Hodgson left out the entire starting eleven players from the previous encounter against Manchester United; and when Liverpool went  ahead after only nine minutes, it looked like a good decision.  But when Northampton drew level in the second-half, and even more shocking, went ahead 2-1 in extra-time Roy Hodgson was probably wondering what was going on.

David Ngog appeared to save the day with an equaliser four minutes from the end of extra time to take the cup tie to penalties. Beforehand, both teams had chances cleared off the goal line to win the game.  But it was Northampton who went on to win on penalties 4-2.

Listening to football phone-ins after the match several callers suggested the Liverpool job was too big for Hodgson, a step too far and that he couldn’t cope with the pressure of expectation.  Maybe those fans don’t know the level of success Roy Hodgson has had in football management, and why he was targeted as a replacement for Rafa Benitez this summer.

As a player Roy Hodgson was on the books with Crystal Palace in the 1965-66 season but only ever played at non-league level, most notably for Gravesend & Northfleet (now Ebbsfleet United) between 1969-71.  But as a manager he has had success at club level in Sweden with Malmo, in Italy with Udinese and Inter Milan and in England with Fulham; though his time at Blackburn was less successful. Possibly his greatest managerial achievement was taking Switzerland to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup & qualifying for the Euro 96 finals.  Before then Switzerland hadn’t qualified for a major tournament since the 1960s.

There’s no denying the poor start Hodgson has made at Liverpool, who are currently 16th in the Premier League with five points from a possible 15, but things need to be considered here.  Firstly, Roy Hodgson has by and large inherited a squad from Rafa Benitez; and the squad is not that good.  Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reyna, Fernando Torres, Glen Johnson and possibly Martin Skrtel & Dirk Kuyt on their day aside, Liverpool are not a team with strength all over the pitch, let alone in depth.

The addition of Joe Cole is a step in the right direction but there is no way that Liverpool can continue to be considered one of the best sides in the Premiership, let alone a member of the so-called ‘Big Four’.  Past glories need to be forgotten and money needs to be made available to rebuild a depleted squad left in a worse state by Rafa Benitez than he inherited from Gerard Houllier.

Whether Roy Hodgson is the right man for the job or not, I believe Liverpool have got to be satisfied with a mid-table finish at best this season, and hope that new owners are put in place by next summer and money made available, not simply to buy new players but to reinvest in their academy to bring on a new generation of young players like Steven Gerrard & Jamie Carragher.

castrol performance research

Using data collected over the last two years of competitive international games, Castrol Performance have analysed some of the key individual head to head areas of tonight’s Euro 2012 qualifier between England and Bulgaria.

On paper the statistics are stacked in England’s favour and it would appear that Bulgaria need a miracle to get anything out of this game.

While Glen Johnson poses a massive threat to any team with his frequent excursions into the opponents half of the field where he produces his best football, it is a commonly held opinion that he still has a lot to learn in the art of defending.

This is borne out by the stats that claim Zhivko Milanov has won an incredible 100% of his tackles compared to just 78% for Johnson. However the Bulgarian is not prolific at pushing forward and has completed no dribbles compared to 59% completed by Johnson, no goal assists and no shots on goal. Johnson meanwhile has assisted in four of England’s goals and had seven shots himself.

In midfield Stiliyan Petrov proves to be a fantastic ball winner, claiming 94% of tackles won compared to Steven Gerrard’s measly 65%, the Bulgarians pass rate is also superior to the England player with 86% success to Gerrard’s 77%.

However the Englishman comes into his own in front of goal with four goals scored to Petrov’s one, 23 shots compared to 11 and an incredible 21 chances created including assists to the Bulgarians four.

In the front line England’s Theo Walcott has shown that his blistering pace can unsettle some of the best defenders and compared to Martin Petrov he is a far better dribbler of the ball, but both players have created nine chances and one assist, while Walcott edges it with eleven shots on goal  and three goals scored. Petrov very close with nine shots on goal and two scored.

