Walcott and Gibbs at UEFA U21 Championships

It is logical that we compare our players to other players in the league even though most of them are much younger. But Wenger is playing them in the first team so it is only natural that they get compared to other first team players in the league. In the U21 championships, there has been a small but useful opportunity to compare Walcott and Gibbs to their age peers. How did they fare?

I watched England against Spain and Sweden in the New Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg but could not be bothered to travel to Malmö for the finals because I didn’t want to go to that much inconvenience to watch Stuart Pearce playing like Aston Villa. But the two games were useful anyway.

Stuart Pearce did not bring a creative player to Sweden, I guess because the only person close to that job is Jack Wilshere and that seemed a gamble too far for a man who was so desperate to win a trophy. Instead, he brought a team purposefully designed to stifle the opposition with 5 men in midfield and score on the break just like Villa. In English sensibility, winning is about fight only rather than creativity �" maybe that’s why we have not won anything for decades.

Pearce played Villa’s Agbonlahor as a lone striker and lined the midfield with tough tackling Muamba, Noble, Catermole, Milner and Johnson. Theo had a stinker against Finland through no fault of his own, came as sub against Spain and played 90 mins against Sweden and Germany. Gibbs played all key matches.

England were dead boring. Against Spain, their 5 man midfield shut Spain down completely. Spain’s Bojan and a lovely creative No 10 called Jurado were so small compared to Micah Richards, Muamba, Onuoha and Noble that their game died completely. Still, England did not create anything useful. When Theo came in, Spain were dead and his speed created the two goals.

In the Spanish game, Gibbs did not lose the ball once! I cannot even remember anyone getting past him on the left either �" not even Bojan and Jurado. Walcott’s speed made his cameo easy against a tired defender. Besides that, he was unremarkable.

Against Sweden, England had the kind of luck that would have won the Champions league for Arsenal if they had enjoyed the same. Goal from a corner in the first minute; own goal from another corner and a goal from yet another corner while a Swedish defender was out being treated for injury.

The Swedish team were comparable in size with players who play regularly in a physical Swedish league and in smaller leagues around Europe. Sweden was playing 4-4-2 against England’s 4-5-1. Problem was that nobody in the Swedish team could hold the ball long enough in midfield against an industrious Muamba.

In the second half, Sweden introduced a lovely Fabregas clone called Harbuzi as well as changing their left back for an attacking winger. From then on, England crumbled. It became clear that England were designed to disrupt rather than play. 3-3 at full-time and Frazer Campbell got sent off. However it was really 10 against 10 because the newly introduced Swedish left back had picked up and injury and limped for the all of extra time. Still, England could not create anything. England won on penalties but it was no surprise to me that they lost 4-0 to Germany in the finals.

Pearce was not brave enough to bring Jack Wilshere who would have made Frazer Campbell and Theo Walcott extremely dangerous. Muamba is good enough to hold by himself. This disease of destroying the opponent’s game is destroying creative English players. The model we see at Villa, Bolton etc is not good for anyone. It guarantees draws but does not guarantee wins. It rewards discipline and fight and discourages invention and creativity.

My conclusion from watching England’s players against their peers is as follows.

Other countries are still way ahead technically and still encourage it far more than England. The future of English football should be corrected at this basic level rather than by over-hyping players and focusing on “committed� players who display fighting spirit. Our culture has got it wrong the winning is about fighting �" it is only part of it.

Agbonlahor is just power, pace and determination. I find nothing else endearing about him. Frazer Campbell (in spite of his silly red card) is much more useful striker and footballer.

Theo Walcott has speed, he has developed a little stamina in tacking but he has a lousy first touch. It is not the same lousy first touch that Adebayor had that took the ball away from him. It is a lousy first touch that confines his next move instead of releasing him to use the pace he has. Theo can only dribble at speed so if his first touch doesn’t create the space and extra yard to sprint, he become bogged down and runs the ball to odd unthreatening places and then loses it. Theo should look to Torres for lessons on how to get away from defenders with a first touch. Ronaldo can dribble from standstill. It is much harder to learn that than to learn to make sure the ball creates the motion he needs. Theo will stagnate and fade away without this.

Gibbs reminds me of Fabregas in that very early on in their first team experience, they lost the ball so rarely, passed sensibly and in Gibb’s case, very rarely beaten by even the most experienced players. Gibbs will be a great player. Gibbs passing could be the one thing that distinguishes him from Clichy when he his mature.

