You can’t help but think you’ve been dragged into some kind of peculiar alternate dimension, can you? When in Odin’s eye did both Manchester clubs look so good? When, at only game three of the season, have both Manchester clubs looked so aggressively brilliant and skilled? When, has a hair transplant ever looked at good as Wayne Rooney’s? Stephen Ireland tried it at Manchester City and obviously the Sheikh Mansour view was that it wasn’t classy enough so he ended up at Aston Villa. It was a sign.

If you hadn’t noticed, today was the day Roberto Mancini’s side banged five goals past Tottenham Hotspur. It was a fantastic performance from the Italian’s team of superstars that had every plaudit in the land cleaning their spit from their shoes after much drooling about the style of attacking play demonstrated by a front four of Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, David Silva and ex-Arsenal new-boy, Samir Nasri. Edin Dzeko has had a startling few games and is proving that the money spent on him was well worth it. He didn’t start firing until his second season at VfL Wolfsburg and his second-season-syndrome has kicked in now, it seems. He scored four goals today. That’s four very good goals against a decent side. The fact the man seems like an affable, humble type of chap just makes you like him even more and it’s fantastic to witness the type of project/team that has been assembled from Manchester City’s powerbase.

Oh, and if you hadn’t noticed today was the day United banged eight goals past Arsenal. Have you got that? That’s eight goals past Arsenal. Wayne Rooney scored three of them – two of them free-kicks – and helped set up, along side United’s new winger, Ashley Young, the team’s other 5 goals. It was a resounding and almost cruel display against an Arsenal side who have had nothing but foul luck for the last four weeks. You can’t help but look at United’s team, mixed with old and new but all young and athletic and wonder how fat they can go. Will they be able to get under the skin of Barcelona on the European stage? Will City make a dent on the Champions League, this being their first year in the competition? God, we’re salivating here at the prospect of an awesome season.

However, the purpose of this article isn’t to pour over the merits of either side in depth, as there’s a million and one articles/conversations already doing just that. The purpose of this article is to look *gulp* at international football. Well, this is World Cup Statistics after all and international football is our game.

Some of you will remember that television advertisement which jokingly spoke of joining together the two Manchester teams. This new team would be called Team Manchester and wear a purple jersey. Nice idea and one that isn’t going to be too far from the truth when the European Championships come around. “Why?” I hear you ask as you stuff crisps into your mouth while Rocky IV’s training montage blasts out from your television behind you.”Please tell us!” you exclaim, dying to know what the hell WCS is talking about as Sylvester Stallone takes over ITV 4′s airwaves late on a Sunday night. Well, we’ll tell you. In fact…we’ll show you:

This is the WCS Fantasy Manchester England X + Ashley Cole.

As you can see, it’s five players from either side and Ashley Cole – because he’s possibly the best left-back on the planet. Naturally this most probably won’t be the actual England team but it is theoretically possible to patch a team together which should be good enough to put on a decent show at the Euro’s and or subsequent World Cup in 2014.

The Break Down:

Goalkeeper – Joe Hart – Hart has proved himself as a more than accomplished goalkeeper, as confirmed by the fact he is Manchester City’s number 1. His appointment at such a young age holds shades of Iker Casilla’s burgeoning career at Madrid; years later he is still there, the captain and won’t be going anywhere for at least another 10. Hart will go on to be a City great, that much can be said. Will he prove to be England’s prime man between the sticks? This writer thinks the answer is yes.

Right-Back – Micah Richards – City’s behemoth right-back is quick, strong and slowly gaining the type of experience that will lead him to claim the RB spot for England as his sole duty and property for years to come. Richards had a promising start at City, but a few lapses in concentration brought about some undeserved criticism for someone so young. He played games at centre-back but found his natural position to be right-back and he’s never looked back.

Centre-Back – Chris Smalling - Smalling has proved to be a class act since arriving at Manchester United from Fulham. He is quick, actually rather tricky and most of all comfortable and sensible with the ball. He has been playing right-back for the starter games of the season but his initial position is centre-back so he is adept in both roles. Smalling’s seemingly advanced experience in contrast to his years should surely see him gain many England caps.

Centre-Back – Phil Jones - Phil Jones has Premier League experience and he seems very much like the calm, considered yet sturdy and string traditional English centre-back. He has replaced Namanja Vidic in light of the Serbian’s injury and hasn’t looked out of place or phased in the slightest. Like Smalling and Richards, Jones is multi-positional and able to play in midfield also. A serious keeping for the England side.

Left-back – Ashley Cole - The man who *scoff* let Cheryl Tweedy slip through his grasp is the best left back we have. So, there.

Left-Wing – Ashley Young - Quick, industrious, good positioning, strong, committed and did I mention quick? Young’s start to Manchester United life has been fantastic and he should operate on that left wing for England. With his abilities and excellent step up in level of football, why not?

Right-Wing – Andy Johnson - The exact same as Young. Johnson is perhaps underused at City but his qualities are obvious. He is speedy, direct and tricky and is able to deliver a final ball that strikers thrive off. He would be our best bet for a right winged attacking player and would compliment Young’s left-sided assault perfectly.

Centre-Midfield – Gareth Barry - Many aren’t too impressed with Barry, but given that England manager Fabio Capello and Robby Mancini swear by him, who are we to argue? Barry’s best position is in the centre of midfield, where he can help break up play and use his pious dedication to working hard to help drive the team forward while shielding the back four from opposition attacks.

Centre-Midfield – Tom Cleverley - Cleverley’s ascent has been joyous.He too is young, athletic, fast and his passing is reminiscent of a very young Paul Scholes; although obtaining that level of ability if far, far off should it happen at all. Tom has slotted into the midfield of United very well and if often seen operating the ball in tight spaces and pushing play forward. With Barry behind him he could be allowed as much room as he wishes in combination with Wayne Rooney to work some attacking magic. Watch this space.

Striker – Wayne Rooney - It’s Wayne Rooney. Anyone disagree? No, thought not.

Striker – Danny Welbeck - Welbeck’s season-long stint at Sunderdland last year seems to have worked a treat. He is strong and quite robust and always willing to put himself on the line for the team and it seems he has a keen eye for goal as demonstrated against Arsenal and Tottenham. Still only in his very early 20s, should Welbeck continue to develop as he is, we should see the arrival of a very good player over the next few years.

