English team has more rockstars than footballers

By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee

Clueless is perhaps the only word that could have defined the English football team as they took on Germany in the pre quarterfinal stage in the World Cup. Their movements on the field were disastrous as they went down to Germany 1-4 making another early exit from the world cup. This is nothing new for the English fans as they are used to seeing this every four years. The English football comes with a rockstar image to every World Cup and the story remains the same.

The English team did not have history on their side and neither did they have the form. England had last defeated Germany (West Germany) in the 1966 World Cup. Lot of water has flown down the Rhine and the Thames since then but little has changed in the last five decades. England has become the epicentre of football in the world but it has meant little good to its own national side. Every English footballer is a potential rockstar but seem to lack skills when it comes to football at the highest level.

In each and every World Cup the English team has the maximum buzz around it. Whose wife or girl friend would be accompanying him? Who is sporting the trendiest hairstyle? When other teams talk football, the talk around the English footballer is on their looks rather than their football skills. These impacts the players also who think themselves to be demi gods on the field. The moment England comes against one strong contender in the World Cup the end result is well known.

One of the main reasons which caused England’s defeat was their club football structure which leaves little energy in the players to play in such tournaments. Fabio Capello acknowledged this fact and said that his players seemed tired. Wayne Rooney came to this World Cup being touted as one of the best strikers to look for in South Africa. His performance was anything but dismal as he failed to open his account making him perhaps the most overrated player in the tournament.

The English fans and the team should perhaps re-strategise their entire approach to such major events and not blow the trumpet too loud. It is perhaps better to lie low and kill the giants whenever they are pitted against them. This rockstar lifestyle and football skills hasn’t’ worked for them and they need to realise this before the 2012 Euro Cup and the 2014 World Cup if they do not wish to make such shameful exits from major tournaments.