The Soccer Blog: Winning

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Sunday, 27 March 2011

England 2, Wales 0: Winning the Battle and Losing the War

By: Noel | March 26th, 2011
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So, 2-0 to the good for England against Wales and looking likely to secure advancement out of their group. Celebrations and salutations all around. Or something.

Of course the score alone doesn’t tell the story of England winning despite being static in possession and static in defense, blinders always on as they continually looked to beat their man one on one or aimlessly sent long-balls up the pitch. It doesn’t tell how, in general, they showed no interest in playing as a team when they had the ball. And it doesn’t tell you how in defense they were individuals, too, with the team looking to keep its shape first and foremost as only the nearest player consistently sought to pressure an opponent with the ball.

Compared to the likes of Spain and Germany and the Netherlands–or the likes of Brazil and Argentina outside their federation–it was almost painfully elementary and individualistic. Those sides hunt in packs. They look to stretch and tire opponents, viewing the game as encompassing the entire pitch and all ninety minutes instead of only the next ten seconds and the man directly in front of them. It’s not that they generally embarrass England on the talent front, individual for individual, it’s that they know how to play football. Meanwhile England remains happy playing something like what football was forty years ago, at least as far as the various commentators going on about heart and passion and how England so smashingly overwhelmed their minnow opponents seemed concerned.

In reality, though, the only thing the match against Wales really proved for certain is that England had the far more talented side.

If it did prove anything else, it is perhaps that England is world’s most talented pub side and will only ever end up with their asses handed to them when they face a country with roughly comparable talent and a hint of tactical nous.

Perhaps a tactical, technical, fiery manager in the Marcelo Bielsa mold could get something out of them. Assuming the players weren’t too busy being prima-donnas, and that the FA threw their full weight behind him, and that the shallow end of the media pool didn’t rend their garments when the side struggled against a weaker country while they worked through fundamentals and patterns of play that would stand them in good stead against stronger opponents. Which of course all seems rather unlikely to ever happen given how happy most are every time the Three Lions thoroughly outclass some weakened Wales or other using an almost absurdly direct and individualistic approach. All of which reflects that at the end of the day England’s problem isn’t so much with the senior side or whichever manager is in charge (and at fault) in any particular year.

The problem starts at the youth level. The problem starts with the simplistic and backwards-looking FA and punditry, the groups respectively tasked with guiding development and any public dialog over said development at every age and stage. The problem is with old-boys’ networks and people more concerned with covering the latest antics of various WAGs than with passing triangles. The problem is with seeing something like the just witnessed 2-0 victory against Wales as signifying anything especially positive beyond the obvious notch in the win column.

And the problem is that when people bring up England’s ongoing international futility, the first excuse trotted out always seems to be that they just don’t have the heart or passion or commitment of players from other more successful countries, when it is as much as anything this blind adherence to the virtues of heart and passion and commitment and nothing else that are getting in the way of long-term success.

Without an investment in coaching, and without leaving behind a simplistic love of naught but hustle and heart, England will never win anything. And while the points gained against Wales may help them get into the 2012 edition of the Euros, it also showed clear as day why they cannot and will not win it.

Some Related Liverpool Posts:February! Winning! Substance Abuse!Looking Ahead at InternationalsZone 14Building a Better TriangleNewcastle 3, Liverpool 1: Objectively Not Good

Category: Euro 2012, International Duty, Match Recaps, Miscellaneous

Tags: England, English Delusions, Euro 2012, fabio capello, Humanity is Doomed, International Duty, Just Lay Back And Think Of England, Match Recaps, Miscellaneous, Tactics, The FA Is Full Of Stupid And Fail, Wales, Wandering Off The Reservation
Tweet « More Reasons to Love Lucas, Friday Recap, and Other Saturday Notes | Home | sarah*sigh*

So over on the Guardian front page, Paul Wilson has an article talking about how "fear is the greatest obstacle for England" and it's all about how players like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard always falter (and therefore, England play like s--t) because they're so tense with fear of failing that they ironically end up failing after all. Which, okay, I'm sure the frankly, unhealthy load of expectations isn't helpful for the players, especially during the WC.

