Christ the Redeemer welcomed the world with
open arms to the spiritual home of football and in poured the pilgrimage.
The Copacabana was transformed into the
epicenter for all things bright and beautiful and fans flocked in from all four
corners of the globe to experience the very best Brazil had to offer.
In anticipation of the tournament, much was
made of the political protests against FIFA by sections of the Brazilian public
who objected to the £6.8 billion being splashed out on the event.
Security forces prevented any major
flare-ups as protestors were kept away from the stadiums. The most memorable
battles thankfully unfolded on the pitch.
For England it was all about the promise of
youth and the potential for progress.
With expectation at an all time low heading
into a major tournament, The Three Lions couldn’t possibly disappoint. Or so we
thought.
Roy Hodgson insisted preparation couldn’t
have gone any better. Pre tournament camps in Portugal and Miami helped the
squad acclimatise for the tropical conditions of Manaus, the location for our
Group D opener with Italy.
With ‘the perfect blend of youth and
experience’, England headed to the Amazonian city with a simmering optimism.
It lasted just 45 minutes.
The weight of media momentum proved too
much to deny Raheem Sterling a starting berth. But even his surprise inclusion
was not enough to deter Hodgson from reverting back to his conservative style
of football when England faced Uruguay 5 days later.
Defensive frailties proved decisive once
again. Leighton Baines looked inexperienced at international level, Jagielka
simply out of his depth and Glen Johnson defensively naive despite his best
efforts going forward.
Void of inspiration, England limped out of
football’s marquee tournament picking up a solitary point against an already
qualified Costa Rica. Yet again the country that gifted the world with
the beautiful game was left to reflect on the ugly reality.
We are void of a philosophy. There is no
“English style of play”. We should not confuse the fast paced athleticism of the
Premier League with the national team. They are not one and the same and until
we find a solution, they will remain opposing forces housed under the same roof.
The Premier League is saturated with
average over-priced foreigners and whilst we boast the best league in the
world, the average lifespan of managers who pursuit a career in England, is
clearly not conducive to bringing through young talent.
The bravery of Brendan Rodgers and Mauricio
Pochettino should be applauded, for they gave youth a chance and were the
direct benefactors of the talents their English youngsters possess.
This World Cup was won by a nation
who was humiliated by England in front of its own people nearly 13 years ago. A
5-1 drubbing at the Olympiastadion. But the watershed moment came a year prior
in 2000.
An embarrassing performance at the European Championships in
Belgium and Holland triggered the transformation of the German game into a
flourishing all-round culture that is increasingly envied across Europe.
The nation watched in horror as the then three-times World Cup
winners, were eliminated after finishing bottom of their group, with a single
point. Sound familiar?
Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) lay down the plans for a football revolution. A complete overhaul
of a failing system. Promoting youth, collaborating with the clubs of the
Bundesliga and embedding a systematic philosophy at the heart of Die Maanschaft.
The number of under 23-year-olds regularly featuring in first
teams in the Bundesliga jumped from 6% in 2000 to 15% in 2010. Every three years, the DFB's inspectors arrive at each
Bundesliga club to put their academies to the test. There are around 800
questions to be answered, covering everything from training to how the
youngsters are supported at school.
The incredible depth of Germany's coaching resources, as well as
the DFB's close relationship with Bundesliga clubs, helped to reinforce the change
in football culture.
According to Uefa, Germany has 28,400 (England 1,759) coaches
with the B licence, 5,500 (895) with the A licence and 1,070 (115) with the Pro
licence, the highest qualification.
Brazil 2014 was simply time to harvest the
seeds sown over a decade ago.
Key to their success has been an
unwavering, relentless and sometimes ruthless desire to win. Not by way of last
ditch tackles and petty challenges but a methodical nature to their play.
German efficiency is a cliché used all too often but onlookers cannot argue
that their performances do not warrant such description.
Their desire to be in possession is
mirrored by the intense closing down of the opposition. Their midfield players
seamlessly rotate position, ghosting into pockets of space undetected by the
opposition.
There is so much to admire about this
German side. But I, like the FA, are in danger of falling into another bout of
foreign obsession. The total football of Cruyff and co in the 80’s,
Clairefontaine’s graduates of the 90’s and the spell bounding Spanish of the
2000’s.
Germany’s time has come. For England, it is
time to get to work. In the corridors of Wembley, on pitches of St. Georges
Park and in the minds of aspiring coaches up and down the country.
Give coaches a template. A blueprint for
the “English way”. Develop a style. Preach a way of playing that transcends
across all ages and abilities.
Football never left home. We just need to
rediscover it.
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