Euro 2012 Qualifiers: Positives England Can Take From Their Past Two Games
After a fairly lacklustre English showing in their last two international outings, which saw them play out an awful 0-0 draw against Macedonia, a sapping 2-1 loss to France at Wembley and an unconvincing 2-1 win in Copenhagen over Denmark, the last four days were crucial to England's European Championship qualifying campaign, the nation's faith in their footballers as well as an opportunity for Fabio Capello to release pressure on himself after drawing criticism in recent times, as seen be the saga following John Terry's reinstatement to the captaincy.
Now that the dust has settled, England fans can be very happy with what they have seen over the international break. A dominant performance against the Welsh neighbours, ending 2-0, saw them reclaim the top spot in Group G from Macedonia, and whilst a 1-1 draw at home to Ghana may not seem like a result to celebrate, those who watched will understand that an under-strength side was able to produce and entertaining game and showcase a couple of new faces in the international selection frame.
So, rather than take the traditional dim English media view of the national team's performance, here's why the future is looking bright for the Three Lions....
4-3-3 and a New Sense of Urgency
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This is, without a doubt, the best thing England can take from the past two games.
It had looked that Capello, despite flirtations with the idea in the past, would never move away from a 4-4-2 formation that had begun to look increasingly stagnant and bereft of ideas.
The new tactics saw England looking to be more positive with the ball, keeping possession easily at times, especially against the Welsh, and I don't whether it's just me, but in the first half of the game alone there seemed to be more chances created than in the entirety of the match against Macedonia.
Another nice thing to see was, when they didn't have the ball, the England players always looked liked they wanted it back, constantly harassing opponents for possession. Whilst this is a dangerous tactic that can be exploited by better teams as Ghana showed at times, it was good to see an England team actually trying to win a match.
Now, these changes aren't down to organisation alone, some new faces are helping bring about change as well.....
Scott Parker
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This is a selection that many, including myself, have been hoping to see for quite a while now.
Having been treated poorly by previous England managers (especially Steve McClaren, but what did he get right?) by being asked to play in an unfamiliar role, or flat out now picked, it's nice to see the 30-year-old West Ham United midfielder get a start, especially ahead of the more experienced Gareth Barry.
Against Wales, he was superb from start to finish, neutering the attacking threat of the Welsh midfield and at times it seemed he was stuck to Aaron Ramsey, so little time he had on the ball, as well as displaying a varied range of passing and a willingness to come up and attack to support Wilshere and Lampard when required. Whilst he will no doubt face tougher challenges during his international career, this is certainly a step in the right direction.
The only blot was the minor injury that ruled him out of playing against Ghana.
Ashley Young
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Another player who has been in and out of various squads, as well as spending plenty of time as an international benchwarmer. Given a chance to start due to the absences of Aaron Lennon, Theo Walcott and Johnson, Young took the bull by the horns and was England's best player over the two games.
The Aston Villa player was instrumental in all three of the goals scored against Wales and Ghana, came close to scoring himself and showed intelligent passing and excellent crossing skills that few expect to see from the young winger. His displays showed a level of maturity that had been lacking in previous seasons, and if it continues, a summer move to a 'bigger' club may well be on the cards.
Though missing the two-yarder against Ghana when it was easier to score shows there is some room for improvement...
Jack Wilshere
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I know, I know, everyone and their dog waxes lyrical the Arsenal starlet, so I'll keep this brief.
Two very solid displays, both from starts, once again—and as he has show playing in the Champions League against Barcelona, the big occasions don't phase him.
The 19-year-old is destined to play a huge roll in the future of English football, and it's good to see him performing on the national stage.
The Wembley Pitch
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On the day it was announced that the turf for the Olympic Stadium had all been lain, there was some good grass based news for us football fans as well.
Having been much maligned in previous international outings, as well as coming under fire after the Carling Cup final, the pitch today seemed good. It didn't break up; I can't recall anyone losing their footing and not a single English injury came from playing on it—all things pointing towards a corner turned.
It was certainly a damn sight better than the one at the Millennium Stadium anyway...
Selection Headaches: No Painkillers Required
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There is something that any manager of any team in any sport will tell you—it's a good thing to have competition for places, and this is something that is becoming a very real prospect for England.
Look at the five players sent back to their clubs on Sunday—Rooney, Terry, Lampard, Cole and Dawson. With perhaps the exception of Dawson (no disrespect Spurs fans) these are players that would be the first names down on most team sheets around the world.
Yet as displayed on Tuesday, England has replacements of a similar calibre—Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Milner and Downing had excellent games in their absence. And with the apparent dawn of a new formation, it looks like there is going to be competition all over the park—certainly until Euro 2012...
Across the front-3 you could have anyone from Wayne Rooney, Roy Carroll, Darren Bent, Jermain Defoe, Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon, Ashley Young or Adam Johnson.
The middle-3 isn't short of options with the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere, Michael Carrick, Gareth Barry, James Milner and Scott Parker.
The back-4 is perhaps where the cupboard is most bare, but with the likes of Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Michael Dawson, Ashley Cole, Leighton Baines, Glen Johnson, Gary Cahill and Joleon Lescott to choose from, things could be much worse.
It would be nice, however, if there were some more competition for Joe Hart's goalkeeping position. At least he seems to be more reliable than the last three of four before him though, despite showing some over confidence against Ghana.
And It's Goodnight from Me...
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Well, that's all for now folks, thank you for taking the time to read this.
Obviously, I'd love to hear what your thoughts were on the team's performances so please leave your comments!
Also, who would your England XI be right now? Has Capello missed anyone out? Marc Albrighton? A returning Owen Hargreaves?
Until next time, ciao.