So, over to you. Who do you think would best suit England’s future if picking from Manchester’s young crop?

Tottenham Hotspur and Wales Winger Gareth Bale has admitted that he would have ‘no qualms’ about moving abroad if the lure of a Real Madrid or Barcelona came about. Wales have not qualified for a World Cup finals since the days of legendary Leeds and Juventus forward John Charles – when he led his nation to the quarter finals of the 1958 tournament, only to lose to a single goal against Brazil. Bale is Wales’ greatest talent since the emergence of Ryan Giggs nearly two decades ago and has been unplayable at times this season.

Gareth Bale’s most memorable performances so far this season have come against Italian and reigning European Champions Internazionale. Bale tormented Brazilian Maicon in the return match at White Hart Lane, providing two assists in the match. This followed on from his heroics a fortnight previous, when he scored a hattrick in the San Siro – after Tottenham had been four goals down. Bale had been linked to a move to Inter Milan earlier in the season, however this is the first time the Welshman has spoken publicly on his future.

Bale was quoted as saying:

A record breaking weekend in the English Premier League again added to claims that the competition is the most exciting in European football.

While La Liga arguably boasts better players, with a superior level of technical excellence, Serie A lays claim to much better defences (most of the time), with a superior level of technical excellence and the Bundesliga has better atmospheres, a more competitive league (maybe not this season), with a superior level of technical excellence, the English equivalent showed all of its great strengths on a manic weekend.

Unpredictability, controversy, poor defending and the inability of teams to hold on to a lead all helped to leave fans across the country as breathless as Mike Ashley when he heard he’d have £35m to spend on his next trip to a Tyneside casino. These characteristics all contribute to the dire state of the national side, but that’s another debate for a different time. This is all about the Premier League and what has to be one of the most memorable weekends in this already-thrilling season.

First of all, when top of the league travels to the side propping up the rest, you’d expect a more one-sided contest than David Haye/Audley Harrison, but not this week. Despite taking the lead early on through Nani, Manchester United put in a woeful display, allowing Wolverhampton Wanderers to inflict the leaders’ first defeat of the season. United showed once again their ineptness to perform on the road – not a sign of champions – while Wolves added Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to their list of scalps, alongside Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool – not the sign of relegation candidates.

When the leaders slip-up, the chasing pack have to take advantage. Arsenal seemed all set to move to within two points as they led Andy Carroll-less Newcastle 4-0 after just 26 minutes. In this situation, Barcelona would not allow the opposition a sniff of the football and pick them off when the situation arrived. Abou Diaby, however, decided to take matters – or Joey Barton’s neck – into his own hands. A swift dismissal later and Arsenal were on the back foot. You would still have been labelled crazy for foreseeing what happened next, though. Two Barton penalties, the second one a terrible decision, sandwiched an opportunistic strike from Leon Best and a wrongly disallowed goal from Best to get the hosts back to within a goal.

Still, you’d expect Arsenal to see off the spirited comeback with their quality, but Arsene Wenger’s men completely capitulated and the brilliant Cheik Tiote scored a goal that must win goal of the month. Finally, Newcastle had taken part in a classic EPL fixture that didn’t end in a 4-3 defeat, but Arsenal’s humiliating collapse showed their frailties as they attempt to win the title for the first time in seven years.

These results were just the window a Fernando Torres-led Chelsea needed to get them back into the title race. A Torres winner against his old club would have completed the perfect script for the Blues, but while Carlo Ancelotti failed to find a system to complement his three strikers – and left out Florent Malouda – Kenny Dalglish and Steve Clarke got their game-plan spot on to complete Liverpool’s league-double over the reigning champions. After the scintillating Saturday, Sky Sports’ Super Sunday was a damp squib in comparison but the result had a major say on the title-race and the chase for European places. Liverpool are now very much in the hunt for a Champions League spot, leaving Chelsea nervously looking over their shoulder instead of focusing on reeling in Man United at the top for the time being.

The only team in the league to put in a clinical, professional and trouble-free performance was Man City. Carlos Tevez netted a hat-trick, his second goal being set-up sublimely by the ever-excellent David Silva. City took advantage of their most hated-rivals’ slip to put them back in the title-hunt ahead of next week’s Manchester derby. A red win would end City’s dreams of silverware in the league; a blue victory will emphatically end United’s dominance this season.

Tottenham Hotspur kept their hopes of a first-ever Premier League title alive thanks to a late, late Niko Kranjcar winner in their 2-1 defeat of Bolton. With Luka Modric off having his appendix removed, it was fitting another Croatian would step up to the plate to stop Spurs dropping further adrift at the top. A second-straight Champions league appearance remains the ultimate target, but they will need Modric and Gareth Bale fit again as soon as possible.

Owen Coyle was critical of referee Mark Clattenburg for not giving his side a penalty, after awarding two to the home side in the first half, while Rafael van der Vaart was also left displeased after being asked to re-take his second spot-kick due to encroachment. However, the Dutchman should have turned his ire to his idiotic team-mates who failed to follow the most simplest of rules.

If only more refs would follow Clattenburg’s lead and make the players get the basics right, the game would be better off. Harry Redknapp’s insistence that it was “unusual” and that it would lead to “all penalties being pulled up” is the wrong attitude to set to youngsters. All it takes is consistency from refs to enforce the rule and there would no longer be a need to pull up the penalties.

Elsewhere, Everton/Blackpool played out an eight-goal thriller, with the Toffees coming out 5-3 victors. Any other weekend and it would have been the best game in Europe. Unfortunately, the events at St. James’ Park and the San Siro have overshadowed the North-West derby. Ian Holloway’s side desperately need a win, as their alarming slide down the table shows no sign of stopping, though their kamikaze football gives the fans brilliant entertainment.

Amid all the excitement, Birmingham City beat West Ham United 1-0. Now it wasn’t the best game, nor was it the most exciting, but it was the result with the biggest ramifications this weekend. Avram Grant’s side are now rock-bottom, replacing Wolves on goal difference, while Alex McLeish’s boys move up to 16th though only have three more points than the Hammers while just seven-points separate the ten teams in the bottom half of the table.

