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.

The Goalkeeper

Ever stood on a freshly watered football ground? The grass smells the best from there, after all. You get down on a knee, and feel the dew in your fingers. Your studs leave skid marks along the greens as you run. You stand up, put on your gloves, and get ready to man the goalposts in the crisp summer morning air. Your sweat smells sweet to you. The shouts of players makes perfect sense to you, as you have the widest perspective of the game on the field from your vantage point. You can make out the other team's strategy, their danger men, and instruct your teammates thus. The swoosh of the ball sounds like a melody which famous musicians long gone used to describe. The smoothness of it all, the beauty of it all, hits you when you suddenly spring to your toes to make a comfortable snatch out of mid air. That's the best part about goalkeeping - the surprised and shocked looks that I get to see on the faces of the strikers - how for a whole glorious moment, he had almost imagined himself whipping off his shirt in celebration - only to see me block his precious effort with a gem of an interception. I never knew you could have so much satisfaction in stealing that glory. In the entire 90 minutes, you have made contact with the ball only maybe a dozen times - but you are still wiping your brows at the end of the psychological strain you have gone through. Among the stifled murmurs and loud breathing, you understand the significance of being the last line of defence - and the first line of offence.