It is not so easy to compare Wayne Rooney with his opposite number in the Bulgarian team as between them strikers Dimitar Rangelov and Valeri Bojinov have completed half the time on the field compared to the England striker.

Neither Bulgarian has managed to hit the target during that time though, while Rooney has scored nine times for England. Between them the two Bulgarians have managed eleven shots to Rooney’s 42 and created nine chances compared to 26 for the Manchester United player.

On the evidence of these facts England will find the Bulgarians a difficult team to break down through midfield and defence, but England have enough strike power to win the game comfortably and put some points in the bag for the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

England started well with a fluent 4-3-3 system that gave Steven Gerrard a free roaming role, often dropping deep but always looking to push up to support of the loan striker, Wayne Rooney. But by half-time the initial enthusiasm and head of steam had run out, and England left the pitch to a chorus of boos.

Four changes were made by Fabio Capello at half-time.  Michael Dawson, Kieran Gibbs, Ashley Young and Bobby Zamora for Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Theo Walcott; and second-half substitutes saw Wayne Rooney replaced by James Milner and Steven Gerrard, after scoring England’s two goals for the 18 year old debutant, Jack Wilshere.

Wayne Rooney was substituted midway in the second-half while England was 1-0 down to the biggest boo of the night.  Rooney had become frustrated as England’s midfield increasingly left him isolated.

Phil Jagielka looked comfortable in central defence and of the debuts and young players on show for England, in what has been dubbed ‘the beginning of a new dawn’, Kieran Gibbs made a great impression in both defending and rushing forward when he replaced Ashley Cole.  And though he made a nuisance of himself with darting runs and a couple of decent crosses from the right-hand side, I still believe Theo Walcott shows naivety and immaturity by continually running into defenders or cul-de-sacs when he should have his head up, looking to pass the ball.

But like Fabio Capello, who didn’t once get out of his seat, let alone stand in the technical area, throughout the whole match, let’s not get over excited to see England looking to its passionate youth.  After all, this is only a meaningless friendly match.

Next month England will begin their Euro 2012 Qualifying campaign, and it is only then that we will see if Fabio Capello is ready to back younger players like Ashley Young, Adam Johnson, Kieran Gibbs and Jack Wilshere. Though it looks likely he is going to make Joe Hart his first choice goalkeeper, as long as Manchester City is prepared to show similar faith. Hart had a good game and looked ready to pull on the vacant England gloves.

There wasn’t one specific reason for the change in attitude, but it was a culmination of many reasons. James Milner was included at the expense of the ineffective Aaron Lennon which showed that just having pace isn’t enough to succeed at this level.

Milner provided an outstanding assist for Jermain Defoe’s goal which was followed by another sumptuous cross which was inches away from going in. Milner persevered by giving 100% through tracking back and producing a series of outstanding long passes to provide Defoe and co the opportunities to attack. Despite Milner not being the most technically gifted in our squad, he is vital to our chance of winning.

Jermain Defoe’s inclusion over Emille Heskey was the correct decision without a doubt. He provided a different outlet for Wayne Rooney and most significantly injected some needed pace. It was well noted throughout the BBC’s commentary that Defoe didn’t have any touches of the ball before the goal.

However as proven with Heskey, it’s not about how many touches you have, it’s what you do with it which matters. Sadly for Heskey, he hasn’t brought the best out of Rooney in this World Cup and Defoe has justified a starting place for the 2nd round tie. The 2nd round match wouldn’t be possible if it wouldn’t have been for the lion hearts who graced our defence.

David James wasn’t required to make any outstanding but kept his concentration with an album of routine saves which Robert Green may have let through. James has shown that it doesn’t matter how old you are, it’s the ability and the capabilities which you should be picked on and not their age. He should and will remain our number one for the continuation of our reign in this competition.

John Terry proved that even though you have indiscretions in your personal life, you can still perform to your top potential. He did this through placing his body, quite literally, on the line when needed.

