It wasn’t a great match. It was a great header. And it will probably produce the winners of the World Cup. But what the semi-final between Spain and Germany was a most painful demonstration of, was how deeply behind in the development of young talent English football has become, and how long we might have to wait to sit at the top table of world international football again.
Everywhere you looked tonight, young players were making critical contributions. When Del Bosque and Loew turned to the bench, it was young talent they turned to. And the core talents of the teams on display were stars borne out of great club and international youth teams.
Compare that to England, where youth, in the shape of Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott, was excluded from Fabio Capello’s squad. And compare that to England, where our future saviours have been laid out by Fabio Capello: Bobby Zamora, 30 and Owen Hargreaves, 29, and with 30 seconds football in two years.
It’s miserable, but it does not validate Wenger’s youth policy. Instead, it shows why it might be doomed to fail. The excellent young players on display tonight are lucky, because they’re playing in two footballing cultures that can support their development.
German football, with its fan-owned clubs, and low ticket prices, has remodeled itself brilliantly to focus on bringing new players through. That paid off last year as Ozil inspire the Under 21s to a 4-0 demolition of England in the European final. A year later, only James Milner has stepped up out of the England Under 21s, whilst Ozil, Mueller, Neuer and Boateng have led Germany to a fantastic display at this World Cup that, given the core reams young age, might already make them favorites for 2014.
And then on the other side we had Spain, who faced up to the crisis of Fernando Torres’ lack of fitness and confidence by turning, not even to 23 year old Cesc Fabregas, or 24 year old David Silva, but 20 year old Pedro, who went on to be the games best player by a mile.
What a miserable lack of young talent England have by comparison. We haven’t yet worked out if Theo is a footballer or a sprinter. Aaron Lennon reverted to headless chicken in this World Cup. Jack Rodwell will get saddled with an insane transfer fee at some point that might blow up his ego and kill his career. Is Jack Wilshere all we have to hope for?
I hope Jack turns out to be every bit as good as he could be, but what a lot of pressure – to be the only emerging creative talent in a country where creative football’s needed most but where the cupboard has run seriously, seriously dry.