Jim White

Not quite the winners

Fri Sep 11 12:00PM

A horrible thought occurred to me on Thursday as England's women footballers were beaten in the European Championship final by Germany's ladies: following on England's defeat by Germany in the final of the U21 championship in June, what price can you get for a treble of German victories over England in Johannesburg next July?

But then I thought: let's not get ahead of ourselves here. England in the final? Well, it is about as likely to happen as Burnley topping the Premier League. As is always the case when England do well in qualification (in fact as is always the case whether they do well in qualification or not) the level of expectation for how they can progress has been racheted way beyond the rational now that they have achieved their place in South Africa. And we still have nine months to go. A mere final is not enough, they are being talked of as World Cup winners in the most unlikely quarters.

In a sense, for once, you can understand why. It is all about the difference with what came before. One seasoned Italian reporter described England's performance on Wednesday against Croatia as being just like watching Brazil. Which is some statement given that under Fabio Capello's predecessor it was just like watching Barnsley. But such is the enormous injection of confidence that has been installed by a world-class coach.

Confidence is everything in football. And players like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are at last playing up to their enormous billing. Two years ago the absurd notion that the pair of them could not play in the same team became the prevailing orthodoxy, so much so that the manager Steve McClaren himself bought into it. Capello was having no such nonsense. He told them they were good, told them not to believe they were incompatible, played them together and the consequence is they scored four goals between them on Wednesday.

Given what has come before, given the ludicrous under-achievement of a bunch of players who regarded themselves as a bit special but seemed incapable of demonstrating it on the pitch, Wednesday night was a delight. Not so much a breath of fresh air as a hurricane of the stuff. We now have three or four world class players, three or four very good ones and a bunch of others who are no longer cowed by the company they keep and can slot into the system with ease. Plus we have a bloke on the touchline who can diagnose a problem and apply immediate remedy.

But that is not on its own enough to win the World Cup. Without wishing in any way to rain on the parade - I would like nothing more than to see John Terry lift the trophy next summer - there are too many fault lines in the set-up to see us winning it. Just take a couple of imponderables: what if Wayne Rooney is injured again? How will Capello lock down the horrible defensive gap he has on his right hand flank? What about the keeper?

Plus, whatever the huge injection of self-belief, how will England's players overcome the inferiority complex they have perpetually demonstrated when confronted with teams from the serious nations of world football? In order to win the World Cup they will have to beat at least two, possibly three of the following: Germany, Brazil, Holland, Argentina, Italy and Spain. Can we really see that happening? In the last two championships they attended they lost to Portugal in the quarter finals.

Capello has undoubtedly affected enormous change. He has made the team worth watching. He has made them difficult to beat. No longer does a horrible knot of trepidation occupy the stomach the moment you settle down to watch them play. But win the World Cup? There is a whole world out there, a lot of it occupied by superior footballers.

Thus, despite all the breathless anticipation, my bet is not going on an England win, nor even on a defeat in the final to the Germans. Capello has made a difference, all right, his team are on another level compared to those of Sven or McClaren. They have improved. So the sensible money should go on them losing - undoubtedly heroically, possibly on penalties - in the semi final next June, probably to Spain.

