Currently,
there’s a curious and increasingly pervasive attitude within the fanbases of
Championship clubs: many supporters who’ve experienced both the Premier League
and the second tier say they much prefer following their clubs in the latter.
Of course, everyone wants to hit the big time, this goes without saying, but
perhaps the desperation is such that the enjoyment one derives from actually
being there becomes somewhat secondary.
Many
have realized this and subsequently retired from the fantasy of becoming
big-timers at English football’s pinnacle. Some might call this inertia or
worse still the product of a “small team mentality,” but can you blame those
who’ve gotten used to being the big wigs in the Championship for favoring their
comfortable second-tier existence over being pummelled by soulless petrodollar
clubs week in, week out?
This
isn’t to say that the Championship is some sort of bohemian, hippy-football
free-for-all. It isn’t. Last season’s total spend amounted to £207-million, a
mere 30% less than Premier League spending some ten years ago and almost
bang-on equal to top tier expenditure at the turn of the century. But while
these days the money flows freely in the Championship, the competition itself
is infinitely more balanced than its top-flight counterpart. The banal hegemony
of the top 6 and the expeditious growth of the chasing pack mean that the
Premier League is becoming almost bulbously top-heavy. By contrast, the spread
of talent within its understudy is such that there are at least 12 teams that
could realistically challenge for promotion this campaign…
How’s
this relevant to the England
team? Well, the way I see it, there’s the top 10 – maybe top 12 – in England, then
there’s the rest. Are Newcastle, Brighton, and
Southampton really that much better than Leeds, Fulham and West
Brom? Bar one or two marquee signings, the answer surely is no.
We’ve seen players like James Maddison, Lewis Dunk, and James Tarkowski take to
the Premier League immediately, also. This effectively means that the level of
the bottom half of the Premier League and the top half of the Championship is
much more equal than their disparate TV deals would suggest. Moreover, in terms
of international squad selection, it demonstrates that Gareth Southgate should
cast his net more widely over the football pyramid.
In
recent years, the Championship has served as something of a holding pattern for
future England
internationals. Michael Keane, Ben Chilwell, and Mason Mount have all competed
in the league during the past few seasons. Even senior England players
like Kieran Trippier and Harry Maguire were plying their trade in the division
as recently as 2014. In fact, 16 of Southgate’s
most recent 23-man squad have, at some point, competed in the Championship.
Among the seven that hadn’t were Jadon Sancho and Trent Alexander Arnold, both
of whom seem to have bypassed the ‘rising star’ stage entirely and graduated
immediately to ‘star’ status. There was also Eric Dier, whose footballing
education took place in Portugal,
and Dele Alli, who played even lower than the Championship, in League One,
before moving to Spurs. Clearly then, historical precedent dictates that future
England
internationals are playing in the Championship, right now.
So far,
Southgate has
sent mixed signals regarding the likelihood that he’ll call up a Championship
player. In August 2018, he said he’d be open to including Championship players,
albeit in response to a game week in which barely any home-grown player managed
90 minutes. More recently, however, in March of this year, the England boss
said that Jack Grealish would have to play in the Premier League before he’s
considered for selection. Of course, the rationale behind his comments
regarding the Villa winger is that he needs to be challenging himself at the
top level if he is to compete for international selection. But now that he’s
back in the Premier League will Grealish be selected? And if he is, would this
mean Southgate
considers him a significantly better player than he was before the summer? Or
would he be basing his squad selection on the relatively arbitrary fact that
he’s now played a couple more games in the top-flight? If the latter, the
reasoning is spurious.
So who
should we, or rather Southgate,
be keeping an eye on? The most obvious pick is Stoke
City’s Jack Butland, the keeper capped
five times by Southgate
already. Butland’s form in Stoke’s opening four matches, however, has been
nothing short of disastrous. He dropped a clanger against Queen’s Park Rangers
on the opening day of the season and another two away to Preston North End,
culminating in the Stoke manager Nathan Jones claiming he might be forced to
drop the England international. Butland is reportedly unsettled amidst speculation
linking him to a move abroad, which might be something of a mitigating factor.
But, on current form, he should be nowhere near the England squad. Hopefully, this will
serve as a wake-up call for the keeper, although at this point it will seem
less of a kick up the backside and more a punt in the groin.
In
terms of uncapped players, there’s a veritable cavalcade of number
10’s to monitor. Blackburn Rovers’ Bradley Dack’s form at the start of the
season has been tepid, but he’s shown glimpses of the bombastic talent which
lead to him scoring 18 goals and registering ten assists during the last
campaign. Deceptively strong with an Alexis Sanchez-esque gait and eye for a
nutmeg, expect to see the playmaker in the Premier League, and possibly the England setup,
in the near future. Although more direct in his approach, Queen’s Park Rangers’
Eberechi Eze is of a similar mold. Capped by England at u-20 level, Eze has
enjoyed a superb start to the season, registering an assist, two goals, and two
man-of-the-match performances. His goal against Stoke in which he carried the
ball from inside the center circle, sold Shawcross a cute dummy, and calmly
slotted home, is an indicator of the youngster’s prowess. Hull City’s
Jarrod Bowen – who can play as a winger or in the hole – has had an excellent
start, too. In the last two campaigns, Bowen netted 37 times, making him the
division’s joint-top goalscorer in that period. Given interest from Everton,
Arsenal, and Leicester over the summer, Hull
have been lucky to keep hold of their man.
In Championship
Focus, a ?monthly? column, Gadsby’s England will keep you up to speed
with all the happenings in English football’s second-tier as well as
highlighting the players you can expect to see in contention for international
selection sometime soon. Consider it your ?monthly? escape from the Premier
League’s mismatches, primadonnas and of, course, relentless VAR discussion.
I’ll
close with a few words on an unknown Englishman who’s been making a name for
himself across the pond recently: a Mr. Wayne Rooney. The 33-year-old ex-pat
agreed to join Derby
County from DC United;
he’ll complete the switch in January. Whether Rooney can adapt to the
cut-and-thrust of the English game remains to be seen…
Today,
technology permeates through early all aspects of English football.
Whether it’s Jamie Carragher grappling with a labyrinthine video replay
interface on Monday Night Football, the all-pervasiveness of myriad XG
algorithms, or the wearable performance-tracking technology donned by
Premier League players and subsequently splashed all over Instagram –
wherever you look, the robots are occupying Albion.
Now, Video
Assistant Referees join the list. In terms of tangible impact on the game
itself, it will surely prove the most significant addition. VAR made its
Premier League debut during the opening round of fixtures; against Leicester,
Wolves had what would have been a winner chalked off for handball,
while Manchester City and West Ham United fans comically took it in turns
to chant ‘V-A-R, V-A-R’ as the technology made decisions for and
against the both of them. The novelty of a new feature of the sport has
always inspired hilarity in English fans, even when something as innocuous
as the vanishing spray was used for the first time in the 2014 Community Shield
there were ironic cheers and booming laughter from both sets of
supporters. But it’s only when the novel becomes the norm that we have the
opportunity to look back and see if the game is in a better position than
it was before…
Since the
opening weekend, we’ve seen history repeat itself as Manchester City were
denied a later winner against Spurs by the new technology, just as they were in
last season’s sensational Champions League quarter-final. But VAR giveth and
VAR taketh away – Spurs were themselves were denied the following weekend when
the video replay officials dismissed what looked like a blatant foul on Harry
Kane during his side’s 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle. Perhaps the most
infuriating use of the technology, however, came when officials spent nearly 3
minutes deliberating whether to discount Ruben Rúben Neves’s wonder strike
against Manchester United. Even after the goal was awarded, the Molineux
faithful made their feelings clear: ‘f**k VAR’, they sang in unison.
