Euro 2012 day eight: what we've learned

England has a team to be proud of again


Two summers ago, Wayne Rooney stormed off the pitch after a dismal England performance against Algeria, and angrily criticised his own fans to a waiting camera. A few days later England were on their way home from the World Cup, following a humiliating 4-1 defeat to arch rivals Germany. The fans were angry not upset; the press bayed for blood; the players hid from the spotlight. It's hard to imagine a time when the national team's popularity was lower.

Fast forward to Kiev in 2012 and after a nervy 3-2 victory over Sweden, England might just have won back the hearts of those same supporters that had seemingly deserted them after the South Africa debacle. For whilst England were far from perfect last night, they played with a spirit and determination that can only be admired.

Let's not pretend that this is anything but an average England squad. It doesn't have the star names of squads from yesteryear, and the young players it includes are promising without creating the kind of hype that Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney's inclusion in previous squads did. The manager, Roy Hodgson, has been in the job a matter of weeks and was recruited from mid-table West Brom, not head-hunted from one of Europe's premier clubs. But with expectations uncharacteristically low, England - as demonstrated last night - are punching their weight in an international tournament for the first time since perhaps Euro '96.

It was by no means a perfect performance - Hodgson will surely have been disappointed with the manner in which the goals were conceded - but the victory over Sweden should be celebrated, rather than a cause for concern. England scored three goals - something in itself many thought beyond them - but the telling factor was the quality of those goals. Have you seen a better header in this tournament than Andy Carroll's? A sweeter strike than Theo Walcott's? Or a more incisive move finished off with a piece of individual brilliance than Danny Welbeck's? And there was potential for more too, with Steven Gerrard prevented from scoring a great counter-attacking goal only by a superb save from Isaksson. 

Of course, the team looked far from assured at the back, but you only have to go back to the France game a few days ago for evidence that England can be solid and stubborn when they need to be. We should not dwell on the negatives. Instead, we should praise the team - and Hodgson - for the verve with which they attacked, the spirit they showed to battle back from going 2-1 down and, whisper it, the manner in which the players are conducting themselves with a sense of togetherness that was clearly lacking in South Africa.

The anger directed at England after South Africa and the indifference shown since can at last be replaced by pride. This England team may not go very far in this tournament, but it as least one the supporters can get behind and be proud to support. We have our England back.

Euro 2012 day three: what we've learned

And so the first weekend of Euro 2012 is over and thankfully, we're not bemoaning the lack of attacking football from the opening games as we were in South Africa two years ago. But apart from the fact that international teams have remembered how to attack again, what have we learned from the opening day of Group C?

Spain are beatable
There, I said it. Sorry to broadcasters across the world, but this Spanish team can be got at and Italy probably should have taken all three points today. The Italians are not fancied by many but today they were excellent both technically and tactically, and for long periods, Spain struggled to handle them. That difficulty was caused by Spain's tactical arrogance of playing six midfielders and no centre forward, which played into the Italians' hands. 

What was Del Bosque thinking? Call me paranoid, but I genuinely believe it was a move of bravura to demonstrate the fluidity of his Spanish team; to show they can easily do without such conventions as strikers, and will punish anyone that crosses their path with a blitz of short passing and rapid movement; 'we're Spain, come and have a go if you think you're hard enough'. It didn't work. Instead, it afforded Daniele de Rossi all the time in the world to spray the ball left and right, and to feed the imperious Andrea Pirlo. It will be interesting to see if we see the 4-6 formation again. I suspect not....

Andrea Pirlo is still class
Last summer Andrea Pirlo was seen as surplus to requirements at Milan. A club legend maybe, but everyone's time comes to an end and it was felt Pirlo's star was on the wane. But after winning Serie A with Juventus last season and today's brilliant performance, it's clear that there is still life in those twinkled toes of the Italian playmaker. 

Today's display of passing, pressing and maturity - his decision making nearly always spot on - was as good as I've seen from a central midfielder so far in this tournament, and we're in for a treat if we see a better one. The man oozes class and is exactly the calming influence that England don't have, nor have they ever had. He was a joy to watch against a fantastically talented Spanish midfield, and could be the key to Italy going further in this tournament than most of us imagined.

Ireland are out of their depth
As in, completely out of their depth. No pace, no subtlety and on the evidence of today's game against Croatia, absolutely no chance of going through to the knockout stages. 

