Roy Hodgson and the spectre of optimism

I was hoping to write a somewhat optimistic slant on Eng-gur-land’s chances in this year’s European Championships.

However, I can’t. But I’m going to try.

It’s become quite fashionable in recent years to denounce the England football team, quite a difference from the first tournaments and games I remember growing up watching — World Cup ’98 and the arrival of Michael Owen; World Cup ’02 and the birth of the Golden Generation (who would go on to customarily disappoint us every two years); England 5 Germany 1! How could we forget that! Despite the hubris that came from that night in Munich and other England performances in that era I loved every second of it. The cheesy songs, the flags on the cars, the houses draped in the St. George and the unbridled optimism— England were the best and we were going to beat the rest.

Events didn’t turn out exactly like that. But we’re England, they never do.

The past tournaments I watched with amazement in my youth have now passed into memory; the Golden Generation are all but retired now. A new crop of England stars has emerged from the mess of the last decade ands suprisingly under the tutelage of Roy Hodgson they have grown to be a quick, vibrant and occasionally quite enjoyable to watch.

However, the issue of Wayne Rooney persists.

Do not get me wrong. Wayne Rooney is a fantastic player; I still remember his goal against Arsenal in 2002 and my grandad saying he will be one of the world’s best and to a point he has been. His performances for Manchester United have been — on the whole — world beating. 245 goals, five Premier League titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and a Champions League winners medal amongst many, many individual accolades is a spectacular return. But with England he is a curious case. There is a strong argument the only time he has performed in a major tournament was in fact his debut championship in Euro 2004; however he constantly remains one of England’s top scorers in qualification rounds and is now England’s top scorer of all time. He is a bullish leader, but is this brashness now leading him to be selected over more deserving players?

I’m not going to list off players who have arguably performed better, or who have more goals and assists than him. No one really wants that. But the selection of Rooney is now becoming a cost to those players who need to play; Hodgson is placing him in positions that others perform better in and moving the team around and playing players out of their natural positions to accomodate him. Playing players where they can actually function would be a good start in growing and evolving a young team. It may be likely Rooney will be played behind two strikers — probably Vardy and Kane — but you ask those two strikers who they would rather have playing behind them? Rooney pushes far too forward in this position, pushing the two strikers out wide in search for touches and teammates. Hodgson has hamstrung himself slightly by taking five strikers in the travelling squad to Euro 2016 meaning he will most likely have to start with two strikers each game. The 4–4–2 diamond formation could be a perfect way of utilising two stikers — but it requires quick passing, vibrancy and pace. I just don’t see it working with Rooney. If one striker is played it won’t be Rooney. If they stick with two strikers who do you drop: Kane or Vardy? Rooney’s selection causes more questions than answers.

I do sympathise with with Hodgson — he has backed himself into a corner. Does Hodgson really feel like Rooney is undroppable? Maybe even the cynical in me would ask if the corporate sponsors are pressuring the England camp to start him?

In 2008 Luis Aragones omitted Spanish legend Raúl from the Euro 2008 squad and was chastised for it. Well, we know how the ended up. Food for thought, perhaps? England have in their squad some of Europe’s best performing and in-form players — the potential is there but sometimes risk are needed to be taken.

All said and done we are now a week away from England’s first game in Euro 2016 with no formation, no set starting eleven and no plan. It’s going to be fun at least, isn’t it?

For what it’s worth, heres my England XI to start versus Russia:

Thanks for reading!

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