Too Much Much Too Young?

With England heading into the European Championships in Poland and Ukraine in the summer, talk of the proposed squad for the tournament is already well under way. Somewhat overshadowed by Terry and Capello-Gate, there are several key issues for the squad, not forgetting of course that we don’t even know which manager will be leading us into Eastern Europe. Assuming its ‘Arry, there is the debate on the captaincy and who is fit to march the Three Lions into battle. Also whether to take our talisman that is Wayne Rooney, given he will only be available for games after England’s group clash with Sweden.

Over the past couple of weeks however there have been calls for the inclusion of the next apparent ‘wonderkid’ England has produced. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has been in blistering form for Arsenal lately, tearing through Manchester Utd’s and Blackburn’s respective defences at the Emirates. There is much potential with this kid, he can clearly play football but as a youngster has a lot to learn. My question: Why rush him?

It’s been seemingly common knowledge in English Football that ‘If you’re good enough, you’re old enough’. This mentality can work, especially in club level where hot prospects are thrown into Premier League battles and the pressure can make diamonds. With England however, I disagree.

In the last decade, a number of notable English teenagers have been capped, including Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon, Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney (who was 17 when he made his debut v Australia). Of those mentioned, how many have gone on to achieve what, according to the hype, they should have done at International level? Rooney’s best tournament performance by a mile was Euro 2004, where he scored 4 goals before his injury in the Quarter Final. Walcott and Lennon have often flattered to deceive, and Walcott has done little barring his hat-trick in Zagreb, earning a World Cup call up when he shouldn’t have and missing out when he probably should have been in Capello’s 23 man squad for South Africa. Even Wilshere, another fantastic English prospect at Arsenal, has spent most of the time since impressing for England, on the injury table, questioning whether he is physically ready for regular International football just yet. Even before that the turn of the century, Micheal Owen was the brightest talent in European Football and was arguably burnt out before he turned 28. Is a pattern emerging here?

Pushing these young players too far can have detrimental effects on not only their own careers which can become increasingly injury prone or even show a change in mentality, but also on future squads who aren’t seeing the potential turned into results and ultimately silverware. But this is not the only reason we should be nurturing our young guns rather than building them up for a fall.

It’s certainly not lack of talent or raw potential that would stop me taking the likes of Chamberlain, Everton’s Ross Barkley and even Phil Jones to Ukraine in the summer. For me, Phil Jones is a future England captain, so let him flourish with the Under 21’s, let him hone his leadership and captaincy skills before being thrown under the international spot light. At only 19 he has another development tournament in him, a chance to build on England’s performance (or lack of it) in Denmark 2011. The importance of having a strong Under 21’s side must be recognised. It should be seen as a platform for young English players to want to impress, in the hope that once they are ineligible to play, they have done enough internationally and domestically to warrant a place in the national side, rather than being cherry picked when they are seen as ready, often leaving a whole in the side, and meaning a lack of continuity for the rest of the squad.

The tournament itself was a shambles for English international football. As the next crop of Spanish superstars won in Scandinavia, England crashed out in the group stages. Although they claimed a somewhat fortunate draw against the winners, a draw with Ukraine and a loss to the Czech Republic meant elimination. A squad which included the likes of Danny Welbeck, Daniel Sturridge, Jordan Henderson and Tom Cleverley. All big names at Under 21 and even domestic level, but failing to perform on a big stage. Sounds familiar? What about Rooney, Gerrard and co’s dismal showing in South Africa? What about ‘The Golden Generation’ in Germany in 2006 or the forgettable qualifying campaign sandwiched in between? England don’t need superstars, we need a team.

The best way to get a team is to let the best young players develop in the Under 21 side. Most of the current England squad are on the way out, this tournament is one that probably can’t be won, but nothing is impossible. The 2013 Under 21 Championship in Israel is the perfect opportunity for these International hopefuls to prove themselves, gain international experience and win some silverware. A winning mentality at Youth level will mean a winning mentality where it really matters, which can only help our only help our quest for International Glory.

@D4vidHolly

Plenty of Positives for Boro

Anyone telling themselves the Tees-Wear derby isn’t a ‘proper derby’ wasn’t at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday night for the FA Cup Fourth Round replay.  Over 22,000 passionate ‘Boro fans supported their brave young side for 120 minutes, with 4000 away fans sucking Stephane Sessegnon’s 113^th minute strike into the net. The attendance was Middlesbrough’s 2^nd highest of the season and both sets of fans were magnificently brave for turning out in force in subzero temperatures.

Despite the painful score line, the so called ‘underdogs’ performance over the games against their rivals from up the A19 can only be viewed as a positive. To take the country’s form side to a replay, followed by a tense and tight affair at home and be beaten by the odd goal is no mean feat. The result left the home crowd disheartened, but reflecting on the performance can only have warmed them up on the way back to the comfort of their own homes.

The atmosphere itself was something they can take pride in. There was a real sense of pride and from the terraces and this visably made its way onto the pitch through tough, but fair, challenges from the likes of local lads Joe Bennett and Matthew Bates. Money is tight on Teeside, a fact that is not made enough of in the National media, with more emphasis on the empty seats in the stadium than on the match in some instances. Attendances and passion like Wednesday remind all the players that this is a big club and the supporters should never be taken for granted.