Perhaps I'm being harsh on a team that draws most of its players from the lower reaches of the Premier League and the Championship, but their approach to today's game - knocking it long and hoping to win enough set pieces to nick a goal - seemed like something from another age. They struggled to keep the ball throughout the game and never really looked like getting much out of the game - bar a few corners. Simon Cox and Shane Long injected a bit of pace late on, and have to start in their next game if they are to improve on today's showing.

Peter Drury should not be allowed to commentate ever again
"Ireland's sheet has been stained". We all heard it, but let's close our eyes and remember the days when Brian Moore commentated on ITV and forget it ever happened eh? Please? Thank you.

Euro 2012 day one: what we've learned

Russia look quite good

Ok so admittedly the Czech Republic were pretty poor, but few can deny that Russia were very impressive in tonight's 4-1 victory. Arshavin looked interested for about the first time since the last European Championships, and Pavluchenko showed that he still possesses a hammer of a right-foot. Interestingly, the Russian team also included a player with "Alan" as a first name - something not even England have this year. We'll see if Alan and his mates are the real deal when they come to play one of the lucky two to emerge from the group of death.

Czech Republic look quite rubbish

A few bright spells excepted, the Czech's were pedestrian in pace and beige in creativity. Tomas Rosicky tried to influence the game, but with only the once-again-as-always-awful Milan Baros to aim for, his passes rarely found a worthwhile target. Surely they have someone other than Baros to try out up front? Surely? If not, they could well be making the short trip home at the end of the group stage.

Poland look ok, nothing more, nothing less

At times in the first half of today's game, they certainly looked like they could be more than ok, but they lost their way and seemed reliant on the partizan crowd being in full voice to really make them play. They will probably have to play better than they did today to have any chance against Russia, but they have some talented players - notably Lewondowski - and could well make it through to the quarters. It's difficult to see the co-hosts going further than that though.

Greece look a bit boring

Ok so they woke up in the second half when they needed to, but seldom have I seen such a negative start to a tournament. It's as if they were a caged animal that needed to be prodded with a big Polish stick in order to be brought into action. Even then their response was hardly one to strike fear into Russia or the Czechs. Actually, the Czechs will probably be scared of their own shadows after tonight. Much improvement needed if they're to go through.

And so day one is over with the group of death's first games to come tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who draws first blood, as a positive result in either game will set the group up nicely. Is it too much to ask for Cristiano Ronaldo to turn up to a tournament as well?

England to benefit as Neville swaps studio for the dugout

As the blue half of Manchester continues to celebrate its first top flight championship for 44 years, one of the red half’s greatest servants will be excused for pouring himself an oddly-timed celebratory drink tonight: step forward England’s new coach, Gary Neville.

In all the hysteria following one of the most dramatic final days of a football season in history, the appointment of Gary Neville as part of Roy Hodgson’s permanent coaching staff has gone relatively unnoticed. For those that have had the decency to pick up on the FA’s announcement, surprise seems to be the most common reaction. 

Surprise as Neville was settling in well to his role as a pundit at Sky, and had impressed many with his tactical acumen, forthright opinions and his completely unexpected willingness to criticise his beloved Manchester United. He seemed to be revelling in the role, and a certainty to be the long-term successor to Andy Gray as the network’s chief co-commentator.

But with his coaching badges completed and a burning desire to be involved in the cut and thrust of the game rather than the gloss and pomp of the TV studio, Neville clearly had other ideas. He apparently bit the FA’s hand off - not literally, that would be too eager - when offered a job as part of Roy Hodgson’s coaching staff, in what could yet prove to be the smartest move Hodgson makes as England boss.

Although Neville has no real coaching experience so to speak, he has all the other attributes one could hope for in an international coach. With 85 caps, he has international experience in abundance. His involvement in World Cup and European Championship squads will be invaluable both in Poland and Ukraine, and hopefully Brazil and France in 2014 and 2016 too. As captain of United and at times England, he is one of the game’s most passionate leaders of recent times. And as he has shown through his work at Sky, he is more tactically astute than most of us would have expected.

But I’m sure there will be many England fans that find it nigh on impossible cheer Neville’s appointment, for as a player, he was also one of the most divisive players of the Premier League era. Divisive is putting it kindly perhaps; most non-Manchester United-supporting fans simply despise him.

