Was England ever Truly in the Race?

England, the Three Lions, had always been touted as a contender, and their exemplary qualifying campaign lay testimonial to the fact that they were indeed a force to be reckoned with. Hard core critics realized that while the World Cup glory might be a little far fetched for Capello’s boys, a top- four finish was certainly within reach. Boy, were they wrong!!

So what went wrong?

1. Wazza Rooney

For all the brilliance he showed during the Premier League, Rooney was nowhere near as influential during any of the matches he played in. For Manchester United, he was drafted in a duo with Ronaldo, Tevez, Berbatov, even Mihael Owen. WHen he was up on his own, too, he had Giggs, Valencia in support.

FUN STAT 1: Wayne Rooney has gotten tackled of the ball while in possession 32 times this World CUp, more than any other player in the tournament.

FUN STAT 2: Rooney has failed to score in his last nine games for England, his longest barren run for the national team.

FUN STAT 3: Rooney completed only 55 per cent of his passes for England against Germany – the lowest rate in the game.

The Boy Wonder just looked a pale shadow of the player who has won Premier League titles, a Champions’ League trophy, voted as the PFA Player of the Year, nominated for the Young Player of the Year, and what not. Where was the hunger and the versatility that prompted rumors about hi price tag being 90 million pounds?

2. ‘Terry’ble Defending:

Terry has seen the lowest point in his career now. The game against Germany was probably his worst in an England shirt. The oh-so inspirational “captain, leader, legend” at Chelsea was simply found lacking in positioning, speed and strength as Germany made a mockery of him. Call it the infamous interviews that has given, or the loss of captaincy which he claimed to have gotten over, it never really came together for Terry. And once your most experienced central defender is floundering, the backbone of the team cracks.

3. Capello (noun): Rigidity

Of course we are going to point fingers now, fellas. While Rooney might not like it, fans have indeed been let down. Among the meek rumors that dared to float around about the Italian manager, were those who whispered about his strict regime and attitude. Not that I have anything against it, but it certainly incenses us when translated on the pitch. Emile Heskey and Wright Phillips when the team is 4-1 down? And if three first round matches didn’t teach you that the front line wasn’t getting the goals, then I don’t know what did.

4. Off-Field:

England came into the World Cup with more than enough of the share of drama already. Ferdinand couldn’t play, and Gerrard took over at a very late hour. Beckham was injured, but offered moral support from the bench..and he did cut a desolate figure yesterday, not even being able to bring himself to watch the final few minutes. Terry and Bridge. Terry saying things to the public media Capello wasn’t too happy with. And worst of all – the complaint from the players that they were getting bored, and cursing Capello’s rules of not allowing their WAGs  to stay with them at least till the quarter finals. They are playing for their country, in the world’ biggest sporting event. And complained about being bored! The signs were there for all to see.

Karma indeed caught up with the team at the most inopportune moment, with Lampard’s goal getting disallowed. (I refer to 1966 Eng-Germany)

All in all, this was neither the team we expected to see, nor the team we betted to reach the semifinals. Even Sven Goran Erikssen seems to have done better, with the Ivory Coast, inspite of  being appointed as manager at a very late hour indeed. And the English team’s ride at the World CUp 2010, South Africa, was short. And wasn’t even fun while it lasted.

Time for introspection now, England.

Beckham next England Coach?!? – The WC Hots and What Nots II

Quite a few shockers in the last few days, and the excitement only gets better and better as teams batter each other in an attempt to win the ultimate prize – and some respect.

David Beckham the new England coach ?

The Hots:

1. David Beckham has gained popularity recently to replace Capello as English coach.

Becks, who missed the World Cup due to an injury, was seen on the bench for England’s matches, as he tried to offer moral support to a severely under-performing squad. I don’t know whether it was the sight of him in that stylish suit on the bench, or some one’s idea of a joke, but Beckham is now only a 16 to 1 shot away from being England’s next manager. What with every critic and pundit clamoring for an English manager who also places more emphasis on the youth system, Becks might actually be tempted!

