. But Iceland’s now famous spirit did not wilt. It did not shrink in those dangerous minutes directly following half-time, and it did not swing in the final moments of the match.

Advertisement

Iceland looked like a team with a plan, both when heroically breaking down England’s attacks and when adventurously streaming forward with the ball, belying their reputation as a solid defensive outfit. England, on the other hand, looked devoid of any ideas.

Regurgitating Iceland’s rise in football from second-hand sources would be disingenuous. This feature is all you need.

They have come a long way, and motivation to reach this level can be partially attributed to the extended format of the Euro, which must now be hailed as a success. Work is still required to rejig the qualifying format for the round of 16, but overall it has been positive.

Italy and Iceland have shown the tournament what it means to play as a team, defeating more talented and illustrious individuals. Two remaining heavyweights, France and Germany, are next. Don’t write off another couple of upsets.

close