Match/Player Analysis: England v Holland

Match/Player Analysis
England 2 v Holland 3

    Though the game was just a friendly amongst all the turmoil that has been happening within the England camp, it provided a great opportunity to see the future of England. All the talk in the days leading up was obviously surrounding Stuart Pearce and who would captain England in this game, which took the emphasis away from the team and the performance. Once again the critics were out to slay England and Pearce’s selection without even giving the guy or the team a chance.
    The first thing to discuss is the captain. Although Scott Parker may not have been the obvious first choice with Steven Gerrard as part of the starting lineup, I like the fact that Pearce made his choice
and stuck to it. Parker has been in top form all season for Totttenham and deserved a chance to skipper his country. His first half performance was a reflection of the belief put in him by the management. He was everywhere, breaking up play, and organizing the midfield allowing no gaps for the Dutch to feed the ball into Van Persie, who is one of the world’s top strikers right now. Parker led by example and was just what England needed in this game.
    England started well, showing composure and seemingly focused on ball retention over direct play of England past. It has been a long time since I have seen an England team come out and play with such composure. It is usually either a hundred miles an hour or very flat.
    The starting lineup for me was positive, with a few exceptions. Gareth Barry for me is not and has never been international quality. He often panics and knocks the ball forward, as well as makes passes to teammates putting them in bad situations. Another surprise for me was that the decision to play Gerrard seemed forced and he seemed way out of his element. I understand Gerrard has just played a cup final and is due to play a massive (early) game this weekend, but his inclusion seemed to me to have been one thinking more about the past than the future. The position he was playing was far more suited to Sturridge, who by coming on after just 32 minutes, seemed like the player the formation was designed to include.
    Throughout the first half England possessed well and very much controlled the game against what seemed to be a very lackluster Dutch side. The only real problem came in the final third with England looking to find gaps that just weren't there rather than keeping the ball and waiting for the right opportunity. Play in the final third primarily stayed down the middle due to the poor utilization of Johnson and Young. Both wingers have great pace and their best assets are going at defenders, something that did not happen much throughout the game. It seemed their role was to play further inside which crowded the middle too much, rather than stay wide and aim to provide the width that was needed.
    Defensively the first half was quiet for England, though they showed great defensive discipline with two solid banks and very little gap between the midfield and defense. This in itself is worth talking about against the Dutch, with Van Persie providing a lot of his best work in this area, England shut it down.
    The back four seemed solid and dealt with the small amount that came at them, though Richards for me is not the answer at right back. Baines is a simple player and does his job with very few thrills, providing great cover and even working forward at times. The combination of Smalling and Cahill worked well throughout the first half, although Cahill still has a way to go to be a world class defender. Smalling has everything that is needed take that role on a regular basis. Joe Hart is undoubtedly England’s number one and had very little to do throughout the first half. The worrying part is that God forbid we lose Hart, we have very little choice as a backup.
    Building the ball from the back, England moved it well, doing a great job of finding Danny Welbeck, who has to be in contention to gain the starting role on a more permanent basis. Always lively and willing to check for the ball with pressure, he not only offers an outlet, he drops in to provide space for others in behind.
    When England were patient they created some good chances and, with a little more patience, I feel they could have gone in at the break with a lead.
    The second half seemed more positive before the ball had been touched with Milner on to replace Barry. Milner, a player who can control and change the game surely has to be a better option than the slow and mostly negative Barry. England continued where they had left off, maintaining possession and working the ball around with good fluidity. This was until England’s patience subsided and they decided to commit too many players forward allowing Robben a free run from halfway only to show great composure and finish well from the top of the box. At this point Cahill and Smalling were trying to bide time, but in the end showed too much space and poor footwork to allow Robben to slot home. After conceding one you always seem to know what was coming with England of the past, and again they didn’t disappoint, conceding another a minute later from a well placed header from Huntaleer. A nasty collision between Smalling and Huntaleer meant that both had to be replaced, and hopefully both players’ injuries are not too serious. Jones came on to replace Smalling and did a solid job as expected. An unflashy player who has already proved his worth for Manchester United, and hopefully has a very bright future with England.
    England’s lack of discipline and ability to deal with going a goal down has always been there downfall and after conceding two in quick succession they seemed punch drunk and struggled to find any composure on the ball. The introduction of Downing seemed bizarre, a player that has been very poor for Liverpool this season and seemingly low on confidence. After going down two goals it was the perfect time for Parker to step up, and it was a little disappointing for him to go missing slightly. That said, most of the team did the same thing, seemingly looking for a spark from somewhere. The second half fizzled out for the most part with neither team focusing on ball retention. Then suddenly in the 86th minute Cahill found himself wide open and converted with a cool head, sending the game into a slightly more dramatic affair than the uninspiring conclusion that was expected.
    To be fair, England showed desire even though the second half performance was far from great, and in the 90th minute got a deserved equalizer from a patient build up in the final third, with Young showing good composure to chip the ball over the keeper from close range.
    If only that was how the story ended. Unfortunately, the overzealous and youthful England allowed Robben far too much space inside the area, and another world class finish from him sealed the game for the Dutch. This is something England must learn from in the future, but with a team so young there is a lot of future to look forward to.
    For me the potential is definitely there. I think it is far too soon to expect them to win Euro 2012, but we should give the youth the chance to gain experience at the tournament and look to build towards the World Cup 2014 and beyond. Of course this will not happen, the pressure will be on whoever is in charge to provide a team capable of winning Euro 2012. The sad fact is, we just do not have a team that is ready. The ‘golden generation’ tried and failed, so now it is time to give youth a chance and build a brighter future. England’s success must be looked at over the long term, and not look at short term success. If we expect to win Euro 2012 we will come away disappointed. If we send a youthful team and allow them to grow together we may not win the tournament, but surely there will be a glimmer of hope for future success.