The English
don’t tend to like change. Traditionalism is engrained into our collective
psyche; it’s the reason we’ve only just decided to join the rest of Europe in playing possession-based football, it’s
the reason we never wanted the Euro. Perhaps this is why we’re the last
of the five major European leagues to introduce VAR. Spain, Italy,
France and Germany have all been getting used to the technology for at
least a season now, longer in the cases of Serie A and the Bundesliga.
But, and this seems the more likely explanation, it’s because we love
a good moan, and VAR takes away a great deal of our fuel for that.
In theory then, VAR and the Premier League should go together like
orange juice and toothpaste.
VAR, properly
applied and working in correlation with a more clearly-defined set of laws
– a set of laws which we admittedly don’t yet have – effectively
eliminates controversy in football, on the pitch at least. There will be
drama, of course, but no controversy – how could there be? And without
controversy, we can only moan about that which is within our
control.
“GOODNESS ME,
THEY’VE CHANGED THEIR MINDS NOW” – Jonathan Pearce’s reaction to the
then-new goal-line technology in the France Vs. Honduras game at the 2014
World Cup was both a hilarious misunderstanding and emblematic of his
nation’s need for controversy, for drama and, above all, a reason to
whinge. Indeed, many of English international football’s defining moments
are those in which we’ve supposedly been dealt a bad hand: Lampard’s goal
that wasn’t, all those penalty shoot outs, the Hand of God; we love
winning, but if we can’t win then we’d rather lose unjustly – because of a
dubious refereeing decision or an undeserved red card. For a famously
reserved nation of people, we revel in controversy; we just don’t want to
admit it.
But to say you
appreciate or enjoy such controversy is taboo, an apparent indicator that
you’re not thinking within the ‘correct’ moral framework – that this
attitude is in some way ‘unsporting.’ We saw the venom in this accusation
during ‘Spygate’ last season; it’s one of the worst things you can be
labeled as in the English game. These apparent ‘sporting’ principles have
lead pundits to suggest that introducing VAR is the ‘right thing to do,’ a
view which implies the existence of some sort of meta-ethical code that
anyone involved in the game is duty-bound to respect.
This raises the
question of what constitutes our morality /within/ the sport, and there is
a clear dichotomy in peoples’ outlooks. Should football be a pure
meritocracy, based solely on skill and judged through a scientific lens?
Or is it about the spectacle, the theatre? The latter of these views seems
to represent football as a microcosm of life, where injustices are
reflected in sport. The former places sport on a pedestal, something which
we can, and therefore should, actively separate from the raw deal which
life hands us. And, as much as pundits might like to tell you otherwise,
there’s no right or wrong answer between these views.
Ultimately,
something as indifferent and calculated as VAR has given rise to a deeply
philosophical debate about why we consider football worth our time.
There’s a couple of lazy arguments against VAR; the fact that it
interferes with the human element of the game is one. After all, no one
ever complains about the headsets the officials use to communicate with
one another over the roar of the crowd, do they? There’s also the fact
that many feel football should be the same in the parks as it is in the
Premier League (again, the headset argument applies). But that it has the
capacity to starve the game of controversy, one of the fundamental pillars
of the game throughout its 150+ year history, is a legitimate
grievance and ought to be seen as such. If you like controversy, don’t be ashamed
to say it with your chest.
Football’s governing bodies are notoriously short-sighted. While technology’s influence over the game continues to grow exponentially, they must ensure fans’ voices are heard – at the end of the day, it’s played for /us/ and not in pursuit of some abstract notion of sporting justice. There are good arguments on both sides of the debate, but those who oppose VAR shouldn’t simply be dismissed as Luddites – that much, at least, should be clear and obvious.
Subject:
‘House of Supporters: the story of the company returning power to the fans’
Dear Sports
Journalists/Reporters/Editors,
One of the most contemporary issues at the heart of sport is its increasing inaccessibility to fans…
On face
value this claim might seem counterintuitive; television coverage is more
prominent now than in any time in history, supporters are kept almost
relentlessly ‘in-the-loop’ via social media platforms, and interactivity
between player and fan has never been higher. But the ordinary fan – the
lifeblood of any club worth its salt – has been left behind. This is why, after
months of meticulous research, planning and design, we are brimming with pride
to announce the launch of House of Supporters – a
free-to-use platform which aims to connect fans and thereby dramatically
reduce their travel and accommodation expenditure.
Ticket
prices have spiralled out of control in recent years and the
hyper-interconnectivity of the internet age means that opportunists, their eyes
bulging with imagined riches, have never found it easier to separate fans with
their hard-earned cash. As you’ll know, this repugnant phenomenon has been well
documented by the media. Last season’s all-English Champions League Final was
arguably when the furore peaked; as well as having to cough up for the
extortionate ticket prices, fans of both Liverpool and Tottenham who wanted to
see their teams in Madrid were forced to pay up to ten times the normal rates
for flights and hotels.
House
of Supporters aims to eliminate these needless outlays.
Through the website – www.houseofsupporters.com
– supporters can get in touch with one another to organise carpooling,
offer a place to stay and generally extend the proverbial
olive branch. As well as being functional in the sense that it allows fans to
keep hold of the money which they’d otherwise have dished out for a hotel or a
train fare, the website is also a magnificent and unprecedented opportunity to
form social relationships which transcend borders and club loyalties.
A great
deal of the media’s coverage of sports fans, particularly in relation to
football, is negative, focusing on the loathsome behaviour of a loud minority.
But, as anyone who has been on an away-day before will tell you, supporters of
opposing clubs are generally warm with one another. In House of Supporters,
they have a platform to solidify this mutual good-will and use it to help each
other out. This is an opportunity to highlight some of the best things fans do,
and something we think is a great story.
Sport
can sometimes seem like a venue for tribalism and nastiness but, when all is
said and done, it serves the noble purpose of bringing people from all walks of
life together. You can’t put a price on that. In a world where seemingly
everything is monetised, we should be aiming to keep sport as
inexpensive as it can possibly be. This is House of Supporters’
mission.
Please,
if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone who can tell you in
more detail about the wonderful work we’re doing, contact_________________.
Subject: ‘House of Supporters: the
free-to-use website that’s makes your job easier’
Dear Sports Liaison Officers,
Recent
years have seen the relationship between fan and club deteriorate, making your
jobs as the go-between for the two groups increasingly difficult. There is a
distinct lack of trust between them – this must change.
For
fans, nothing is worse than thinking you’re being taken advantage of by the
club you love. One of the joys of sport is the feeling that you’re part of
something bigger than yourself. As much as sport is about athleticism,
perseverance and skill, it’s about community. This is why, after months of
meticulous research, planning and design, we are brimming with pride to
announce the launch of House of Supporters – a free-to-use platform
which aims to connect fans and thereby dramatically reduce their travel and
accommodation expenditure.
House
of Supporters aims to eliminate these needless outlays.
Through the website – www.houseofsupporters.com
– supporters can get in touch with one another to organise carpooling,
offer a place to stay and generally extend the proverbial
olive branch. As well as being functional in the sense that it allows fans to
keep hold of the money which they’d otherwise have dished out for a hotel or a
train fare, the website is also a magnificent and unprecedented opportunity to
form social relationships which transcend borders and club loyalties.
This
service will no doubt make your job significantly easier; it brings fans
together for away-days and allows them to make their arrangements
independently, with no need to rely on a third party such as yourself. As a
liaison officer, this will be hugely beneficial for you in terms of reducing
the time you spend organising club travel and communicating with both the fans
and the club with regards to this. It’ll give you more time focus on the really
important stuff: building relationships with the fans, conversing with the
police and talking with other club’s SLOs.
By
using the website, fans will find making their arrangements a breeze. This can
only lead to happier supporters and a better atmosphere around the club, again
making your job much easier. In promoting our service, both to the supporters
themselves and within the club you work for, you will become part of something
which you can really be proud of: a platform which wants to keep sport as
inexpensive as possible to the fans which are its life-blood.
