Euro Crisis!

For once this isn't a piece about financial shenanigans. This is about Soccer and more precisely the exit of England from Euro 2012.

It seems that when ever we get knocked out of tournaments there is a clamor to pronounce everything about the English game to be wrong or ineffective. Defeat it seems is a bitter pill to swallow. 

Of the complaints that have been aimed at the English is their lack of technical proficiency. Certainly their inability to hold the ball for periods of time is well documented. We have not enjoyed long periods of possession it has to be said. 

However after all is said and done possession does not in itself win games. England had some good chances early, as did Italy. It is often said about the Premiership that you have to score when you get the chance because you won't get many. Same could be said of this game. The England chances were not as glaringly bad as the Italian ones however at this level if you get in the penalty box you should at least make the 'keeper save it. Welbeck skied a good chance as did Rooney. And we should have made the Italians pay when we were gifted a break in the first half from a free kick. So you gotta make the best of your luck especially against the Italians. 

A certain Graham Taylor (ex England Manager and famously inept one at that) is quoted as saying that we can't afford to play certain formations in international football. The dreaded 4-4-2! I am not going to say either way as I am nothing more than a fan. All I will say is that some International teams have used it well (Brazil).

Spain are the dominant team right now and they do not use it. I have to say though that soccer will be a lesser spectacle if that is the way it progresses. I found the Spain vs France game to be as dull as ditch water. The Spanish may well be technically brilliant ( witness the amount of completed passes) but they almost strolled out 1-0 winners in a game they utterly dominated. Where is the fun in that? Perhaps the Spanish enjoy a different aspect to the English. I enjoy goals. I don't get excited by a heap of passes unless it results in an attacking move. The Spanish team seems to do it for the hell of it.

Barcelona found this spring that a heap of possession counts for nothing if you cannot score. 

So where am I going with this? England probably punched above their weight in this tournament. I am not convinced our formation is completely at fault. We showed that we can worry any defense we come up against. Half the battle! We do need to concentrate on not giving away the ball so much. Down to the 'keeper clearances. This I would agree is an English fault. The back pass to the 'keeper who hoofs it into next week. It never found an English head and thus came right back at us. The midfield need to be sure of their second touch. We could win a ball but the next pass was wayward. 

The pundits were right Roy Hodgson (England Manager) would make a team that is difficult to beat. For all their possession Italy could not score. England can take heart from that. But as I said before it counts for nought if you can't score. 

Roy Hodgson said in an interview that he had largely tried to make a squad for this tournament out of players that had helped the side get it here. So now he has a free hand to mould the team in his own image. We shall have to see what he does next. 

In conclusion, I think we can feel proud of our lads, They did the best they could with the means at their disposal. It was not a debacle like 2010 where we played badly and still made it to the next round only to be drubbed by the Germans. And at least we have bowed out with some dignity before that this time round. We will leave that for the Italians to deal with.

I hope Spain does not win the tournament. I just don't want to see that sort of football. I like to see some product for all that possession. Of course Spain will counter with a peek inside their trophy cabinet (1 euro + 1 world cup)

There is always next time