This peculiar season has only been made possible by the sheer lack of quality from the big teams. Whichever team ends up winning this league will probably be the poorest side to pick up the trophy. Though if their problems gives the fans more weekends like this one, you won’t hear too many complaints. At least not until Europe’s finest steamroller the English teams in Europe.

There’s something brilliant about watching deadline day unfold from a (relatively) neutral point of view, the chaos and excitement. Not knowing just exactly what’s going to unfold, if the domino effect of transfers will all work out according to plan. Or if someone will throw a hissy fit and ruin it for everyone. This window however everything did go according to plan (depending on your opinion on Andy Carroll for 35 million pounds that is). Chelsea strengthened (massively), City strengthened and Liverpool did as well, and they all spent big.

It really is worrying thought when City spending a reported 27 million pounds on Edin Dzeko. Chelsea spends 20+ million on David Luiz and 50 million on Fernando Torres aren’t the biggest shocks of the window! I’ve already said it twice before but I feel that the point needs reiterating. Liverpool FC spent 35 million; wait let me type that out 35,000,000.00 pounds on Andy Carroll. Take a moment to really think about that. He’s Liverpool’s record signing, and the most expensive ever Englishman. If you want to make the figure seem even more obscene think about this. He’s scored 32 goals in his career, making each one of them worth over a million pounds. I know that one he scored against Liverpool was good, but it wasn’t that good.

Is this a sign of football truly gone mad? Well whilst I don’t think its good evidence that its operating in the realms of reality I wouldn’t go as far to say it was terrible business, yet. Let’s look at the facts. Torres handed in a transfer request on Friday, four whole days before the window closed. This doesn’t really give Liverpool the greatest amount of time to find a replacement (and in their current mid table predicament 50 million in the bank doesn’t help). They already had their replacement lined up (Suarez) but they now needed another striker, with only the deadline day in which to strike a deal. The whole world knew this so that instantly knocked up any fee Liverpool would pay, as everyone knew they had to.

They need European football next year (even if it’s not the champions league) for simple monetary reasons and to attract better players in the summer. They had to sign someone who could make an instant impact incase Suarez didn’t settle straight away. Carroll himself has acquitted himself well in the league this year (so far) he’s young and English (which instantly raises a players price these days). However, you still have to come back around to that 35 million figure, I just can’t fathom it. 20 – to 25? High but understandable, he’s got at least ten years left to play so it’s not like he’ll be declining anytime soon.

All in all whilst Liverpool certainly overpaid for Carroll, when you look at it it’s probably not as much as you would think initially. After all if they were to sell him in three to four years they could easily get 15 million if he flops utterly. Is he going to be the next Shearer? Not likely, will he help Liverpool move up the table this season? Probably. Is he good enough for Liverpool? Only time will tell. There are many, many question surrounding Carroll and his transfer to Liverpool and there are only three things we know for certain. Firstly, Sir Alex was – as ever – correct when he said there’s no value in the transfer window right now. Second United should probably call up Real Madrid and ask for another 50 million for the Ronaldo transfer and three, how brilliant does Javier Hernandez for seven million look now?

Rumours of a move for Fernando Torres to Chelsea have been around for years, so news that Roman Abramovich is willing to stump up a reported £40m for ‘El Nino’ is no big surprise. But it is a mark of just how far the Spaniards’ stock has fallen when people start questioning the money involved in this saga.

Thirty months ago, Torres was the hottest striker in world football after a superb Euro 2008 in which he was influential as Spain ended their tournament hoodoo. His goal in the final showed his full repertoire; brave, quick, strong and deadly.

The following year he would give Nemanja Vidic, one of the very best defenders in world football, the run-around on more than one occasion as Liverpool came as close as they have in my life time to adding to their 18 league titles.

And yet just a year on and those memories are a thing of the past. Torres was dropped by Vicente Del Bosque at the semi-final stage as his national side added the World Cup to their European Championship success and Liverpool have spectacularly fallen from grace, not even qualifying for this season’s Champions league for the first time since the 2003/04 season.

On this form, upwards of £40m seems a lot to risk on a player, especially from a club who have tightened the purse-strings in recent years. So should Chelsea not bother and continue to rely on their youth movement for new players? In a word, no.

It must be pointed out that, while Torres may be getting criticised for some of his displays, he is still scoring goals. He has nine in the league this season, just one less than Didier Drogba and new Aston Villa ‘goal-machine’ Darren Bent. In this year’s Premier League campaign, the next highest scorers from the Liverpool side are Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt, who have just four.

And when Torres scores, Liverpool usually win. The 26-year-old has scored in seven separate games this season, and the Reds have won five, drawn one and lost one. His finest hour came against his current suitors. He was restricted to four shots as Chelsea travelled to Anfield. Two were from outside the box, the other two were goals.

On his day, he remains one of the most lethal, clinical goalscorers in world football. Him seemingly needing to be in the right mood to achieve this is no different to many of the finest footballers. For example, Dimitar Berbatov struggled for two years at Old Trafford before he came out flourishing this campaign.

And like Berbatov, Torres is a player that occasionally leaves the paying punters lost for words. While we all love a hard working footballer, is there anything finer than witnessing a moment of pure inspiration? Yes they can be frustrating, but at times players like Torres can be worth the ticket money alone. You can’t say that about Park Ji-Sung, Dirk Kuyt or Ramires, no matter how good they in their respective roles.

Chelsea have a history of handling difficult players. Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are famed for being hard to handle, but Carlo Ancelotti regularly gets the very best out of the pair of them. It was said the duo couldn’t play together, but they were a part of a record-breaking Chelsea attack last campaign. Adding Torres to that would be a frightening thought.

The only problem would be where would he fit in? Chelsea play with a front three, with Drogba the pivot, Anelka on the right and Florent Malouda on the left. Torres likes to be played down the middle. Could he play with Drogba?

Chelsea could switch to a 442, with Drogba and Torres up-front together. The pros to this would be most of the defenders in the Premier League would be wetting themselves the night before at the thought of facing this duo. Both are strong, both are quick. They can hold up the ball, get in behind and can score goals ranging from close-range headers to long range thunderbolts.

This would see Anelka drop to the bench, with Malouda either dropping back a bit, or moving more centrally with the wingers being removed. On paper, a midfield of Ramires or John Obi Mikel sitting with Michael Essien, Malouda and Frank Lampard further forward behind Torres and Drogba looks a mouthwatering prospect.