We want
to make football about the fans again – this is our mission. By getting people
to engage with House of Supporters you are signifying your intention of doing
the same. As liaison officers, this is your calling.
Please,
if you have any questions or would like to talk to someone who can tell you in
more detail about the wonderful work we’re doing, contact_________________.
We hope
to hear from you soon.
Kind
regards,
House
of Supporters.
Subject: ‘House of
Supporters: bringing footballing communities together again’
Dear Clubs of Supporters
For fans, nothing is worse than missing out on watching the
club you love play. One of the joys of sport is the feeling that you’re part of
something bigger than yourself. As much as sport is about athleticism,
perseverance and skill, it’s about community. This is why, after months of
meticulous research, planning and design, we are brimming with pride to
announce the launch of House of
Supporters – a free-to-use platform
which aims to connect you, the fans, with fans of other clubs, thereby
dramatically reducing your travel and
accommodation expenditure.
In sport at the moment, there is a perception that the
disconnect between fan and club has become greater and more obvious than ever
before. In part, this is because of the copious amounts of cash fans are
expected to cough up to see their team play. Ordinary supporters – the lifeblood of any club worth its salt –
feel like they have been left behind. There is a perception that their team’s
hierarchies treat shrinking attendances merely as collateral damage for
gargantuan television deals.
Obviously however, this attitude is not sustainable. It’s a
cliche but without fans sport really is nothing. Who will want to watch Premier
League matches on telly when they’re played in front of an empty stadium? By
promoting House of Supporters to your members you will be reassuring fans that football isn’t all about corporatism
nowadays – there are some people that still have the supporters’ best interests at heart.
So how does it work? Through the website –
http://www.houseofsupporters.com – supporters can contact one another to organise
carpooling, offer a place to stay and generally extend the proverbial olive
branch. The service is easy to use
and will make making travel and
accommodation plans a breeze. As well as being functional in the sense that
it allows fans to keep hold of the money which they’d otherwise have dished out
for a hotel or a train fare, the website is also a magnificent and
unprecedented opportunity to form social relationships which transcend borders
and club loyalties.
The ease and enjoyablesness of this process will remove the
stress from the away-day experience. Wave goodbye
to having to organise coach travel for dozens of people, House of
Supporters has got it covered. Naturally, fans who’ve had to spend almost
nothing apart from the price of their ticket are happier fans. Happy fans make for a better atmosphere. And a better
atmosphere makes for better performances by your club – ultimately, what can be better for clubs of supporters
than this?
Promoting House of Supporters within your organisation
really is a no brainer – it will make your members feel that, even if
community-driven side of sport has been lost on the clubs’ behalf, there are
still people that are maintaining it.
House of Supporters’ mission is to connect football fans and in doing so connect the communities of
the clubs they support. By doing this we want to make football about the fans
again, if they see that you want to do the same they’ll no doubt be even more proud to be part of your club; one that
cares for its fans, one that bucks the trend and treats them with respect.
Please, if you have any questions or would like to talk to
someone who can tell you in more detail about the wonderful work we’re doing,
contact_________________.
As players make their final preparations before the start of a new season – frantically completing transfer moves, working relentlessly to ensure maximum fitness, doing endless new-kit photoshoots and daft Sky Sports walk-out recordings – you wonder to what extent international football features in their current thoughts. Amidst the chaos of pre-season and the burning anticipation of the return of the Premier League, the European Championships must feel a million miles away…
But naturally, for Gareth Southgate, it will always be at the very forefront of his mind. Being England manager in the build-up to a tournament during the domestic season must feel a bit like living in a continuous anxiety dream: constantly watching events unfold and essentially being unable to react to them, in any substantial way at least.
He could, for instance, be highly skeptical of Harry Maguire’s big-money move to a Manchester United side which has, in recent years, caused countless top players’ careers either to stagnate or, worse, fall into complete disarray. Equally, with all of the top six recruiting wisely (with the exception of the transfer-banned Chelsea and the already-outstanding Liverpool) and with Everton, Leicester, West Ham and Wolves all keen to unseat one of the big boys, he might be disquieted with the highly competitive and inevitably fatiguing nature of the season which all of the top ten will have to endure. With the bar in the top half set so high, nearly one in two of any given team’s games will come against top quality, energy-sapping opposition.
These are some of the more conspicuous points of interest for Southgate. But the margins of error in international football are so incredibly fine that every happenstance, however apparently trivial, could have a knock-on effect on the outcome of the European Championships next June.
With this campaign, one of the key things England fans are waiting to discover is whether that elusive creative central midfield player will emerge. Of the most recent squads, Harry Winks and Declan Rice show promise (although the latter is often considered more of a box-to-box midfielder), but can we say either of them have the quality to cut open top international defences in the nervous intensity of a Euro 2020 knockout match?
There are three players which fit the ideal profile more closely: Phil Foden, Marcus Maddison and Mason Mount. Of the trio, Foden looks the mostly likely to bring that X-Factor. For a young man born in Stockport, he’s about as un-stereotypically English a footballer as you could imagine—he exudes creativity, panache and extroversion. And, as if that wasn’t enough, he has an eye for the killer pass that England’s centre forwards have been crying out for since the days of Scholes. Could he be England’s man with the flamethrower in midfield? It depends what he does this season; or, more accurately, what Guardiola does with him this season. Time will tell whether his role will be significant enough with a Manchester City side featuring some of the best playmakers in the world to warrant giving him such a pivotal role on the international stage.
Perhaps then, at this stage, Leicester’s James Maddison is a safer bet. However, while Southgate might be cursing Foden for not moving to a club where he’ll get more game time, he might be doing the same to Maddison for not making the step up to a top-six club where he can take his performances to the next level—there was interest from Manchester United and Tottenham earlier in the window. Although playing more consistently, the Leicester City number ten probably has less of a virtuosic edge than Foden but might be a more risk-free option in the creative role. With Leicester hoping to push the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and United this campaign, you’d guess that the position is his to lose in the coming months.
There’s also Mason Mount who might be considered something of a wildcard contender for the spot at the Euros. He’s an unknown quantity at Premier League level having only played football in Holland and the Championship so far. But at Derby County under Frank Lampard last season, he was one of the second tier’s standout players. He now returns to Chelsea to play under, guess who? Continuing his development, now in the top flight, under one of the best midfielders ever to represent England is as big a carrot that could be dangled in front of a young English player. Mason Mount will be closely monitored by Gareth Southgate.
A lot might depend on the outcome of the Lampard experiment, and indeed the form of the rest of the top sides. Manchester City, Liverpool and Spurs all look on track for good, morale-boosting seasons, but the fate of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea remains unclear. Despite having a transfer ban, Chelsea have something of a new-look squad with Tammy Abraham, Mason Mount and Reece James all returning from loan. With Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Ross Barkley and Callum Hudson-Odoi expected to play more significant roles this season, the Chelsea first-team could have a distinctly English flavour. If they perform well, it could be a massive boost for England’s Euro 2020 prospects. The problem is that it’s hard to judge what would qualify as a successful season for Chelsea this time around. Surely a top-six finish would suffice, but under the opaquely ruthless Roman Abramovich, one never knows.
As for Arsenal, yet again they look set to continue to contribute little to the England team, unless Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson have remarkable seasons. It is difficult to see them forcing their way into first-team contention as they play in two positions where England already have outstanding options. The fortunes of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s United, however, will be pivotal in determining the makeup of England’s starting 11 come June. While it looks highly likely that Harry Maguire will feature prominently in Southgate’s plans, Jesse Lingard, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcus Rashford will need to be at the top of their game if they are to usurp the likes of Dele Alli, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Raheem Sterling.