Despite his controversial press conference on Sunday, he marshalled the defence brilliantly. He said what he said, Capello criticised him for it and you know what, he played like he does for Chelsea whilst posing a potent threat from set pieces. This was the theme throughout the game.

Every single player who is usually outstanding for their club, were outstanding for England. Players like John Terry, Ashley Cole, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner and Jermain Defoe all lived up to their potential.

The argument may rage on about John Terry being unfairly stripped of the captaincy but he is still our captain on the pitch, the difference is he isn’t wearing an armband.

The replacement for the suspended Jamie Carragher was a topic which wasn’t really discussed in much detail. Fabio Capello chose Matthew Upson over Michael Dawson which was a bold decision as Upson has no pace and is prone to a regular mistake. This was proven when he gave away a few sloppy passes in the first half. On the other hand, he justified his inclusion with a match saving tackle in the penalty area when Slovenia barricaded our penalty area with consecutive shots.

The midfield seemed to have a better balance to it thanks to the selection of the industrious and outstanding crosser of the ball, James Milner. This helped Wayne Rooney despite him still not being at his best.

There were glimpses of the Rooney that we have become used to with him running at defences but he still seemed reluctant to shoot from distance.

This should be put down to him not being match fit and not being outlandishly confident. Ironically this was his best performance and Capello took him off when he remained with him in the two previous dire showings.

The difference today was we were winning and he could take a risk. This showed Capello’s courage in taking one of our marquee players, the best is yet to come from him.

Capello silenced his critics and showed something more than passion on the sidelines. He showed his undeniable love for football and passion for our cause. His tactics were spot on in every department. He picked the correct players and let them express themselves. This is why the FA pay him £6million a year, to guide us through difficult stages of tournaments and to put some of the egos in the side in their place. I was wrong about what I said about him not being up to it. Four more gritty performances presided over by Capello would see him become a national treasure.

We’re through to the 2nd round, that’s good. We need to build on this now. Who cares whether we play Germany or not. We don’t fear them, we don’t fear anyone. We only beat them a year ago which shows our confidence against them. This is a different England.

We’ve struggled through the group stage, but the best teams usually start slowly. Under the passive Sven Goran Erikkson we always cruised through the group stages but that got us nowhere. Under Capello we’re different and we’ll grind out results if we have to.

One suggestion is that the England players have frozen and cannot perform because the expectancy is so high.  But watching England’s first two draws against USA and Algeria you would be forgiven for thinking they had been replaced by look-a-likes.

Wayne Rooney couldn’t control the ball, Steven Gerrard running round like a headless chicken and Emille Heskey??? Well, maybe all the players except Emille Heskey haven’t played as well as they can!

Of course, if England beat Slovenia with a hatful of goals then all this will be forgotten and instead the hype will swing completely the other way.  The media will once again be touting England as likely winners of the competition and the surviving members of the England 1966 team will be wheeled out to give their opinions on how Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and player manager John Terry will feel when they are crowned champions of the world!

The truth is that England are amongst the top eight best football playing nations in the world and are therefore expected to get to the quarter-finals in South Africa at the very least. Anything less and the trip to South Africa will be deemed a disaster.

While criticism for the England team performances, Fabio Capello’s strict regime, and debates on whether our footballers are even good enough continue Domino’s Pizza has launched a competition on Facebook to find the current squad’s best lookalikes. Maybe a look-a-like England team could play better than the real players!

To enter the Footballer Lookalike Competition, fans can upload a picture of themselves or their friends via the events tab of the Facebook fan page of Domino’s Pizza UK. Every week, Domino’s will hand out free pizza vouchers to the best Lampard lookalike, Defoe double or other imitation of one of Fabio Capello’s chosen 23. Meanwhile, Facebook users can vote for their favourite picture too by clicking ‘like’ under each picture. After four weeks, the public’s favourite will win a free pizza party (worth £100) for the final.

