The 40-year plight of the England national team is looking as strong as ever. This week they’re facing a double-header: Israel and Andorra.
The Andorra game should be easier for them, although both games really should be sure wins.
Israel and Andorra are not teams that should pose a serious threat to a team with the talent, potential, and significance of the English game. Why then can England fans everywhere not help but feel slightly anxious about the fixtures? Why does every game have to be so worrisome? The problem with the team is both devastatingly simple and highly complex all at the same time.
The problem with the team is that they lack creativity, and all that it entails.
What the Brazilians have in abundance more than anyone else is a creative vision, and with that comes a natural, confident, witty style. It makes watching a fully-functional Brazilian team a delight to watch, and an unstoppable presence on the pitch. One needs to look no further than the domestic English football product, the EPL, to witness the difference.
In many respects the EPL is a great league. It draws world-famous players, countless impassioned fans, and tons of money. But the main draw of the EPL, and the characteristic for which it is most known, is it’s brutal efficiency. The English teams are like high-powered, fine-tuned machines. The up-tempo and cutthroat pace often make it a delight to watch. In some ways it makes the league (at least initially) inaccessible to foreign players and difficult to adjust to. Chelsea’s own Andriy Shevchenko is one such player who just now seems to be adjusting. Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano are two other players who were obviously unaccustomed to the English style. But this style, and general cultural preoccupation with fine-tuning the football club, is directly affecting the national team’s performance.
England’s national players do not lack heart or determination, nor do they lack the will to win and the capability to do so. Where they do fall short by a sizable margin from the world’s other football powers is the creative side of the game. Watching the team, I can’t help but feel sorry for them for taking it all so seriously. They’re so determined to win that they believe there is no margin for error. Trying so hard not to make mistakes, they rarely take chances to dribble an opponent or slice through a defense with the unpredictable confidence of a player like Ronaldinho. They’re not enjoying the run-out, and they’re not having fun. Instead, it looks more like they’re dutifully performing a dead-end job.
So, what do England need? Well first of all, McClaren is completely wrong for the job. He needs to pack up his things very soon, although it seems likely that he will anyways. In his place England need to appoint someone who can bring life and energy to the team. Someone familiar with the beautiful Brazilian, Italian, Argentinian, Spanish, or even French product should be considered. Someone who can inspire the team, allow them to relax, and play around a little bit on the pitch. Above all else, someone creatively gifted rather than technically learned. A Marcello Lippi or an Arsene Wenger rather than a Jose Mourinho.
Fixing the team will be an interesting and unenviable task. I only hope that the men in charge will realize how devoid of creativity the squad has become.
