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England U21s miserable showing in Israel reflects wider troubles:

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HODGSON_1500480aStuart Pearce’s Under 21 side’s exit from the European Championships in Israel at the group stage has not only cast his future into doubt, it has also further highlighted England’s inability to perform in competitive internationals.

Whilst the failure of the Under 21s to progress from their group in Israel is a disappointment, there does seem to be a lack of surprise at this outcome. The comparison between the England squad and their competitors is striking. England for example: are riddled with young players, who are either playing Championship football or who spend their Saturdays warming the benches at Premier League clubs. Compare this to the Spanish team, where most of the players are playing first team football for their clubs.

The likes of Isco, of Malaga – who has been heavily linked with a move away from the club, with Manchester City and Chelsea leading the chase for the excellent attacking midfielder. Also Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea and Athletic Bilbao midfielde
/*47r Iker Muniain are other examples. However, it is worth mentioning the quality of players Spain has at it’s disposal, which is why the likes of Isco are playing for the under 21s – because they cannot get into the first team. England’s answer to this problem? Liverpool trio Jonjo Shelvey, Raheem Sterling and Jordon Henderson, who with all respect, when compared to the aforementioned Spanish trio, are the equivalent of the Scotland cricketers taking on the Aussies.

Of course there are players in the England side who have big futures ahead of them, for instance, the likes of Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha and Chelsea defensive midfielder Nathainel Chalobah, however there is little comparison with the Spanish, Dutch and German squads featuring at the tournament. This signals a worrying problem for the England set up as a whole – not just the Under 21 set up.

The major problem that the England set up has faced for a while now, is not producing quality players, its the inability to produce a cohesive team with a clear playing style and clear philosophy. There are many reasons as to why this has been unsuccessful when compared to other major European countries.

One being the comings and goings of new managers, replacing a manager who has found the job to be a poison chalice and perhaps should of been given longer in the job. One does have to question the powers that be at the FA, who seemingly view the Managers role to solely be qualifying for the Euros and for the World Cup. However, there must be focus on other areas too. For too long now the FA has solely based the England Manager performance rating on their ability to qualify for tournaments – something which is obviously critical. However, they need to also concentrate on the development of a playing style not just at senior level, but all the way up from the Under 17s through to the first team.

Obviously this can be challenging when there are different managers who hold different philosophies and beliefs about football, if you’re trying to create a playing style that runs through the international set up. If we look at the most successful footballing team over the last decade, Spain, everybody knows what their playing style is and it is recognisable right the way through the various national squads. Contrast this with England, you only have to look at the various formations England manager Roy Hodgson has used recently, to realise that the England set up has no clear style or philosophy.

For many a time now focus has been placed upon competitiveness in the English game. For youngsters embarking on the start of their football career paths, emphasis has been placed upon the competitiveness and combative aspect of football. Kids are brought up on the philosophy that winning is everything and that you have to ‘play to win’. Whilst this is true, its no use installing this mantra unless you can produce the ability to win. This philosophic message of ‘ playing to win’ from a young age is one that is not favoured by many of the top teams on the continent, the likes of Spain, Italy and Germany- all elites of the European game, who’s philosophy of encouraging individualism and artistic flair, in order to cultivate raw talent and turn them into fully fledged international players who perform equally well on the international stage. These elite countries of the modern game have revelled in the success of encouraging players to work on the artistry of football instead of the brutality and competitiveness adopted by the FA.

It is becoming ever more apparent in the modern game, that the foundations which great sides such as the European and World Champions Spain have been built upon, are becoming vastly more important than the ability to possess a group of the top European players, who regularly perform at the top of their game for their clubs whilst falling a miserably short of international standards when appearing in the red and white of England. The foundations put in place by the top European countries of the modern game; the likes of Spain, Germany, and France are far superior to those laid in place by the English Football Association.

The key to success in the major tournaments are synonymous with the principles of building blocks, you start with the base first, carefully planning which blocks out of an illustrious pile  are going to be the foundation of your tower, your team. After you have spent time, money building the infrastructure of your tower, you begin to build upon the base, something which the Spanish FA have been doing for many years- building upon the base of their selected ‘future stars’, producing world class players that have emerged from the infamous La Masia Academy in Barcelona, household names such as Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Xavi and Lionel Messi. The problem with England is that if you only build your base four blocks wide then you can only reach certain heights before your tower begins to collapse- in England’s case the quarter finals of a major tournament.

Instead of following suit with the rest of Europe, spending time and money on improving the infrastructure of youth development and ensuring that we are producing enough quality to bring future success to the England side, we , with typical English gusto, concentrate on trying to do as well as we can with ‘what we’ve got’. The long standing success of nations such as Germany, Spain, Brazil and Italy are due to the size of the foundations that they have laid beneath themselves, these foundations, unlike England’s, allow them to build blocks upon blocks and grow taller without collapsing and reach the latter stages of the major tournaments.

However, it does seem as if the England set up is moving in the right direction. The opening of St. George’s Park in Birmingham is an exciting prospect for England. The state of the art technology and fantastic facilities should encourage the growth of more talented and technically gifted footballers, as well as improving the co-operation between the senior and younger squads and making it easier for the under 21s to progress through to the senior squad. Compared to countries like Spain and Germany, England produces relatively few players from the under 21s who actually go on to become fully fledged internationals, with many players coming into the squad, despite having played relatively few games for the under 21s.

Whats your view?

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