Falcao can join list of ‘flops’ who haunted England
Colombia may think they are in the easy part of the draw, too
Adnan Januzaj had a big smile on his face and it wasn’t only the experience of his first international goal that had caused it. It wasn’t just what he’d done, but who he did it to that made him happy.
England. The English. The country that had judged him not good enough.
How do you like me now, he seemed to be asking, after inflicting the first competitive defeat of the Gareth Southgate era. He isn’t the first, and might not be the last to return to exact revenge.
Mario Balotelli, Luis Suarez, even Cristiano Ronaldo — all have turned in match-winning performances against England in recent tournaments, motivated by a sense of injustice.
Balotelli was mocked as a loon, Suarez as a cheat — although he was also voted Footballer of the Year — while Ronaldo was initially considered a show pony. One by one they demolished these presumptions.
On Tuesday, England will face a Colombian team that will almost certainly include Radamel Falcao and Juan Cuadrado — two players who may also feel they need to correct a few English misconceptions about their abilities.
‘In the past, in England, I had a lot of criticism,’ said Januzaj. ‘My job was to show the people that I’m here, and I’m very happy I did that with a great goal.’
He most certainly did, although this doesn’t mean the judgements were entirely wrong. Januzaj was lauded as one of the best young players in the Premier League when he first emerged at Manchester United, lost his way under Louis Van Gaal, alienated Jose Mourinho and ended up unable to get a game on loan at doomed Sunderland.
at his best in England, he was an outstanding prospect, but those days did not last anywhere near as long as had been imagined.
Similarly, Falcao’s arrival at Manchester United was greeted with enormous excitement. This was one of Europe’s great strikers, albeit on loan initially, but rated highly enough to command £285,000 a week.
Yet he was also a player only recently recovered from a cruciate knee ligament injury, trying to plot a path back at elite level.
‘ Falcao’s problem,’ said his current manager at Monaco, Leonardo Jardim, ‘wasn’t just his knee, but the fact that he played two seasons in Manchester and then at Chelsea. He tried to carry on playing at a high level even though normally, when you have an injury like that, you stay at your club to come back more quickly. It’s not easy to recuperate and play at the same time.’
Certainly not in the competitive maelstrom of the Premier League. Falcao only started 14 Premier League games for Manchester United and Jose Mourinho was so distressed by the decline of a great player, that he vowed to save Falcao’s career by bringing him to Chelsea.
Ultimately, Mourinho couldn’t even save his own job and was sacked before Christmas, while Falcao started one league game before returning to Monaco.
Visitors to the training ground recall his lonely figure circling the perimeter on endless runs in a bid to rediscover his explosive pace and movement.
Yet while it was impossible in that time to read a headline about Falcao that did not also include the word ‘flop’, his contemporaries liked him. He was a very popular figure at Manchester United where the players felt he worked very hard and had no superstar airs in his interactions in the dressing room. Team-mates at Chelsea vouch for his quality in training, even if it was not converted to opportunities on the pitch.
‘He had a difficult time,’ said England and Chelsea defender Gary Cahill. ‘ But clearly, outside of our country, he’s scored many, many goals. We were on the end of one performance, in the UEFa Super Cup against atletico Madrid.
‘It showed his character when he went back to Monaco to find his form again and now he’s a huge player for them and a proven goalscorer.
‘I’m sure a huge part of the problem at Chelsea was confidence. He had that spell at Manchester United, then he came to us and was short of sharpness both times. I suppose, in his eyes, it’s history now he has rediscovered his form. With us, it was a bit stop- start. Sometimes, you don’t get loads of opportunities, you’re in for one or two games, then you’re out or not on for the full 90 and that was probably his frustration. But t everyone knew his ability. He’s tricky in the box, he likes to come off the shoulder and he’s a good finisher. If he gets half a chance, we saw in training that he normally hits the target.’
That was certainly the case on august 31, 2012, when Falcao scored a 39-minute hat-trick to claim the UEFa Super Cup for atletico Madrid against Chelsea.
Cahill was in opposition that day and John Stones was playing for Manchester City when Falcao scored twice for Monaco in an away y Champions League leg, , including a fabulous chip.
EVEnif Falcao and d England wasn’ t personal, a whiff of f the triumphalist t mood back home might raise e a few eyebrows, not to mention hackles, in the Colombian camp. Curious over- confidence has followed a very mediocre performance in defeat to Belgium.
This is based on the idea that by coming second, England have been diverted to the ‘easy’ half of the draw. Try telling Colombia that they are stepping stones for Southgate and his players to skip over as they march to greater glory.
One back page had Southgate pointing, beneath the headline ‘ This way to the Final’. That Colombia might have something to say about the issue seems not to be considered. another lauded the players for losing, with the message, ‘Well done, lads!’
and while there may be an ironic benefit in defeat, ducking a potential meeting with Brazil in the quarter- finals, it is arrogantly presumptuous to consider Colombia cannon fodder for a rested England starting XI.
as Harry Maguire pointed out, were it not for the third-minute dismissal of midfielder Carlos Sanchez against Japan, Colombia would probably have exited Group H with a maximum nine points.
In defeating Senegal they have overcome an opponent far stronger than any England have faced, considering Belgium played a second XI. Equally, they have a 6ft 5in centre half in Yerry Mina plus davinson Sanchez at the back, so are likely to be less susceptible to England’s set pieces, as meticulously planned as they may be.
So there are considerable caveats to set against the good cheer. If Southgate hoped to be given a selection dilemma by the
performances of individuals in his second string against Belgium, for instance, he will have been frustrated.
Trent Alexander-Arnold had a good full debut, but is not equal to Kieran Trippier as a deliverer of dead balls. Danny Rose was doing well until turned inside out by Januzaj for the goal.
The back three were solid without threatening Southgate’s first choices and those ahead were a disappointment.
Having seen Eric Dier as England’s pivot, there is now greater respect for Jordan Henderson in the role, having seen Marcus Rashford waste chances, the clamour to drop Raheem Sterling might subside.
Fabian Delph is no Jesse Lingard, Jamie Vardy no Harry Kane. Indeed, some of those who played may consider themselves hard done by.
Might Vardy have looked better with some of England’s firstchoice midfielders in support? Brian Clough never forgot that when his son, Nigel, finally got a chance in an England shirt he was paired with John Fashanu in an experiment, not with one of England’s front-line goalscorers.
Unsurprisingly, he failed to impress. Clough senior never quite forgave Bobby Robson for that.
Equally, the rest of the world now knows England’s best XI. Southgate gave it away more conclusively that any snooping reporter or photographer.
England, barring injury or suspension, are the team that started the tournament against Tunisia. What lies beneath is very much second best.
So there it is. Plain sailing from here, apparently. Falcao will surely be just as we remember him, Chelsea reject Cuadrado, too.
A nation that has won a single World Cup knockout game since defeating Denmark in 2002 is heading inexorably for triumph. What could possibly go wrong?
There is, however, one disquieting thought.
Ever considered that Colombia might think they are in the easy part of the draw, too?