Losing ugly

Autumn blues

There has been a lot of negative press about the autumn international for England, but overall, it probably isn't as bad as everyone says. Yes, there were some disappointing results, but these were against the best two teams in the world. And even with these results, the team were probably not performing at their best - largely due to a misfiring 10, 12 channel, which was swiftly rectified with George Ford entering the fray, and Twelvetrees returning to the inside centre role. But the most important news is that, even when slightly off colour, the team almost managed to scrape out a win - they are only four points of improvement away from that most valuable of skill...winning ugly. For the moment, we'll just have to be satisfied with (just) losing ugly - but it shoes that with a few senior players returning and a bit more movement along the learning curve and this England team can really be something special. How long this takes is a different question - Clive Woodward took two attempts at the World Cup to develop the hard edge necessary to win the world cup. Plus, New Zealand are probably still within their 8 year winning cycle (as seen by international teams such as France and Spain in football) - so on balance of probabilities, its likely that we'll have to wait until 2019 for an England world cup win, which is why the RFU's decision to offer long-term contracts to the coaching team was such a good one. That's not to say we shouldn't hope for an England world cup win next year (it's certainly possible), but we should also be realistic and not overreact if there isn't the win that everyone is hoping for...

Tackle technique

The modern game has changed tackling technique from when I was younger. The idea of keeping your head out of the way to protect it from damage has been jettisoned with the need to stop the opposition at all costs. But perhaps this will change with the concussion rules, which are being admirably used (the only concern is what it has been like for the last 10 years or so). More and more players are being lost from games and kept out of matches to protect them from concussion damage - so coaches may start telling players to be more careful in the tackle in order to keep them in games for longer. I hope this will be the case - because looking after players' mental health really is more important than winning games.

More swearing please

The England team have restored the faith of their supporters. Well, they haven't gone that far perhaps (let's be realistic, this is a good Swiss team, but it is their first competitive game under new management), but this was certainly the best performance in a long time, with aggression and commitment not seen since before the world cup. Perhaps most promisingly, England have come across a style of play which is naturally suited to the English players. Learning from France's demolition of Switzerland during the world cup, Roy Hodgson and his team had prepared with a view to hitting the Swiss on the counter attack - and it worked, with England's two goals coming from swift attacks on the break. While this is clearly a weakness of the Swiss team, it is a style of play well suited to this team, with pace in abundance (imagine when Walcott is back in the team) and the players brought up on the fast action and end to end football of the premier league.

While in the past, the press has lamented the absence of 'technical' players capable of controlling the game from an advanced position up the pitch, a focus on passing out of defence , rather than relying on the long ball is much more critical. In Spain, youngsters are forced to pass out of defence, this kind of training for England's young players wouldn't mean that they have to practice tiki taki football - but it could be combined with the English preference for fast direct football with powerful effect.

The only problem with adopting such a counterattacking style, is what to do when the opposition don't play fair, and also sit back and defend, such as during the Norway game. Then the players need to be able to adapt and adopt different ways to get the ball in the back of the net, which can only come from leadership on the pitch to communicate a required change.

Finally, a big well done is due to the Arsenal players who appeared in Stonewall's rainbow laces advert (in partnership with a major bookmaker). It was funny, self-deprecating and for a very good cause. And, given footballs perceived hostility to the gay community, a brave decision for them to be involved. While its painful to promote a bookmaker, posting this link is more than worth it.

Five steps to mending English football

The build up to this summer’s world cup was the first time that I can remember there being a complete absence of hope or expectation of success for England’s football team, as years of underperformance at the highest level finally took their toll on weary English fans. And yet, remarkably, the England team somehow still managed to perform below expectations, with three uninspiring performances against teams that did not make it much further in the tournament themselves. What is even more remarkable is that there has been very little soul searching following this dismal tournament, indicating that there is an acceptance that this is just the way things are, and we are not likely to be able to change it for the better. This blogger disagrees and the following article sets out five simple steps to restore some pride to the English national team.