Alternatively, Drogba or Torres could adapt their game and move out to the right-hand side of the front three, or interchange between themselves during the game. Again, should this work Chelsea could be unstoppable and may just about drag themselves back into the title race.

But it would not be a guarantee. Torres has played his best football as a lone striker with support from midfield. Drogba is the same. Playing them both together might not work. But, remember, people said Anelka and Drogba wouldn’t work and Ancelotti found a way. Going further back, Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t want to play Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke together initially and they went on to form one of the deadliest striking partnerships in Europe.

Buying Torres is a no-brainer. He’s a goalscorer, he’s still young enough to play for at least half a decade and he knows he can play in the Premier League. Chelsea couldn’t get anyone better to boost their attacking options. Drogba and Anelka are both in their 30s so even if Torres can’t hit it off with either of them he’ll be around a lot longer.

Torres wants out of Liverpool. He wouldn’t join Real Madrid or Manchester United. Barcelona don’t really need him. Chelsea is the biggest club he can join in Europe at this time. And they could really do with him too, no matter how much it costs them.

World Cup Statistics can reveal that 1966 World Cup winners England are in pole position to host the 2018 World Cup finals – 52 years after hosting their last World Cup. The one time winners chance of hosting the World Cup in eight years time will be boosted by the publication tomorrow of technical reports, by FIFA, which will categorise the bid as a low legal risk with a high potential financial return. However, it isn’t all rosy for England as it is also expected to highlight four contractual areas where government guarantees are not currently met.

Karren Brady, who is the head of the 2018 advisory board, said the publication of the reports will help England’s bid refocus attention on its strong fundamentals and its ability to generate a healthy return for Fifa, football and the wider economy. Brady was quoted as saying “Our hope is that the executive committee’s vote is based purely around sporting credentials. If that is the case, we know we have a very strong chance. If it is based solely on that, we should win on 2nd December.”

England and football

Ok I live, work and play in England – the country that self proclaims it “invented football” and brought the game to the world. I own two football websites, this one and www.stretford-end.com, so it is clear to see that I am in love with the game. Not to sound like a pretentious romantic, but I do believe the enthusiasm and passion for football as a whole is ingrained into your DNA from a young age as a kid. Whether it be Maradona’s solo goal, Gazza’s tears or Roberto Baggio’s penalty – iconic moments like this remind you of why you adore the game.

With that out of the way I want to raise the question – why shouldn’t England hold the World Cup finals again in 2018? The laughable and downright moronic claims that the British press may expose far greater details surrounding the corruption in FIFA is hardly surprising from an organisation that continues to employ a crook like Jack Warner. Since 1966 there have been eleven World Cup tournaments, with Germany hosting the tournament twice, Mexico twice, Italy and France once (which makes a grand total of two a piece). So why is there a danger of England being overlooked for the 2018 finals? There were reports today that FIFA have concerns over the training camp and hotel facilities in England – something so ludicrous it is hard to believe.

I’m not one of these football fans blinded by the unhealthy patriotism and arrogance that is displayed by a number of England fans that expect glory because we are England – the masters and creators of the game. It is always hard for the ‘master’ to accept that his students, many of them, are in fact miles ahead in all areas of the game. The original basis of England’s game was based on power, strength and pace – something that although is vital in the modern game, is the main focus of England’s ‘British Bulldog’ appeal.

Glenn Hoddle was a master of the football, who could unlock teams with a visionary pass or a breathtaking piece of skill. Michel Platini once stated that Hoddle, if born a few hundred miles south, would have won 120 caps at international level as opposed to the 53 he won for the three lions. His successor at Tottenham, Paul Gascoigne, was adored by the English public for his god given talent and his jester like attitude towards life. However, his past time of boozing was also an English trait – which in my eyes – hindered his progress and he inevitably failed to reach his full potential. Paul Scholes, a World Class player who was the best all round midfielder of his generation, was often asked to play in a role that alien to how he lined up for his club – where of course he won countless titles and European honours. So why are the more talented English players, or foreign players like Ronaldo for example, play second fiddle to the likes of the tough tackler who ‘gives his all’ for club and country?

I spoke with an old school friend, who was a technically very good footballer now doing professional coaching, recently who stated that he was concerned by the high amount of kids at academy level who are born between September and December of a normal school year. There kids are of course more physically advanced than kids born later in the year – highlighting the emphasis that is being placed on results over performance. This is only one aspect of the problem – the other is far more serious and is enriched within English football culture. As a child playing Sunday football you are encouraged to ‘get rid of the ball’ as quickly as you can and get it forward, rather than promote ball retention. The recycling of the football has never been more important at the top level, which was highlighted by Spain’s 2010 World Cup win in July.

The purpose of this criticism isn’t to highlight the shortcomings of English football, which to me are more obvious to any keen football enthusiast, but to show that I understand as to why England continue to fail when crunch time comes. When I was younger I used to think England were up there with the Brazils, Italys and Argentinas of this world. I used to feel a sense of injustice every time England painfully exited a tournament. It was always someone else’s fault, a conspiracy against the crown – we were always the victims. As I got older and obviously matured, I realised the problem was with everyone else – but the problem was within. The arrogance and stubborn to accept change has restricted the development of a number of youngsters throughout the years, which is why the percentage of foreign players in the Premier League has increased no end. Unimaginative, uncreative tactics and a direct football philosophy are as old as the dust on Howard Wilkinson’s first coaching manual and simply do not cut it at the top level – which could be a reason as to why there as a limited amount of top class English coaches.

Zidane, Platini, Zico, Maradona, Di Stefano, Cruyff, Pele, Garrincha, Ronaldo, Messi and co all have one thing in common – they aren’t English and are some of the best players ever to grace this planet. So what helps to produce this talent? Nurture vs. nature is too big a subject to discuss right now – but a current genius such as Lionel Messi – didn’t get to where he is today without a mixture of both God given talent and a vast amount of practise. Can England produce a Lionel Messi? Of course – but remember that society, environment and culture help to produce players and therefore if England are serious about challenging for major International honours – then mother England really does need to take a good look at herself and review the attitude, philosophy and general opinions of football in this country.

