 | |
| Keep calm and carry on! |
And it all looks so simple. Simple solutions are made to look so by highly complex thinkers. There is no 'go and run about a bit' about Hodgson. His team's patterns mirror his astuteness. It is the calmness that Hodgson exudes which gives players and fans the feeling that it will be ok. The impossible job is not England, not when you have had an Anfield crowd turn on you because you are not their 'King', not when you have kept a Fulham side certain of relegation up with an unlikely run of form ... and then taken them to the brink of European glory with largely the same group of players.
Hodgson is revered in Milan. He is revered in Switzerland, Sweden ... UEFA. Hodgson has built a reputation the right way, no media trampolines for Roy.
No doubt the fickle Americans who Skype Merseyside once in a while will be cringing at the latest round of evidence that points clearly at the fact that their opinions or advice they take on football matters is way off the mark.
Not only is Hodgson looking the safer bet than a one season hit from Swansea, but the way he has handled Any Carroll and Steven Gerrard is testament to the fact that the days of a knowledgeable crowd are long gone when it comes to forcing out the man in charge. If John Henry had stuck with Hodgson and allowed him the time to clean up the mess Rafa Bentitez had left behind (another man on the Anfield crowd's wanted list to replace Kenny Dalglish - essentially to be brought in to clean up his own mess) then it is fair to say Liverpool would be title contenders.
England have progressed in Euro 2012 beyond expectations not because the players have suddenly found new form, not because they could teach Spain lessons in style - it is because they are drilled in what they do best. The two flanks of England have been subdued at best. In Ashley Young they have one of the most disappointing performers at the Euros, James Milner looks as far away from a title winner as you could imagine. Yet it is the foundations that refuse to shake.
Eriksson's and Capello's best moments relied on flash performances. Theo Walcott in Croatia, David Beckham's magical game against Greece set the tone of those eras nicely. This particular campaign is lifted by the spine of a side that is the equal of any in the competition. Joe Hart - Europe's best goalkeeper, John Terry - as focused and committed as he always is when fighting back against controversy - Steven Gerrard enjoying a tournament and leading at international level like he has at Liverpool for a decade as the best midfielder in the Premier League.
And then there is Wayne Rooney... a man who would fetch close to £100 million on the open market for a reason. A man who kept Carlos Tevez in the shadows, a player who carried Manchester United to a Premier League title and Champions League final single-handed just over 12 months ago. Wayne Rooney may not be Pele but he is the equal of any striker in Europe.
And there you have it. The brutally obvious assessment of Hodgson's England. He has put his trust in his best players. He made the true leader of the side captain, picked his best centre-half to play a key role in the face of media pressure to keep him out and put his best player back in the side and took any debate, and with it doubts, away from the situation by boldly announcing it early. It all looks so simple. Yet how many have fallen to the complexities of a simple situations.
'The Cruyff Turn' is a simple trick performed by 5-year-old aspiring footballers the world over, in 1974 it was the talk of football. It is the clarity of thought in the big moments that is the key.
No comments:
Post a Comment