English football is under-going a revolution – whether it’s for better or for worse, it’s still in the balance. The transitional period English football is currently experiencing is resulting in new and fresh ideas; tactics, formations and the modern day player are changing as the game progresses. So, what next?
The England job is up for grabs once again. So many have tried, but not quite fulfilled expectations: Sven, Capello and McClaren are all proof of this. It’s incredible that even with the best track record (Capello won 4 out of 5 Serie A titles with A.C Milan and won the prestigious Champions league with the same team), he still didn’t prevail as [1966 World Cup winner] Sir Alf Ramsey’s successor. This begs the question: who will fit the void?
Stuart Pearce is caretaker manager for England’s next game, but the F.A. is on the hunt. An English born manager always seems like the obvious choice and I think that – at last – the F.A. will appoint a passionate Englishman. Harry Redknapp is the prime candidate, but he says his allegiance lies with Tottenham until the end of the season. I think he’ll take both roles, and then quit high-fliers Spurs at the end of the season. One thing is for certain: we need someone motivational and understanding, but above all, gets the best out of the players. We’ll see.
New talent is emerging all the time, with many young stars already being tagged as ‘ones for the future’, ‘one to watch’ or even ‘destined for the top’. This sometimes gets to their heads: too much exposure to the media is bad and often the pressure gets to them. However, England really has been producing excellent footballers of late – it’s also nice to see academy’s ‘home grown’ footballers. This has a positive impact on the game and allows a larger percentage of Englishmen to experience the top leagues.
My two favourites out of a big bunch are Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal) and Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea). They share some unique similarities – pace, power, strength and desire; their game is brilliant to watch, it’s all about attacking. It’s great to see them prospering and developing at large clubs… in the long term, I hope to see them breaking into the England squad. Whoever gets the job, take a gamble and include these two in the team – they’re playing the best quality football, technically astute and both have sparks of fearless brilliance (Sturridge carrying the ball around three of the Manchester United defence to assist a goal the other week or Oxlade-Chamberlain’s two goals against Blackburn).
My biggest fear (especially in England) is that many are playing for money and that this is their main motive. The Carlos Tevez saga is a perfect example – what footballer won’t get off the bench to do their job for the team? It’s a disgrace. Recent reports have been suggesting that Mancini had already had an argument with Dzeko and was subsequently bad-tempered towards Tevez. So? Just get on with it, Tevez!
I do think the game is progressing all the time – advances in sport science means athletes and footballers are of optimum health and fitness, with all the tools to help them reach this. Speaking primarily about the games themselves; teams now set up specifically to thwart certain things about their opposition, or the manager selects a team that he deems appropriate for the game. (Defensive shape, certain players rested etc.) With many managers reluctant to give players full games (other than the defence), this can be bad for the players. Adam Johnson is a perfect case – although he’s been getting more gametime recently, it seems as if he’s unsettled and this could damage his form.
To conclude, the game is progressing, both for the better and for the worse. With the Premier League being shaped and moulded in different directions (Manchester City adding a new dimension to the title race, as well as many teams competing for fourth spot), who knows where it will be in ten years? It’s sure to be the most exciting league in the world, never short of controversy, deals, big games and drama. This is England, after all.
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