2. Robinho was simply inspirational yesterday against Chile.

Say what you want about the guy’s flops at Manchester City – but Robinho sure does put a lot of pride when in the national jersey. His goal was simply sublime, and his work rate was even more commendable. He might not have played at the same position as Pele, but maybe – just maybe – he is finally showing us why he was once touted as the next best forward. Or maybe it was his beard that  changed his fortunes. When asked about it, Robinho simply said that he had forgotten to shave.

3. Joaquim Loew explained his team strategy against England.

The stylish German manager talked about his tactics to exploit England’s slow defense to the press, and how to use the space left behind by Lampard and Gerrard. And that too all in front of Capello, who was waiting right behind Loew to talk to the press next. What class!  Full marks in my book.

4. Mueller scored two goals in the second half against England to quash whatever hopes they had left.

All of 20 years, Mueller was singled out by his manager as a very cool finisher and a predator in the box. Not that The Brits needed any reminding of the fact.

5. Maarten Stekelenburg, Dutch goalkeeper.

No real reason, I didn’t put him on this list for his excellent instinctive saves in the second half that sent Slovakia packing. He gave away a penalty in the last minute of the game after charging and bringing down Vettek, who coolly scored his fourth goal of the tournament from the spot. That penalty scored me a cool 16 points in the Sportskeeda Predictor and pushed me into the top 10! All hail! 

The What-Nots:

1. England: For a whole 2 minutes when they scored and had a goal disallowed, England looked every inch the team that bulldozed through their qualifying stages. Too bad about the other 88 minutes, though.

2. England: The Lions deserve another special mention, for their amazing defending that Capello could not believe he was watching. As Terry and Upton were made mockery of by the German front line, at least Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson had okay shifts.

3. Carlos Tevez: Whether he really is a top class striker is beyond question. But the way he celebrated his goal even though he knew he was clearly offside was worth watching.

4. Sepp Blatter and the Giga Fifa mistakes: Goal-line technology and video technology have been the war-cries issuing forth from all corners of the world. Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal and Tevez’s offside that was not given – in addition to showing it on the big screen in the stadiums – might have put crosshairs on FIFA’s head.

5. England: Oh yes, one more mention of the team that many of my friends were rooting for. And this special mention goes to Wayne Rooney who has screwed my Sportskeeda All-Star points!

Time for John Terry to start Tweeting

John Terry loves the idea of a Press Conference

It seems we have heard it all. And then some. And out of nowhere, the so called ‘John Terry saga’ rears its ugly head yet again. Of course, I am a Chelsea fan. Of course, I do not like the allegations against him, even if they are true. Not that I consider his behavior inspirational. But enough already. Oh yes, the last that the so-called pundits have come up with, is his “factionist” remarks in the press conference, that has (apparently) left all of England seething.

Terry has been called so many names in the last few months that it’s hard to keep track of all his (mis)accomplishments! The latest among these so-called atrocities, is the public claim that Terry made, wanting his (now ex-)Chelsea teammate to get more time  on the field for England than on the bench. Oh yes, what the  World Cup needed was just this. We don’t care about the Anti-Vuvuzela Campaigns, the Anelka-Domenech issue, the French team skipping practice, the Maradonas claiming that they prefer women, the host nation getting knocked out, the North Koreans requesting to be called by their proper names only, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – (but DPR takes so much lesser time to type), the Spanish loss, the German loss, the French loss, and what not.

Not to say England haven’t had their fare share of attention. Two dull draws at the group stages and everyone claims that the multimillionaire boys don’t want to spoil their white kits, with an eye on the pictures in the next day’s papers. What a load of tosh. Of course they are multimillionaires. But they are multimillionaires for a reason – they are among the best at what they do! Look at their qualifying campaign. Anyone who saw England in these matches can be forgiven if he said a month ago that England was going to win this World Cup. The second Golden Generation 34 years, a charm?