On the pitch there was even more reason for positive thoughts. The Boro finished with 8 players having came through the club’s famous youth academy on the pitch – 9 if you count young Curtis Main, who learnt his trade not far at Darlington. If Main’s debut is anything to go by he could become an invaluable asset to Boro’s promotion campaign, with Scott McDonald potentially out for the season and Marvin Emnes looking increasingly out of sorts. A relatively new name to some Boro fans is Adam Reach, who came on in the second half and looked promising, built in the mould of academy graduates Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson.  With the squad stretched enough as it is the younger players are relied upon increasingly and based on the derby the club can be satisfied it’s future is in safe hands.

Ahhh Sunderland.

Ahhh Sunderland. As of the day I am writing this, the 10^th February 2012, Sunny Sunderland are on a five game unbeaten run, lie 8^th in the league and are through to the fifth round of the FA Cup. The source of their success... none other than Martin O’Neill. Sunderland’s answer to the Messiah after his first 13 games in charge have lead to nine wins, two draws and only two defeats; this, with the same team that managed only 11 points in the first 13 games. Saying that, Steve Bruce was tactically, pretty useless. (In contrast to that negative statement, he’s a lovely man!).

Using the same players “destined for relegation”, the Black Cats have also scored some stunning goals. ‘Jolly Good!’ is what you may be thinking. But there’s a problem creeping in, a small problem that’s really winding me up. It’s not the tactics, it could be the away kit, however that’s a different matter; and it’s not the coaching staff. The issue that is beginning to creep in is complacency.

Jack Colback, a twenty three year old central midfielder, still in the early stages of his career.  So when Frazier Campbell heads the ball back to him on the edge of the area, experience tells you a player of his standard will take a touch and put it wide. Instead, after a fantastically well taken touch to set himself up, he hammers the ball into the top corner, leaving the keeper no chance of saving it. Now a boy growing up in the North-East, scoring in a derby, you’d expect his shirt off and running round the pitch like a horse on LSD. However, he just stands there. Modesty? No, the confidence level is so high, spectacular just isn’t that spectacular When he scored his last goal against Everton, his fellow Sunderland players were struggling to keep up with him.

The stats for the Middlesbrough game only add to my concerns; Sunderland had 19 shots, 10 of them on target. 13 of the 19 shots came from outside of the box. Of the six shots that came from inside the box, six were on target. So using some simple maths, we can see that four of the 13 shots from outside of the box were on target.

Why not just pass it on and keep building up the move, rather than end it before it finds its momentum?

Phil Bardsley, once known for his sensible and effective full back play, now, after scoring two screamers over the past two seasons, seems unable to pick out a pass when he enters the opponents final third. In his own half, he’s thoughtful and patient; in the other teams half he seems to be under the impression that he is a love child of Messi and David Silva. Some may say that two goals in 30 shots isn’t bad for a defender. Fair enough, until you notice that 21 of the 30 were off target.

To put it this way, Sunderland players aren’t content with scoring easy goals anymore.  Every time they moved the ball into the box, they seemed lost, looking for a man outside of the box rather than taking a crack at goal. The question is, now they face a strong team in Arsenal next game, can the Martin O’Neill effect continue to work wonders, or will the kettle bubble over and lead to a catastrophic defeat. My prediction, Arsenal four, Sunderland nil. And I think it’ll do wonders for their confidence.

The Only Way is English

With Mr Capello out of the picture at Wembley the chase is well underway for the next holder of the ‘Poisoned Chalice’ that is the role as England manager. Barry Fry probably couldn’t have put it any more horribly on Sky Sports News, but essentially he is right: The next manager of England has to be English.

‘Passion and commitment for our country’, is what a purple faced Fry demanded in the next manager. ‘There’s only one man for the job, Harry Redknapp’. Of course all he did essentially was call for the favourite to be installed, a man whose experience at club level is almost unrivalled, managing a different sort of club to the likes of Ferguson and Wenger. Of course he did it in a way that may have came across as xenophobic and left the involved presenters a shade bemused, but is he right?

Does every fan in England crave an English manager? Do they all think foreign managers would be interested in the job purely for financial reasons? Or is it the prestige of leading, what we must accept a hugely underachieving nation, onto the World stage and into the history books?

Frankly, I think the whole argument is irrelevant. Why does England need a foreign manager? When out of 4 professional leagues, 92 professional English clubs, how can not one be managed by an Englishman suitable for the National Job?  We somehow manage to muster 11 players playing in our leagues, bar the rare exception, all who are English to represent England. So why not a manager?

What is the point of international football when nations can cherry pick managers from a rival nation.  When taking on Italy in the World Cup it should be England versus Italy. Our best XI against theirs.  Appointing an overseas manager is basically telling the rest of world football that we can’t aren’t good enough to produce our own managers. Is this what every English fan wants?

Then again the rest of the world wouldn’t be wrong in thinking so. Say Harry Redknapp, a man currently flying with Tottenham and recovering from heart surgery, turns down the job. Then who? If we’re staying English it’s Hodgson, Pardew or Pearce. None of them sound appealing? Well did the inclusion of players such as Scott Carson, Bobby Zamora and Jay Bothroyd in recent squads write headlines on their own? They got the call up for two main reasons. They are English and had earned the call up on merit through form for their clubs. If they are the best players we have available then that’s our concern and we should get on with improving our own players. Surely the same should apply to who is appointed England manager, shouldn’t it Barry?