Okay has slept on this, the emotion is out of me now, and so before we return to all that is Wigan Athletic & our season start.
A look at what was a frustratingly poor and embarrassing World Cup for England:
We started with a good qualification well above our expectations; especially Walcott's Hatrick in Croatia, winning 9 of 10 matches, Rooney looked good scoring 9 goals. The team looked good.
The draw was made in December last year, and it was a favourable draw, with England (8th seed), USA (14th), Slovenia (25th) & Algeria (30th).
The Capello Index, a distraction we could have done without, it bore nothing to England's World Cup, only to show maybe Capello's poor decision making?
The Warm up games against Mexico & Japan, showed again decision making from Capello? Instead of playing the starting 11 & his World Cup formation he played the fringe players! They tanked it, and both games we struggled with Japan scoring all the goals, we won both games but unconvincing, against teams who would maybe get to the last 16!
First concerns were showing that the team that qualified so easy was it now the same team going into the World Cup?
The Squad selected in June, did show a surprise for me with Walcott not being picked. Walcott ‘had been injured and not played that much’, were the reasons but on the flip the same could be said for Heskey, James, dare I go on. The squad in the end almost picked itself, I did though @ the time believe we were light on strikers & would have liked Darren Bent to be there, 20+ goals.....a Plan B sub maybe?
The preparations different than 2006, with a more strict nature. The distracting WAGS had gone but so to was the relaxed atmosphere, they had every whim sorted, so this time the Millions had been spent, there were was no excuses, or could there be?
Rio Ferdinand was probably a knee waiting to go, Heskey bless him tried to explain what happened, but why oh why were they playing such intense football so close to the finals?
I’ll get to the point now, with some other observations as we moved into the World Cup:
Team Selection – 2 hours before, how can a player prepare & psyche himself up? For example, Robert Green for the USA match, though the psyche probably didn’t affect the mistake for the goal, not a way to boost morale for your goalkeeper or any other player.
Dropping of players, Robert Green was dropped due to a mistake in the USA match & Heskey for a poor Algeria match. So why wasn’t the same applied to the likes of Rooney? He was poor for all 4 games, but never once was his selection in doubt, ala Darren Bent....
Algeria & formations, we knew before this match Gerrard & Lampard is a puzzle, but why stick one of the best midfielders’ in the World on the left wing. Also when @ 0-0 & 63 minutes replace one dud winger for another? Capello & decision making again, where was plan B?
Slovenia a country of 2 million, and we scrape a 1-0 win, other than Defoe early in the 2nd half we didn’t really push them for a second. The blocks @ the end from Terry & Upson saved some 1st round exit blushes. Ironically a second England goal even with the USA’s late goal and we’d of avoided Germany, decision making again. Also felt this win papered over the cracks that were continuing with the team, especially after the interesting Sunday morning John Terry Press Conference, which almost let the cat out of the bag. Had something gone on?
Germany, yes, some will say the goal that never was could have changed the game, but in the 2nd half and like most of the tournament, we had no answer, no plan B. The midfield & defence were torn to pieces for the 3rd & 4th goal. & again decision making with Capello, why when trying to get back in a game and needing goals, he puts Heskey on the field, who bless him for England hasn’t been able to hit a Barn door for years?
& so another dream of success has another 4 years to wait.
The inquest has since started, and Capello’s press conference on Monday afternoon, gave us 2 points to wonder about? Asked if he’ll quit, Capello said “No, but is waiting on the FA to confirm he still has a job in the next 2 weeks”. & second, when asked why it went so wrong, the reason was “The players are tired”.
So being an England fan & looking @ Capello’s answers, we have a Manager who’s not sure if he has a job, the FA who are not sure what to do and tired players who ironically have played less games this season than their German counterparts. I’m sorry but I’m starting to smell something that just isn’t quite right with brand England!
The shambles that is England on Monday the 28th June 2010, kind of sums up what we’ve had to put up with for the World Cup, we are just not good enough! The media & the Premiership hype up these players placing them on pedestals they shouldn’t be on.
I just hope in the next instalment of Wayne’s 6 book deal, we don’t get a glimpse of an unfit player who continued to play. Ala Beckham in 2006 who then blamed Real Madrid fitness routines for his then poor performance. Will Wayne come out later in the year when the furry has died down & the Premiership is in full swing, highlighting his doubts & concerns?
& a question for the conspiracy theorists, did Fabio lose the Dressing Room with the John Terry Captain sacking? It’s just something happened from Qualification to the World Cup that meant all the players were poor not just a few.
To finish some interesting facts:
2010 – 4 games, 3 goals, Striker, Midfield & Defender
2006 – 5 games, 5 goals, Striker & Midfield x4
2002 – 5 games, 6 goals, Striker x3, Midfield & Defender x2
1998 – 4 games, 7 goals, Striker x4 & Midfield x3
As you can see the stats show you England @ the last 4 World Cup have relied more on the Midfield to get the goals than the Strikers, so why stick Gerrard on the left? It cut our options and we over relied on 2 strikers, both going into the World Cup poor on form & fitness, & again decision making.
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