The pressures of a World Cup season

The domestic season is just around the corner, and managers in the top flight would like to think their players are fully focused on the nine months ahead. However, the truth is that, this being a World Cup season, the prospect of playing in South Africa in the summer of 2010 will already be on the minds of some players.

According to reports in The Guardian, Harry Redknapp is considering a move to bring Joe Cole to Tottenham Hotspur. The Chelsea midfielder has been the victim of a long term injury which will have seen him drop down the midfield pecking order at Stamford Bridge. However, he remains an extremely talented player, he has 11 months remaing on his contract in which to impress new boss Carlo Ancelotti, and Chelsea have no apparent desire to sell him. So what makes Redknapp think he has a chance of bringing him to Spurs?

The answer, of course, is the promise of regular game time in the season leading up to the World Cup. National managers will often stress, or at least drop subtle hints, to their players the importance of playing on a regular basis, at a high level, for their club in order to maintain their chances of a place in the national side. It was this kind of message from Fabio Capello which saw David Beckham incur the wrath of the LA Galazy fans by prolonging his stay at AC Milan.

The same is true of Elano. Faced with the possibility of another season of fits and spurts of first team football at Manchester City, he chose the option of moving to Galatasaray this summer on the advice of Dunga, the Brazilian head coach. The transfer of Philippe Senderos from Arsenal to Everton is a further example of a player feeling he is in need of first team football for a chance of going to the World Cup. Whether Redknapp is serious about the possibility of bringing Cole to White Hart Lane, or whether the player has any desire to go, is unclear. However, the move somehow makes more sense than if it were to have been in any other season.

Whilst most players, with Cole probably among their number, are unlikely to move this summer as a result of the prospect on international exclusion, the situation may be somewhat different come January. Those on the edges of international squads will be pushing for regular first team football in a bid to prove they are worthy of a place on the plane to South Africa next summer, regardless of the limitations it puts on their ability to win domestic honours.

August 4, 2009