Football fans can also compete for the Domino’s Cup in the online football game On me ‘ead. Prizes include 25 Domino’s Pizza Parties, each worth £100, and various discount codes. Players have to head footballs from one side of the screen to the other, without letting them hit the ground.

So, will England turn it around?

C’mon England! Do it for Bobby Robson and do it for Frank Sidebottom!

Three Shirts on my Line! Home, Away and Goalie!!!

I’m not going to knock the players, because that would be the easy way out of it. What seems obvious to the viewing public is that there seems to be issues deeper than on the pitch, but politically and the way Fabio Capello is running our side.

The England players seemed completely and utterly despondent throughout the match. Some people may put this down to them not wanting to be there, but I put it down to the single minded, conservative style fashioned Fabio Capello who is putting fear into the players minds and is stopping them from expressing themselves on the pitch. What’s naming his side 2 hours before the game all about?  David James didn’t know he was even in the side for this evening until he got on the coach.

I mean look at Diego Maradona the Argentina manager, totally vilified throughout the world’s press but because of the laid back attitude style of his management, his players are able to perform to their capabilities and there is a fantastic team spirit as shown by the whole team and bench jumping, smiling and dancing together. Would you see Fabio Capello do this? No. Do we ever see our players enjoying themselves? No. Is there disharmony within the camp? Yes there is, and it isn’t helping our campaign to win the 2010 South Africa World Cup.

The tactically naive and negative Stuart Pierce is our under 21 coach and Fabio’s assistant. So having Pierce and Capello working together, what we can’t expect is our quality players to play free flowing football with the negativity coming from above. Overall this false dawn under Capello has been a total myth. When he was first appointed England Manager he needed to bring the players down to earth. But ever since then, we’ve played awful football with some of the best players in the world like Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney whose main forte is to play expansive football.

Every side needs organisation and the need to be humble, but Capello needs to work out a middle ground between organisation, fear and the ability to let his players express themselves. There is though something about his character that suggests and confirms that he is stubborn and won’t change his all out disciplinarian, mobile phones banned from dinner, bed by 11 and tailored suit wearing ways.

Am I saying he should go if we don’t win on Wednesday? Yes. With the FA appointing him as our manager was them confirming to us as a footballing nation that they were happy to maintain the image of English football being all about `gritty determination, hard working, technically limited but committed, strength over skill and kick and rush football.` This isn’t going to win us anything. Its all about the grassroots as well, the kids need to learn how to play attacking, free-flowing and flexible football.

The fact that Capello has left Joe Cole, the most creative player in the England squad on the bench for the first two games against USA and Algeria, shows his ignorance and shows he has a blind spot when it comes to attacking football that any team from any level needs to win games.

Furthermore, for Wayne Rooney to have the audacity to complain to the camera saying “nice for our home fans to boo us” is a total disgrace. Well Wayne, how dare you say that and degrade the passionate support of our England fans in South Africa currently. The fans over there have spent thousands of pounds flying to South Africa to support England and deserve better.

The players may not understand that our fantastic England fans could still be heard singing our national anthem over the noise of the great Vuvuzela, showing their sheer passion for the cause. Does he acknowledge this? No, because he is an out of touch, arrogant and an over commercialised spoilt child.

So, can on the basis of tonight, England win the World Cup? No we can’t.

Does that mean anything? No it doesn’t because we have another opportunity to win against Slovenia on Wednesday and finish top of the group.

We have got a lifeline, so the players need to grasp it with their manicured hands, otherwise its game and tournament over. Remember, Italy weren’t brilliant in 2006, but they dug in; and France were dreadful throughout the whole competition but still made the final. They achieved scrappy one nil’s here and there and most significantly, stuck together as a unified team unit.

England’s display against Algeria was worse than the French display against Mexico, but if the squad collectively confronted Capello last night with frank, open and honest opinions hopefully issues were resolved. Otherwise we should expect the same again, the same complaints and the same players underperforming.

So c’mon England. We know we put too much pressure on you, but that is because we believe in you as players and that belief is the reason why we’ll beat Slovenia on Wednesday and achieve top spot in the group irrespective of previous performances.

