Five things different so far for Hodgson's Boys
England progressed into the quarter-finals of Euro 2012 last night at the summit of Group D thanks to a 1-0 win over co-hosts Ukraine.
With expectations at an all-time low leading up to the tournament, England have pleasantly surprised with their adopted Hodgson formula and result first, performance second attitude. The two go hand in hand ordinarily, but The Three Lions have finally realised how to grind out victories and win ugly.
This new England aren’t without their faults though, and were it not for some divine luck in Donetsk on Tuesday night, Ukraine could easily be progressing and England could have been heading back to Heathrow sharp. The Ukrainians bossed the game for large portions possession wise and territorially pinned England back regularly, particularly in the first half. A trend England has become familiar to in all of their last six games.
England to their credit though has a new sturdy resolve that in recent campaigns has been missing. When you cast your mind back to World Cup 2010 and Germany’s crushing 4-1 win over us, England limped out of that game, out-done, out-fought and out-classed. The game may have been different had Lampard’s clear goal stood just before half-time making things all square. Then again, last night could have been different if John Terry was adjudged to not get there in the nick of time, which contrary to the score line, replays suggest he didn’t.
England in my opinion can and will get better too. James Milner and Ashley Young have both disappointed thus far in their wide roles going forward, but have the rigid discipline Hodgson appears to seek from his wide men in supporting Gerrard’s and Parker’s endeavours in the middle. Finally our options from the bench too offer something different, a new dimension to what we had previous. Instead of switching good players for other good players, we now have fast players to bring on for industrious ones, or tall, powerful players for direct, nimble ones. As shown in Carroll and Walcott’s introductions for Welbeck and Milner respectively. These players allow us to change our approach and have new ideas and initiatives. Not lie before when lumping Crouch on and lumping it forward was considered a new option.
Below are five reasons I believe things are different for England this time around, and why we shouldn’t fear facing the Italians this Sunday in the last eight.
1. Steven Gerrard performing as a captain – The Liverpool skipper has long been mooted an England captain but lost out to the stalwart centre-backs John Terry & Rio Ferdinand. Amidst some unsavoury racial accusations, neither of those two were able to lead the country this summer and the door opened for the already Scouse legend. Gerrard has been nothing short of immense in protecting the back four with the dedicated Scott Parker, who both are in the top 5 this tournament for blocks and interceptions for midfielders. I also think being out of the spot light has helped John Terry’s game no ends. The Chelsea Champions League winner has looked a lot more assured just concentrating on his own game. Three assists for Gerrard suggest a good return for the role he is providing.
2. Revitalisation in the right areas – Danny Welbeck’s introduction has been crucial to the new system being installed. His willing running and enthusiasm up tops has given England the dynamic aspect they lack with less mobile forwards. His pace worries defenders, and his movement on top of that make him an intimidating prospect. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is another who impressed greatly against France. He’s a massive option with his youthful buoyancy and will have every reason to think he’s competing hard with the indifferent Ashley Young for a slot against Italy. Andy Carroll looks 100% committed on the pitch too and whilst he brings his standard aerial presence, it’s been noticeable that on the deck the Geordie has been mixing it with some big tackles and tidy touches. Refreshing all round from the new additions, which I feel is rubbing off on the older generation.
3. A hungry Wayne Rooney – Manchester United’s leading marksmen enters the tournament without the hopes of the entire nation burdening him as he sat back and watched the first two games in which England effectively coped without him. As the Scouser has stated, seeing the team succeed without him gave him extra drive to come back and contribute. Scoring against Ukraine was a good start, although Wazza knows he is capable of much more than that performance. A very different position to that of South Africa 2010 where after a massive haul for United, Rooney was expected, not hoped to deliver great things.
4. Balance – The England team has solid partnerships all over the pitch for once. For year’s manager after manager insisted on playing Gerrard and Lampard as a pair, and to be fair judging on how colossal each have been for their respective clubs, you’d be inclined to think you could make it work. After nearly a decade of evidence though, it doesn’t. Gerrard and Parker have make a terrific pairing in this system, using their determination and spirit as a duo to break attacks and put their bodies on the line – finally sporting behaviours a fan would hope you associate with traditional Englishmen. The forward pairings so far have worked too, with Welbeck’s lively nature working off Carroll’s intense physical presence and Rooney insistence on dropping deep. Joleon Lescott deserves a mention too. Being quicker than Terry as he evidently is, Lescott has swept and marked supremely well so far. A couple of positional errors have been cause for concern, but Terry’s anticipation and presence has spared his blushes, like all great pairings do.
5. Roy Hodgson – Obvious I know, but the former West Brom gaffer has done a fine job moulding a collective group of players into a team – a fine art on the international stage. After his spell at Liverpool, I like many, wondered if Hodgson had issues handling big players and expectations. He certainly has dispelled the former, and entering this tournament with no expectations makes the latter redundant. Following our progression though, all of a sudden people are optimistic and hopeful. What the fans will appreciate though is if he can keep the spirit and passion going through the ranks. That’s been a refreshing trait in this team, even if the football hasn’t been as attractive and fluid as a purist might like.
Whatever happens against Italy on Sunday, England has exceeded what one could have hope for before this stage. I would bet the majority of the nation would have thought we would have played second fiddle to the French in group standings, who now face the unenviable task of tackling reigning champions Spain. This is a time to be proud of what we’ve achieved so far with this current crop and simply back the boys into battle on Sunday. This isn’t the strongest Italy team for a long time either, and with Captain Giorgio Chiellini apparently side-lined with a thigh injury England can afford to be optimistic. Best case scenario, England head to the semi-finals to face the German’s and rectify 2010 and directly Euro 1996.
