The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and Opinions
There’s only one team that can dominate every single game at a major tournament, yet be knocked out of it at the hands of a nation the size of Leicester, with a very well acquainted sense of dissatisfaction, perplexity and a state of utter higgledy-piggledy that speaks volumes of their failures, the failures that’ll shame repetitiveness in its pristine form itself.
It was supposed to be a fairytale night for England. A victory over Iceland was a matter of “how” rather than “if”, but as it turned out, England blew it away in typical fashion courtesy of some largely rudderless defending, shambolic goalkeeping and clueless passing that resurfaced the age-old adage about the Three Lions being spineless, a fact even better proved by a brooding Roy Hodgson whose expressions delivered the most damning indictment about England’s horrors on Monday night – arguably the darkest night in English Football’s history.
And it’s funny how everyone seemed so confident of a victory so emphatic as would put England into genuine contention for silverware. The way Hodgson’s side played against Iceland, they’d have struggled to beat Shropshire F.C., let alone beat those who actually know how to play.
The worst that can be said of England’s diabolical display at the Allianz Riviera is that not for one moment did they know what were they doing – or trying to – which comes in stark contrast to their opponents who did. If, after all the bloated treasuries of the English F.A., this is what we get to see from the national team, they may as well give it all to Iceland, who will at least use the money to some effect.
The blame game may go on and on as it has for 50 years, but the question is: when do England realise that enough is enough? Generations have passed, the country’s very best wasted, annihilations digested and there’s not much left to see now. Truth be told, England should have been still in the tournament with as good a chance as any if it’s potential alone that is considered, but rather, they are a gormless laughing stock who have just exited another global tournament to a more resourceful team – all this after there are players like Harry Kane, Jack Wilshere, Dele Alli, John Stones, Daniel Sturridge, Ross Barkley and Eric Dier in the squad.
Many a few believe it’s the players who are the problem, but in reality, they aren’t. The zeroes of England who flunked the biggest test on this occasion have been consistent heroes for their clubs who excel at rising to the moment. Where the problem lies is the management (cliche alert) of these players or the lack thereof, which is why there’s no coherence in this team, no on-field upbraids, no unity or cohesion.
Whom se saw in action against Iceland were either Tottenham Hotspur players, Manchester United/City players, Liverpool or Arsenal players, not one group playing for the nation as a whole. There are egos in that dressing room that aren’t left behind but taken to tournaments and not handled by the manager, making disappointment an obvious consequence.
Look at how Eddie Jones has turned around the fortunes of England Rugby within months having just led them to a historic 3-0 whitewash in Australia. Similarly, Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace have together taken English Cricket to new heights, sending a simple message that if you want to be the best, you hire the best.
It’s time the FA emulate the Cricket and Rugby associations too and appoint the best they can for this generation of supremely talented players, so the next time they come out of a tournament, they do so as champions and not laughing stocks, as world-beaters and not specialists in failure.