The Premier League is one of the greatest leagues in the world. England are not one of the best teams in the World. England is a football institution who have produced some of the finest footballing club sides to have ever graced European competition. When you compared England’s record to Germany or Italy in terms of final appearances (1:7 for Germany and 1:6 for Italy) then the evidence speaks for itself – have England been that unlucky or are we simply not as good as the media and majority of fans claim England to be?

The people of England deserve to witness, first hand, the wonders of the World Cup like they nearly half a century ago. Russia still have a major issue with racism and hooliganism – something that England has worked on massively over the past twenty years with some superb result – both inside the stadiums and on a social level. In my eyes there is only one candidate, in my eyes England don’t deserve it based upon football pedigree – but because England can and will put on a superb tournament for the watching world. Football’s coming home? We’ll see on December 2nd – but I still doubt that eight years will be enough time for England to reassess its football foundations.

This assessment comes in three parts: vs. Germany; the tournament as a whole; and the future. As with my last post, I am very keen to get a discussion going at the bottom of the article. As I have experienced this afternoon, everyone has an opinion on what has happened and where to go – there is no right answer, so have a read of what I think and then I want to see what the World Cup Statistic’s readers think. We’ve been accustomed to England Football Jokes over the years, now we want to know what you think!

Vs. Germany:

It’s very simple, England were not good enough. Both individually and as a team, England did nothing to suggest they should have advanced instead of Germany.

Frank Lampard did hit the bar and have a goal wrongly not given, but by the time Lampard’s shot crossed the line England should have been four goals behind anyway.

Fabio Capello picked the same team that got so much praise for their performance against Slovenia but yet the team couldn’t gel today. To criticise the starting XI would be hypocritical after the lavish praise of the press for picking Milner and Defoe post-Slovenia. England lost chasing the game, most of Capello’s substitutions were irrelevant, the game was already lost.

I believe the Germans were spot on with their tactics. They pressed England on the ball and targeted in particular the English centre backs, forcing them to play long balls. They identified a lack of pace in the middle and hit England hard on the counter attack, playing some excellent football. Schweinsteiger, Ozil and Muller stood out. In particular it is refreshing to see so many attacking players given the freedom to play their natural game and express themselves.

England suffered from too many individual errors whilst not looking like a team. They were outplayed and outclassed.

The tournament:

The biggest problem with England at a major tournament is the press. The press are excellent at influencing the mood of a country. The press are outstanding at defining England’s chances and identifying players who should perform, whilst crashing down and destroying the players who didn’t perform.

Going into this World Cup once again England had a ‘golden generation’ with one of the world’s best players – Wayne Rooney. The expectation on England to deliver was immense. Quite true however was the fact that England had some fantastic individual players, a top coach and had qualified for the tournament with relative ease. The ‘Golden Generation’ tag never helped England but fuelled the expectations of the fans. As Frank Lampard said post-match today, “The golden generation tag was stupid, it was something that we never believed, it was something the media came up with”.

As it played out, England couldn’t have performed worse and having sneaked through to the knockout stages they were outplayed by Germany.

England’s preparations were hampered before the World Cup with the injury to Rio Ferdinand. As it played out, with the defence looking shaky at times I think the injury to Rio was more important than first thought. England lost a very very good defender as well as their leader and captain.

England’s qualification to the World Cup arguably was part of the downfall. England qualified with such ease that the formation and personnel became the clear way forward for Capello. After the draw with Algeria I questioned why England don’t play a different way – upon reflection I understand that the time to try a new formation is not in the middle of a World Cup but with the players at his disposal it does seem strange Capello never tried a change of formation in any friendlies.

As I’ve said, individually England are brilliant. However, there are so many egos in the side. The noises coming from the camp suggested something wasn’t quite right. The atmosphere amongst the team didn’t appear that relaxed and I think that was reflected by the team’s lack of coherence and togetherness on the pitch.

Too many players did not deliver individually. It is hard to know why. The system may be the reason but it had worked before. I have previously suggested that Rooney is the most feared England player and therefore it was important to play to his strengths which England did not do. Of course it is impossible for me to defend Rooney or the other players for poor touches or for not being able to string passes together. I can’t explain that or get my head round it.

I feel that fatigue was a huge factor for England. The players looked drained. I warned against this before the World Cup when so many players were getting injured. I would stress again that I believe that the Premier League has become the elite form of football. Players have to be so conditioned and fine tuned for it that when it comes to international football, it is a step down and is hard for the players to adjust to it.

I feel that the FA must consider what the World Cup means to them and where it ranks in their priorities. I feel the answer is that it ranks highly, in which case, it baffles me that the FA have not tried to create an environment for the best possible achievements at the World Cup. By that, I mean they have not adopted the proven ‘winter break’ and they did not start the season early enough so that the players would have a suitable rest before the World Cup. It meant, Rooney for example was thrust straight in to training with England after the season had ended. I choose Rooney as my example because he in particular could have done with the break having been injured at the back end of the season when he was thrust back into the Manchester United side whilst not fully fit. More drastic still, the FA could scrap the League Cup – a competition which many of the top sides in the country don’t take that seriously.

The set-up of England as a whole seemed good. There were leaders, experienced players, younger players, good coaches, a fantastic role model (Beckham) but one thing left me confused – the press. I know the press had been kept further from the players than ever before but I wish there had been a gag on them. Sometimes you just want the coach to be left alone with his players to get on with it. The press are much more real and approachable these days due to Twitter. There are so many journalists and ex-professionals offering their own ‘expert’ opinions that footballing journalism just became saturated – it must be so hard to avoid it entirely for the players and the coaches. I have to admit I am intrigued to see the tone the journalists adopt tomorrow – pretty much all of them were so confident of an England win today.

Confidence is an interesting thing. Typically, England fans get overconfident. I think English expectations really need to be re-aligned a bit. England are a good footballing nation but there are a lot of teams who play better, are better and critically, have the experience or ‘know-how’ of how to win on the biggest stage. England play with fear at times, it’s not healthy. This can and should be addressed by throwing in some of the new generation.

The tournament was a disaster. Players played badly, the tactics were strange at times, the team didn’t appear to be playing together, and England in my opinion got what their performances deserved. I don’t believe in scapegoats, you win and lose as a team – every player and member of staff is culpable for what has happened.