Why such hatred for a man that always served his country with such passion and skill? Well, Neville would - or at least should - be the first to admit that he hasn’t always helped himself: there was the celebration in front of the Liverpool fans in 2006; his role in organising an ill-fated England players’ strike in the wake of Rio Ferdinand’s suspension following a missed drugs test; and of course, that pathetic attempt at growing a moustache. Football fans can be forgiving folk, but they don’t take abysmal facial hair lightly.

But over the last year, Neville seems to have won over certain sections of the supporters that disliked him as a player. His even-handed analysis on Sky has certainly helped, whilst his infamous ‘goalgasm’ when commentating on Fernando Torres’ goal at the Nou Camp has gone down in TV football history. He is also a genuinely entertaining user of Twitter, unlike many of the players and ex-players that dominate timelines of football supporters up and down the country. It seems Neville has demonstrated possession of something few of us thought he ever had: a personality. 

It is that personality, that experience of tournament football and those unrivalled leadership qualities that means Neville can be a huge asset to Hodgson’s team - regardless of his coaching inexperience. He will not be there to lead the coaching - Hodgson has more than enough of his own experience and ability to do that - he will be there as a confidant of the players; someone they know has been there and seen it all, yet also understands the demands and pressures of modern football. He will help rouse the squad when the pressure is on and perhaps the odds are stacked against them. He will also defend them to the hilt in the face of any criticism; something that Sven and Don Fabio were never really able to do.

As a player Neville was never the lead star. He was always part of an impressive supporting cast to stars such as Beckham, Ronaldo and Rooney, but played just an important role. This summer, he will once again be joining the ensemble rather than grabbing the headlines himself, but it remains the case that with everything he has to offer, he could yet prove to be England’s shining light.  

The 23 players Hodgson must put his trust in

With less than a month to go until Euro 2012 starts, the competing nations have begun to announce the squads of 23 players they hope can take them all the way to the final in Kiev on 1 July.

Germany have announced theirs (frighteningly good), Ukraine have done theirs (one cap between three goalkeepers) and France have sort of done theirs (only the foreign-based players have been confirmed so far). This week the FA confirmed the England squad for the tournament - and Hodgson’s first as England manager - will be revealed on Wednesday.

Who will make Hodgson's 23?

Now I know what a tough task Roy Hodgson has on his hands: it seems like he’s been in the job only a matter of hours, and already he has to pick a squad that will play under the weight of the obligatory unrealistic expectations of the nation’s public. So to give Roy a hand, I’ve given him some food for thought by picking my suggested 23 for Poland and Ukraine:

Goalkeepers

Joe Hart
Undisputed number one and will go into the tournament on the back of a fine season, with potentially a champions medal around his neck by Sunday evening.

Robert Green
Has fully bounced back from his horror show in South Africa and has been consistently good since. A decent back up for Hart.

Scott Carson
It’s slim pickings for English goalkeepers beyond Hart and Green, particularly with Foster and Robinson unlikely to play for their country again.

Defenders

Ashley Cole
One of England’s most consistent performers and despite a wobbly start to the season, has been in sensational form during Chelsea’s unlikely march to the Champions League final.

Joleon Lescott
Often the choice of Roberto Mancini to partner captain Vincent Kompany in Manchester City’s defence, Lescott has had a solid season and can also operate at left-back should Cole be unavailable.

Gary Cahill
Still not convinced he is rock solid positionally, but can certainly play with the ball at his feet and dangerous in the opposition’s box as well.

John Terry
The man everyone outside of west London loves to hate, Terry will almost certainly start in the opener against France despite a shaky end to the season and rumours that he’s unpopular in the dressing room.

Rio Ferdinand
Big question marks over his fitness in recent seasons, but is enjoying a good run of games and brings vital tournament experience to the squad. Still a class act when fit.

Phil Jones
Has experienced an up and down season, with some great early performances but not enough games in any one position for him to settle properly. Young, versatile and energetic though; he has a lot to offer.

Glen Johnson
An under-appreciated talent who often seems to be Liverpool’s stand-out player in what is increasingly an average side. Dangerous in attack, generally solid for England and can play left side if needed too.

Kyle Walker
The PFA Young Player of the Year fully deserved his award and not looked out of place in his early appearances for England. His pace is a huge asset going forwards and backwards.

