Breakdown of the
England Squad – Introduction and Goalkeepers
Every England fan has different expectations and memories of
the 3 Lions. My expectations have waned
in the last 6 years or so as mediocrity set in with a squad that was overhyped
by media and fans alike and as talent levels decreased thanks to the hand break
less nature of the Premier League. That
being said, my memories of the good times (Gascoigne and Owen are mainly
responsible for that) keep me coming back for more every 2 years and so instead
of blowing a gasket via Twitter and 140 characters I have decided that over the
next few weeks/months I’ll be penning my thoughts on the upcoming European
Championship in Poland and Ukraine through this blog.
Firstly, the decision by the FA to delay the recruitment of a new manager was understandable but it was also confusing. It was quite clear that there were at most 3 candidates for the job after it also became clear the next manager would be English. Those were Harry Redknapp, Stuart Pearce and the man finally chosen Roy Hodgson. The FA by all accounts wanted to take its time and not upset the teams whose managers were in the reckoning, but why? The FA owes those clubs or for that matter the Premier League nothing. Clubs and the Premier League (sorry Barclays Premier League) are out for themselves and the FA should be too. The FA is too afraid to upset any of its stakeholders and the meek leadership of David Bernstein represents this best. The spectre of failed FA bosses resides heavily over Chairman Bernstein and the subsequent trepidation with which he and the FA Executive board have dealt in, has in essence lead to the squad being cobbled together in similar fashion to the past 3 England managers. If a sense of here we go again permeated via Twitter on Wednesday, it’s because we have. Every new dawn is a chance to develop a comparable blue print laid down by Europe’s two most impressive set ups, Spain and Germany (honourable mentions go the Dutch) and it seems again (I believe a lack of leadership and genius is the reason) that we have missed the boat. I could write an entire blog on the inadequacies of the FA (which does not includes being a great commercial body which they are) but this specific subject focuses on the here and now.
In summary of who was selected, Hodgson has in large trusted the squad that qualified under Fabio Capello to lead us into battle (probably quite literally) and where he had additional space for an extra player or two, has plumped for youth over “hard working” squad players that always seemed to make up the majority of our squads.
Goalkeepers
Coaches: Ray Clemence
and David Watson
Joe Hart
One of the most non-English English players I have ever come across in terms of attitude. The rise of Manchester City came at the perfect time for Hart who has played 227 league games and is still only 25. Hart has a very German style approach (confident, vocal and does not apologise for a winning attitude) to the game and has improved in every season. It’s hard to really know what kind of form he is, because City has predominantly been in their opposition’s half for the last 6 weeks. He makes saves when you need him to but he is also by no means perfect. Hart can be poor one on one (he can also be terrific) and his distribution is just so-so. Hart has in recent weeks been described as one of England’s genuine World Class players but to me that term should be saved for players like Iker Casillas and Peter Schmeichel who redefined the position. Goalkeepers in today’s game need to be efficient passers because control of possession is vital if you wish to be in control of a games tempo. Given the fact that England will be as workmanlike as any team in the competition, Hart will need to continue to work on this side of the game to help the team but I have little doubt that he won’t.
Robert Green
Green will likely be the number 2 based on the old adage that experience is king for England. There is not an attribute in which he excels in other than averageness. I’m sorry to all West Ham fans who might disagree following a good performance in the playoff final, but I just don’t trust Green following his dreadful performance in the World Cup two years. He has poor spacial awareness and underwhelming command of an area at the highest level and that to me says “At best, I am the perfect mediocre keeper for a mediocre side”. Call him up!
John Ruddy
The big Norwich stopper had a decent season for the Canaries
and it’s hard to say he doesn’t’ warrant selection. From a football perspective, Ruddy’s size and
surprising agility make him a generally reliable keeper with potential (if he
can keep his weight in check). Ruddy can
make very good saves but does have a tendency to let sharp fast shots go past him. This makes me worry about his overall reflex
which at the top level is a key attribute for goalkeepers. I also have an issue with him missing a warm
up game for his wedding on the proviso “that it’s been 18 months in the
making”. I hate to break it to you John
but I imagine that it’s been a dream of yours to play for England for about 20
years and missing a warm up game is as stupid as it gets. For fringe players, warm up games represent a
great opportunity to make a case for further opportunities and in Ruddy’s case
a crack at the number 2 spot. Missing
this game puts Ruddy firmly at the back of the queue and relying on the
ridiculous to play at all in the Euros.
In relation to goalkeeper number 3, I also think that more
teams should take just 2 keepers to a European Championships final. At most, you feature in 6 games and if there
is a more durable position than goalkeeper, I am yet to see it. England regularly take just 4 strikers to
major championships and by taking a 3rd goalkeeper player, you’re decreasing not only
the options at your disposable but the preparation time required for your
opponents, who only have to prepare for Options A, B and C(arroll). Lest we forget that Wayne Rooney is missing the
first two games by which time John Ruddy might actually be considered for the
final game if we’re already on the way home (hey, this wouldn’t be a England
blog without a little cyniscm)
Come back next week when I breakdown the rest of the squad
starting with the defenders where I’ll depict the selection of my least favourite
player, Mr Lionheart himself, John George Terry.
You can follow me on Twitter @BengalsSimon and please make a comment, it will make you feel better I promise.