If the City forward continues his upward trajectory in 2019/20, he will be England’s most feared player (and perhaps himself the most likely candidate to be that playmaker); at this moment he is surely one of the world’s top five, or very close to it. The last team to win the title three times in a row was Alex Ferguson’s United from 2006 to 2009. It will be fascinating to see if Guardiola can extract the same level of commitment from Sterling and co again this season. Thus far, there’s no indication he won’t.
With a focus on things beyond Euro 2020, another engrossing saga Southgate will follow closely will be Kieran Trippier’s adventures in Madrid—for established English players thinking of going abroad in the future, will he be the canary in the mine of the trailblazing European frontiersman? Of course, he is not the only English player on foreign soil, but he is the first fully-developed player in recent years to make the switch. If it’s a success and Trippier fights his way back into England contention, we could see more senior players persuaded to swap the comfort of home for more rewarding ventures on the continent.
Finally, there remains the question of how well-versed players will be in Southgate’s proposed tactical system by June. Things look promising in this regard. As is the norm for elite teams in Europe nowadays, all of the top six play a high press and build from the back, meaning that English contingents in each of these clubs will be used not only to playing in this kind of system but also in playing against it. Furthermore, those chasing the pack are beginning to play a similar, albeit slightly less expansive, game. However, it’s in the breaking down of more stubborn opposition that England’s players might be deprived of experience this season. Southgate has tended to play a three-at-the-back formation in these kinds of one-sided affairs in order to dominate possession; this is something we see more regularly in the Premier League nowadays, but four at the back is still very much the norm. With a limited amount of time to tactically drill his players, Southgate must be hoping that, in 2019/20, his domestic counterparts employ systems which cross-pollinate with his own.
In the next nine months, the list of potential ‘butterfly effects’ for England is endless. The 2019/20 season – the treacherous route to the snow-capped mountain that is Euro 2020 – is littered with banana skins and springboards, snakes and ladders, all in equal measure. We must hope the gods of football can help us navigate safely through the minefield that is the coming season.
It’s been a relatively busy summer for Premier League clubs thus far. Again, the promoted sides are spending the kind of money which ten years ago would have been reserved for Europe’s elite. Miraculously, Spurs are dipping into their transfer budget; not so surprisingly, Newcastle are not. With just under a month to go, the squads are beginning to take shape. It’s at this point that we get our first meaningful glimpses of what to expect over the next 9 months of English football.
Before the proverbial window slams shut then, let’s take a look at some of the most significant ins and outs for English players so far…
1) Frank Lampard to Chelsea: The only manager on the list (sorry Steve Bruce – Gadsby’s England don’t think you’ll be impacting the England setup any time soon). Lampard’s return to the Bridge has been one of the most intriguing stories this summer. The commentariat has proffered that the 106 time former England player will be given, at the very least, a season to further his already astonishing legacy with the West London club. Though this would be the most sensible recourse of action, Abramovich’s trigger happy approach to hiring and firing would suggest that this is by no means a forgone conclusion. Historically, Chelsea’s attitude towards youth would make King Herrod blush and their loan policy has seemed to be ’out-of-sight-out-of-mind’. But, with a plethora of young English talent available to him, if Lampard is allowed time to truly engage with his players he could provide England with an injection of talent which, under any other Chelsea regime, would have been lost. Simultaneously, he would upset the throwaway culture so ingrained at the club – this can only be positive, not just for England, but for young players in general. However this one turns out, it’ll be an interesting one to follow…
2) Aaron Wan-Bissaka to Man United: The most expensive player on this list at nearly £50 million, the young fullback won countless plaudits last season and, was it not for a certain Trent Alexander-Arnold, would surely have been anointed as the future of England’s defence. As it stands, Wan-Bissaka is yet to win a senior cap, a fact that stands as testament to our wealth of options in his position. But, having made the switch to Man United, you’d guess that this is the year he’ll break the mould. He’s a player that seems to do a lot with a little – while he is limited going forward, his defensive capabilities are second to none, literally, in his position. He made more tackles than any other player in the League last season and won nearly 93% of his one-on-one duels, astonishing figures for a player with only 42 senior appearances. His attributes mean that he can offer something truly different for Southgate whose eyes will surely be bulging at the thought of such solidity at right-back – he’ll welcome his selection headache regarding the position, that’s for sure.
3) Kieran Trippier to Athletico Madrid: Another right back on the list. Gadsby Senior will be delighted with this one, as should we all. English players’ reluctance to move abroad has been well documented, many attributing the ‘Golden Generation’s’ lack of success to it. In recent years, however, there are signs that the tide may, however slowly, be beginning to turn. The highest-profile example is, of course, Jadon Sancho. But the Dortmund winger isn’t the only English youngster who’s been willing to make the leap – Ronaldo Viera, Patrick Roberts and Sheyi Ojo all spent time abroad last season and now Kieran Trippier has joined the continental party. The England right back’s stock could hardly have been any higher after the World Cup last summer. Perhaps he suffered from some form of impostor syndrome because his form last season was, at the very best, unremarkable. He was usurped as the first choice right back at Spurs and his career risked stagnating. Moving abroad then seems like a sensible, and personally brave, option.
4) Ravel Morrison to Sheffield United: Didn’t see this one coming. The attacking midfielder is only 26 but Sheffield United will be his tenth different club. Throughout his career, he has consistently been labelled a wasted talent, by the likes of Alex Ferguson, Rio Ferdinand and Sam Allardyce for example, all of whom have recognised his potentially world-class ability but complete lack of discipline. With a limited budget, Sheffield United have to take risks. If, by some miracle, Chris Wilder can persuade Morrison to adopt an even slightly more diligent approach than he has a magnificent player on his hands. Although admittedly, the precedent for this isn’t there. Ravel Morrison is the definition of a volatile talent – he undoubtedly has the capacity to earn an England call up, whether Southgate would want such a character in the camp or not is another matter.
5) Fabian Delph to Everton: Marco Silva got this deal done on the cheap, the midfielder-cum-left-back arriving at Goodison for just under £9 million. Delph showed his utility at Manchester City and although he was sometimes maligned from the outside, proved to be a valuable member of Guardiola’s eclectic setup. While he carried out his role dutifully, Delph will be relishing the opportunity to play consistently in his favoured central-midfield role once more. As one of a limited number of English players who can play a box-to-box role to a high standard, he will see his move to the Toffees as a potential springboard back into the national setup.
6) Jack Clarke to Spurs (loaned back to Leeds): Spurs’ first signing for nearly two years, Jack Clarke’s breakthrough season at Leeds proved the 18-year-old will be there-or-thereabouts with regards to the national setup in years to come. The decision to loan him back to Leeds is a wise one, the Yorkshire club will be one of the favourites for promotion again after narrowly missing out last season and, in Marco Bielsa, Clarke has a coach that will aid him in getting his foot on the first rung of the ladder of truly elite footballing talent.
7) Dean Henderson to Sheffield United (loan): Many England fans’ first introduction to Henderson will have been the couple of clangers he dropped for the U21s at the Euros this summer. If so, don’t let this colour your perception of a magnificent goalkeeper. Henderson, contracted to Man United, was superb on loan at Sheffield United last season and his return to the club was greeted enthusiastically by Blades fans. If David De Gea is to leave Manchester in the next couple of season, Henderson will fancy his chances of walking into the United dressing room as his replacement. His vocal command of his box and athleticism will prove invaluable to Sheffield United in their fight against the drop and, with Premier League experience, he could find himself in contention for an England call up very soon.
8) Tyrone Mings to Aston Villa: Gone are the days when parting with nearly £30 million would land Andriy Shevchenko or Robinho, now it’ll bag you a centre-half with limited top-flight experience. With that being said, Mings enjoyed an excellent campaign on loan at Aston Villa last season and Villa fans will be resting more easily since his arrival on a permanent basis. Mings has yet to be significantly tested at Premier League level, but Dean Smith clearly sees him as being worth the figure his board sanctioned – although he is yet to be capped for England, at any level, there’s enough there to show he is capable of an international call up at some point.