It’s always difficult to look at England objectively, especially when many of the players they are up against are seen playing so rarely by the majority of us. If you take away the likes of Messi and Kaka, whose reputations precede them, then you are left with international opponents full of players that we know very little of. Taking a look at the current Brazil squad, there are the likes of Grafite, Nilmar, Kleberson and Ramires whom many of us will have only seen play in the occasional European fixture or international friendly. So the average fan comes into a World Cup not really knowing exactly what their team is up against.

This is, of course, one of the greatest aspects of any World Cup. Who can forget the likes of Henry, Zidane and Ronaldo lighting up France ’98? It is the greatest of stages upon which a relatively unknown player can become a worldwide star overnight.

Moving back to the current situation and this has a different effect. Seeing the England squad play week-in week-out for their clubs often leads us to overrate members of our national team. James Milner, Gareth Barry, Peter Crouch and Glen Johnson are just some of a number of players in the current squad who have had good seasons without being outstanding. Milner and Barry, in particular, build their trade on consistency and provide the focal point of their teams’ midfield. This is not to say they are not excellent footballers, but rather that there are players like this in every country.

Take Spain’s Marcos Senna, who was outstanding in the European Championships two years ago but has not even made it into the 23-man squad this time around. Obviously the Spanish midfield is unfathomably strong this year, but it is hard to argue that a player of Senna’s quality would not have at least made it into the English squad. Add to that the omissions of Ronaldinho, Pato, Cambiasso, Fernando Gago and Javier Zanetti from the Brazilian and Argentinian squads and you start to see the kind of quality and depth that England lack.

Another look at the USA game highlights some of England’s deficiencies. Emile Heskey did well for Steven Gerrard’s opener but his ineffectiveness in front of goal was brought to the fore when he missed a one-on-one chance with Tim Howard.  That kind of profligacy cannot be tolerated against the better sides who may only offer up one or two chances over 90 minutes.

Likewise, Jamie Carragher’s lack of pace was exposed by Jozy Altidore, who has failed to make any significant impact in the Premiership this season. He may have got away without any real problems on Saturday but one has to wonder how Carragher would deal with the pace and skill of Arjen Robben, Christiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria in the latter stages.

Furthermore, Jamie Carragher’s yellow card for a late challenge highlights yet another problem his lack of pace brings and England cannot afford to go a man down again in a knock-out game. On top of this, Glen Johnson, one of the best performers on the night, is stifled by Carragher’s tiring legs, having to track back and help out his team mate rather than pushing forward as he does best.

All of this is overshadowed by the oldest and largest problem that England have with this generation; how to accommodate Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen have been singing the virtues of a 4-5-1 over the last few days and I agree with them. The formation essentially solves two of our largest problems in one fell swoop.

Firstly, our lack of a quality striker to partner Wayne Rooney is solved by allowing Gerrard to play off the lone front man, leaving both men in their favoured club positions and allowing Rooney the freedom to operate in the most dangerous positions.

On top of that, with Gareth Barry holding the midfield and having the discipline to sit back and cover the defence, Frank Lampard finds himself in a more familiar role in the centre, dictating the tempo of the game and making his renowned surges into the area at just the right moment.

I, like many England fans I have spoken to recently, would like to see Joe Cole operating from the left hand side to provide the imagination and unpredictability that is so often lacking in our attack. But this is an issue of selection rather than formation and with the 4-5-1 not only would we find that our 3 best attacking players are in their favoured positions but also that there is more of a link between midfield and attack.

This has been one of England’s biggest problems for a long time now and Saturday highlighted it once more. With the midfield dropping back the gap between the strikers and the midfielders widened, prompting Rooney to start coming deeper to get the ball and subsequently lessening his effect in the final third. With Barry covering the defence, Lampard dictating the centre and Gerrard in more of a free-role, there is a continuity running through defence, midfield and attack that is so often lacking.

