We all read English media –English websites, news papers, and sports journals. We are more familiar with English Premier League, analysis of former players comes through English media and reports appear in English dailies. When these media start talking about their own country, most of them prefer to project the players playing in EPL. This was one of the most harmful part in the pre-match analysis. Most of the publications projected the players working with English clubs as the best players in the world and English team is the best team because EPL is the best league in the world.
For example, Fernando Torres was the darling of English media just because he is playing for Liverpool. Everyone projected him as the hero of Spain by forgetting the fact that the former Valencia player David Villa did better than him in league as well as for country. In 2008 Euro, Villa got 4 goals but Torres got a goal in the final and he becomes the super hero. English media projected all the English players are superior to others and they will definitely reach at least in the semi final level. The experience and tactical acumen ship of Fabio Capello in higher level football fuelled them in this argument. When they lost to Germany, badly in the pre-quarter, the media started witch hunt for some reliable cause and at the end they satisfied with the victory of Germany over Argentina. Because they managed to score one goal against Germany and Argentina failed to do that.
When they started the post-mortem, first firing was against the number of foreign players playing in the league. It is true, the EPL is having maximum number of foreign players and some teams plays with complete squad of foreign players. Second finding was the demand for home grown coach-managers for the country. They forgot the fact that EPL doesn’t have enough home grown coaches who can manage a high profile team with complete control. So, Fabio Capello is the best finding for them, because he has all credentials to keep high profile-high earning players in their places. The last person who had such experience was Sir Bobby Robson, who bid adieu one year back.
When the English media talks about the abundance of foreign players, they forgot the fact that the major contribution for the EPL has come from those players. The people who brought glamour to the league were players like Eric Cantona, David Ginola, Jurgen Klinsman, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Dider Drogba, Aryan Robben, Javier Mascherano etc. They brought fame, name and success for EPL.
On the other hand, how many English players managed to play in the other leagues? Is it because that, they feel that the other European leagues were inferior to their EPL? In recent past, there was only one major player managed to get some space in Spanish League –David Beckham. Yes, Michel Oven too had a small stint with Real Madrid. What about Italian league? None of the top profile Italian teams or Spanish teams apart from Real Madrid showed interest in any high flying English player. This is because all other European leagues knew that English players were accustomed to a particular game and they won’t be able to repeat their form in another system.
Fact is, a good player should be able to play well in any team, which plays with any style. If the English player is good to place directly into a new team which play in different style, any high profile team will come and buy their players at any cost. Real Madrid knew that Christiano Roanldo is capable to play in any position in any team so they paid the asked price and put him directly into their playing eleven. It is difficult to find an English player in Ronaldo’s place. Hard fact is England failed to produce high level talents who are capable to be accommodated into any team without a second thought. The English media boast the names of players such as Frank Lambard, Ashley Cole, Rio Ferdinand, SWP, Ledly King etc., the fact is none of them are capable to get a decent bid from high profile teams like Real Madrid, Barca, Juvetus, Milan teams, etc. Interestingly, England failed to develop a decent reliable goalkeeper for the country for long time.
Same question could be repeated against the managers. How many English managers gained experience from abroad? How many of them managed high profile club teams in other countries? In the last two decade period, England had six English managers and two foreign managers. Among them Sir Robson, and to a certain extent Terry Venables had experience in managing high profile teams abroad. Both worked for Barcelona and Venables managed the national team of Australia. Others, Graham Taylor, Glen Hoodle, Kevin Kegan, and Steve Mc Claren had experience in managing English club teams only. Later, Mc Claren decided to move out of England and successfully completed a stint in Holland and later moved to Germany. Why other countries are not interested in English managers or why English managers are not interested in working for leagues in other countries?
When Mc Claren failed to qualify England for the finals of Euro 2008, England turned back to a high profile foreign manager and settled with then Real Madrid coach Fabio Capello. He took Real Madrid back to title after few years of their trophy less seasons and he was one of the most successful managers in Italian league who managed AC Milan, Juventus, and Roma. Now, after cracking out from pre-quarter round in the World Cup finals, the media started roaring for the head of Capello. Do English media think that they can provide or point out a high profile name for the post of English manger? They are now throwing up the name of Tottenham Hotspurs manager Harry Redknapp who had a successful stint at the club level this year. If Harry remembers how the media projected Keegan and Mc Claren for the post and how they treated them when they failed to achieve something from World Cup and Euro cup respectively, Redknapp will definitely say no to the call of England.
It is not the problem of English Football. It is the problem of English FA who has no proper long term plan and ideas about the future of English football. Pundits in media will say whatever they like but FA should look beyond them and should prepare proper plans for the development of English football. They should give more power and control to the manager and allow him to prepare the team in his way with a long term perspective. Capello is capable for that and he will definitely deliver good results in future. Because of the hard treatment from English media, none of the managers will show courage to pick a team according to his choice. The major difference between Germany and England were, the later tried to keep satisfy the senior players and through that by media too. On the other hand, Germany gave free hand to their manager and instead of picking the senior players, he preferred for the talents of young players who were not much known for the world. England doesn’t get a chance to watch and learn how the youngsters in German team play and what potential they have etc., etc.
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