da betsul： Ah the World Cup, this time England are surely going to win, or at least get to the semi-finals in glorious and high-octane fashion. But did anyone really think this was going to happen this time? I’m not so sure. Ok the fans with the newly painted St. George’s houses or the man who covered his living room floor with turf might have thought so, but amongst the general populace the build up to South Africa 2010 seemed the most subdued since I’ve been watching. Even James Corden and Dizzee Rascal’s unofficial theme was sung without much hope. As soon as Robert Green’s calamitous error gifted Clint Dempsey and the United States an equaliser the country seemed to say “Do you we have to watch this?” The country was right, and England not only crashed out miserably but also succeeded in being one of the most boring teams in the tournament. All fans have an opinion on why England failed so badly, the man in Middlesbrough says get rid of the F.A., the man in Liverpool says pick Mikel Arteta, and the man in Doncaster says reform the whole coaching system in England. One man however, had begun reforming coaching in a corner of North London in 1996.
da dobrowin： Arsene Wenger’s football philosophy is well known and much debated. What is without doubt is that he demands his players have a good first touch, excellent ball control, superb passing ability and high levels of fitness, although even he seems to have made an exception to this rule with Nicklas Bendtner. Wenger has instituted these demands in Arsenal’s youth coaching system, and the results are beginning to be seen. Fabio Capello has stated that he has his eyes on Arsenal youngsters Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs who may be fast-tracked into the England squad for the friendly against Hungary in August. Wenger himself has stated that “I’m happy to bring them (English players) through, just to convince people that I’m not anti-English. I believe we have never had the kind of quality English players that we have now”. To an England fan hoping for better in the future, this is very pleasing to hear, and Wilshere and Gibbs are just the tip of the iceberg. Youngsters such as Henri Lansbury, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Craig Eastmond and Mark Randall amongst others are all set for big futures within football. Along with players such as Everton’s Jack Rodwell, and Man Utd’s Danny Welbeck, perhaps the future does not look as bleak for England as some might suggest.
It is Jack Wilshere though, who provides the greatest cause for optimism amongst the current crop of England’s young guns. If he is comparable to anyone, it would be Spain’s midfield maestro Andres Iniesta. Both are classy on the ball, have an eye for a pass, and are cool finishers. Iniesta also represents what the current England team desperately lack, a playmaker with consummate passing ability. The impact made by Mesut Ozil, Wesley Sneijder and Iniesta in South Africa has shown what England is missing. It is great when Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney can finish with such aplomb, but with no-one to create chances for them to score then England are relying on one of these players to do something special in every game. At club level where they are undeniably effective, they have foreign players to create the chances for them. Hopefully in Brazil 2014, Wilshere can be setting up these chances in the Maracana. England don’t need to copy Germany as some have suggested, the pace and intensity of English teams has proven to be highly effective in the Champions League. In modern football a combination is required, intensity and guile, closing down and passing. If Arsenal can provide footballers who have skill on the ball and players who can create chances, players like Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard can finish them off. If England can achieve this balance, they might just be able to win something within my lifetime, and we will all owe Arsene Wenger a big thank you.
Written By Max Lintzgy
Click on image below to see the ITALIAN babes at the World Cup