9) Che Adams to Southampton: Che Adams netted 22 times in 46 Championship appearances last season, the kind of form which meant Birmingham had to see off significant Premier League interest in the January transfer window. Now, Adams has got his move, arriving at St Mary’s for a £15 million sum. Other than his goal return, which is superb for a winger, Adams’ volatile style of play is his best asset. Coaxing defenders into feeling they can relax before an explosion of pace or a quick turn catches them napping and opens up a hole, Adams has attributes that suit the Premier League. He’s still only 23 and could well be the kind of impact player to replace an ageing Jamie Vardy on England’s bench.
10) Sturridge, Cahill, Carroll, Welbeck (released): In the not-so-distant past, all four of these players would, injuries permitting, be guaranteed a spot in any England squad. Now, it looks increasingly unlikely that any of them will feature again, their respective destinations being unclear at present.
Sturridge has had an eventful few weeks, his home was broken into and dog kidnapped and he recently was fined for breaching betting regulations and banned from the game for six weeks – all amidst interest for Aston Villa, a club which would seem a sensible destination for the striker.
Gary Cahill has barely featured over the past two years for Chelsea, but given the interest in his services from Man United and Arsenal, he might not be as washed up as spectators presumed, although it would be unlikely for him to resurrect his international career at this point.
Newcastle United is the rumoured destination for Danny Welbeck, who was released by Arsenal in June – this seems logical given Mike Ashley’s reluctance to spend any money. Welbeck, like Sturridge, has had a career blighted by injury and unless he can stay fit will not be likely to feature in Southgate’s plans again.
Ah, the enigma that is Andy Carroll… once the most expensive Englishman in history, of course. But for now, all is quiet on the transfer rumour front. He’s the kind of player who, again if fit, would be a truly unique asset for England – but, sadly, that injury-ridden ship sailed a long time ago.
Following this summer’s continental championships in South America, North/Central America and Africa, FIFA have announced their updated world rankings. Still lying in 4th place, England are one of only two teams in the top 30 – the other being Belgium in top spot – to have maintained their place in the standings.
The new way football’s governing body ranks international sides was implemented last summer. The reformed system, one based on the ELO configuration which takes into account ‘football specific variables’, was rubber-stamped after over two years of statistical analysis, data collection and independent review.
But, of course, the merits of contemplating football via focus groups and think tanks are limited. The world rankings serve a purpose in that they create a formula by which FIFA can seed teams in international tournaments without being accused of corruption (although, given their squeaky-clean track record, I really can’t imagine why anyone ever think they are anything other than paragons of virtue). However, even in a footballing universe populated by seemingly endless ‘XG’ figures and ‘Opta’ Twitter accounts, one of the great lessons the sport teaches us is that there’s only so much you can learn from statistical data.
The best way to judge the opposition is simply to watch them play. What, then, can England learn from this summer’s continental tournaments?
The Copa America: What would be the English preconception of Copa America held in Brazil? Sun, Samba and stepovers sounds about right. In reality, South America’s showpiece international tournament was nothing to write home about – so, naturally, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
This isn’t to say there wasn’t a bevvy of compelling narratives to follow: Brazil were without their sensational headline act Neymar, who was sidelined with an ankle injury; Chile were hoping to become only the second nation in history to win three consecutive South American championships; and, of course, Lionel Messi was hoping to break Argentina’s continental final hoodoo, the 14-time winners having appeared in four of the previous five finals and lost all four. No, it was the quality of the football itself that left something to be desired – which, from an England point of view, bodes well.
Watching this tournament through my pair of spectacles emblazoned with the St. George’s cross, there was, in my opinion, and as frighteningly naïve as it might sound, relatively little to be overly troubled by. 12 teams entered the competition, and a relatively forgiving group stage format meant eight advanced to the quarterfinals: Paraguay, Venezuela, Uruguay and Colombia were all eliminated in the last eight; Argentina and Chile were semifinalists, finishing third and fourth respectively after the bronze medal match; Peru were the defeated finalists; Brazil finished as champions.
Paraguay: The first team to be eliminated in the knockout stages, losing on penalties to Brazil after the score was tied at 0-0 after 90 minutes (in the Copa America, there’s no extra-time until the semifinals). Paraguay played the last half an hour with ten men after Fabian Balbuena was sent off after bringing down Firmino as he was through on goal. They were resilient but, qualifying for the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams and having not won any of their four games in the competition, did nothing to suggest they’d be contenders on the biggest stage of all any time soon.
Venezuela: Finished second in a group containing the two finalists, Brazil and Peru, drawing 0-0 against both before a convincing win against Bolivia saw them through to the quarterfinals. Their exit came at the hands of an Argentina side which triumphed 2-0 but were not at all comfortable until they scored their second 15 minutes from time. The Paraguayans kept Messi quiet, forced several impressive saves from Armani, the Argentina goalkeeper, and, all in all, were probably the better side. The political situation in Venezuela at the moment is dire, nearly all of the news coming out of the country is, by necessity, negative. Their football team, however, gave the country something to be proud of. Venezuela have never qualified for a World Cup but, with a relatively young squad and strong spine to their team, they surely now have a chance.
Uruguay: Had a mixed tournament. In the group stages, they won their opening game 4-0 (although admittedly against a very poor Ecuador) and squeezed past a terrific Chile but could only muster a draw against Japan (one of the tournament’s ‘invited’ nations). In their one and only knockout stage game, they were lacklustre, losing on penalties to Peru in one of three quarter-finals that finished scoreless. Other than Brazil, Uruguay are the closest South American team to England in the FIFA world rankings. While they do have some excellent young talent in the shape of Juventus’s Bentancur, Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira and Federico Valverde of Real Madrid, it is no secret the core of their team is aging. Captain Diego Godin, one of Europe’s best centre-halves over the past five to ten years is 33, Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, Uruguay’s talismanic strike partnership, are both 32. This trio has over 350 caps between them. Their leadership, not to mention their goals (Suarez and Cavani are the nation’s all-time leading goal scorers), will be nigh on impossible to replace. Given that the next possible competitive meeting between Uruguay and England is in three years, it’s hard to see them posing the same threat as they have over the past decade or so.
Colombia: Remember this lovely bunch? Thought so. Colombia can feel aggrieved to have been knocked out of the Copa America despite not conceding a goal. They easily overcame Qatar (the other ‘invited’ nation), Paraguay and, more impressively, Argentina in the group stages before eventually losing on penalties after a predictably heated clash with Chile. We all know what kind of opposition Colombia are currently, but it’s hard to predict how they will fare in future – they have a solid and pretty young defensive base, with both Yerry Mina and Davinson Sanchez playing in the Premier League, but a number of their most influential players will presumably be past their best by that stage, James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao being the most obvious examples.
Chile: Three consecutive Copa America triumphs was a big ask. They made it to the semifinals but looked a tired team, too old still to be employing the same pressing game instilled by Marcelo Bielsa and Jorge Sampaoli. Their preferred starting 11 features six players with 100+ caps, showing the age of their team. Chile’s golden generation are another team past their brilliant best.
Argentina: Where to start. Finished third in the end but were, in fact, lucky to advance from the group stages after Paraguay missed a penalty which would have put them above their Argentine rivals. Their best performance came in their 2-0 defeat in the semi-final to Brazil in which they were frustrated by VAR decisions and twice hit the woodwork. Other than this, though, their performances were pretty turgid. Messi was as poor as I’ve seen him, and their defence routinely looks undisciplined and unorganised. There’s some hope for them in the shape of Lautaro Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso and Juan Foyth, all of whom had good tournaments. Argentina’s plight in recent years hasn’t been due to a lack of talent – players like Mauro Icardi can’t even make the squad – so who knows whether they will find a way to make it work. It’s assumed that interim coach Lionel Scaloni will soon be replaced; perhaps the next manager will be the one to solve the puzzle. But somehow I doubt it.
