The way forward for the England national team?

Love him or hate him, it’s safe to say Gary Neville is never short of an opinion. As a pundit he has finally found a niche to express said opinions without being fined a hefty amount by the FA, and let’s face it, he is the signing of the season. Anyone who saw his face after the Manchester Derby – especially people who aren’t exactly fans – would justify sky’s hefty subscription fee for that alone.

This week, as we approach yet another pointless international break, Gary has weighed in with another opinion – England should scrap the old guard and let the youth come through for the sake of future international tournaments.

It cannot be denied that Neville has a point here. The extent to which people will agree with the point however is sure to be varied. There will inevitably be some who feel that experience is paramount, and sticking with at least certain players who have been ever present for England is something that must be done – at least for this summer.

Yet who are these players? The captain of this country, John Terry, personal problems aside, has not been at the top of his game for a couple of seasons now, and Rio Ferdinand cannot even make the England squad due to injuries and young talent at United. Likewise the heart of the midfield is somewhat dubious now, with Gerrard looking nowhere near fit and Lampard dividing critics as always.

Out of the players that have been ever present for England recently, Wayne Rooney will always be a starter, and it cannot be denied that losing him for the group stages of the tournament is a real blow – although not one we cannot counteract – yet will this be done through players such as Peter Crouch and Bent or Sturridge and Welbeck?  Likewise players such as Ashley’s Young and Cole are always worth places in the squad, and there can clearly be a case made for experience in their cases.

The team however does not need to entirely comprise of the older generation, and the form certain ‘youngsters’ have been in for their clubs is simply too good to be ignored. Jones and Smalling have been a revelation at United, and despite yet another inexplicable overlook from Capello, across the city Micah Richards is arguably the best right back this country has. All this doesn’t even mention the young talent such as Wilshire and McEachran, who are sure to be England starters one day.

A brilliant point made by Neville was the fact that the bond that is shared by the crop on Under 21’s now is far better than the one the older players ever had – especially after the John Terry allegations – should a guilty verdict be passed down, not only will this make a relationship between JT and Ferdinand untenable, but Terry surely cannot retain either the armband for England or Chelsea. It speaks volumes that Capello is prepared to play the central defender this weekend, but after reinstating him as captain after previous misconduct, it does not come as a shock.

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Too much respect is handed to the former first teamers, with both player power and a fear of not selecting certain players being present far longer than Fabio Capello has been in the job – Sven and Beckham anyone? The question of if the England job is a poisoned chalice has been said more than once, and Capello has so far only done slightly better than the wally with a brolly, and come the start of the Euro’s will only have four weeks left in the job. As Neville rightly says, his priority will be the present, and why should he be interested in the future of a country he, in reality has little affection for?

Whilst the current crop of what we world call the England first team are reaching the twilight of  certainly their national careers, and in some cases are facing a dwindling influence at their clubs, there is a case that the ‘golden generation’ tag has come slightly too soon. To look at players like Joe Hart, Richards, Wilshire, Welbeck and Sturridge, they are not just brilliant players as individuals, but can also function as a team.

This is something that the current England team, especially their midfield – has never really been able to do. Club divisions and clicks not to mention selfishness has blighted the national team for too long – yet this is not seen in the under 21’s. Stuart Pearce has managed to form a squad of players who are more concerned about the overall result and others than themselves as individuals.

Whilst blessed with a wealth of talent, the Spanish team were not able to reach the heights they are at now without becoming about the collective, not the individual. The same problem has blighted Holland for so long, with a multitude of ex-players saying dressing room divisions had a major impact on the field.  One of the best players to wear a football shirt, Paul Scholes, stated that fellow England players were just too selfish and were more bothered about looking good themselves than seeing England perform well as a team.

This is not a problem the younger players coming through seem to have, and there is more than a small case for said players to be included in the squad for this summer. Yes they may lack the experience of International football, yet most play for clubs in the Champions League, and the standard in such competitions is as high, if not higher than that of International football and are not adverse to pressure and ‘big game occasions.’

So whilst there are players the wrong side of thirty that can make an impact at the Euro’s, it may well be the young stars who really shake up the competition if they are given the chance. Should Capello persist and play what has become the familiar but unsuccessful English team, it will be a fitting swansong for a manager who has never really fallen in love with the country, players or job and the long suffering fans will have to hope that the next generation really are the long awaited ‘golden generation.’

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