Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
Andy Pakes previews this Sunday afternoon clash in the first edition of Game of the Week for 2012
Dave Hughes tells us about his sporting hero, Wes Morgan
Fabio Capello would have been fairly surprised to see his England outfit manage to hold off the World Cup and European Championship holders 10 days ago. Indeed, so was the rest of the nation. However, with such a result comes the flood of expectation that has haunted England so horribly in recent times. In a recent edition of the Yorker Sports Show we discussed the troubles that such expectation promotes in the England Camp. There are, nonetheless, reasons that Mr. Capello and the rest of us should be optimistic about the future English football in international tournaments. The recent results against Spain and Sweden and the ease with which England qualified do point to an added dynamic that is often overlooked about the current squad.
There is considerable strength and depth in the English squad now. It was not too long ago that we could expect to see the likes of Darius Vassell, Michael Ricketts or Francis Jeffers come on in the event that one of the first team got injured. That is not to say that these players were particularly bad or anything just that they were not good enough to represent their country, especially when you consider that they were replacing the likes of Wayne Rooney. The depth of the squad now is such that Wayne Rooney could be banned for the first three group games at the Euros next summer and nobody is particularly bothered. In times gone by such an omission from the team would’ve been viewed with as much alarm and concern as the prospect of a penalty shoot-out with ze Germans.
Perhaps the biggest reason for my optimism regarding England is that the young players who, a couple of years ago, were England prospects, are now blossoming into class acts. Phil Jones’ performance against Spain was awesome, considering he is a player with previously very little in the way of senior international level experience he played with a calmness and poise that the likes of John Terry and Ashley Cole could do with noting. Theo Walcott and Jack Wilshere, two players I know a lot about having watched their exploits for Arsenal the past few years, have also come on leaps and bounds in the last two years and have cemented their positions as England regulars. Jack Rodwell, Adam Johnson, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Wellbeck are just a few more who I would have no concern with sticking on the pitch in place of their more senior England counterparts when necessary. This is in stark contrast to years gone by when the thought of Peter Crouch, whose goal scoring record for England is particularly misleading, coming onto the pitch drew a sense of dread from my already cynical outlook on English international football.
The young talent in the England squad right now reminds me a lot of the young talent that Germany took to South Africa in 2010, a tournament where they flourished and made the semi-finals. Could England do the same? Far be it for me to jump on the bandwagon of hope for English football but I do feel an odd sense of optimism that, I have to say, makes me a little uncomfortable.
The future of English football is not just looking brighter because of the young gifted players coming through the ranks. Some of, and I emphasise the some, the so-called ‘old guard’ are also in their prime. Wayne Rooney has been in excellent form this season again, Joe Hart has been an ever present throughout the qualification campaign and has been remarkably solid for Man City this season, Scott Parker was, against Spain, and will remain, instrumental for England and Darren Bent can always be relied upon to score when required. Indeed, in Darren Bent’s case his talent and exploits down the years have given rise to a relationship between himself, albeit unknowingly, and fellow Yorker writer and huge Ipswich fan Andrew Pakes which, due to its sensitive and personal nature, I can’t discuss at any length.
But all of this optimism and ‘success’ comes at a price for Capello. What does one do with those established players who’ve underperformed and frankly don’t deserve a place in the side? I’ve watched John Terry and Ashley Cole several times this season and they’ve looked lethargic and, especially against Arsenal, downright poor. The likes of Terry, Cole and Rio Ferdinand do not, I believe, belong in the side based on form. In Phil Jones, Jolean Lescott and Gary Cahill we have three top defenders all in brilliant form and are representative of the immediate, and hopefully less nervous, future of English football. This, coupled with the fact that the fight for right-back is still raging between Glen Johnson, Kyle Walker, Chris Smalling and the unbelievably unfortunate Micah Richards, means Capello will have a tough time picking his side from now on.
Fabio Capello’s choice is a challenging, but nonetheless pleasing, one. In any case, the future of English international football is as bright as I can remember and in the combination between blossoming young players and experienced players in their prime one can’t help but feel unusually buoyant about England’s chances in 2012.
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