Another Embarrassing Exit Highlights English Football's Problems

As the Under 21 tournament highlighted, England appear to be getting worse, not better. 
"I don't think the players have done themselves credit, to be honest with you, either individually or collectively. You get what you deserve out of football and that's nothing out of this tournament so far" Stuart Pearce in the aftermath of England's 3-1 defeat and exit to Norway

It was supposed to be the easier side of the draw, England were 'lucky' to miss Spain, Germany, Holland and even Russia. Qualification would be a guarantee. Oh how naive we really are in this country. For the second tournament in a row England will be exiting out the group stage due to poor performances and incompetent management. As The Whitehouse Address discusses, this performance highlights the widening gap between English players and the rest of Europe as well as the clear gap between coaching quality. 

A new start for English football

English football is coming to the end of its “Golden Generation”. It has entered that most popular of times, a stage of ‘transition’ where players need to move on and young players need to be given experience and time to improve. Yet an over reliance on the “golden generation” meant a decade which resulted in the limitations of providing some of England’s younger players the key experience needed of international football.

England’s manager Roy Hodgson has inherited a group of players who are serious need of experience. England's future has suffered because the same players were taken to tournaments and continually failed. And each tournament has seen a larger chasm between the best and England emerge.

Yet the truth is the players were never capable of succeeding in international football because the style of play was never conducive for success. The truth is that England are a second rate side and are far behind the top nations in world football. As the Under 21 tournament highlighted, England appear to be getting worse, not better. 

International experience

For youth players, a key opportunity to gain experience and knowledge of international football is through tournaments. In the 2011 Under 21 tournament England were a mockery, and it was a key indicator that we simply do not value players gaining experience. Stuart Pearce was adamant that England’s top young players should have gone to the Under 21 Euro’s yet too many dropped out. 

Fast forward to 2013 and we have seen the same situation again. England came to the tournament with players for the most part devoid of Premier League experience. Effectively it was a Championship Under 21 team. This is not conducive to success and is damning indictment to the growing issue of the Premier League.

Now whether it is some sort of arrogance in our nation which is founded on nothing that some players feel above the Under 21’s, that it is viewed as inferior I am not sure. Unfortunately England has a habit of 'fast tracking' talented youngsters through the youth system straight up to the senior side. 

Yet when there is a tournament surely those who are legible to play should be representing their country? It seems ludicrous to think a friendly versus Brasil is more important than an actual tournament? Yet that is how the England team is viewed. No wonder we struggle in tournaments, our young players are not used to them.

Remember when Spain's Cesc Fabregas and Germanys Mesut Ozil all gained their first experience of international tournaments at Under-21 level. Were these experiences key to their rise to their levels of quality? It certainly would have helped. Players should be playing throughout their age groups to experience tournament play and the feeling of the ‘big games’. 

In the past players such as Argentina's Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero represented their country in the 2008 Olympics. Not only was it an honour for them, they won gold and they are now two of the best in the world. I cannot stress the importance we need to place on having our youth participate in this events.

In 2011 Spain took World Cup winners Juan Mata and Javi Martinez to the Under 21’s and won the tournament. Unlike some English players they did not reject calls from their country, these players did not feel superior to this level and came back victorious, giving Spain more silverware and importantly experience of tournament football. 

This time around Spain's Under 21 team looks good enough to do some serious damage in the Premier League! Spain have understood the key methods of youth development through their coaching, style and philosophy. They also respect and understand that tournament football for their youth sides is not only important for the player to experience those kind of games and environments but also to build team cohesion for the coming decade.

Spain’s success has been built on the development and experience of players through youth competitions. The bonds built and the knowledge gained of top level tournaments and the relationships built between players both on and off the pitch, laid the foundation for the side we see today.

Players like Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta and Villa, the spine of the national side, developed and grew up together. Valuable experience and cohesion has been gained and success has come on the back of that. Therefore when playing Spain their understanding is as strong as many club sides. It is therefore no doubt that Spain appear to know each others movements, intentions and positions more than many international sides.

Germany are showing this cohesion now and are now reaping the rewards because of it.

My worry for England has always been the neglect or even arrogance shown to youth competitions, where many clubs or players will choose not to travel and represent their country, believing themselves to be too good for that level or preserving theirselves for the more important season ahead for their club. What it has led to is a lack of experience and cohesion between players and their development and progression into the senior ranks is minimised.

A lack of quality coaching

Experience is a fundamental aspect of development and by depriving players of valuable time, opposition and circumstance clubs are doing a disservice to them. However, it is clear once again that too many of our young players are not good enough. They choke under pressure, appear to fear the ball and play within themselves too often. England's looked dangerous only on set-pieces. Have we evolved at all?

Howard Wilkinson foresaw the need to improve standards but was somewhat ignored, that was in 1997! We did not learn after Euro 2000 that youth development needed improving. In fact it was only after 2007 when England failed to qualify for the Euro's was there some activity in changing what was happening at the youth game. Only now in 2012/13 has the new plans being introduced, the EPPP. We have been asked to wait a decade to see the change. Such wasted years and more promises asking for patience, yet these appear to be built on hope more than anything else. 

As this tournament has proven again our lack of technically efficient players who are tactically inept. This has been the biggest obstacle and concern for the development of top players and England's success in international football. What is the answer? A need for great coaches, and great coach educators. 

It is hard not to look at someone like Stuart Pearce in his role as Under 21 coach and surmise that in the FA's desperate attempt to 'find a face' for the FA's future game, a man who would represent the English governing body and what it stood for, they chose a man who looks drained, stressed and ultimately out of his depth. 

