Although the level of expectation
was noticeably subdued this year, the whole country still got behind the Three
Lions hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Houses and pubs were decked out with
flags and bunting, flying the St. George’s cross high as Roy Hodgson’s
predominantly young squad faced the tricky task of attempting to get out of a
tough group in Brazil. Uruguay, Italy and Costa Rica posed a significant threat
to England’s potential progression to the knock-out stages- but nobody could
have quite expected what happened next.
As the quarter-finals of the
World Cup get underway, the majority of the England players are sunning
themselves on various beaches across the globe. Arriving home under a bleak and
dark cloud of failure, the squad could only muster one point in what was a
hugely disappointing campaign. Defeats to both Italy and Uruguay left England
having to rely on other results going their way, a beacon of faint hope that
was promptly extinguished when Italy failed to beat Costa Rica. Their final game
– a formality after the previous defeats – saw England crawl to a lifeless 0-0
draw against Costa Rica. An uninspired, dull, tactless, goalless draw that
epitomised England’s contribution to the 2014 World Cup in 90 monotonous
minutes and raised multiple questions as to what the future holds for the
national team.
It’s hard to dissect what went
wrong for England when barely anything went right. It was widely discussed that
Hodgson had opted to pick a squad based on young talent, choosing to take midfielders
Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard as the ‘veterans’. But the inclusion of
talented youngsters in the squad encouraged a certain degree of optimism:
Raheem Sterling, Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw all names emerging as the future
for England with the potential to surprise gave grounds for hope. Sterling
certainly didn’t disappoint, particularly during the 2-1 defeat to Italy and
for spells drove England’s attack with pace and flair. Ross Barkley, mainly
used as a substitute, looked lively and showed flashes of inspiration. But it
was too much, too soon. Although it’s undoubtedly great experience for the
youngsters, it was always going to be a tough ask throwing them in at the deep
end in what, for most of them, would have been their first taste of a big international
tournament winning full senior caps for their country.
A lot of questions have been
raised over Wayne Rooney’s inclusion in the starting line-up. Yes he set up
Daniel Sturridge’s goal during the Italy game and yes, he scored against
Uruguay. But that goal was a side-footed tap-in that would have been scored by
any player in that position at that very moment. Excuses were made for Rooney
when he was played out of position but overall his performances during the
three games were largely ineffective. After an uninspired club season, are his
best days behind him or will he use the experience to push on and be a driving
force under new manager Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United next season?
Love him or hate him, John Terry
was one of the best defenders in the Premier League last season. His solid
partnership with Gary Cahill attracts the plaudits and would have been a secure
option for Hodgson – if Terry wasn’t retired from international football.
Terry, along with Ashley Cole, were unavailable for selection. With no
consistent back four, Hodgson fluctuated between Leighton Baines, Cahill, Phil
Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Shaw and the much-berated Phil Jones and Chris
Smalling. The defence has been the main bugbear for England, attracting a world
of criticism, and it was largely ineffective, sloppy defending that led to
England’s downfall throughout the tournament.
It’s always difficult to question
an individual’s desire, but Steven Gerrard was hardly entering the tournament
in the most ideal frame of mind. Slated for his now infamous slip that
contributed to Manchester City pipping Liverpool to the Premier League title
last season, by the time the Costa Rica game came round, Gerrard looked spent,
both physically and mentally. Aged 34, he has already spoken out to say he will
take some time to consider his international future after the side’s abject
failure in Brazil. There’s no questioning Gerrard’s capabilities and skill, it
had just been a difficult end to the season for him, one that was wasn’t helped
with his misconstrued header that gifted Luis Suarez his second goal against
Uruguay during their 2-1 victory. Similarly, Lampard will also be mulling over
his future for England, with a move to the MLS for club football looking likely
for the 36 year old.
It could be down to not having
enough winners in the squad. Only a handful of players have won silverware with
their club teams, the same can apply to playing in the Champions League. Fingers
have been pointed firmly in the direction of the influx of foreign players
participating in the Premier League, therefore making it more difficult to
breed English youngsters. Playing with confidence, or lack of, could have also
been a decisive factor. There was no belief. It’s almost psychological: nobody
expects anything from us, nobody is anticipating us to progress, so we don’t
have to go full throttle. People’s expectations may have been subdued, but all
we wanted to see was effort, passion and exertion. Go out there and give it the
best you can do; then at least if it’s not good enough there can be no
complaints.
Instead of being a force to be
reckoned with, England were a spent force. A side that nobody feared, with no
bite, no fight and no pride. Back home after three games and no wins, they are
the squad that has earned the unenviable title of the worst ever World Cup
showing in the history of the national team. The FA has already given Roy
Hodgson a vote of confidence, backing him to lead England through to Euro 2016.
Is he still the man for the job? Was he ever? Roy will be hoping that the young
Lion cubs he took to Brazil will grow in stature, experience and confidence by
the time the tournament in France comes around. They will have to channel this bleak feeling
of failure and use that as motivation to succeed, to build their confidence and
to up their game from Average Joe’s to World Beaters. Only then will they stand
half a chance against even half-decent opposition.
By the time Euro 2016 comes
around it will be 50 years of hurt. It never really stops us dreaming though,
does it?
