Not so curious case of England exit from World Cup 2014

As you might already know, I am not an expert on world football. But as all the football fanatics who tends to act like an expert when it comes to football matches and favourite players, I do have an opinion. Being in heart of England during the world cup first round exit season, first time after 1958, thought of sharing what might have worked better if at all there was some chance. As always the football coaches are often the subject of a poke and dig from fans and followers alike, this can just be ignored as a rant or bitching. To put things on perspective, I am not an English football fan but expected them to play better than what they did considering the talents at disposal. Often I have shared with my friends and close ones that since most of us follow premier league, we get awestruck when we see all the club stars together on the pitch sharing the same dressing room. It is nothing greater than a fantasy team coming together rather than an actual result oriented get together.

I have to admit, I aim to do X-Ray analysis of few players in this along with few crazy ideas and strategies for the English with the team that they have. This being a season which was won by Manchester City with mostly foreign players, nothing English seems to be in fashion except for the Liverpool force. The player who was forced to sit out in that Manchester City dugout due to poor form and being playing a lazy hand in many games was chosen to be the England stopper for maybe lack of stardom for others or maybe choices in the country. Lucky that he didn't try dribbling as some certain Spanish stoppers did, but still he doesn't seem to be the man a country wants in Brazil based on current form. Worst comes the worst, England would have tried to take that risk assuming at times the same guy Joe Hart had shown glimpses of brilliance and might upturn his bad stretch. This assumption and risk should have been mitigated with a very good central defensive pair, which again seems to be lacking in the English games. England went with four central defenders to the world cup and who names if you read in this blog together would allow you to guess what would the fate be before the first ball was kicked in 2014. The four central defenders being Gary Cahill(age 28), Phil Jagielka(age 31), Phil Jones(age 22) & Chris Smalling(age 24). Now why did I include that age in there? It is to show that this often the strategies most countries who wants to bring up new players to international arena does. Two old settled master defenders and two new upcoming understudy. Let's scan the experience of the so called experienced players from that list of four. Gary Cahill who definitely is in his top form and best part of career being playing for Chelsea and has good fighting attitude too, but has appeared for the three lions 26 times over a span of 4 years. Phil Jagielka has featured for England 28 times in 6 years, the rest two has played 22 times in different positions in 4 years. I do know that there are not really 100's of international matches played every year but is it the right time to try this wrong blend and pray to God to do the rest 50% of the defending? Definitely they could have used them for all the preparations and trials and keep playing them for few years before doing this juggling on world's biggest stage. Now getting to more statistics on the central defenders, all four of them has together scored only 6 goals in a combined total of 76 matches, is that the kind of pairing that you expect to help the team on set pieces?

Let's call it a day on poking the central defenders and all that I said was wrong or again another argument as everybody needs their chance and they did well in preparations which warranted an inclusion in the world cup. The next set of players who are supposed to cover them and assisting these defenders in the form of Glen Johnson the only official right back at their disposal, Leighton Baines & Luke Shaw. Last whole season Johnson had been nothing short of a winger going forward and always forgot to come back and defend whenever required. The world cup witnessed similar state if you could dissect from where all the goals against England came in or were created. Johnson has enough games to his kitty that he could represent England at world cup offensively but what about his defensive duties? Why England never selected any additional right back might be due to Johnson's fitness but is it good to rely on someone to attack only being a right back with such a defensive pairing that they have? England decided to neglect Ashley Cole who was the work horse they definitely needed and seems to be missing from this squad. Baines is good again going forward and has been nothing short of a revelation, but is that what imbalances the whole  backline? To me it certainly looks like. The back four is called a back four and not back two plus the other two which makes the back four. Another way to cover your goals would be have a good defense friendly midfielders. I noticed that they were trying their luck in converting one of their best bet going forward Steven Gerrard into a defensive midfielder at the age of 34. This seems to be the management blunder of the tournament. Steve G is not a Pirlo or Schweinteiger material, he is better off playing offensively or with a defensive midfield partner. That would have demanded England to pick a good defensive minded cover midfielder to pair with Gerrard and look whom they chose? Jordan Henderson who is very good box to box midfielder in my opinion and very hardworking lad.I would have preferred Jack Wilshere or James Milner to play alongside Gerrard if it was such an absolute necessity to make sure Gerrard plays and force team to play with him which may not be the favourite thing to do an any management. Gerrard could play further up than Wilshere/Milner and swap the positions as needs arise making sure at all times there is proper cover for the back two which no more a back four with the players they are playing. Another interesting thing I noticed in English team is they had picked 3 players who can play exactly similar roles has has similar qualities which is a good to have but is that how you create squad? A squad should have all kinds of players with different skills and still have enough cover for key positions which would be most coach's first goal. Who are these players with similar quality? Maybe they are Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana & Alex Ox-lade Chamberlain. They should make one of them start from center in advanced positions as they are already in the squad and can afford an injury or suspension and should be the main retriever too in own area positions. This would actually killed the curiousity of what to do with Wayne Rooney, who is really one of the best forwards in current line-up along with Sturridge and/or Lambert. England can then play Sterling/Welbeck and Sturridge with both of them coming back to defend when required from either flanks and Rooney playing upfront. We have seen and known that Sturridge is good playing wide, he can take on players and come into shooting positions all by himself without much help which may not be Rooney's best skill.

The proposed formation would look something like this and would have given them better chance of progressing the group which is not even a dream anymore.

Joe Hart

Glen  Johnson - Gary Cahill - Jagielka - Baines

Wilshere/Milner

Ox-lade/Barkley/Lallana-Gerrard/Lampard/Henderson

Sterling/Sturridge-Lambert/Rooney-Welbeck/Sterling

In these world cup matches we have witnessed England playing Barkley, Lallana, Rooney, Sterling, Sturridge and all together trying to get that one goal and it never worked. What I have noticed is that once all these guys are there playing together, they keep striving to become heroes overnight. Most of them get more selfish and tries to get a goal for them rather than the team. This has affected the English team adversely and needs to be punished if at all coach is looking. I have heard Roy Hogdson speaking highly of the bright talent in England but if he shows the same easy attitude with these players, to get a result would be more than impossible. They all are good but together they are not as good as what media has made them. It has everything to do with the team strategy and formations as most of them seems to be in dual mind during the game about the roles and responsibilities. 

It might look bit ambitious the way I have written but I feel even though there are quite a lot of blunders on the squad selection, they could still have played with the players they had but again ruined it with some more ambitious team selection in the group stages. I may not be the best person to person to judge but what I have jotted here is my opinion. As all the football fans in this world, at times I too assume the job of team selection and creating strategies are very easy but I do respect the effort put in by all those experts. We still have few more days to witness the English team playing one more game in the group stage. Whatever be the result, if you could at any time notice, the team going to the formation I have suggested here, do remember to compare the results against what they were doing before. Before ending, why did I chose to write about England now who are not my world cup pick or team? While living in England during this world cup, there seems to be a negative wave with England supporters who themselves doesn't expect England to go far in the world cup, I started analyzing what would have made them do better which led to this blog. 

References:

1. Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England_national_football_team

2. Fifa.com - http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/teams/team=43942/players.html

3. Live and recorded matches of England team

4. Experience following English Premier league for around 15 years

5. Last but not the least - Football fan from time eternal!