For all Pearce's desire as a player and love for the country, it is evident that he is out of his depth at this level of the game. Many have questioned his tactical brain and it is clear he is lacking in quality in this department and he has proven this more so in the last few years as the competition has risen. Yes the players aren't good enough also but also his coaching and preparation appears seriously flawed. 

If Pearce was the best they could do what does this say about the FA? Are England devoid of top quality coaches or do many simply not want to work in the FA? 

A time for change and improvement

However the more worrying thought is, are these the tactics which the FA wish to implement? Are we witnessing a style of football which the FA believes is capable and suitable for the modern game? If so this is deeply concerning. In possession there is a lack of quality on the ball, lack of creativity and good decision making yet this is not aided by a lack of smart movement, support and understanding. The players are reactive not proactive. 

And out of possession, well you'd think England would be at least competent here yet they look clueless as to what to do. Pearce only had to show a video of Bayern this past season to show his players how a world class team defends. Truth is England look poor in and out of possession. And I thought we were supposed to be improving?

Personally I think Pearce should step down after this tournament and the FA should appoint a top coach to the position at Under 21. Yet should it be an ex-professional? Only if he is good enough. For too long England has viewed the ex-pro as the knower of all based on their playing experience yet this has been shown to be a failure with Southgate, Ince, Adams, Shearer and Pearce. They were 'fast-tracked' because of their reputation as players and were caught out because coaching is not the same as playing. 

There are rumours that Michael Appleton is being lined up for the Under 21 role, this I can understand. After his playing career was ended at 27 Appleton began working with WBA's youth sides and a decade later he is coaching in the professional game. He has done it the right way and progressed how all ex-pro's should progress, up the ladder. His reputation is very high as a coach (more so than a manager) and thus the Under 21 role would be ideal for him and the players. 

If Phil Neville was to get the role I see another Pearce situation. A lack of experience and the FA simply wishing to 'fast track' a loyal England servant to a key role. This would show that those at the top are lacking the understanding of what England needs. Would not John Peacock be a good option? As Under 17's coach he has taken the side to 2nd and 1st the past two tournaments. Or will the FA seek to hire a 'name' instead? Misunderstanding what the youth set-up is about; development which requires great coaching. 

The FA's role

The hope for the future is that the FA put down a style and system which all age groups in the national team play and which grassroots coaches can be educated on. It is essential that this is a style conducive to the 'modern game'. This is the most important aspect which the FA will need to address in the coming months and it is here where England’s future will be truly built upon.

Yes there are changes being introduced at grassroots level which is showing signs of progress and for some English football may be at the cusp of a revolution in terms of youth development, yet it will need the FA to make sure these changes are being implemented correctly. The implementation of the SSG's will be a major boost for children's football development yet the key aspect for the FA to address is that the coaches are doing the right things with their players.

These important aspects require a role, which is arguably the most important for the future of England, one which would lay the foundations for England to be competing in the coming decades, which has been neglected for too long. This position can be said to matter more to the development of England than any other. The technical director. A role which has been vacant for a decade. Incredible!

Working with director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking, Dan Ashworth will be involved with developing the country's elite talent but not working specifically with the England senior or Under-21 teams. Ashworth will manage the FA's coach education team and ensure that the facilities at St George's Park are used efficiently. His own interpretation is this: “They talk about a club DNA. This is about establishing a country DNA.”

A need to modernise

Ashworth’s role will be to ‘modernise’ the English FA and their development and production of coaches who have the ability and knowledge to develop players of the future. We are seeing already that as the game is evolving, changes in roles and positions are becoming more fluid and flexible. However, in England we are still seeing fixed positions offering no variation or creation. This needs to change.

Ashworth needs to produce modern coaches who can develop their players and teams to be tactically astute and to play expansive football. As well as this coaches should be teaching their players the art of the attacking and defending; with real detail both individually and as a team. 

The importance of the modern game is that players are capable in both attack and defence and thus have the necessary technical and tactical skills to be effective. There are not enough coaches in the English game right now who are doing this. Ashworth and the FA have a massive job to improve this key area.

What about learning from the Germans? The key for them was the creation of 121 national talent centres which sought to improve 10-17 years old in technical skill development. Imagine if England had invested in something like that?! 

Trevor Brooking did seek to do something like this with the creation of the FA Skills programme; his vision was to have highly qualified coaches work around the country with the talented players from the grassroots teams in all the regions in order to develop more highly skilled players. Yet the funding was cut to fund the new Wembley. That alone highlights the priorities of the men at the top of the FA and why trust in the FA is low.

A time to take a stand

Coaching is the most important factor in the development of England’s next generation.

Without significant change I cannot see England winning things in the next 20 years.As the game continues to evolve along the present lines, the teaching and coaching of our players must evolve with it. 

Quite simply we have failed our young players for too long with the acceptance of mediocrity and we are wondering why we are getting further from the best. It comes down to what we do with our players; average coaches, with not enough quality, detail or knowledge have ruined many of our players. 

We must aspire to lead the game in the development of our players by looking forward and anticipating the necessities to participate at the highest levels. Can we rely on the FA to instil this kind of change? I am not sure. It will take more than their courses to develop coaches capable of developing top players. 

Therefore the future is in our hands, this is a massive responsibility and one we should take real pride in. Our young footballers look to us to teach them skills, make them better players and allow them to be creative, what a role we have. 

This summer Matt Whitehouse the editor of The Whitehouse Address will be releasing his eagerly anticipated book on English youth development; The Way Forward : England's Blueprint for Success. It will be a comprehensive analysis of the key issues which is holding English football back and importantly it will offer solutions to help English football progress. 

The Whitehouse Address can be found on Twitter @The_W_Address

Thoughts and comments can be directed on email at thewhitehouseaddress@gmail.com