1)     A captain to set the tone

First things first, the England team is now without a captain, and this provides an ideal opportunity for a implement a short-term fix and set the tone for the future development of the team. Candidates for the role are thin on the ground, but two names have been mentioned in particular - Wayne Rooney and Joe Hart. While Wayne Rooney has the experience and star player status, his well publicised inability to perform at the highest level should surely count against him. And one would assume his ability to be an inspirational leader is limited to leading through his performances on the pitch, the ability of the captain to enhance the performance of the team would be held hostage to Rooney's form and confidence. He is also too closely linked to the poor performances of the team over recent years, and overlooking him should be a key symbol that players will no longer be able to expect selection as a right, regardless of their performances for the team.

Joe Hart represents a much surer choice. Although, as goalkeeper, he is distanced from his teammates on the pitch, he is the one player who seemed to demonstrate any passion for playing for England - simply having the captain belting out the national anthem (he was the only player to do so with any kind of gusto at the world cup), sets the tone for the other, younger, players to really relish having the opportunity to represent their country. Also, as a relatively new member of the squad, he is protected from links to the perennially underachieving 'golden generation' - breaking from the past should be a critical aim for the future development of the team.

But most importantly, because of the consistently lacklustre performances by a team full of multi-millionaire players who are brought up expecting success, returning passion and motivation to the England team should be a key goal for the England team. This is why Joe Hart gets my vote for Captain.

2)     Actions, not words – start training coaches

After the French team flourished 15 years ago, much was made of the success that stemmed from their national training centre which allowed the national team members to train together, with the best possible facilities, from a young age – creating a group of technically sound players who knew each other well and could play as a team.

And now with Germany's re-emergence as a dominant force in world football, there has been much written and spoken about the number of qualified coaches that they have across the country, serving not only the elite footballers, but right across all levels of grass roots football (Germany - 34,970, Italy - 29,420, Spain - 23,995, France - 17,588, England - a paltry 2,769). This creates greater competition in all parts of the game and improves the chance that we will have more Englishmen managing top teams in the country. And if two minds are better than one, what better than having tens of thousands of trained coaches in the country to create new ideas of training players to higher and higher standards.

The FA has the resources, it has the facilities (especially now St George's park has finally arrived), and it should now make a bold statement of exceeding all other countries in training new coaches. And once we have reached parity in this field, we should stop being the country chasing the pack and start leading the field by creating our own higher level diploma of coaching - the PhD equivalent of football coaching, so we become the envy of the world when it comes to coaching knowledge and expertise.

3)     Expand coverage on free-to-view television

I'm not naive enough to suggest that we should return all domestic football to free-to-view television is the best route forward - the financial meltdown of the premier league is in no-one's interest - but there has to be some benefits to increasing access to watching the highest quality football in the country. And there are benefits for the  broadcaster brave enough to be innovative in this area, particularly given the now competitive environment of football broadcasting, following BT's entry into the market. For example, if BT sport were to combine with ITV to co-host the opening fixture of the year, they would increase goodwill whilst simultaneously advertising their product at the start of the season when the fight for new customers is at its most intense.

Another area that should be targeted is giving the terrestrial coverage a bit more scope to improve their coverage. With Match of the Day fast becoming an irrelevant side show, providing a bit more time (maybe later in the week) to go into greater depth of high quality analysis of the games would help improve understanding of the game to a wider audience.

4)     Reconnect clubs with ordinary fans

If you want to go and watch premier league football as a family day out - you're going to struggle. First you've got to get hold of the tickets, which is no walk in the park, in one of the most popular leagues in the world, particularly at the big clubs. And then you've got to have the financial firepower to be able to buy four tickets at exorbitant prices. Requiring clubs to make all but the most expensive tickets available at affordable prices would help strengthen ties of the clubs with their fans, regardless of their wealth. Surely the riches being offered by television money means that the clubs can be a bit more benevolent when it comes to ticket prices (and they can continue to try to make as much money as possible from corporate and in-stadium activities as they want)?

5)     Create more rounded footballers

Professional footballers increasingly have to sacrifice so much in the pursuit of success that they are disconnected from the rest of the world. Exposing the players to other parts of society and life is good for the well being of the players who don't make it to the top, but also to those who eventually commit to football full-time. Requiring young players to have 6 month exchanges at clubs' academies abroad, where they stay with a host family and are required to learn the local language is just one way where they can learn a skill whilst also furthering their footballing education. This exposure to other cultures will also make the players better suited to travelling abroad for international tournaments.

