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England are not that great at football. Now that is out in the open, we can discuss it. This is not a bashing article. I want England to be good.
It would be healthy for the game if the country that developed it could compete at the highest level again. It is unfortunate to see them in decline.
When your golden generation fails to qualify for its continental tournament, and does not get past the round of 16, you cannot call yourself a football powerhouse anymore.
Let us not confuse this with their league. The Premier League is of a very high quality. Regular finishes in the heights of Europe confirm this. I am not criticising the standard of football played in England, I am criticising the standard of football played by England.
England should not blame their coach. Fabio Capello’s record as a coach, apart from a poor second stint at Milan, shows that he can perform at a very high level, in big games, and knockout tournaments, and get results.
Why then have they faltered?
Football is either compared with war or art. Of course, it is neither. It is sport. But Capello is an art buff, and England expects its players to be soldiers. Capello cannot create a masterpiece without the necessary tools, and his soldiers are heavy-handed infantrymen, not the studies in artistry he requires.
This comes down to the type of player that the English regard as a footballer.
The English team is big. They are all big, broad and built. Their midfielders run out of midfield, their strikers run at defenders. There is a lot of huff and puff and little in the way of creation, passing, or thought. Hard running is no substitute for controlling the ball.
Their style is similar to Australia’s. We rely on our fitness, endurance and the ability to out-last other teams.
The goals against Japan came at the death. Harry Kewell’s goal against Croatia came at the death. The goal against New Zealand came at the death. Our match winners against Serbia came after the hour mark. Australia does not set up winners for big matches early.
Often this is called spirit. The fighting spirit. In reality it is fitness. For the moment this is fine. You play to your strengths. This will have to change before we see consistent results at the highest level. It requires generational change.
When we play a team with organisation, structure, passing, smart movement, the ability to create space and to shut it down when needed, we lose. This is how we lost to Brazil. This is how we lost to Germany.
This is something we can change through small-sided games. England faces a tougher challenge. This is their game.
There are cultural qualities at play here that cannot be turned back with ease. England still remembers Terry Butcher with his head swathed in a bandage, fighting on like he was in the trenches. Australians still remember Terry Butcher as the man who ruined Sydney. His long ball tactics and belief that his players were soldiers did not sit well with them or their fans. That is a good sign.
England’s result at this world cup could be taken as proof that our group was tough.
Australian fans will seek relief in the fact that England also let in four goals against Germany. This is missing the point. England needs to change the type of footballer they create from soldier to artist. So do we.
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