B******* Behind the back

Now Terry speaks out his mind to the public about what his team selection would be? Papers and reputed columnists are clamoring for his head. Letters might be on their way to Capello right now pleading him to a Domenech and send Terry the Anelka way. Apparently the so-called Player Power that these guys are used to at the Chelsea club has an effect on how they function while in their respective national jerseys as well. Well then, what about Lampard? Has he been involved in such matters? And Malouda? And Ashley Cole? Next we come to the fact, that TERRY IS NO LONGER THE CAPTAIN OF THE ENGLISH TEAM. Who scored the only goal that the sorry team has on their score sheets? Their new captain, Gerrard. So why the blazes should people pay so much attention and criticism to what Terry says? Oh yes, the oft-floated theory that Terry has not gotten over his demotion from captaincy, and that he will jump to any tactic to gain back his lost power in the dressing room. Well, Terry was sacked months ago! He knew beforehand that he would be sacked! He has still been the captain of his club! He has witnessed history while leading Chelsea FC to a double! Do the theories stand ground now too?

Fabio Capello animated

I loved a comment on a forum not unlike this one. “John Terry does press conference. John Terry says what most of the nation and all the hacks having been saying since Friday. Hacks praise John Terry’s honesty. Everyone goes to bed. Hacks lay in to John Terry for ‘attempted coup’. Sheep-like general public outraged with John Terry. Scapegoat ready in case of bad result on Wednesday.” Sums it up quite nicely, don’t you think? And a nice ring to it, too.

I have always been a fan of John Terry. I would love it if he reads my article! So here goes a personal message from me (and all the other fans) : Mr. Terry, we are delighted to have been brought up watching you play for club and country, putting your heart and soul into the sport, your blood and tears into the fans, and your sweat on the training grounds. But crowd tendencies to point fingers (justified or otherwise) may hurt your overall reputation and stature. Do not let it bother you. Do not give press conferences to air your views, especially if you are not captain. But by all means, use Twitter. (if you ain’t doing so already). Yeah, tweeting has it’s own share of scandals, but at least that forum is personal. Your views can be debated and clarified with you. Not like this, behind your back. Not like this, that leads to the the so-called “disharmony” in the English camp. Not like this, when England need to pull their socks up in the last game of qualifying to avoid going home in what would be a major upset.

P.S – The above article are purely the author’s views. Any comments or debates are more than welcome. The gist of the article is that I am a Chelsea fan, but don’t really care for the latest Terry conference. I do, however, make it a point NOT to go along with the public outcry.

Why Capello should Consider Playing Joe Hart

For all their battle-cries, England have come up short of the expectations of their fans. When England steam-rolled through their qualification rounds, it seemed like they would cruise through the group stages and the early knockout stages at least. And though England were the better side in their opening game against USA, it was, in the end, a disappointing draw.

Joe Hart thumps the air

Now England has never started well in big tournaments, and given the nature of the draw, (read: goalkeeping error), neither the squad nor the manager can really be blamed for the defeat. What was interesting, however, was to see that Green was back to his best in the next training session, not dropping a shot, as he was put through his paces by both James and Hart.

I think a few goalkeepers have made their mark already in this tournament, both positively and negatively. England’s Green and Algeria’s Chaochi seem to have made the biggest mistakes, whereas Nigeria’s Enyeama was outstanding between the posts against Argentina (in spite of a 0-1 loss).

England have had their fair share of controversy, even in the goalkeeping department. Several players and pundits, present and former alike have come to the fore offering their opinions. Of course, given Capello’s mindset, they could well have been blowing in the wind.

Whether Capello should have given his most experienced goalkeeper, James, a place in the starting eleven is debatable. But what I would like to see more than others is for young Joe Hart to be given a shot. I’ll look into a couple of pros and cons to assess if he can fit the bill.

1. Pros:

Joe hart saves

(a) An Excellent Season: Hart, of Manchester City, was on loan to Birmingham City this season. And no doubt, he has impressed everyone with his skills. He was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Season award, along with Rooney and Milner. And although Milner eventually won it, Hart was chosen in the Premier League Team of the Season.

(b) Strong Basics: Although this can be true of any goalkeeper who represents his country at a World Cup, Hart has proven to be exceptionally strong in the air, and also has a brilliant instinct as a short stopper. If not now, at least in the future, he seems to be a sure shot for the England No.1 jersey.