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Jim ya big b0ll0cks ya
From monkeyharri5 on Fri Sep 11 12:25PM
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Superb article......very well said Jim......and yes Spain could indeed be our conquerors......i think Germany, Brazil and Spain if not the other 3 u mentioned are far superior in individual as well as collective brilliance to England........id be happy if we even make the semi finals.......England will not win the World Cup this time......maybe in the future once Barcelona loses its elegance......true fact from an honest English fan......
From rush_bach on Fri Sep 11 12:49PM
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i know y..because we have people like you in our country thats y..always negative kinda guy
From fahmi_yusoff on Fri Sep 11 01:09PM
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Jim can't you just let us believe that we might actully do it... even if it is only for a while!
From mike.winwood on Fri Sep 11 01:19PM
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why if they reach the semi-final against spain and have a shoot-out they will lose? I believe that capello can make them believe they can win for once a penalty shoot-out!!
From roy_elias10 on Fri Sep 11 01:20PM
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Get behind your team, jesus....
From buymydrugs1 on Fri Sep 11 01:26PM
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Throwing in the Towel 10 months before the games are played. What a loser.
From riverside_ac on Fri Sep 11 01:30PM
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Jim Bush makes me gag. And not in the fun way either!
From myshoesrule04 on Fri Sep 11 01:30PM
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Obviously
From mcculloughross on Fri Sep 11 01:34PM
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I think the article was well written and I understand what Jim means, he most certainly has a point,however I do believe if the key players in England (Terry, Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney) plays at the highest possible level...England can and I believe will win the world cup. Brazil is strong, but it's not as strong as their 2002 team and Spain is strong but can make mistakes just like any other team out there.
Goodluck England.
Hans (South Africa)
From hansjuriemuller on Fri Sep 11 01:35PM
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Jim, I agree, problems on the right. keeper and Spain will be the ones to beat. But, just but, might we have the run of the ball this time?
We have world class players in attack and we can shut the door if required.
I just hope we will have that little bit of luck that will overcome the defficiances. Who knows, Carlton Cole could become devastating as the season develops, Hargreaves, Joe Cole come back to form?
I hope so.
Also Rooney is not injured, or sent off.
The other thing I hope for is that the refereeing is up to standard and consistant.
From keyjor on Fri Sep 11 01:35PM
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We're not going to win the World Cup, simple as.
From lordcassernx on Fri Sep 11 01:36PM
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So if that is the case Jimbo, teams like Greece will never win the European championship??...
From mead726 on Fri Sep 11 01:36PM
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sometimes you must realize the reality
From faiz_smkasr on Fri Sep 11 01:36PM
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Jim you're just a pessimistic nob ed'.
From maatyr on Fri Sep 11 01:38PM
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Capello is a great manager probably the best we have had since
Sir Bobby Robson took England to the Semi Final. But who remembers the last World Cup Wayne Rooney was injured playing for Manchester United shortly before and love Rooney or hate him, none other than
Steven Gerrard said "We will not win the World Cup without him".
The best eleven are a decent side although defensively questions may be asked but what you need is strength in depth.
As England depend on Rooney to get the goals Spain need David Villa to be playing well Torres is far from prolific.
Italy are not playing well and neither Germany nor Holland (judging by the England match recently) are the teams they were.
As a neutral, though, I love to watch Brazil.
From rblackhurst2004 on Fri Sep 11 01:38PM
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You lost it here Jim. I thought that your articles were something blessed with reason in a day were the people are fed nonchalant and lazy reporting full of lies and bias.
First get behind your team ! Your what ifs are baseless ! what if 6 of the first teamers are injured ? what if cappello does drugs and gets caught ? what ifs are the cowards alternative to the real and stable.
And second Jim is your idea that England have a crisis on the Right hand side of the flank. Jesus why damage your reputation, jump the bandwagon and accuse the best and uninjured player England has of not defending well. He can never be at two places and part of the system is the winger and RB changing places accordingly. The RB scope is to attack as well not just defend!
Grow up Jim!
From white_lfc on Fri Sep 11 01:38PM
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as mainily a German fan, I think that England has every chance to win the world cup.
But first the english players must kill the expectations that come with the name England. When ti comes to competetition, the English play for expectations and nor because they want to play, and that's the wrong reason to win the world cup.
You cannot force yourself to win, you have to let yourself win, and if Capello ignores the english media as he has, and lowers the egos of the players, I am certain England will have as much chance of winning it as any of the top 7 nations: Spain, Brazil, Germany, Italy, France, Holland, Argentina (if they make it). But first they have to kill the expectations and play football instead.