Five steps and its not rocket science to do any of them - but they won't count for anything unless they are acted upon swiftly, and if people have the patience to stick with them over a 5-10 year period until they pay-off. There are no quick wins to becoming world leaders and every year the powers that be need to identify more steps like these to keep the English game moving forward. The inertia of the past is the biggest threat to a continually under-performing England team...

The nicknames of yore

The six nations is nearly upon us and your blogger is incredibly excited. The sporting competition which defines this part of the year is about to give us our weekend entertainment fix. The build up, the analysis, the matches themselves. And, of course, the nostalgia - reliving the great tries and teams of yesteryear. Misty eyed old codgers (your blogger included) will dream of the romanticism and innocence (well, sort of= of the amateur era. If only the modern pros would try to emulate their predecessors a bit more. And with Stuart Lancaster trying to instill this sense of history and pride into his team, perhaps he should consider getting his forwards to start coming up with nicknames like they used to in the old days - Mick 'the munch' Skinner, 'Iron' Mike Teague and Brian 'Pitbull' Moore spring to mind. It would certainly add a bit more colour than the Woodsey, Robbo and Lawsey that are probably being used currently, and would keep us old codgers happy too...

Criticisms coming thick and fast for England team at 2012, but surely it's too early to judge?

My first reaction was: Really? Already? 

Seeing Roy Hodgson already being labelled as being the wrong man for the job after just one game in charge is a little hard to stomach. Is it really necessary for the UK press to round on people so quickly? That the over-quoted and tedious argument of 4-4-2 being 'too rigid' is used as one of the primary explanations behind this analysis, particularly when no-one even takes the effort to explain exactly why it is too rigid (and there are a decent number of decent reasons to those willing to expand on their arguments), preferring to just throw the phrase about as a piece of accepted wisdom, only serves to irritate further.

I know I hark on about this endlessly, but when a manager gets plunged into the deep end, with only the briefest of preparation time ahead of one of the most challenging tournaments around, is it really fair to expect a fluidity of play reminiscent of Barcelona in their pomp? Surely pragmatism is perfectly justified in such a situation and the result yesterday (with Andy Carroll more than justifying his selection) will thankfully go at least some way to silencing those critics for the moment.

And let's face it - England has never produced football teams and players of the Spanish mould, so why not concentrate on what we do best? Scandinavian teams have always been content to play to their strengths (well organised, hard working teams) and have had decent enough success doing so with much more limited resources than England has at their disposal. Do German teams seek to emulate the current world champions or simply carry on forging the best systems and teams that their own unique system can deliver? Please let's give Roy Hodgson the benefit of the doubt for the moment and analyse his performance on a more solid base of results, as that will be the only true measure of whether the culture he is creating (and he will need more time to do so) is the right one for England.

Support for future legacy tournaments

The Times also had an article (reference missing unfortunately) suggesting that in the future, countries like Poland and Ukraine shouldn't have the opportunity to create a legacy from hosting such international tournaments, based largely on the fact that the reporter had to spend the night sitting on the floor in a train. While I'm willing to grant that the logistics around this tournament are unlikely to smoothly deal with the influx of football fans - having seen first hand the pride of local fans and startling development in facilities that has been created in Poland, I'm willing to sacrifice a night of comfort of a journalist who has probably one of the most enjoyable and privileged jobs in the world, in return for this legacy (and its a rare day when I will support a decision by UEFA or FIFA!).

Euro2012 Predictions

With the first round of matches out the way, it seems like a good time to make some, most likely wildly innacurate, predictions. Here are my top 3 teams to win the tournament:

Germany - a good win against Portugal by a team largely made up of Bayern Munich players, still smarting from the Chelsea defeat in the Champions League final, suggests that this is a cohesive and driven team.

Italy - A draw against the World Champions suggest that, as with the last time that allegations of corruption erupted in Italian football, this is a team which performs best when they have their backs against the wall.

England - A selection based more on hope than judgement. Fingers crossed that the lack of weight of expectation on this England team allows them to perform to their very best.

