ANALYSIS:I've been around football long enough to know a jaded and heavy-legged team when I see one, writes BRIAN KERR
I WAS in the Stadium of Light at Euro 2004 when England played France. The Barmy Army were all up from the Spanish beaches. Every battalion. When Frank Lampard headed them in front after 38 minutes a thunderous version of Rule Britannia rolled down from the top tier of the stands. Then, in the 90th minute, Zinedine Zidane curled in a beautiful free kick. Three minutes later David James needlessly fouled Thierry Henry in the box and Zidane fired home the penalty. 2-1!
The silence on the packed train back into Lisbon city centre was punctured by the sobbing of two young boys as the white and red of St Georges Crosses ran down their innocent faces. Their glum father turned to them: “You may as well get used to it. It is always the same when we get here.”
Something that always amazed me when we played England at underage tournaments was the number of back-up staff available to the coach. I usually had five. They would have at least doubled that number on the bench. We played them at a couple of different tournaments – in Norway and Cyprus – and their access to man power and specific expertise seemed limitless.
So, the fitness excuse, or lack thereof, doesn’t seem plausible. I have no doubt there are at least two conditioning experts in the England camp, all with up to date knowledge of playing and training at altitude.
That said, I’ve been around football long enough to know a jaded and heavy legged team when I see one.
In Rustenburg, against the USA, they were bad. Back down at sea level in Cape Town last Friday they were embarrassing.
Every excuse that can be made about England crashes against the decent performances of other teams with players based in Europe that have been through similar gruelling domestic and Champions League campaigns.
The first 10 days of this World Cup haven’t been great even if you are a football addict. Too many dull games where defensive rigidity and organisation has nullified attacking teams with superior weapons. Still, I admire the ability of sides like the anonymous North Koreans who made the stars of Brazil work damn hard for three points.
That Switzerland under Ottmar Hitzfeld beat Spain – although they remain my favourite team to watch – wasn’t such a surprise given my experience with them in the 2006 qualifiers. They were underrated back then and have since played five games in World Cup finals without conceding a goal.
In general, goals have been scarce and well below the totals at the same time in previous tournaments.
At least we are starting to see an increase in risk and adventure as teams scrap to make it into the next round – see Denmark and Cameroon having a right go at it, while the Australians had to open up against Ghana.
Wayne Rooney is the biggest disappointment (not that anyone is passing the ball to him) but many of the expected stars have failed to sparkle, apart from Messi and Tevez. We have seen the emergence of others like Ozil and Muller for the Germans, Di Maria of Argentina and Kjaer, the young centre back for Denmark.
Some might dismiss the importance of tactics but a specific game plan, and alternative should it fail, is vital in the international modern game. Even teams with the most talented players can’t just go out and play without any direction or shape. There is a clarity to Argentina’s approach, for example, with Javier Mascherano staying put in front of the back four.
Of the big six – Brazil, Spain, Argentina, Italy, Germany and England – only the South Americans can feel assured about making the knock-out stages. The best of the rest? The Netherlands, Uruguay and Chile have looked promising.
It is England’s troubles that intrigue the most. It all looked so straight forward but they must now beat a Slovenia team that are better than the USA and Algeria.
Like everyone else I’m baffled by their performances, although we have seen it all before. Just when England seem to have all the pieces of the jigsaw in front of them they go and break the legs of the table, scattering them all over the floor.
They have a tough disciplinarian in charge who refuses to indulge the Premier League stars or their wags (although the FA have indulged David Beckham’s fading brand with a matching suit and a perch on Fabio Capello’s shoulder).
Capello’s nine titles in 16 years at AC Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus, along with a Champions League with Milan, entitles him to believe he knows best.
If he can’t find the miracle cure for England, who can? The problems appear to start with his much-vaunted players.
The boys on that Portuguese train are teenagers by now. They might even be in South Africa without their Dad but last Friday they would have understood what he meant six years ago. It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there.