The future:

Firstly, importantly, for me, Capello must stay in charge. This isn’t truly his side. Scars still exist from McClaren and Eriksson. Capello has the same core to his team that they had. Continuity is great but coaches are too scared of messing with the core. Capello’s experience and qualities mean he is still the right man for the job. I don’t think he’s scared of egos or change.

Capello must sort out the Lampard/Gerrard mess and plump for one or neither. There are older players in this team who should now be exiled. As Gary Neville has always suggested, players should not retire from international football but accept when they are no longer having a positive effect – they should always be available for consideration.

Capello must start to bring through the next generation of England players properly. There needs to be a total overhaul. Capello should keep Beckham close as he is the ultimate role model. Capello must be given the freedom to do it all his own way. Capello must pick a team, he must not be afraid of leaving players out, the South American heavyweights are showing the world that route.

The English youth teams have had enough success lately, playing good football, using technically gifted players and that won’t have been missed by Capello. It’s time to make Joe Hart the clear number one whilst I would like to see a lot of the younger players thrust in to the squads and at the deep end. I’m thinking along the lines of: Gosling, Micah Richards, Gibbs, Rodwell, Wilshere, Agbonlahor, (more of) Milner, Shawcross, Lennon, Walcott, Adam Johnson, Huddlestone, Ashley Young, Cattermole, Sturridge etc. These players can come in and play with no fear – England need that. The England squad and starting XI should not be chosen based on ‘names’, sometimes you need players who are good at performing a certain role, such as what Gilberto Silva still does so well for Brazil.

Importantly, Capello must not be scared of realising that it wouldn’t necessarily be a mistake to build a team around Rooney (who will turn only 25 later this year). Rooney can be vital to the future success of the England team. Capello must also however consider life without Rooney. There is no one else really who can come in and play like we know he can up front. Hence Capello needs a good Plan B. England are in what should be a straightforward group for Euro 2012 (Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Montenegro). If England qualify with games to spare it may be important for Capello to try his Plan B in a real game.

Just as a final thought, I wonder if the FA have distanced themselves and the team too far from the fans. I feel like the FA are a little out of touch with what the national side means to the supporters. The FA have to repair some bridges and build some new ones over the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

The future of the England national team can be a bright one. Capello must first make some bold calls and then really focus on a squad that works together and plays as a team. The English brought the game to Brazil, but now might be the time to learn from them.

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That weekend felt draining. I don’t think I’ve experienced so much footballing information in such a short space of time. Saturday started with the England hangover. Everyone has their own opinion as to why England continued their poor form with another failure. England fans weren’t the only ones feeling angry. The USA’s fans awoke to their own frustrations. They felt, quite rightly, that their side had been denied a 3-2 victory against Slovenia which would have capped an excellent turnaround having been two goals behind. Maurice Edu’s late goal was harshly ruled out by the referee.

Having had 5 goals on Friday, Saturday went one better and delivered 6. The opening game of the weekend saw the Dutch beat Japan 1-0 thanks to a Wesley Sneijder goal. The Dutch were impressive without seemingly getting out of first gear. Dutch fans might be concerned that they couldn’t add to their goal tally but the performance of Dirk Kuyt and an impressive substitute cameo from Ibrahim Affelay will keep morale high.

The second game saw an African heavyweight, Ghana meet the Socceroos, Australia. As in their first game, Australia harshly went down to ten men when Harry Kewell was sent off. This happened when Australia were already a goal up thanks to Brett Holman poking home after Wigan’s Richard Kingson spilled a shot. The game’s key moment happened on 25 minutes when Kewell handled on the line. It seemed a combination of arm and chest that could not be avoided. Kewell was shown red and Asamoah Gyan confidently scored the penalty as he did in Ghana’s first game. It proved to make for an exciting game. Australia worked very hard and had some excellent chances to get a second goal. Ghana were the more dominant side and had more chances than Australia but few were particularly good. The game ended with Ghana topping group D and Australia bottom.

Saturday ended with Denmark beating Cameroon 2-1 in an exciting game. Cameroon took the lead through Eto’o but that was pegged back by Bendtner. Rommedahl got the winning goal. The result was significant as Cameroon became the first country to be knocked out of the World Cup.

Along came Sunday…the England debate still rolling on with no sign of ending or answers. Then the French decided the World Cup needed drama.

The French Football Federation announced Nicolas Anelka had been sent home from the World Cup after a bust up with coach Raymond Domenech. Anelka has always liked an argument and a sulk, at least he can now finally say he’s played at a World Cup. That news broke on Saturday. The French took it up a notch on the Sunday. Domenech was in the middle of doing a live interview on TF1 whilst into the studio in flip-flops and shorts strolls Frank Ribery. Ribery, on the verge of tears wanted to deny any suggestions of a bust up with teammate Gourcuff that was alleged to have happened on board a flight.

The host of the interview was Bixente Lizarazu, the former French full back. He then engaged in an argument with Domenech after the French coach insisted the French players boycotted the press in 2000. Lizarazu accused him of being a liar (true – only Deschamps boycotted the press then).

As if the French had ended their drama for the day!? A rumour emerged that the entire French squad had pulled out of training and walked onto their bus. News filtered through that French captain, Patrice Evra had clashed with fitness coach Robert Duverne. Domenech had to separate the pair as Duverne stormed off and the players went onto their coach. Within twenty minutes, Jean-Louis Valentin, a French official quit his role citing that it was all getting ridiculous and was too much for him.

Another thirty minutes passed and a brief statement from the French players said they refused to train as they opposed Anelka’s exclusion from the squad. The French players were annoyed the Anelka-Domenech row had become so public and believed there was a traitor amongst the squad. Evra confirmed the squad don’t believe Duverne is the traitor and Duverne confirmed Evra was not rude or abusive but that he was merely trying to convince Evra to train.

The day began with Ribery’s unexpected apology to the French nation live on TV and ended with President Sarkozy calling the entire French squad to account.

