England’s fault may lie in isolation

Of England’s 23 man World Cup squad, a nice trivia question could have been ‘how many players have played abroad at some point in their career?’. You’d be certain to find a few working through the list, at least you would think. However, the results are shocking – only one player in the squad has tested his merits beyond the borders of  England, and it was a brief one at that; Peter Crouch made 8 appearances as a 19 year old for Swedish outfit IFK Hassleholm in the summer of 2000, on loan from Tottenham. 

None of the other 22 players have ever been registered with a club in another country; in fact, if  you include players who have been called up or capped within the past year but were not given a seat on the plane to South Africa, only David Beckham has ever plied his trade abroad, and the majority of his   time has come in the MLS. This is not to say that the Premier League is rubbish, or that the league structure in England needs a makeover.

In the 2010 UEFA rankings of Europe’s 53 domestic leagues, the Premier League finished first, ahead of Spain and Italy.  This is no light feat considering that the vast majority of Italy’s 2006 squad and Spain’s current champion squad were drawn from their respective domestic leagues. The Premier League is without a doubt a competitive competition with a high degree of technical skill across the table. 

The Championship can also be rated as one of the highest calibre second tiers in Europe, and the same can be said of League 1 and League 2, where many Premier League players get their start. Why, then, would one advocate a higher percentage of English players, superstar or not, testing themselves abroad?

The answer is the staleness and isolation that not only England but the rest of the United Kingdom and Ireland have put upon themselves, and hence suffered for. Looking at the national sides of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland, we see a similar trend. None currently play outside of the British Isles, and only Robbie Keane (Inter Milan), David Vaughan (Real Sociedad), and Garry O’Connor (Lokomotiv Moscow) have all made brief forays to the continent, which when combined total up to less than two full seasons. 

And this isolation has begun to hurt the national sides. As countries like Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Germany move ahead tactically, and have more success, England and co are stuck with the same routine. It is extremely uncommon to see a top flight side in any of competitions in the UK or Ireland not use a 4-4-2, or a 4-5-1 if the manager wants to be more defensive.

Some may point to the Premier League, but with the considerable foreign presence in both players and coaches, as well as the increased globalization of this league, the Championship may provide a better example. When is the last time you saw Derby County or Ipswich Town line up in a 4-2-3-1, the current in vogue formation of the continent? The players are, of course, of a lower standard than these international giants, but it is only from the beginnings of coaching at use where a renewed sense of tactical awareness and skill can be moulded in the young players.

From practically the first time they tie up their boots, British and Irish players are taught that winning is the most important thing; they are drilled the same formations and ideas, for example “cross when you get 
the chance, ” and often use a regulation size ball before they turn ten. Futsal is also derided as “pointless” by many, but countless players and coaches who have come through the Spanish and Brazilian set-ups praise its merits and the way it teaches ball control and precise passing.  

Another criticism often levelled at British and Irish football culture is the emphasis on the physically bigger players from an early age, rather than technically gifted ones. And with players loathe to move away from the UK and Ireland comfort zone, and with it a new philosophy of football, players choosing to try their luck on the continent like Keane and O’Connor have become very rare.

One need to only look at the career of Liam Brady, who spent 7 years in Serie A with Juventus, Sampdoria, Inter Milan, and Ascoli, to see the potential benefits. It is no coincidence that Arsenal are one of the only clubs to play attacking, continental football, because Brady is in charge of their youth development. Time and time again he has praised the continental game and philosophy for bringing up youngsters  which he learned in Italy, and again it is no surprise that he has felt the need to go away from England to find players to fit into this system; many young English players cannot adapt to the system employed at Arsenal, as it is so different from those of other clubs.

The complete contrast of Brady is often seen in the modern game. Versatile Welsh talent Joe Ledley had an offer from Italian giants Roma, but decided on… Celtic. Former Hamilton Academical midfielder James McCarthy attracted interest from Juventus, and Lazio even put in a bid for him, but he eventually chose…Wigan. Joe Cole was a free agent, but it seems that he is intent on staying in the Premier League with Liverpool, despite Jose Mourinho being rumored to have offered him a chance in Madrid.

This, among many others, exemplifies the closed mindset many footballers have, often completely discarding the idea of  playing abroad as irrelevant. If success at the international level is to be attained, this, as well as the approach taken to youth development, must change; and quickly too, because the hole has already been dug.

By Andrew McCarten