THE VIEW FROM ABROAD — What do our opponents think is wrong with England?
The view from GERMANY
RAPHAEL HONIGSTEIN Author of ‘Das Reboot: How German Football Reinvented Itself And Conquered The World’ and the forthcoming biography of Jurgen Klopp THE players lack passion and pride for their country. They’re far too well-paid by their clubs to run their socks off for the national team. They’re too soft and too nice. And there are no natural leaders in the dressing room. Sound familiar?
Germany faced all these accusations at the turn of the century but basically they had stopped producing quality players. The lesson of Germany’s rejuvenation is to never forget the fundamentals. A strong collective game will succeed but pinning your hopes on a succession of individual saviours won’t.
Also, English players are not encouraged to think about the game (or anything else for that matter) and so seem lost when it comes to dealing with the unforeseen. Gareth Southgate’s side need to learn to trust themselves and their plan. Whether he’s the right man to deliver that tactical stability remains to be seen, however.
HOPES FOR 2018? England make light work of the group stage with attractive football and get eliminated by one of the big nations in an edgy quarterfinal. After Iceland last year and the shambolic Brazil campaign, it will feel like a step towards a brighter future.
The view from SPAIN
GUILLEM BALAGUE Author of ‘Brave New World’ with Mauricio Pochettino, out this month THE first error is to talk of failure. That word suggests the flip side of a coin, the other one being success, as if they were the only two ways possible. It creates something that for me is key: fear.
A boy at 16, the age academies release players, is in fear of being told he is not good enough for the game. In search of success, scouts and clubs look for the stronger young players; the tallest. Intelligence in teenage footballers has not got the relevance it should have in the eyes of those who choose who should be a professional. So football has rejected some of the talent that would improve English football. Add to this the necessity to improve coaching. There is too much obsession about earning money from it, and not enough for the most important words in football: process and learning.
HOPES FOR 2018? If people forget about winning and try to enjoy the journey, they might be in for a surprise with a young, exciting England team having the best tournament in decades.
The view from FRANCE
JULIEN LAURENS London-based football journalist for Le Parisien EVERY two years with major tournaments, it is the same. England crash out early or get beaten by the likes of Iceland.
The main reason is the absence of a winter break, especially with how intense the Premier League is. The season gets so long, so demanding and so hard that when the players arrive at the World Cup in June, they cannot be physically and mentally at their best.
The Premier League is also harming the national team because of the number of foreign players and the lack of opportunities for younger players. It means that England managers don’t have the depth of squad that countries such as France, Germany or Spain have. I also think that the FA have picked the wrong managers for too long: Steve McClaren, Fabio Capello, Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce were all the wrong choices. The jury is out on Gareth Southgate but I am sceptical as well. HOPES FOR 2018? I haven’t seen much improvement since Euro 2016. The quarter-finals have to be the objective but the last 16 is most likely.
The view from NORWAY
JAN AAGE FJORTOFT Played in England’s World Cup 2-0 qualifying defeat by Norway in 1993 THIS is what we know: Germany win World Cups for fun. England don’t. Germany always get better after pre-camps, England don’t. So before we have the big discussion of numbers of quality players, we should start with preparation. Are the staff and players working enough on details? Before the World Cup in 2010, England tried out the new ball a few sessions before the tournament, Germany started six months before. And when was the last time you saw a German player sunburned at a pre-camp. Of course — NEVER. And England, well...
HOPES FOR 2018? I expect England to have a realistic approach to the World Cup. Just make sure a solid defence can be the foundation. Kane needs to be the match-winner.
English players are not encouraged to think about the game, or anything else for that matter