International selection and availability top of the agenda

It doesn't seem to matter what the sport is - there are selection controversies affecting national coaches across the country. So let's try to break it down into manageable chunks:

Rugby

This most surprising of all twists and turns of the past week comes from Rugby Union, where former England coach Andy Farrell has resigned from Saracens. Having earlier turned down a permanent coaching post with England in order to remain with Saracens, there seems to have been a change of heart and he will now serve out the rest of his time with Saracens. With the era of intrigue at the RFU seemingly, hopefully, at an end (although it appears Martyn Thomas is continually trying to drag the RFU back to the bad old days as he is considering issuing a writ against his former employees), there has also been no suggestion that Andy Farrell has been recently courted by the England camp to review his decision. Only time will tell if his intention is to return to the international fold (did the end of this season with Saracens fail to live up to the excitement of being involved with the England team?) - but he would certainly make an impressive appointment to join England as defensive coach (and Stuart Lancaster has indicated he'd be happy to have Farrell join his team), freeing up Mike Catt to take on a specialist attacking role.

Football

Meanwhile, the England football team's preparation ahead of Euro 2012 has ignited the nation's press into action - moving swiftly from mild disinterest in a team with modest ambitions to full scale scandal alert following Roy Hodgson's failure to invite Rio Ferdinand and Micah Richards up to the national squad following the injury which sidelined Gary Cahill. The Rio Ferdinand situation is a real can of worms and the only surprise is that it took this long for it to blow up into a full media frenzy. It appears that Hodgson decided that he could only take one of them to Krakow for the tournament as the alternative would be to have a divided camp which would make a successful tournament nigh on impossible. He then made the decision to pick Terry as the player in better form and, having made this decision, is unable now to select Ferdinand barring an injury to Terry himself. The explanation given that his non-selection was therefore a half-truth, as he would have been selected if he had been judged to be playing better than Terry. And for all the rights and wrongs of this course of action, at least it has the advantage of limiting the number of senior players travelling to the tournament and allowing a few younger players to get some experience of losing playing on the international stage. However, the final comment should go to Rio himself - he can certainly be applauded for (eventually) backing the team despite his omission.

The Micah Richards plot line is also a complicated one. Having first apparently turned down the opportunity to join the standby list in a fit of pique, it was then reported that he asked not to be included because he was so devastated at having been left out. It seems a strange reaction to say the least (particularly given the likelihood of injuries giving the standby list players a fairly strong chance of getting into the squad) and one hopes that in the future players take heed from this episode and always keep themselves open for national selection - short of injury concerns, surely any opportunity to join the national squad should be accepted regardless of perceived snubs or disappointments?

Cricket

And finally to cricket - the England squad has suffered a mixture of players disappointed at being rested by management against their wishes and another choosing to rest himself against the wishes of management. While the decision to rest Jimmy Anderson and possibly Stuart Broad seems a wise one given the amount of cricket that is stacked up ahead of them, it is also encouraging to see how hungry both players are to get caps and wickets for England. However, it's likely that this disappointment will pass once they're (almost certainly) reinstated to the team for the South Africa tests. And although some fans may be disappointed not to see the best available team for England play at Edgbaston, at least they will be hardly short changed with some superb replacements available and, in the very worse case, a lower standard performance should, all other things being equal, make for a closer match.

Meanwhile, Kevin Pietersen has retired from all short forms of cricket at international level, citing the need to preserve his fitness to compete in the Test side. Now while he has had a number of injuries affect his career, he appears to be in good shape and doesn't suffer the pressures on the body experienced by fast bowlers to require such caution at the age of 31. However, it would be unfair to label it as being purely financially motivated to enable him to be free to play in the IPL, rather, I would imagine, it is a decision based on the desire to perform more regularly on what is perceived as the biggest, most prestigious, stages - that is Test cricket for England and international Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL.

It seems that the most obvious conclusion from these developments is that the one day format is under increasing pressure - if there was a focus purely on Twenty20 and Test cricket, this would lower the demands put on players in terms of volume of cricket and allow players to concentrate on the most popular (and, admittedly, lucrative) forms of the game.