England don’t like living in the shadow of the French and so John Terry’s press conference pulled England into the headlines alongside the French. John Terry gave an honest and frank press conference. He admitted England were not good enough. He admitted England were bored due to Capello’s strict rules. He admitted players’ would be speaking out at the team meeting on Sunday evening. John Terry suggested that the some of the player’s suggestions at the meeting that evening might upset Capello and that if that was the case it wouldn’t bother the players. This meeting that was to review the Algerian nightmare soon got spun by the press into a ‘crisis’ meeting. Terry suggested that the players may hint that they’d like a change of shape and personnel in the England starting XI.

Terry acted as if he was still England captain. He acted like a leader. It was probably what England needed – someone to give them direction. Terry was rash, he said some clumsy things, he contradicted himself a few times but the emotion he showed will have gone a long way to convince fans that the players care and want to fix the situation.

The question of player power must also be asked. Some of the world’s top managers would not have accepted some of the things Terry said. Terry openly said that he didn’t care if Capello would be upset by some of the things the squad would say to him later that evening. At a time when Terry emerged as a leader, Capello must stamp his foot down to remind the squad that he is in charge.

(I should point out that having suggested Terry was a hero yesterday, the press today seem to be suggesting that Terry has made a complete mess of the situation and have taken a very negative slant on it).

(Additionally, Lampard is speaking live now and suggesting that the meeting didn’t quite follow the path Terry suggested it might. Lampard is desperately trying to save Terry’s blushes after admitting the meeting was almost entirely about the Algeria game and that what Terry said was wrong and didn’t happen).

There was also some football played on Sunday!

I enjoyed Slovakia vs. Paraguay. The South American side won 2-0 and played some good football. It was refreshing to see an actual 4-3-3 formation with three clear forwards. Slovakia were surprisingly negative and were outplayed. Both of Paraguay’s goals were good finishes, from Vera and Riveros (who is to join Sunderland after the World Cup).

The second game saw Italy take on New Zealand. Unbelievably New Zealand took the lead through Shane Smeltz – a player who has played non-league football in England. Arguably Smeltz was offside but I’m not sure that anyone bar Italian fans cared. We had ourselves an amazing story. It took just over 20 minutes for Italy to equalise. Tommy Smith pulled down Daniele De Rossi, a soft penalty given and Vincenzo Iaquinta scored. That’s how it remained. Italy dominated the game but like England failed to excite or create good chances. The European curse continued. Do European players play too many games?

The final game saw Brazil take on Ivory Coast in a potential corker of a game. Brazil won 3-1. They played well and showed flashes of brilliance but the Ivory Coast were poor. They looked too reliant on an unfit Drogba and had no clear plan b. Luis Fabiano scored two very good goals and a third was rounded off by Elano after a good move. Drogba did get a late conciliation goal for Brazil. The game however was marred by the sending off of the under-performing Kaka for two bookable offences. Both offences were yellow cards but the second yellow card was for an elbow to Keita in the stomach, yet the Ivorian went down holding his face. Cheating from the Rivaldo school of ‘going-down’.

So the weekend closed with the South American teams doing well. Italy making England’s position look not so bad. The French and the English in ridiculous situations but for once not involving each other. The former best player in the World had been sent off. And a European had actually won a Major Golf tournament (well done Graeme McDowell).

The new week starts with sunshine in London for the beginning of Wimbledon and the prospect of two more big upsets today as Portugal play North Korea (looking to emulate 1966) and Spain play Honduras…bring it on!

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As the World Cup started I agreed on a (slightly bold and rushed) statement with my housemate: ‘if England don’t win the World Cup it’ll be down to the players and not the coach’ – that statement doesn’t stand so true anymore. After the USA game I attacked the England players individually with some player ratings. Post-Algeria I don’t see any point to individual assessment. Everyone was poor. The team must be examined as just that – a team.

Where to begin?!?

The strangest thing for me is that players are not playing in their preferred or their best positions/roles. Five of the front six are more effective in a different role:

Rooney – amongst the world’s best at playing alone having scored 34 goals this past season playing usually unsupported

Gerrard – is not a wide left player, but plays in a central midfield three where he consistently scores between 10 and 20 goals a season

Lampard – has scored 20 or more goals for the past five years playing centrally in a midfield three

Barry – anchors a midfield three

Lennon – is used to playing in a system where he is furthest forward hugging the wide right, he is not used to having a full back ahead of him so often

The Lennon point is fairly minor but the other four players deserve consideration – all of them would prefer to slot into a 4-3-3 or a 4-5-1 system. These are four very important players for England who are under performing in the current system.

Fair enough – Capello chose to play a 4-4-2 with Heskey supporting Rooney as he had done so often in the qualifiers with great success, but this time it was all a bit bizarre. Barry sat deep which in a two man central midfield is risky as it exposes space. This space was however frequently filled…by the ‘wingers’. Gerrard and Lennon both floated into the middle looking to open space for the full backs but also caused a problem. With Barry sitting deep and Lampard also relatively deep, there was often very little for Lennon or Gerrard to do other than to pass backwards in what became a congested central area.

England seemed to have very little shape. Johnson and Cole are great at pushing forward but when they do so and England have all four midfielders in the middle the last thing anyone wanted to see was Heskey peeling off wide. Too many times Heskey was popping up alongside Johnson on the right where it should have been Lennon. Why Heskey was in a position to cross a ball beats me.

Rooney cut a frustrated figure all evening. I think I can safely suggest that I can’t ever remember him having such a bad game. Regardless of his touch and his passing being so diabolical, as a striker, he had no service. England’s now congested central area was even more congested by the number of Algerian players back, meaning no ball could be intricately thread through the middle; and out wide the wingers had gone missing into the middle so there was rarely anyone to cross the ball in. England just could not create chances.

I find it weird that Capello had tinkered with the team so much. Bar Lennon this was the front six that helped England qualify for the World Cup with such consummate ease. One can argue that Capello changed player roles as a result of watching Algeria previously. However I might argue that he failed to notice some key aspects of the Algerian game and this was reflected in his substitutions.

The Algerian’s must be credited for their work rate, their speed, their ability to get men back quickly, their happiness to sit deep but also pressure the England players and their tackling (they gave very few fouls away in dangerous positions but gave lots of clever fouls away around the halfway line when England tried to break).

