A giant bows out as English football shows signs of regeneration

Germany 2 v England 3

In 1974 every young lad in the country wanted to wear a shirt with no. 14 on it. That year Johan Cruyff wore 14 and Dutch total football took the world by storm. It was the first World Cup to make an impression on me, partly because of my age and partly because colour televisions were far more prevalent than they had been during Brazil’s triumph four years earlier. In 1974 England had somewhat infamously failed to qualify so I had to choose another team on which to pin my hopes. Latching onto Rinus Michels’ Holland was not a difficult decision.

Centre stage of course was the elegant Cruyff supported by the likes of Ruud Kroll, Wim Suurbier, Johan Neeskens, Willem Van Hanegem, Jonny Rep and Rob Rensenbrink. Cruyff will always be remembered for his famous turn against Sweden but for me it was his unerring ability to hit low curling crosses into the corridor of uncertainty (half way between the six yard box and the penalty spot) that sticks in the memory. Up until then I had always thought that a cross into the box was something one floated through the air in the general direction of the centre forward’s head. But here, for the first time, was someone passing it along the ground with such devastating effect, Neeskens invariably the beneficiary with an outstretched limb.

Holland and Cruyff should have won that 1974 World Cup but as the tributes flowed in following his death last week at the age of 68 it was clear that Johan Cruyff did not leave this world unfulfilled. Three European Cups with Ajax in the early 70’s, a La Liga title with Barcelona and three Balon d’Or were just reward for an exemplary playing career. All of which was followed, almost seamlessly, by a move into management where he is credited with creating the template for Barcelona’s recent dominance. Quite a record and a sad sad loss.

It was of course the ever steely Germans who defeated the Dutch in 1974. Germany is the nemesis of many an international side. Think France in 1982 or Brazil in 2014. Yesterday it was England’s turn to see if they had developed any steel and whether we can take any optimism into this year’s European Championships.

It is six years since I last commented on an England v Germany game. Of that occasion in June 2010, Germany’s 4-1 win would mark the low point of Fabio Capello’s miserable South African World Cup adventure. Incredibly there were those who clung to the belief that had Frank Lampard’s goal been given all would have been different. But they had their heads buried deep in sand.

Sad to say that since Capello’s Roundhead inspired regime there has been little to suggest a marked improvement in English fortunes. Yes we tend to qualify at a canter but when the sharp end of the tournament proper is reached we fail miserably. The reasons could be summarised as; too few Englishmen given an opportunity in the top premier league sides. The few that do being generally thick, given too much money too young, fostering a sense of entitlement and a belief that they are above the fray. Detached from life’s difficulties they rarely get to deal with adversity - other than when they get dropped prompting a petulant request for a transfer. Result; lack of intelligence and character, something from which the Germans rarely suffer. The question ahead of last night’s game was therefore do these traits persist or is the England of 2016 a differently beast?

Before the game started I said to son Tom “The worst thing that can happen is if we win 3-0 because expectation will go way beyond where it should be”. Just as well then that we only won 3-2. But what a joy. The last time England won in a manner that looked like they knew what they were doing against a top ranked team was the 5-1 victory away to Germany in 2001. Since when, bar the occasional “performance” against lesser sides, England have been rank our inability to retain possession being ruthlessly exposed by the likes of Portugal, Italy, France, Brazil, Italy again, Uruguay, Spain ……. I could go on. And yet…. And yet .. last night it was England’s young tyros who looked good on the ball, passed it crisply and with invention creating fear in the German defence. And when Jamie Vardy, that one time Stocksbridge Park Steels centre forward, scored the most audacious of goals I couldn’t help but jump from my sofa as much in disbelief as delight.

Let us not get carried away. Both Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill have defensive frailties and Jordan Henderson lacks the speed of thought and comfort on the ball of Dele Alli. But those players apart the remainder can play and particularly Alli who, bar his late miss, looked class. Manager Hodgson is the first in years to recognise that at some point you are going to have to turn to youth and stick with it. Tuesday’s game v Holland will demonstrate whether 3-2 was a flash in the pan.

©Mark Brennand