(c) International Experience: Hart has been a regular for the England u-21 squad. He was chosen by Stuart Pearce in the preliminary England Under-21 30-man squad for Euro 2007, and later made the final 23. In the team’s final friendly before the finals, Hart was selected for his first Under-21 start, and played the full 90 minutes in a 5–0 win over Slovakia. He was also first choice for the Euro 2009 finals. In spite of conceding three goals in the semis against Sweden, he turned hero after saving a penalty and scoring one, as England won 5-4.

2. Cons:

Joe Hart

(a) Senior Experience: Though he has international experience, playing at a senior World Cup is a totally different ball game. I expected Capello to play him in dead-rubber matches, and at least a couple of friendlies, but he hasn’t been given those opportunities too often to prove himself. The idea of naming him the squad was to prepare him mentally for the future with the experience gained on the biggest stage.

(b) Starting Issues: If a Birmingham City fan was told at the beginning of the season that Joe hart would be such an important player for them, and even make the World Cup squad, he would not have believed you. Hart’s mistakes early in the season, most notably against Tottenham and Aston Villa, prove that he needs to time to acclimatize with the level of competition well before turning in with some outstanding performances. Though he played a majority of the season extremely well, the first few matches will surely not have missed Capello’s notice.

Capello was found joking of using a 4-3-1 formation, and playing ALL THREE of his goalkeepers at once. And after Green vowed to fight on as a man, it is difficult to see Capello picking anyone else for the next match against Algeria. Surveys, too, showed that the majority of supporters did not blame Green for the mistake.

Hart has himself said that he will be using this tournament to learn for ‘England legend’ David James. Issues have been raised that because of his age and inexperience, Hart might not be as commanding over his defense as he needs to be. But like Alex McLeish, Birmingham’s manager, persisted with Hart after his initial hiccups, and helped him carve a niche for himself, Capello might do well to give the promising youngster an opportunity.

FIFA World Cup Predictions: USA 3-0 England

Shocked? I bet you are.

USA 3-0 England was the scoreline predicted by USA striker Jozy Altidore, to David Beckham, during a Los Angeles Lakers playoff game.

Pulling back the bull?

Altidore was at the game, scheduled to meet NBA superstar Kobe Bryant in the locker room, but saw Beckham in the crowd and decided to indulge in a little trash talk.

“I saw Becks there and I had to go over and tell him what is going to happen in South Africa,” Altidore said in an exclusive interview with Yahoo! Sports. “I made sure he knows how it’s going to be without him playing – USA 3, England 0.

“I was having fun with Becks and talking a bit of trash, and I forgot I was supposed to go to the locker room and meet Kobe.”

Beckham was ruled out of the World Cup when his Achilles snapped, and was devastated at the prospect of missing out on the record of being the first English player in four World Cups.

Altidore, who played for New York Red Bulls before moving to England with Hull City, however, is bullish about his country’s chances at the World Cup. USA has pulled off some amazing performances in the recent past, with their win over favorites Spain, and their narrow defeat in the finals of the Confederations Cup last year, also in South Africa.

"Frank"ly, I am confused!

Altidore was involved in an epic encounter with Beckham’s LA Galaxy, where the Red Bulls edged past 5-4, the striker himself scoring a brace, and Beckham providing three assists. But more recent form suggests that the USA forward might have misplaced his confidence in himself, having appeared for the relegated Hull City in the Premier League, and having only a single goal in 25 appearances for his efforts. Although USA have some important players, most notably Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard apart from Altidore himself, they are nowhere near as high-profile as the stars of the England lineup. Not that Jozy is worried, though.

“We don’t worry too much about names,” Altidore said. “What has happened in the past year has shown us that we don’t need to be afraid of any team, no matter how good they are or what their reputation is.

“That is a big step. To beat these teams you have to believe you can, and to believe you can play at that level too. If you don’t do that when you go out on the field, you will find yourself playing their game, and you have no chance.”

Incidentally, New York Red Bulls might well be the destination of out-of-favor Barcelona striker and France’s striker, Thierry Henry.

USA and England are in the same group, and will face off against each other on June 12th. We’ll just have to wait and see how true Altidore’s comments are.