Lastly, which of the England players do I think have a future in the national team?

I rate Muamba. I think he is better than Song in holding although not going forward but that’s what is most necessary in tournament football. Also, he can allow for a defensively weaker midfielder like Wilshere to flourish.

Frazer Campbell did a lot off the ball and on the ball to impress me.

Kieran Gibbs, in my mind will be the second England left back in South Africa next year if he plays 20 more games for Arsenal. Unfortunately, he won’t unless Clichy is injured and I don’t want that.

I worry about Theo a little bit. His position on the pitch is not clear and he still needs some basic skill to get to the next stage �" speed will not be enough. For England’s sake, I would really like to see more of these youngsters go abroad or play in teams that focus on football like Zola’s West Ham and Arsenal.

We cannot continue to blame foreign players for England’s trophyless run when we continue to restrict young players instead of liberating them.

User Comments

MalekC

Posted on 11 Jul, 2009 at 07:39 PM - Reply

This is one of the most accurate, professional & technical article regarding the future English players.
Really wish to see more of ur article on yahoo eurosport and sky. Far better than their rubbish writers.

Kiwi

Posted on 6 Jul, 2009 at 01:44 AM - Reply

The odd good point but a silly article. Pearce was tasked with winning with players who might step up to the national side you have probably only had experience of managing to get up each day

As per Capello's mandate the squad was made up of first team players and Wilshere did not and next year will not play in the prem so is excluded.

The depth of English talent aged 18-24 is leaner than ever but this group still made the final

Also there is nothing wrong with a team who concentrate on physicality it is funny that USA whose game is built around hard work beat Spain and nearly did Brazil in the space of a week - they get no respect and winning is all that matters at tournaments

andre karim

Posted on 4 Jul, 2009 at 09:44 PM - Reply

Very much pertinent article. This should be published on a national newspaper to really get the rat out of the box. The point about creating vs fighting spirit is definitely what is holding England back. When will we see a XAVI, CESC, INIESTA, MESSI, PIRLO, OR KAKA from England and wearing an england shirt? When will England stop focusing on defensive midfield? Seriously each time I heard english media talk about football or the next england team to play, they are worried about the defensive midfield (who will play there and bla bla bla?). In brief START CREATING ENGLAND!! DRIBBLE, DRIBBLE, PASS PASS AND NOT TACKLE TACKLE TACKLE AND TACKLE MORE!!!

Gooner1101

Posted on 4 Jul, 2009 at 07:03 AM - Reply

Bit harsh on Villa. Don't think you can claim they play the same style as Bolton.

KY

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 11:23 PM - Reply

Gibbs could make it if he accepted a loan move and played 40 games a season in a lesser side and shine.

Jed

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 09:20 PM - Reply

Excellent write!

chunk

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 03:46 PM - Reply

good one, I agree lets hope we adopt the Spain approach and not the Bolton!

Adrian

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 03:23 PM - Reply

The side selected by Stuart Pearce for the final reflected his own philosophy. He was also hampered by suspensions caused by indiscipline. They were murdered by the more creative germans and looked strictly second best. Yes we need the grit displayed in the tournament, but we also need a bit of flair to make that decisive difference in such matches.

Rwandan Gooner

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 03:08 PM - Reply

well written mate. One of the best analytical blogs.

I love Walcott, but he seems to be stagnating. Stuart pierce, though an England legend, is a clueless Manager i have ever seen; in the mold of Mclaren. He Wasted Walcott in the under21 tournament. with out creative players, Walcott moves like a headless chicken. walcott always does well when there space and neat passing. You cant find this luxury with stuart Pierce's coaching midiocrity. Gibbs, will be an England and Arsenal legend. look at his passing and mentle strength, key ingredients in the modern game. Am worried for Walcott; pliz Wenger do some thing, the guy's talent might be under further scrutiny, though there is talent

ShifuAnthony

Posted on 3 Jul, 2009 at 01:38 PM - Reply

Walcott is a good player but I am not sure he has the right qualities for the first 11.

He relys far too much on his pace to get him out of trouble, which Clichy is sometimes prone to do.

I feel Walcott should spend the rest of the break on, consistency, ball control and crossing the ball. He should concentrate on delivering good quality balls for the strikers to attack not look to pick out Ade, Bendt, etc.

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