Peru: Fantastic team, brilliantly managed. Ricardo Gareca got the very best from a squad not exactly brimming with household names. Paolo Guerrero, striker, captain and record goalscorer, was inspirational. Goalkeeper Pedro Gallese too was magnificent, especially in the sensational 3-0 victory over Peru’s neighbours Chile in the semi-final. They showed remarkable mental strength and tactical intelligence to run Brazil close in the final despite having been roundly trounced by the same opposition 5-0 in the group stages. Having reached their first World Cup finals in nearly 40 years last summer, Peru are a team on the up and definitely one to be wary of.
Brazil: The winners on home soil. Deservedly so, probably. Their keeper, Liverpool’s Alisson, went nearly the entire tournament without conceding a goal before Guerrero’s penalty flew past him in the final. The big story coming into the competition was the absence of Neymar – he was replaced, initially by David Neres of Ajax, and latterly by Everton of Gremio, the only home-based player for the home nation, and he was superb. In the final, Jesus wept. Literally. The Manchester City striker was in floods of tears after being sent off for a dubious second yellow after scoring one and setting up another. He was magnificent throughout the knockout stages and made a case for winning the Golden Ball. That honour ultimately went to 36-year-old Dani Alves. The quasi-right back looked a player ten years his junior – his role in Brazil’s opener against Argentina, in particular, was something to behold, storming through the Argentina midfield like a freight train before putting Paredes on the floor with a dummy and playing a clever pass inside the opposition fullback for Firmino to set up Gabriel Jesus to finish. Whether Brazil’s emotional investment will serve them well against much stronger opposition remains to be seen; the pressure exerted on their players from the fans is crippling— you can feel it through the television screen. The manager, Tite, might be the perfect counterbalance to this, however. His is an inherently calm presence. As the Brazilian fans and player characteristically belted out the national anthem before the final, Tite stood silent with his eyes tight shut, looking almost as though lost in a moment of religious ecstasy. This tournament will have done wonders to fix the disconnect between Brazilian players and supporters. They’re always a force to be reckoned with, but riding the crest of this Copa America wave, even more so.
So that’s the best South America has to offer. What else did we learn? The use of VAR was horrific, seeing seven-plus minutes of added time was commonplace and there was a huge amount of controversy in its application (see Messi’s CONMEBOL corruption allegations). The circus was made easier to bear by Premiersport’s commentator Paul Dempsey’s hilarious and undisguised disgust with the situation. English players, by far, have been the nation least used to seeing VAR in action – Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina, the list could go on, have all had it in their domestic leagues for one or two seasons now. But that’s a story for a different article. There were empty seats, too. Lots of them, in fact. Many fans complained they’d been priced out of the competition, leading to poorer atmospheres than you might expect, even at footballing coliseums like the Maracanã. Another mistake by one of football’s governing bodies. Shock.
So how would England fare against this kind of opposition? Which sides would cause England the most problems? Brazil, Peru and Colombia, probably. The biggest takeaway from the Copa America, however: the main threats to England remain within Europe.
The African Cup of Nations: This year’s African Cup of Nations, hosted by Egypt at the last minute after Cameroon’s failure to meet the required infrastructure standards, was a sensational affair. The hosts themselves, however, favourites before the tournament, flopped, and don’t get a look-in on this list.
Firstly, Madagascar’s story is incredible. The island nation doesn’t exactly have a rich football heritage; this was the first time they had ever qualified for the continental competition. Despite this they topped their group, beating Nigeria on the way, and reached the quarter-finals where their run came to an end. It was an amazing story, the kind that makes this continental tournament consistently appealing. Three of the competition’s last four, Algeria, Senegal and Nigeria looked dangerous and tactically adept potential opponents. The other semi-finalists, Tunisia, whom England fans will be familiar with after last summer’s World Cup, won only one of their seven games and did not look particularly impressive despite reaching the latter stages of the competition. The Ivory Coast, who seem to have had a consistently excellent squad over the past 15 years, were also impressive.
Ivory Coast: It might not quite be the squad of Drogba and the Touré brothers, but this current generation are no slouches, either. Nicolas Pépé, Serge Aurier and Wilfried Zaha all played prominent roles for them this year, players who would get in most international teams anywhere in the world. Despite this they could only manage 2nd place in the group stage, losing out to Morocco. They then had a more comfortable victory over Mali than the scoreline suggested before losing to the eventual champions, Algeria, on penalties in the round of 16. Had they progressed, there’s a strong possibility they would have gone on to win the tournament given their record against the remaining sides at that point.
Nigeria: Gernot Rohr’s side had a number of standout performers this summer: Odion Ighalo finished as the tournament’s top scorer, Leicester’s Wilfred Ndidi was a constant nuisance to defenders and John Obi Mikel was still controlling things in midfield as though he were 25. However, when South Africa dumped Egypt out in the quarterfinals, Nigeria immediately became favourites. They’ll have been very disappointed not to win the competition. They have a number of older players, but many young talents too – Nigeria are one of those international sides who always seem to have a relatively reliable pipeline of talent which can sustain them. It’s safe, therefore, to assume Nigeria will be a dangerous opponent at a World Cup.
Senegal: Vanquished finalists in one of the most bizarre tournament showpieces you’ll ever see (more on that later), Aliou Cisse’s team lived up to their post-World Cup hype. Kalidiou Koulibaly, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Sadio Mane: they had probably the best all-round squad in the competition. Mane scored three times – he also missed three penalties – but Senegal’s main man took a back seat to the likes of Keita Baldé and Ismaïla Sarr, proving the nation are by no means a one-man team. They’ll be heartbroken after this AFCON, but I’ve no doubt they’ll be back.
Algeria: Algeria: the 2019 Cup of Nations champions. In the final, they had just one shot and their only goal came in the third minute from one of the most massively deflected goals you’ll ever see—in fact calling it a ‘deflection’ somehow doesn’t do it justice (look it up on YouTube if you’re yet to see it). Despite riding their luck somewhat in the final itself, their route to it was hard-fought; they beat Mali, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, three of the tournament’s most-fancied sides. Like Mane for Senegal, Mahrez had a decent tournament, his 95th-minute semifinal free-kick winner being the highlight but he was only their third or fourth-best player throughout the tournament. Ismaël Bennacer won both Player and Young Player of the Tournament and Napoli’s Adam Ounas was also excellent. In the end, Djamel Belmadi’s men were deserved winners and, at this time, look like the best Africa has to offer on the world stage.
The CONCACAF Gold Cup: To call the Caribbean, Central and North America’s premier international tournament an after-thought might be a bit strong, but with reference to the quality on display in this year’s tournament, it’s hard not to dismiss it. The eight-time winners Mexico were again successful, defeating the United States in the final. These two teams, along with Haiti, surprisingly, make up a shortlist of potentially dangerous CONCACAF opponents for England in the next few years.
Haiti: I won’t lie, my knowledge of Haitian football is extremely limited. I can’t say with any degree of confidence whether their tournament showing was a freak performance or not, but they were superb throughout. They won all three of their group stage games and scored three times against Canada before losing out in extra time to the eventual champions, Mexico. On this evidence, the semifinalists would prove tricky opposition for any team.
USA: In what was effectively a home tournament for USA (15 of 17 the stadia were in the States), Grett Berhalter were free-scoring, netting 15 times in six games before their defeat in the final. Christian Pulisic was named Young Player of the Tournament – the Chelsea signing dazzled in the semifinal, in particular, scoring twice and assisting another. However mocked it is, the MLS’s advancements in recent years are indisputable and this has aided the national team no end. The US didn’t qualify for the World Cup last time around but expect to see them return stronger in 2022.