Midfielders

Scott Parker
The most recent captain of England and strong contender for the role during Euro 2012, Parker is up there with the best anchors around and keeps the ball brilliantly. Should be a certain starter.

Gareth Barry
Seems a long time ago that the nation sweated on his fitness for South Africa, but he is one of the more intelligent users of the ball we have and is in good form. 

James Milner
No longer the wide man he used to be and now more a reliable up and downer. Is that what England needs? In an otherwise one-paced midfield, I’d suggest it is at least a good option.

Steven Gerrard
Remains a shame that his talents have often been wasted by England managers, intent on shifting him to the left or right side of midfield. Perhaps on the wane, but still has a lot to offer and likely to start.

Frank Lampard
Written off at the start of the season, he is another of the Chelsea players that seems to have been rejuvenated in recent months. Not always great for England, but will be on the plane for sure.

Ashley Young
When he isn’t diving, young can be devastatingly dangerous. Great set piece taker and also chips in with his fair share of goals. Would like to see him tried in a floating role.

Adam Johnson
Not had much of a look in at City this season, but still remains England’s best left-sided midfielder for years. Always good for England and can often be the key to unlock stubborn defences.

Theo Walcott
Major doubts over his fitness, but if he can get fully fit, he will deserve his place on the plane. Clearly hasn’t fulfilled his potential, but pace is frightening and has certainly matured this season.

Forwards

Wayne Rooney
Despite being suspended for the first two games, Rooney has to go. Despite a suspect temperament, he is England’s talisman and still our only genuinely world class player.

Andy Carroll
Over-priced? Definitely, but also under-used. Carroll has shown in recent weeks that there is a top footballer somewhere inside him, and Hodgson should use him as his go-to ‘big man’.

Daniel Sturridge
At times this season, has threatened to look a real star. He’s inconsistent a little too self-assured, but is also very talented and is worth having as an option to play off a front man.

Jermain Defoe
Wouldn’t have made this list had Bent been fit, but the Aston Villa’s injury means Hodgson is clutching at straws for another striker deserving of a place. Defoe remains a sharp finisher though.

So there we have it, my England squad for Euro 2012. In short, it looks strong at the back, robust but a little unimaginative in midfield and worryingly light up front. Sound familiar?

All we are saying is....give Roy a chance

New England boss, Roy Hodgson

The appointment of Roy Hodgson as the next England manager proves two things: firstly, the FA are clearly not swayed by popular opinion; and secondly, I know nothing about football, after I wrongly predicted on this blog that Stuart Pearce would be appointed to the role.

Hodgson’s appointment has not been met with the excitement that the FA might have hoped for. Many think he is a nice guy but not the sort of character that can manage the big egos of an England squad, some feel he is too defensive tactically and others just wanted Harry Redknapp. Whilst few are scathing about the appointment, people are not exactly dancing in the streets about it either.

I feel Hodgson has been judged a little unfairly. Most of those criticising him seem to be pointing to a disappointing spell in charge of Liverpool during 2010-2011, which would be fair enough, if ‘King’ Kenny Dalglish had fared any better in the role since then. Contrary to what some deluded Liverpool fans might tell you, he has not.

Clearly much of the criticism of the appointment is born out of the fact that Roy Hodgson is not Harry Redknapp. With his ‘cheeky chappie’ persona and penchant for attacking football, Redknapp was the clear fans’ favourite for the job. He did little to distance himself from the speculation, although interestingly, his Spurs team’s dramatic decline in form since that speculation started may well have played a crucial role in the FA’s decision to look elsewhere. Redknapp is also not exactly famous for his tactical nous either, something that won’t have escaped the FA’s attention. Whatever the reason not to appoint Harry Redknapp, I hardly think its fair for Roy Hodgson to take the blame.

I for one am pleased with the appointment. Hodgson is a man that has managed two of the biggest clubs in the world - Liverpool and Internazionale - and has also been in charge of three other national teams. He has coached in an international tournament environment, as well as taking clubs to European competition finals. For me, he certainly has the credentials you would expect of an England manager.

He has also proved during his recent spells in charge of both Fulham and West Brom, that he can get the very best out of fairly average playing squads. This sounds like exactly the type of man we need in charge of the current England team. 