So there are undoubtedly a few kinks to iron out before we enter the knock-out stages, which, after watching the abysmal Slovenia vs. Algeria game, we surely cannot fail to do.

Fabio Capello’s track record speaks for itself and he has certainly instilled the kind of authority and discipline necessary to win tournaments. Yet this does not hide the fact that as a 23-man squad we lack the kind of quality that Spain, Brazil and Argentina have at their disposal. The most feared scenario amongst English football fans is not that Saturday’s performance was a great team monumentally under-performing but rather an average one slightly off form. Every below par performance is vociferously attacked to help us believe that England really are that much better. But whilst great may be excessive, England are certainly good, and sometimes in a World Cup that is enough, just look at the defending champions if you don’t believe me.

I predicted a 1-1 result so I’m not as shocked or depressed as others might be tonight; and I also strongly opposed taking anyone who is as injury prone as Ledley King, would be a nightmare waiting to happen.  But why does England have to play a donkey?

The biggest surprise of the night was to hear Fabio Capello had chosen to play James Milner over Joe Cole. Personally I would have played them both and left Emille Heskey on the bench.  The best England team would be Wayne Rooney playing the lone striker with Steven Gerrard playing just behind him, in the role he plays with Fernando Torres at Liverpool. Joe Cole on the left, Aaron Lennon on the right, Frank Lampard bossing the midfield, and James Milner filling in as the defensive midfielder until Gareth Barry is ready to return.

Positives to take from tonight’s performance? Well Glen Johnson played well again, and I can’t think of a better England performance by Steven Gerrard.

So, England has played one game and are already down to a 22 man squad. Next Ftiday they play Algeria, a team that are going to keep eleven men behind the ball, wind up Wayne Rooney in true Ronaldo-esque fashion, and hope at best for a 0-0 draw. That will be a much harder game than playing the USA.

To me, it seems as though people are trying to list reasons why England will fail. Ledley King and John Terry haven’t got a good understanding, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard can’t play together and the latest one – Wayne Rooney’s temperament is going to cost us.

Every single team will have some issues ahead of the World Cup. Every single team will have selection problems and injuries to deal with. This is what we have a management team for though and in Fabio Capello, England have one of the best in the business.

Do we trust Capello to ensure King and Terry work well together? Do we trust Fabio Capello to play a formation that suits Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard? Do we trust Fabio Capello to get the best out of Wayne Rooney?

If, like me, you answer yes to all three of these questions, then stop your worrying. For those of you that don’t trust Fabio Capello, I point you towards his record for England so far – in qualifying the team were fantastic.

What are these negative vibes based on anyway? Three warm-up games? England didn’t perform at their best during victories against Mexico, Japan and Platinum Stars and suddenly everyone is panicking.

How about we focus on how Capello’s England have performed in the real crunch games of his reign. Home and away to Croatia – the team’s biggest rivals for winning their qualifying group – for example. A 4-1 win and a 5-1 win helped Capello’s men top the group with ease. Anyone who has placed a free online bet on England winning the World Cup shouldn’t be too worried.

If England are serious about winning the World Cup, they won’t be at the peak of their powers right now. They might not even be at their best in the group stages. However, there is no doubt that this team has the potential to turn it on where it really matters.

It is all about getting the job done against certain teams, then really lifting it in the tougher games. Look at the game that preceded the excellent victory in Croatia – a hard fought win against minnows Andorra. This is how international football works.

Basically, I just want people to stop expressing their concerns so regularly. Let’s focus on the positive aspects of this England team of which there are plenty believe it or not.

The fixed odds betting makes England among the favourites for the tournament and they have a genuine chance of glory this summer. However, every time they are criticised publically or questioned about their poor performance, it makes the chance smaller and smaller.

Come on England, most of us believe in you!