With Algeria sitting deep and not susceptible to pace – Capello’s substitutions were odd. Shaun Wright-Phillips on for Lennon was a like-for-like swap and saw no obvious tactical change. Defoe on for Heskey suggested England would try and keep the ball down and work it around but that failed to materialise and with Algeria sitting so deep, Defoe’s pace became irrelevant. Crouch on for Barry came too late for any impact and with no one on the pitch who could cross a ball.

Capello didn’t try to change the formation. He didn’t think his substitutions through. When Heskey and/or Crouch are on the pitch you need someone who can cross a ball on too. I believe the person who would have been suited to that would have been James Milner. Milner could have sat in a fairly deep wide role, finding space as the Algerian fullbacks had dropped so much and he could have put crosses in for Heskey/Crouch to attack. I found myself amazed Capello didn’t even try the Joe Cole option – one of the few technically creative players in the squad who can make things happen in flat games.

England played in such a way whereby the formation almost seemed irrelevant. It was as if because of the names in the England starting XI they should be able to beat Algeria regardless. To a point, this is true but this is also a World Cup, one off matches where anything can happen. Algeria were clearly happy with a draw whilst England didn’t look hungry for the win.

This is an international tournament so naturally a Manchester United player must follow in the footsteps of Beckham, P. Neville and Ronaldo in being the scapegoat (I joke…a little) – but Rooney will get the majority of the criticism, most of it fair, aimed in his direction. He’s the player everyone looks to for inspiration. He’s the player the media have hyped up after an incredible season. He’s also the player who does not look fully fit; who’s not playing in the formation that he likes; who’s not playing in a role that gets the most from him; who’s not getting any service; and who has the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. Rather than boo Rooney, I hope as I have suggested before, that Capello plays to his strengths and focuses on him.

The defence yesterday did ok. Terry was surprisingly shaky but there were few moments to concern England. Johnson and Cole are often England’s best attacking threats. Due to this, Capello must consider Joe Cole and James Milner for the wide positions – two players who would be happy to have a full back overlap and who are both adept at cutting inside. Having backed Lennon before, I am concerned that he seems to be struggling with nerves and forming an understanding with Johnson.

As a result I would move to a five man midfield of (from right to left) Milner, Lampard, Barry, Gerrard, Joe Cole; and have Rooney up front alone. The brief to Rooney would be simple – do what you do for Manchester United – hold the line, play on the shoulder of the defenders and find space in the box. With Joe Cole and Milner wide, the delivery in to Rooney would be better and with three in the middle both Gerrard and Lampard would be able to make forward runs more often knowing Barry is anchoring deep. Gerrard in particular would be able to push on and support Rooney.

The England performance was one to forget yesterday. England must move on quick and Capello must fix this quickly. He is a fantastic coach who showed signs of insanity yesterday. I always felt HE would get things right at this World Cup and if England failed it would be down to the players and not him. However, England failed to win as a team yesterday, as a result of tactics and as a result of non-reactionary substitutions. When the players are playing poorly it is down to the coach to be able to change it around – Capello did not do this. Capello must now select players in the positions/roles that they play best in. Capello must make some big decisions otherwise he may be to blame for a very disappointing England World Cup performance.

The task now is simple. Beat Slovenia and the last 16 awaits. If England can do that then Algeria can become a distant memory and we can all love Capello, Rooney and Co again.

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So England drew and collectively, a country groaned. Surprisingly the spark amongst the rubbish on show was Emile Heskey and not Wayne Rooney. I will argue that Heskey should not start England’s next game. I am no scout, I know very little about how Algeria play and therefore I am not considering that they may have a 4ft centre back who Heskey would dominate. I am writing this purely as an England fan who wants to see the England team do as well as possible and believes that in order to achieve this, Wayne Rooney is central to English plans.

Heskey had one of his best games for England on Saturday. He cleverly assisted Gerrard’s goal; lead the line; held the ball up well; linked up play; and put himself about – unsettling the American defenders.

Apart from the fact he missed a one on one, on the face of things, it would be hard to criticise Heskey. What’s more, Heskey during the World Cup qualifiers linked up well with Wayne Rooney and appeared to help Rooney become more dangerous.

Wayne Rooney however has just had his most prolific season in football. He played primarily on his own. Furthermore he admitted prior to the World Cup that he prefers to play on his own. Arguably, right now, Rooney plays the lone striker’s role better than anyone else in the world.

England lined up against the USA with two up front – Heskey and Rooney. Heskey lead the line, and allowed players to run off him. Rooney played deeper and struggled to get involved in the game. Rooney only broke forward sparingly as he looked to get onto the ball. His three most influential moments in the first half came from playing his teammates in, not from having chances himself.

As the second half wore on Rooney pushed higher up the pitch where he has become accustomed to playing for Manchester United. He started to influence the game more – setting the tempo and making things happen for England. Frequently he made very good runs in the box, often losing his marker.

Rooney is England’s most important player. He is the one player other nations say they fear more than any other in this England team. Rooney has the ability to inspire those around him and change a game in a few seconds. Rooney also flourishes when playing alone. Whilst Heskey stood out today, in my opinion he hindered the performance of Rooney.

I know that given the choice I would rather Rooney stood out than Heskey stood out. As we saw today, Heskey standing out does not equal goals. Rooney standing out generally does equal goals. In my opinion, Rooney must play up front on his own. He must be the man leading the line, getting into dangerous positions where he can score or have chances. Rooney is as good as Heskey at holding up the ball. If Gerrard, Lampard or maybe Joe Cole are running off him, they too will have chances. England must utilise the fact they have an outstanding player who plays best when alone.

Part of the success of Rooney this season at Manchester United has been down to the quality of the crosses put in for him – England must focus on improving the delivery of their crosses. Should England not be capable of putting in good crosses then fair enough, play a bigger man like Heskey or Crouch who can deal with a poorer ball in and make the most of it.

England must go to a 4-5-1, 4-3-3 or the currently popular 4-2-3-1. Essentially each formation lines up in a very similar way, to call it a 4-2-3-1 seems fashionable at the moment. Rooney must lead the line, and be supported by a three man midfield or someone floating behind him. It is a better option to revert to a 4-4-2 mid-game and bring someone like Heskey on than to revert to just one up top mid-game.

Heskey’s contribution should not be overlooked. He was excellent at the weekend, but I just wonder if that game would have panned out better had Rooney been up top alone.

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