From raeheid on Fri Sep 11 01:40PM
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Yes we did lose to Portugal twice and on both occasions the manager was clearly to blame. Correct me if I'm wrong but two of the nations on your list we have beaten the last times we have met them competitively, Germany and Argentina. I totally get where he is coming from and I wont be betting my house on us winning it or getting to the final just yet, but, we are rightly up there with the favourites and none of the above mentioned nations will fancy getting us at any stage. My opinion is that since 96 we have been held back by tactics, ethic, shape and discipline and it would appear those have been rectified, of course an injury to a key player would be a huge dent, but Rooney was pants against croatia I was at the game he did nothing of any note really, I rate him and would put him in the top ten in the world. My point is that we can cope now as we have a manager who can change things because he can see what players can perform what jobs for him and build a team on that basis as apose to the last few regimes which seemed to be built upon the idea of I have to play my best eleven players regardless of form, position or tactics. En-ger-land!
From ayden.callaghan on Fri Sep 11 01:41PM
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A english journalist writing a story saying England won't win the World Cup! Truly enforces the fact that a minority of the infamous British media are good at their job and not blindy driven by bias. And he is being honest, England won't win the world cup, no matter how many times you tell yourself
From silverbullet_fc on Fri Sep 11 01:44PM
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Dare I say this, As a Scotland fan I am looking forward, yet again, to a Finals without Scotland to occupy my mind, and think that this will be Englands best chance to win the damn thing.
Of the teams you mentioned, England are more than capable of beating all of them, maybe not with ease. Look at the games that Scotland have had against Italy, France and the Dutch in the last couple of years, all England need is that collective want that sometimes comes over the Scotland squad, they most deffinately have the skill.
From dyzascotpict on Fri Sep 11 01:45PM
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Your fans have wholly unrealistic expectations of the abilities (or lack therof) of a bunch of mercenaries. The last English players who were proud to "do or die" in an England shirt were PAUL "PASS THE HANKIES" GASCOIGNE, AND TERRY "RAB C NESBIT" BUTCHER!
From steven.rowan on Fri Sep 11 01:45PM
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Maybe you are right, Jim. But remember Greece winning the Euro 2004? It just proved that in football anything can happen and everyone is entitled to their dream!
Personally, I think we should be positive but not to the point of becoming arrogant. There are a number of teams that are looking good and England is now one of them.
From anthonybalbi on Fri Sep 11 01:46PM
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@#$%
From mattockswinga on Fri Sep 11 01:47PM
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THOTS PRETAY BLUNT JIMMAY BAT ANAF ABOOT ANGLUND A WANT A WORD WATH YEE PAL, I HEAR YOU HOV BEN A NAUGHTAY BYE. APPURONTLAY YEE BURNT ME SASTARS HOOSE DOON. WETCH YER BECK JAMMAY CAZ I HOV ACESS TAY PETROL ASWEL YE BASTURD.
From donneymcclain on Fri Sep 11 01:48PM
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I actually agree for the most part. However, this fails to take into account the remainder of this season. What if Rooney stays fit or Ben Foster finally becomes the keeper we all expect him to be? What if Rafa Benitez improves Glen Johnson's defensive abilities, as I for one fully expect. What if Spain lose Xavi, Iniesta or Villa before the finals? What if England beat Brazil in their friendly, thus removing the inferiority complex you so rightly talk about? All if's and but's I know but let's not write them off just yet. Plus Capello still has time to improve the team. I mean, look how far they have come in a year under him. We still have nine more months, two more qualifiers, lest we forget, and plenty of stars to either emerge or burn brigher. Will the real Theo Walcot please stand up?
From alankissane on Fri Sep 11 01:49PM
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Sorry...i can see us losing to Spain or even a relatively poor Brazil side. But we dont need to worry too much about Germany, who are definitely not superior to us in any manner conceivable. They dont even have a world class keeper anymore. Enland are, at present, far and away better than Germany!
From ianpetermills on Fri Sep 11 01:53PM
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@#$%
From mandyeyres on Fri Sep 11 01:54PM
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no 5. I agree with you, who would of thought it hey, croatia away 4 . 1 then 5.1. at home, not bad considering the press gave us no chance
From ken.treherne1 on Fri Sep 11 01:58PM
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hear hear,
there is way too much expectation on the england players. can everyone remember that we have actually played most of the 'serrious' teams in friendlies and ony managed to win once! on the ones we drew, we will almost definitley lose on penalties if we haven't already lost in extra time!
we need to be a hell of a lot more realistic and realise we are only rejoicing in beating Croatia because they beat us 2 years ago and not because they are good. they are average at best, and we played a second rate Croatia team with several players missing!
i think repeating our feat of getting to the quarter final slike last time will be good enough because only the best get to the semi's and beyond.
Capello has done well but he's not beating the Hollands and Spains of the footballing world! That's what we need to do ... and we almost definitely won't!
From mrk_ck on Fri Sep 11 01:58PM
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