Mexico: In Chicago, a young Mexico side would eventually triumph 1-0 over the United States in an almost relentlessly drab tournament decider. Before that encounter, in the semifinal, Mexico just about saw off a stubborn Haiti side and overcame Costa Rica on penalties in the previous quarter-final fixture. In the group stage, they looked considerably more impressive, albeit against weaker opposition – they put seven past Cuba and in total scored 13 times in three games. Prior to the start of the tournament, PSV’s Hirving Lozano, arguably Mexico’s star player, was ruled out through injury, as was Miguel Layun who has over 70 caps for his country. The absence of these key players combined with the fact that Mexico are very much in the middle of a transitionary period makes their CONCACAF success a great deal more impressive. Uriel Antuna was magnificent in his first international tournament while Edson Álvarez, a recent Ajax recruit, sparkled in defence. It was also no great surprise to see Wolves’ Raúl Jiménez named player of the tournament. The United States are on the rise, but Mexico remained far-and-away the best team in this tournament.
It wasn’t to be for the Lionesses. And, sadly, there was a lack of nominative determinism – Lucy and co were unable to claim bronze in their clash with Sweden. However, while the third-place playoff was not the palette cleanser we’d hoped for, this shouldn’t colour our memories of what has been, on the whole, another spectacular tournament for an England side – a phrase I’m sure fans won’t tire of hearing any time soon.
Unconvincing in their opening games against Scotland
and Argentina, Phil Neville’s women grew into the tournament. The highlights
were undoubtedly the back-to-back 3-0 wins against Cameroon and Norway
respectively, albeit for very different reasons. The former was a truly bizarre
affair, one that felt more like an alcohol-fuelled fracas outside a nightclub
than a football match. The spitting, the pushing, the all-round level of
nastiness on display from England’s opponents that day bordered on maniacal.
Visibly, though, a fresh sense of camaraderie was forged in that Valenciennes
fire, both within the squad itself and with the fans back home who were vocal
in their admiration of England’s conduct in the face of such roughhousery. This
reaction in and of itself was a triumph, one indicative of the much-mended
relationship between England player and England fan.
The Cameroon clash exhibited England’s mental
fortitude, but the footballing pinnacle was the quarter-final dismantling of a
highly-fancied Norway side. Throughout the game, England looked comfortable
with and without the ball. Lucy Bronze’s 25-yard thunderbolt was the cherry on
top of an already mouthwatering cake. The ‘swashbuckling fullback’ cliché is
rolled out all too often nowadays, but for Bronze, it could hardly be more apt.
Phil Neville consistently refers to her as the “best player in the world”; it
was no surprise therefore that she was one of the tournament’s stand-out
performers.
Ellen White was another revelation. The Manchester
City forward scored six goals, tied in first place for goals with Alex Morgan
and Megan Rapinoe. Given that Rapinoe scored three penalties and five of
Morgan’s goals came in the United States’ demolition of Thailand, England fans
might claim White was the winner in spirit – not that we’re biased or anything.
Indeed, she might have thought she’d done enough to win the Golden Boot
outright before VAR chalked out what would have been a glorious goal in
Saturday’s defeat to Sweden, one which typified her unerringly clinical
performances throughout the month. Exhibiting Herculean strength, she held off
the Swedish defender before chesting the ball into the air, giving her enough
time to pivot before slotting home. Unfortunately, Anastasia Pustovoytova, with
the help of video replays, ruled that White had inadvertently handled the ball.
She, or any other England player, won’t want to see
another VAR gesture as long as they live. Just a few days earlier England’s
star striker had another strike ruled out, this one, all the more painfully, in
the semifinal. The game itself felt like something of a watershed moment for
women’s football in England; 7.6 million people tuned in to watch England’s 2-1
defeat at the hands of the USA, a record for any television event this year.
There will be regrets, of course, the feebleness of Steph Houghton’s late
penalty being the most prominent, but, overall, it’s hard not to see this
tournament as a success. Yes, they were unable to improve on their semi-final
exit in 2015, but only by the narrowest of margins and again to the eventual
victors – England’s women can now truly be seen as a team that competes
consistently amongst the world’s elite.
Supporting England used to feel like one continual
adjustment to loss. The management’s approach to major tournaments seemed akin
jumping off the cliff and learning to fly on the way down. Now, with the
consistent success of the Lionesses and the male contingent’s performance last
summer, these
stitches in our footballing fabric seem to have been successfully resewn. For
that, the FA and the DNA project must take credit. Of course, at some point
this philosophy will need to result in trophies – the women’s team must believe
they can capitalise on the warm reaction to their showing in France and do
exactly that. And where better to do it than on home soil in 2021 – the
European Championships in England follow the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. In both
competitions, England have a real chance for silverware. Hopefully, by then we
can look back and see this World Cup as an elaborate dress rehearsal for a
trophy-laden spell.
Feet planted in a power stance, the ghost of an imperious expression written across his face, a pair of gothic wings sprouting from his back – on the cover of August‘s GQ magazine, Raheem Sterling looks likes the Angel Gabriel reimagined by Ozzy Osbourne. With any other footballer, such undisguised attempts to foster a sense of iconography might seem a touch laboured. With England’s newest poster boy however, the hullaballoo is entirely justified.
The
football Writers’ Association player of the year, an indispensable cog in the
Manchester City machine and, most significantly, an uncompromising crusader for
racial justice, both on the frontlines of the terraces and in the ideological
battleground of the media, Sterling’s assent to superstardom has been
stratospheric. In the modern era, Gascoigne and Beckham are arguably the two
players who’ve had as much off-the-pitch influence. Both were giants;
charismatic in different ways and lions when donning the England shirt.
Sterling’s presence is different, though. There is something palpably unique
about his position in the hearts and minds of right-minded England fans – the
feeling that he’s someone who stands for something; not just a likeable figure,
but a noble one too.
When Sterling was at
Liverpool, an Anfield season ticket holder and neighbour of mine told me in no
uncertain terms that he was “a brilliant footballer but a scumbag”. The same
neighbour now freely admits he, like millions of others, was hoodwinked by a
press which espouses cloak-and-dagger racism. Therein lies Sterling’s societal
impact and, indeed, his footballing significance, both to an England side which
features a number of black senior players and to the younger generation of
sportsmen rising through the ranks.
Of course, it goes without saying that Sterling’s influence
is imponderably more far reaching than a single dressing room, or even the
dressing rooms of a dozen or so up-and-coming young English footballers. This
footballing impact is an immeasurably happy by-product of his righteous struggle,
however. In terms of the squad harmony of a national side which has
historically been, not quite divided, but weakened by cliquishness, the Man
City wide man’s powerful voice can only be a good thing in uniting them under a
common goal.
It’s
easy to see why Southgate sees him as a leader. In the absence of Harry Kane, these
characteristics, along with the 22-carat football he’d produced all season,
prompted the England manager to hand Sterling the captain’s armband in their
Nations League defeat to the Netherlands. While this is a chance he
unquestionably deserved, it perhaps might be best to spare Sterling the added
pressure of being Kane’s backup. The Tottenham forward’s ankle is looking
increasingly fragile – he missed 17 games due to injury in 2019 – and the
prospect of one of these setbacks coinciding with an international tournament
is by no means inconceivable.
Whether Sterling could cope with the pressure is not
in question – anyone who can withstand the relentless dogpiling he’s been
subjected to surely has the mental fortitude to manage the weight of the
armband. No, the question is rather whether its fair to ask him to
manage that kind of sporting expectation too. We can only hope it’s an issue
Southgate won’t have to address.
