Thank the Greeks! (England National Football Team)

Name: litebite

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Product:	England National Football Team
Date:	07/10/01 (24 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: This young team will get beter and better., When everyone' fit they can be a match for anyone.

Disadvantages: 2002 a bit too soon., Why do I have to wait until June!

And so we've qualified. Now the rest of the world will roll over in awe of Becks and Scholes next June and Sven will walk down the airline steps with the world cup tucked under his arm. If England had crushed Greece on Saturday this would have been the reaction of many. Thank goodness the Greeks brought us back down to earth and put a few reputations into line.

Firstly, Adam Crozier and many others said before Eriksson's appointment that there had to be a long term plan in place. The target would not be 2002 but 2006. Thus, Eriksson's squads, as well as his teams have placed the emphasis on youth. Players who are probably not the best in their positions have been given their chance based on their age and their potential. Ashley Cole has made some horrendous ricks during his time at left back, but only the most cynical fan would deny that it will benefit him and England in the long run. The same goes for Rio Ferdinand. All of the current first choice 11 will be around in 2006 and will be five years more experienced. You could say that players such as Beckham and Scholes will be past their best at 31 but they are not footballers that rely on attributes such as pace. Both of them have superb brains in their boots, something that players such as Sheringham and McAllister have shown can keep you at the top for many years. Beckham's right boot and his crossing ability will not diminish with age.

And so what about next summer? How far can England go? Personally I believe the emphasis should be on experience. For most of the squad this is their first world cup and the format and pressure will take some getting used to. Compare the side to the top teams, France, Argentina, et al and you can see how far England have to go. They can be the best, but not yet. I think a quarter-final place should be considered a success. With England not seeded in the draw they could be grouped with a big name. But with the way the seeds are selected there are s
ome weaker teams that could be seeded (Germany and both host nations). The rumour is that such things are fixed (as the play-off draw undoubtedly was) so don't be too surprised if England have a relatively simple group based in Korea, with its greater security.

From then on I could see them winning their group and avoiding the big names in the second round. From then on we will really see how good Eriksson is as a coach and how strong the squad is. The poorer performances recently have normally coincided with the absence of one or two of the bigger names. Owen was out for the Greece game, Gerrard for Holland. This is what will ultimately let England down. I predict a quarter-final exit at the hands of Italy. Beckham and Heskey will give England an early lead before Italy come storming back in the second half to win with a Del Piero hat-trick, the final goal coming in extra time. So, a glorious failure but with many memories to keep the fans happy. Rio scoring his first goal to overcome a tricky Paraguay side, Owen emulating Lineker in scoring a hat trick against Poland, Luke Chadwick establishing himself on the left....

I can't wait.

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