It's shocking that our players haven't progressed technically when this deficiency was identified years ago. The fact that Wilshere is the only one that offers something different is poor in terms of talent coming through. Do the academies just focus on pace and power and not technical skillful play?
How do they expect England to win the World Cup if we look petrified on the ball when facing the worlds top sides. Even against a second string Belgium side, the players were inadequate at keeping the ball.
As you said, Henderson is like the rest, a basic hard working English midfielder. He looks good at Liverpool because of the quality foreign players surrounding him and Klopp maximising him. It'll be interesting to see what happens when Keita and Fabinho move into your midfield and how it impacts him.
in short yes they do.
Lets just look at the top young english talents.... CURRENTLY..
what do they have in common? Pace, power, athletic ability
Rashford. Pace power. decent striker technique but would never consider as a guy to look up and pick a pass.
Loftus Cheek - just a battering ram player.
TAA - some pace. stuck right back as physically considered not strong enough for midifeld. half decent pass on him
Chalobah - another powerhouse
chilwell another pace merchant playing lb
Gomez - our own joe. fast and powerful. zero left foot
Alli - again never creative. all power and running really.
sterling - all pace. no finish. he's not really a passer either.
Like....
theres no debryune there, no hazard par se. certinly no silva or dare i say it scholes.
The academys filter i think but i also think first team managers put a huge filter on as well.
Keeping the ball and playing intelligent passes forward are not valued in england. Playing fast end to end is. Hence the amount of "athletes" i nthe game.
Contrast a game in spain to a game in england.
maybe 5 real chances each created but much more possession and probing and two decent defences making it hard.
England 20 chances each, end to end lots of errors.