Sterling isn’t the first England icon to appear on the
front cover of a magazine; in an era of celebrity footballers, he certainly
won’t be the last. The reasons for his particular cultural appeal, however, are
special. There’s little praise to bestow upon Sterling that hasn’t been offered
up a million times already, but for someone as important as him and for a cause
as important as his, it’s worth reminding ourselves as often as
we can.
A year ago, to the day, that fateful swing of Mario Mandzukic’s left peg extinguished England’s flickering hopes of reaching a first major final since 1966. As the Croat wheeled away in celebration, the ‘what if’ thoughts had already begun to materialize in the minds of millions of fans across the nation. Could we have done it with a creative midfield player? Should Kane have squared it to Sterling?Could we have killed the game off in the first half? As always with football, we suffer more in imagination than in reality – the borderline psychedelic visions of an English captain lifting the World Cup trophy for the second time were induced by a month of pure footballing bliss in Russia. As the results kept coming, one almost expected to be woken from a hallucinogenic coma at any moment: it simply seemed too good to be true.
It all came
to a head, of course, when Kieran Trippier’s free kick nestled so perfectly in
the top right-hand corner with just five minutes on the clock. Delirium ensued.
The early goal, the opposition having played an hour’s more football over the
course of the tournament, the serendipity of the root to the semi-finals; everything
seemed to have fallen in to place. It was this that made it so gut-wrenching to
watch Southgate’s young lions’ eventual slump to defeat in Moscow that night,
the sensation that, above all, this was a missed opportunity.
As the
pain subsided however, an unfamiliar and warm post-World Cup glow set in. A
country collectively realised that this precocious side had broken a 20-year cycle
of international tournaments being enjoyable only for the typically English gallows
humour that they inspired. For the first time in a long time, England were
coming home as heroes. The relationship between fans and players, one which was
previously characterised in terms of its pernicious mutual resentment, now felt
like a fresh and exhilarating romance, all candle lit dinners with Jordan Pickford
and rom coms with Harry Maguire. The love-in was only intensified by a number
of convincing displays in the Nations League group stage as well as
back-to-back five goal hauls against the Czech Republic and Montenegro in the
European Championship qualifying campaign.
Only now,
in the aftermath of England’s anti-climactic exit from the Nations League
finals, at the hands of a resurgent but ultimately unremarkable Dutch team, can
we truly say we have emerged from the nostalgic fog of the World Cup. It wasn’t
a crashing back down to earth as such, rather a gentle reminder that we can’t
dine out on our relative success forever, there is work to be done. Over the
course of the past 365 days, our captain has received an MBE for his services
to football, our manager an OBE – in retrospect, this might seem just a little
premature.
Barring a disaster
of McClaren-esque proportions however, England will reach the Euros next summer.
And, when they do, they will likely kick off as third or fourth favourites – a
far cry from the state of affairs at the outset of the World Cup two years
previous. This is both a blessing and a curse. The fact England travelled to
Russia with almost no expectation of success from back home was undeniably a
contributing factor to their success. But underdogs, with almost no exceptions,
don’t win international tournaments. Southgate’s time with an England side cast
as the overachieving outsiders, the honeymoon period, as they say, is over.
This paradigm
shift is reflected in the tone of the debate surrounding the national team.
After the defeat to the Netherlands, the emphasis from fans and pundits alike was
not on patting England’s young players on the back, but rather on maligning their
unforced errors and the apparent inability of some of them to fit into
Southgate’s system of playing out from the back. And this, more than anything
else, is the distinguishing feature between now and this time last year. Southgate’s
modus operandi when he was appointed at the tail end of 2016 was to build a
squad capable of competing in Qatar in 2022, now his overachieving side are
expected to be there or thereabouts on all fronts, at all times.
365 days
ago, we found out football wasn’t coming home. Following this England team in
the days since, we’ve enjoyed relative success, but we’ve also discovered its
limitations, in its current state at least. Hopefully, the modest disappointment
of the Nations League finals flop can serve as something of a road to Damascus
moment – for all the hyperbole and adulation of Southgate’s England, we’re not
quite there yet. Where ‘there’ is isn’t entirely clear in itself, but there has
to be more to come from this crop of players, such is their talent. To varying
degrees, they’ve tasted disappointment twice now. We must hope this can inspire
them – after all, revolution always comes at a price.
After just two years, has the time come for Neymar to say bon voyage to Paris? In the summer of 2017, the bombastic Brazilian was poised to become the best player in the world. The cranium-crushing near £200 million sum PSG’s Qatari benefactors paid to Barcelona to break up their fabled MSN trio single-handedly upended the entire transfer market. Despite the eye-watering sum however, it was hard to argue that Neymar wasn’t worth every petro-dollar – the football he was playing at the time was otherworldly. While Neymar was at Santos, Joey Barton once famously labelled him a “show pony”, even if that were the case back then (it wasn’t) there could be no doubt that, by the time he left Catalonia, the forward was every bit a thoroughbred.
The past
two years, however, have surely been the most frustrating of his career. In the
Champions League, injury prevented him from salvaging his side’s 2018 exit at
the hands of Real Madrid. History repeated itself earlier this year, Neymar was
absent as Solskjaer’s Man United sensationally embarrassed the French champions
at Parc de Princes. Injuries have blighted Neymar on the international stage too,
an ankle sprain this time causing him to miss this summer’s Copa America, a setback
made all the more painful by the fact that Brazil themselves are the hosts.
Evidently,
some aspects of Neymar’s shortcomings over the past two years have been outside
his control; there are others, though, which are well within it. His flamboyant
playing style is reflected in his life away from the pitch, the less than
intensive standard in Ligue 1 lending itself very well to an active involvement
in Parisian nightlife. More worrying is the incident in which he punched an
opposition fan as he went to collect his runners up medal after the French Cup
final, his three match European ban at the start of next season for his post-Champions
League exit tirade against referees and, most significantly, the sexual assault
allegation currently hanging over him.
It’s not
that these factors have affected his ability however, merely his drive. At times,
witnessing Neymar desecrating defenders in Ligue 1 has felt like watching
Magnus Carlson play chess against a Love Island contestant: gratuitous, pointless
and an immeasurable waste of talent. Surely, at the age of 27, Neymar must feel
his time is running out to make his mark as one of the true footballing greats
especially as a player who relies so heavily on his energy and quick feet,
attributes which will decay with the years.
According to accounts of his laissez-faire attitude toward training in France too, Neymar shows no immediate signs of being diligent enough to adapt his game to suit older age. You’d guess, therefore, that he has a limited amount of time left if he is to do something remarkable, something that truly befits his genius.
What to do
then? Stay in Paris and grapple for the starring role with an already dazzling
Mbappe seven years his junior? Or, as the rumour has it, return to Barcelona
and write Catalan folklore as part of Messi’s supporting cast? Surely the
latter is the more conducive to the fulfilment of Neymar’s stratospheric
potential. Messi will demand the spotlight less overtly than the young Frenchman
and, with Frenkie De Jong already secured and Griezmann and De Ligt’s hearts apparently
lying in Barcelona, Neymar would be wise to consider playing the role of returning
prodigal son.
And – if
the deal being touted is accurate, a swap plus cash affair involving Rakitic,
Dembele and Umtiti going the other way – it might be the best outcome for all
parties. PSG would get a readymade Neymar replacement in Dembele, an addition to
their almost non-existent midfield in Rakitic, and an understudy for the aging
Thiago Silva in Umtiti.
From a Barcelona perspective, Neymar remains close with Messi and Suarez, they still share a WhatsApp group in fact. And, of course, there would be an undeniable romance in the reuniting of one of the greatest strike forces in footballing history. Could they rekindle the same magic which conjured up 270 goals in 3 seasons for Barcelona? With Suarez in decline, who can say. But, in terms of diverting the pressure and limelight away from Leo Messi, it would be colossal – and that, for both Barcelona and an attention-craving Neymar, can only be a good thing.
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