Hodgson deserves both a chance and support from the fans and the media. Will he get it? Almost certainly not. As a nation, we seem to want to make it difficult for ourselves. Certainly in international footballing terms, we set ridiculous expectations for the team and its manager, and then will them both to fail. Despite the incredibly challenging circumstances Hodgson will be working under, I see no reason why this year will be any different. 

I do hope that for once, things will be different though. I hope people get behind the team and remember that the squad is in transition, and the manager will have little over a month to prepare them. I hope people appreciate the skills, knowledge and yes, politeness that Hodgson will bring to the role, and give him the support he needs. 

Getting out of the groups this year will be a great achievement in my eyes, but finally getting over our propensity for heading into tournaments with ridiculous expectations could be even more important.

FA can't delay Euro 2012 appointment any longer

Some numbers for you: 1.4m fans expected to attend Euro 2012; 53 days until the tournament starts; 31 games to be played; and 16 nations competing. All but one of those teams has their coach in place, who will be busily scouring the last remaining games of the domestic season to put the finishing touches to their final 23 man squad. The exception is of course England.

England's Euro 2012 manager?

Whilst Fabio Capello’s departure from the England manager’s hot-seat was not exactly surprising, its timing was far from ideal. With less than six months until Euro 2012 was set to begin, the FA needed to act quickly to give the new manager enough time to make preparations for the tournament. They didn’t, and here we are now, more than two months further down the line and still England do not have a manager.

Am I the only person that’s slightly worried by this? Surely it’s a cause for concern that the person who is supposed to be spending every waking hour considering his nation’s Euro 2012 squad doesn’t even know he has the job yet? Most of the other coaches wouldn’t dream of tinkering with their team’s playing style or system this close to the tournament. It’s likely that England’s coach will have to develop both a style and system completely from scratch, and will have just two friendlies to perfect them - away to Norway and home to Belgium.

The FA seem less worried I am. In response to calls to step up the pace of the appointment process, Alex Horne, General Secretary at the FA said: ‘We know exactly what we're doing between now and our first game against France [at Euro 2012], and we just need to slot a manager in.’ Thanks Alex, that’s reassuring. We’ll just ‘slot someone in’ the day before the squad sets off for Poland I suppose; hand them a few print-outs of the squad; give them a big jacket and tell them to make sure they don’t take the team beyond the Quarter Final under any circumstances.

But although this might seem like yet another FA shambles ahead of a major international tournament, I have a feeling they know exactly what they are doing this time. For I think they have already decided who will lead England out in their first game against France, and they have every reason to be confident that man knows how to handle the environment of an England squad and the pressure of tournament football. That man is Stuart Pearce.

Pearce of course took over the England reins on a temporary basis against Holland last month. For large parts of the game, Holland outclassed an inexperienced England team, but given that Dutch team contained the likes of Sneijder, Van Persie and Robben, that is by no means a cause for embarrassment. What people should remember is that the team also showed great spirit to battle back from 2-0 down to draw level, before Arjen Robben won the game for the Dutch with a great last minute strike.

But whilst many saw that game against the Dutch as an audition for Pearce, he should not be judged by that performance alone. He, more than any of the other candidates, knows the current crop of England players and how they gel together as a unit. He knows how they react to being kept together for weeks at a time (for any of you that have forgotten South Africa 2010, the answer is ‘badly’). He knows how to deal with the media, the suits at the FA and after an illustrious career as captain for both club and country, huge and often unrealistic expectations.

Is Pearce the perfect choice as England manager? Probably not. His record at Manchester City was average at best, and he has at times struggled to get the best out of England’s youngsters as the Under 21 boss. But at this stage of the season, with the tournament just round the corner, the FA need a safe pair of hands they can trust. They need someone that knows what they expect and won’t be caught staring at the headlights in shock as the fever of tournament football takes hold.

Do you honestly think Harry Redknapp is that man? Or Alan Pardew? Both have done fantastic jobs this season and could well be in the running for the England manager’s job full-time post-Euro 2012, but asking them to pick a team to play France in a European Championship in what would be only their third game as England manager would be asking too much.

Pearce may not be perfect, but when is the England manager ever? His experience in and around the England set up puts him at a distinct advantage over all of the other candidates, and I fully expect him to be announced as the interim coach of England for Euro 2012 before the Premier League season is out. He will then have at least three matches - two of which will be without Wayne Rooney - to prove he is the man to take on the role full-time.

The impossible job? We shall see.