In our rush to watch Barcelona weave their magic we often forget about the team they are playing. Those poor souls who reside in the lower echelons of La Liga and dread the prospect of traveling to the Camp Nou for fear of being dismembered slowly and tortuously. Understandably such teams often go into the game with a damage limitation mindset. Fabio Capello must be pondering the possibility of sending his charges out with the same mentality when England face Spain this Saturday.
It is over two and a half years since these sides met previously. That day in Seville, England were given a chastening lesson in International football. The previously heralded Carrick and Jagielka were brutally exposed to footballers of the highest class. The prospect of a repeat outcome looks overwhelmingly likely.
England were shorn of a number of regular first team members in Seville and once again they find themselves cripplingly weakened by absentees. To sum up England are without their best defender (Ferdinand), best player (Rooney), best midfielder (Gerrard), most talented youngster (Wilshere), their inspirational captain (Terry). The list makes for alarming reading, particularly when you consider the full might of the Spanish squad.
Rooney, Ferdinand and Terry have been excluded on grounds of inappropriateness rather than injury. The logic behind the decision is understandable, but Capello might have considered playing them against Spain to give his side some semblance of authority.
Capello has acknowledged his team’s fear of playing at Wembley, that fear will only intensify in the coming days. You only have to ask Manchester United how unforgiving the big Wembley pitch can become when Xavi and Iniesta implement their brand of tiki taka football. Should England suffer a moral sapping defeat it could destroy any frail hopes England have of winning next years European Championships.
If this haunting possibility were not enough, Capello must wake up in cold sweat wondering if his small group of world-class players will even make it to next summer. Ferdinand’s form and fitness have been called into question and there is no guarantee he will be in a fit state to compete next year, you only have to remember his injury before last years World Cup to realize this possibility. Rooney will already the miss the group stage and given England’s previous troubles in qualifying his Euro 2012 could already be over.
Gerrard`s performance against United showed his existing class, but he has descended back into injury. At present there seems no end to his ailments. Wilshere should be back in plenty of time before the tournament but whether he can recapture his previous form in time after such a long lay off is uncertain, although he should be fresh.
England have plenty of promising youngsters, especially in defence but none of them are even close to the finished article. We will have to wait at least until 2014 to see them realizing their potential.
Spain could afford to have six or seven big injuries and still boast one of the strongest squads in the world. England are desperate to traverse the chasm that exists between them and the world champions, but current evidence suggests such hopes are folly. Nearly sixty years ago Ferenc Puskas and his magical Magyars taught the three lions a lesson that we are still trying to master. The most depressing thing about the upcoming game against Spain is that unlike the game against Hungary, decimation at the feet of the Spanish Impresario’s will be entirely expected.
N.B. Capello`s decision to exclude Micah Richards is another example of the Italian’s famed intransigence. As this writer has noted before it is an erroneous decision. To not include a player who is playing brilliantly for a top club is nonsensical and one can only hope the manager is not made to regret his blind stubbornness.
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