As the first international games of the new season draw near, the England squad has been announced with interesting results. The mainstays of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole, part of the aging Chelsea team, of course remain, however with the inclusion of new blood including Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley and Chris Smalling, it could be an opportunity to involve these talented individuals in the team early, allowing them to progress into experienced England players before their careers have truly peaked. In recent years there has been a definite ‘comfort zone’ within the England team, sticking to well known players yet ignoring criticism when success was far, far away.
England have plenty of quality within their ranks, leaving the question of why there hasn’t been more competition for the likes of an unimpressive Lampard or an aging Terry. However this seems set to change as more and more English players are developing nicely, in turn allowing more youth to attempt to break in to the England setup, hopefully with great success.
Since the embarrassing 4-1 defeat at the hands of rivals Germany in the World Cup, an injection of youth was called for by many, including myself. With Germany showing us how youth can counter experience, with devastating effects, the fact Germany did not finish with a trophy was most probably down to the fact that the defensive side to their team lacked major quality. However our England prospects are arguably better than that of Germany.
Manchester United and Manchester City have bought or brought up youth through their respected systems in recent years, with the difference so far in 2011 being that they are finally getting an opportunity to shine in the starting 11’s of the best clubs in England. Something that wasn’t present at the last World Cup.
With Spain, European and World champions, and Germany, embarrassing our national pride, it is important to take the philosophy ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’. The Spanish team was formed predominantly with a large proportion of players from Barcelona and Real Madrid, the top 2 clubs from the Spanish League. The German squad was built mostly from Bayern Munich players, therefore there is a definite technique involved with success.
With these players having the ability to play on the same wavelength as the others around them, it allows the morale and chemistry of the team to increase, forming more of a team than a bunch of individuals. These players have played with those around them for years, growing through their career with their teammates, forming exceptional chemistry which is so often vital for success. Therefore, potentially, this newly formed England Squad is formed predominantly from Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City players, the top 3 teams in England.
These ‘big name players’ are also supported by individuals from players of significant quality from clubs lower down the league, including Scott Parker at Championship side West Ham, or Jagielka at Everton, allowing players to get a chance without having to be at a large club. However with the main proportion of the squad involving the top 3 teams in England, this allows the likes of Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones (providing he gets a much deserved opportunity) to work in unison, developing the kind of chemistry that allowed Rooney and Young to put 5 goals past Arsenal at the weekend.
Ultimately, Capello and the England selectors need to take note if the young players shine on Friday, and not continue with a standard stubborn setting. If the team was to revert back to its previous philosophy of naming individuals based on reputations, that will lead to just that once more, a team of individuals. However if the balance can be found between the experienced players such as Terry or even Rooney, and the younger players such as Phil Jones or Chris Smalling, this could potentially be the key to success not just now, but in the near future.
It is important that the younger players can gain valuable international experience early in their career, allowing them to replace the likes of Terry and Lampard come the World Cup 2014, and Euro 2016, yet still have youth on their side. Providing the squad that has been announced can play to the quality they have been showing, and providing Capello gives these players the opportunity they so readily deserve, England fans may finally be able to find optimism and faith that their nation can get further than the quarter-final of a major competition that has been such a tricky obstacle for so many years.
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