The Tactician: English football must get to the root of problem
By : Stewart Robson, 06/07/2006
Following the aftermath of England’s poor performances in Germany, very few people are focusing on the deeper problem that lies within English football.
Sure, Sven didn’t get the best out of his players tactically and technically, and yes, the squad he picked was strange. True, he was unable to fully motivate the team when needed. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.
As a footballing nation we delude ourselves that we possess world-class players who shine week-in, week-out in the Premiership.
Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard are very good players but they are not world class. They are able to play well in the Premiership because they are surrounded by top-quality foreign players who are technically and tactically superior to their English counterparts.
In the last 20 years we have produced only two players who are technically good enough to be among the world's best, Paul Gascoigne and Wayne Rooney. Unfortunately, both have flaws in their character and temperament, just as George Best did.
Our production of players in this country is not good enough. The FA introduced their academy system several years ago but although being a good idea it doesn’t work because the coaching within the clubs is simply not good enough.
The development of sports science, psychology and facilities have improved but the coaching content has not. Most academies will say that recruitment is their main concern, but if everyone takes that attitude, who develops the talent for the recruitment to take place?
Our players are to blame as well because, as we have witnessed in this World Cup, players from other countries are far more adaptable to tactical changes. This is because players abroad are more studious and receptive to learning and developing their tactical awareness, while British players find it tedious and laborious.
English players despise tactical meetings, video analysis or self-development sessions which in turn is highlighted by their one-dimensional displays on the field. Any side in the Premiership which has good positional rotation, fluidity of movement and clever inter-linking passing movements are managed by a foreign coach or has foreign players. This is a sad indictment on our player and coach development.
The level of coaching in this country is sub-standard despite the FA devising more courses to improve it. Yet the people delivering the courses are not inspiring, certainly not tactically innovative and seemingly unaware of how the academy system is failing so badly. May I suggest that the development courses are just another way of the FA swelling their coffers rather than improving football in this country.
Arsene Wenger is a clever man and his record at Arsenal is very impressive. He realises that to remain at the top of Premiership football as well as Europe he has to look further afield than British youngsters. He understands that the foreign development of young players is far superior to that of England in technical, tactical and mental ability. Arsenal play educated football due to a reliance on the artistry and guile of technical players from around the world.
Just listening to the pundits on radio and TV confirms my belief that the tactical understanding of our top coaches in England is severely lacking. If they are giving an educated analysis of the game, surely they should be telling the public something that is not obvious to the general viewer. As yet, I have not heard anything which would develop the tactical or technical minds of the general fan. This is not the case if you watch most other sports where experts dissect the game. If our top coaches can’t tactically assess the game, imagine the work going on further down the scale.
It is also a fault of our media coverage and our fans as a whole. Newspaper reports on games lack any tactical depth and concern themselves mainly with other issues surrounding the game. Supporters in general do not concern themselves with tactical and technical issues as long as the action is fast, pulsating and wholehearted. But how do we expect fans to be educated if the coaches themselves are not? When interviews take place after a game very few questions to the manager relate to anything technical. Therefore we will never know why such things as the overload in midfield was not overcome.
Trevor Brooking must not bury his head in the sand, the development of players, coaches, teachers and parents is still way behind our counterparts abroad. Rather than blame referees, Cristiano Ronaldo, diving foreigners or anything else for World Cup failure, he must look within the FA to reassess everything that they do to improve English players and coaches.
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