This article by Matt Hughes appeared in the Times this morning.
Here's the article,
"Fabio Capello is not known for his lyrical and insightful use of English, but one of his observations about the national team struck a chord. “Lions in the autumn, lambs in the spring,” he said when asked to explain England’s recurrent failures.
Although Capello’s emphasis on the gruelling effects of a Premier League season has some merit, there has been a deeper malaise at work in Brazil, as England’s players have appeared to morph into even less intimidating farmyard animals. For crucial periods of both defeats by Italy and Uruguay, they resembled headless chickens, or rabbits caught in the headlights.
Steven Gerrard said as much on Thursday evening, conceding that England were naive and lacked the nous to respond to the changing game situation. Many of us are equally guilty of ignoring the mental side of the game, and the conversation soon moved on to more emotive topics, such as Gerrard’s feelings and international future.
While these were perfectly valid lines of inquiry, he confirmed the impression of a sporting culture in which the mind is regarded as secondary to the heart, and of course the feet. This old-school attitude remains depressingly widespread, with some even arguing that the presence of Steve Peters, the psychiatrist, at the World Cup is a sign of weakness.
Peters was brought in by Roy Hodgson to improve his players’ mental edge, but it was unrealistic to expect him to have a transformative effect in such a short period. What English players really need is a cultural revolution, in which the power of the brain is valued as much as the body.
Having spent years lamenting the technical deficit between English and foreign players, which has shown signs of closing recently, an even bigger mental gap may have been ignored. Even in their better moments, England appeared to be playing off the cuff. Why do English players seemingly lack such basic skills?
A big factor in this tournament is a lack of experience, for which Hodgson is culpable after assembling a squad in which only five players had played at a previous World Cup. He is also the victim of a systemic failure, however, as it is not just World Cup experience that his squad lacks. Very few of them have experience of any tournament football as a result of the disdain shown by Premier League clubs towards the international age-group competitions that take place every summer. This point has been laboured by the likes of Stuart Pearce, but remains pertinent.
As England Under-21 manager, Pearce was furious at being denied the services of 17 players at the European Championship last summer, and returned to the theme yesterday, arguing convincingly that Luke Shaw would have gained more from playing in the under-20 tournament in Toulon last month than warming the bench in Brazil. As a result of being denied such experiences, England’s players do not develop skills that are vital in tournament football — managing yourself through several games against very different opponents in a congested period, assessing evolving match situations and knowing when to accept a draw or push for a win — shortcomings that have all proved costly, as Gerrard acknowledged.
Though the pathway from age-group to senior international sides is clearly smoother elsewhere, even those who do make it to the top in this country are lacking in key areas. The tactical flexibility shown by many teams at this tournament, with many regularly switching formations during matches, is unheard of in England.
The gung-ho nature of the Premier League does not help in the development of players with more cerebral qualities, but there are other problems. It sometimes feels as if tactics are a dirty word in English football, with journalists often scorned by managers for asking about tactical issues. When a Premier League manager such as Tim Sherwood says he does not study formations and simply sends 11 players out on to the pitch, it is no wonder the English game is lacking.
This environment is not conducive to the production of thinking footballers, and it is instructive that even the most talented players who have emerged in recent years largely rely on physical virtues or their individuality. Such qualities are invaluable, of course, but it feels increasingly that England’s players and coaches should be sent back to school. And not to read Animal Farm."