Clearly at the highest levels of football results are imperative. We would all rather see England play badly and win the World Cup this year than see a free flowing team crash out in the semi-finals to a well organised opponent. Yet this is not something that needs to filter its way down to the youth leagues. If one looks at Spain and Brazil, undoubtedly the best teams in the world right now, then there is a level of flair and creativeness that has been missing in England teams for a long time. We cannot simply say that these are countries that biologically produce more flamboyant footballers; it is clearly more complicated than that.

Over the years we have seen teams such as France, Spain, Holland and Portugal produce players possessing an expressive ability that is so rarely encountered in English football. The reason for this is grounded in the way in which we nurture our young stars.

This overemphasis on results encourages our youngsters to play the percentages instead of expressing themselves and finding out the kind of player that they are. Looking at some of our most talented players highlights this point effectively. Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have long been described as world class talents and this is inescapably true. Both are outstanding footballers yet at the same time they are incredibly effective without being unpredictable or flamboyant. It is clear from watching both that they are impeccably skilful individuals possessed with a creative footballing mind, yet there is something which separates them from players such as Fabregas, Xavi and Iniesta of Spain. It is easy to say that the difference is one of ability or technique, but this is not the case. Some of the moments that both Gerrard and Lampard have produced are phenomenal both in terms of technical ability and ingenuity, yet they are far less common that their Spanish counterparts.

It is as a result of our over-emphasis on victory that young players are encouraged to avoid the improbable and thus we produce players conditioned to pick the most effective option rather than the one which could potentially change the course of a game.

This mentality benefits the English game at lower levels, with a number of industrious midfielders being incredibly effective at breaking up play, playing the simple pass and leading by example. When one compares Scott Parker with someone like Luis Garcia there is the clearest of contrasts. The former is consistently effective at club level without being outstanding whilst the latter has had a record of inconsistency interspersed with moments of inspiration. Whilst this may be good for the strength in depth of our professional league it is to the ultimate detriment of our national team.

All of the best and most expressive footballers in the world right now have an incredible competiveness and desire. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney are all exceptionally talented and natural players but at the same time are blessed with an intense desire to win. The problem for England is that Wayne Rooney’s expressiveness is the exception rather than the rule. Any world class player has to possess this desire in order to succeed and thus there is no need to nurture it.

If we encourage young players to express themselves in 7-a-side, one touch football then we can allow them to enjoy the game before anything else. There is no need to move on to full 11-a-side games until under-15 football because before that point young players are simply not physically able to play such a game. The other advantage of emphasising technique over victory is that it allows us to identify the most gifted players more easily. In this system the children with a winning mentality that are less gifted will still flourish purely because of their desire, yet at the same time the more natural players are able to express their ability and can be given the chance to develop before it is determined whether or not they have the necessary mentality to succeed at the highest level.

Looking across the Channel at France one can see a prime example of the success that can come from a structured, financed and dedicated youth system. The Clairefontaine academy has become famous for producing players such as William Gallas, Thierry Henry and Nicolas Anelka yet it is just one of 9 elite youth academies spread across the country. With a focus on developing technique, tactics and movement as well as strength and fitness these academies are a glaring example of what we lack. Having such a structure in place means that the best players are taught in the same way across the country and are given the opportunity to develop all aspects of their game.

There have been and continue to be excellent youth academies in this country at club level with teams like Crewe Alexandra, West Ham and Arsenal consistently producing talented youngsters. The problem with this system is that it is not in any way coordinated centrally by the FA and many of the best teams in the country are acquiring players from all over the world rather than focussing on young English talent.

This is exactly where the French system puts ours to shame and highlights once again the need for centrally controlled academies across the country. Not until the most talented players in this country are brought up under a unified system with a common understanding on how the game should be played will we see a generation of players develop with the kind of expressiveness and ingenuity that we see so infrequently. This will not be of any hindrance to players like Gerrard whose commitment and desire to win will never falter; it will simply allow them to be brought up under the best coaches, the best facilities and the best methods that this country has to offer.

Until this is done we will continue to view our continental counterparts as technically superior and the sooner this myth dies the sooner we can start to compete consistently at the highest level.