But to put all of England's problems down to some mental block, and not to, I don't know, crap tactics and the fact that none of England's brilliant individual players can figure out how to play as a team--come. ON.

I don't particularly care that much about the England NT aside from wanting the Liverpool players involved to a) not get injured and b) play well for their own confidence, but I maintain that the team would be MUCH better off if they could find a manager that could install some decent tactics and have the guts to tell the media to eff off, and if that manager got real, solid backing from the FA. But none of that's going to happen anytime soon.Mickyblue Mike@Noel. Are you Welsh ? Because you certainly love having a dig at the English ! Or are you just a MR Negative or even both ! Sad case of desperate journalism . Do your self a favour and find another job , or get behind the England team as they are top of the group unbeaten ! STOP looking for the negatives for your story and get the positives out instead !Rosco" will only ever end up with their asses handed to them when they face a country with roughly comparable talent and a hint of tactical nous."

Read that statement, pause, then read again- The man has a point.

Yes England are atop their group, as they have been given their annual group of diddys to carve an easy route to whatever finals.
Clearly England has the individual talent to go on and win any major tournament, but as long as the points brought up in this article remain the same, shit ain't gony happen.NoelI'm not a fan of the FA, I suppose. And I do have a certain disdain for the journalists one might kindly label as part of either the tabloid or Glory of '66 brigades that seem to at times dominate football coverage in the UK. But neither group is "the English," as you put it, who I generally have few problems with and many of whom moreover are well aware that the system needs overhauling from the ground up as has fairly recently happened in Spain and Germany for the national side to have any real hope for long-term success.steven.flawless victory.Khaine"...rend their garments..." Wonderful.blog comments powered by Disqus

Harry Redknapp, England manager? (Awful writing) Is It Too Early to Get Excited About Sturridge? Denmark 1 - 2 England (Via Hamlet) more news...

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Sunday, 13 March 2011

Napoli search for winning touch

Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri has demanded his players address a lack of sharpness ahead of their vital trip to Parma on Sunday.

Victory over Parma would allow Napoli to close the gap between themselves and second-placed Inter to a single point, after the defending Italian champions drew 1-1 at Brescia on Friday.

But for Napoli to do so would mean turning around their poor form of late, which has seen the Naples outfit fall 3-0 at AC Milan and labour through a 0-0 draw against Brescia.

Mazzarri denied his team’s performance has dropped off in recent weeks, but said his players need to find their extra touch when they take to the Stadio Ennio Tardini on Sunday.

“I’ve heard someone speaking of a drop in the team performance. I want to say this team hasn’t dropped its performance,” Mazzarri said.

“There were matches in which some single players’ performances weren’t great, but that was because they had played a lot and lost a bit of sharpness.”

“We have gone back to our old habits – the team plays well, we always do something more than our opponents, but we reap a little less.”

“But as I’ve just said, some guy lost a bit of sharpness in our play. It’s an individual problem – we didn’t see it at the level of the group.”

Mazzarri also insisted he is not at all concerned with the league table, saying there is still too long left in the competition to start thinking about a Scudetto challenge or a Champions League berth.

“I’m not thinking about Inter Milan or anything else” he said.

“If you want me to think about Inter Milan I will, and then I’ll think about AC Milan and Lazio and Udinese, and then Roma or something else, and then Palermo.”

“We can still gain 30 points and 10 matches are still to be played, so anything can still happen.”

“Nobody will take this from my mind and from the team I am manager of. If I’m here talking like this it’s because I don’t want any distraction of any sort.”

“My energies are all put in helping my team reach their best. They’re playing an extraordinary championship, beyond all expectations.”

Sat 12 March, 2011