It is true to say that no one expects England to win the World Cup next year in Brazil, I am not even convinced they will qualify in the first place, but that’s just me. It is all to easy to blame foreign imports but the facts do not lie. England have won one major tournament….ever! Since the first World Cup in 1930 and the first Euro in 1960 (33 competitions) we have only won the single one, and that was on our own turf.
The Premier League started in 1992 and the influx of foreign players started a little after that. That means England have had eleven tournaments since those foreigners came so by my reasoning they have another eleven tournaments to win just the one and equal the World dominance shown prior to that pesky invasion. Fingers crossed for 2036!
Okay, so I have taken that to the extreme but the fact remains England really have done exactly as England have always done in major competitions, mediocre. The exception of the World Cup win in 66 when have they been in a Final? 1996 we made it to the Euro Semi Final only to lose on penalties to the Germans, again, and in England! The same scenario for the 1990 World Cup, semi final penalty loss to Germany. If England knew how to take penalties maybe they could have won one already, and that doesn’t matter how many non English players you have in your top League.
It could be argued that the dwindling English talent in the Premier League is because they do not groom our youngsters as we should. Surely it is true that quality thrives with competition and mediocrity sinks without a trace? What is the FA Chairman saying they have by trying to eliminate competition?
The real problem is selection. England had no chance of winning the Euros last time out so you would have thought it would have been a great opportunity to get some younger players involved in the senior side and leave some of the older guys out, the ones who will not be around to lift the World Cup in 2022! John Terry, Gerrard, Milner, Lescott and Ashley Cole all in or around the 30 year old mark got four games from four before England were knocked out on penalties. Phil Jagielka got none and he was 30 at the time, what is the point of that? Surely there was a young up and coming defender who could have benefited from the experience? That is not the England way. While those other elder statesmen started every game the ’rare English talent’ which doesn’t get to flourish because of the multi diverse Premier League started half or less. Jordan Henderson, 2 games, Phil Jones and Martin Kelly, 0 games.
The previous World Cup was the same, the youngest squad members? Joe Hart in goal and Aaron Lennon, both 23 years old. Combined minutes played, 153 from a potential 720, and so it goes on throughout the history. Looking at the win in 1966, sure it was on their own ground and they had a sympathetic linesman but what else was about that side. The answer, a balance of youth and experience and players selected who worked as a team not the superstar ‘look-at-me’ players. Rodney Marsh could have made that team but he wasn’t a team player as Manchester City would find out a few years later.
An experienced Gordon Banks and the two Charlton’s were balanced by Alan Ball, recently turned 21 and Jimmy Greaves, now 26 but had World Cup experience from Chile four years prior. The same can be said for Bobby Moore who also went to Chile.
It doesn’t matter what happens with new Premier League rules or quotas. The only thing that will do is slowly deteriorate the prestige of the league. You have to think also that this will increase the price of English players too if they are a ‘must have’. If as a country England are serious with the World Cup win in 2022 then the work must start today and it must include selection to major tournaments, and playing time of our youngsters. However I still think Gerrard, Lampard and the old guard will be there come kick off in Brazil and in 2022 find themselves no closer to a World Cup win than they do today.
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