Number 2 of my series of blogs looking at Capello's squad to play Montenegro will focus upon the midfielders he has chosen. Midfield is the engine room of any good team. It is your first line of defence as well as the creative core of your attack. For me, a balanced midfield is key to success on the international level. When approaching a competition such as Euro 2012 managers must be aware that they will play teams playing various styles. Some teams we sit back and say "come on break us down" where as other teams will go for it and you will have to rely on not being broken down yourself, whilst being able to counter at pace. Therefore when selecting an England squad the manager should pick midfielders that can transform the team from one style to another. The defense are always going to have the job of stopping goals, the attack will always try to score - its the midfield that decided what happens in between!
Capello has picked 9 midfielders. I would suggest that this again indicates his want to play a four man midfield, but has tried to give himself options in case he switches into 5. So lets look at the squad he has picked:
The Rock - Gareth Barry
Gareth Barry oddly became the man we looked to for hope during the World Cup. This was mainly because he was injured and we were shit and we needed some excuse, that excuse was "oh we didn't have Gareth Barry". Sadly he was not the saviour, we needed someone to lift the team - he was not that person. He is never going to be the hero of the team, his role is to enable others to do that. He is the aforementioned first line of defence. He sits back and wins the ball so that the genius' of the team can do their thing. Gareth Barry is solid in this role, he is a strong tackler and a good passer. However, he is a not a great of the game. Roy Keane, Patrick Veira and Claude Makelele are the players that made this role their own in recent Premiership seasons. Gareth Barry follows in their footsteps but has never made their grade. He is good but not World Class. In Euro 2012 he could well be the man who has to stop Iniesta or Germany's Muller - will he be up to the task, for England's sake lets hope so. Barry fits more into the counter attacking style of play, he is the enabler that allows others to ping up the field by sitting back and filling their gap. When trying to break down a team he becomes unneccessary and can/should be replaced by more creative players.
The Last Chancer - Joe Cole
Joe Cole has got yet another call-up. He seems to feature in near all England squads when he is fit, and yet struggles to get into the first 11. His injuries are often to blame for this as he never gets to regularly prove his brilliance. And brilliant he is. He was at his best when at The Hammers (ok I am biast) but lets face it, I ain't lying! At Chelsea he struggled to find himself and become a regular player. Now he is at Liverpool and has had a mixed start. But it is time for him to prove himself. He is one of those few midfielders that can fit into both styles of teams mentioned above. In a team that is struggling to breakdown a 10man defence he can provide that expert pass or that great cross that might just be the breakthrough. In a team that is looking to score on the counter he can provide that flair that leaves cuts through a defense like butter. Euro 2012 is he last chance to show that he is the genius we always thought he would become - he needs a strong, injury-free two years of taking every international opportunity given to him, and he may be a first team choice and then he will be in that position to impress.
The Genius That Never Was - Steven Gerrard
Stevie G as he is affectionatly known by many, has for a long time been known as the genius of the England team. Along with Wayne Rooney all our hopes lied with him performing to his best. He never really has. Many excuses have been made for him - "can't play next to Lampard", "being played out of position" - but he has never been the hero of England the same way he has become the hero of Merseyside. We have seen glimpses of his brilliance throughout his international career, but it would hard to ever put him alongside Kaka as the best in the world. Is it our huge media world that has put him on an unrealistic pedestal, or is he actually a genius that just has never found his form? Well, either way he is the best we've got so lets hope its the second. Gerrard can fit into either format of midfield. He is someone who can help change defence to attack very quickly with long passes or by charging up into the opposing area himself. He is also a player that can hit a ball from range if a defence can't be broken down, or provide that deadly throughball to break them down. He is necessary in England's squad and will always be a first team player, lets just hope he proves to be the World Class player we think he is.
The Solid Youngster - Tom Huddlestone
Tom Huddlestone is the man looking to replace Gareth Barry. He has two years to do this and his run for that position starts here. His club form last season was superb and he played a major part in Spurs making the Champions League. This season he has started 'so-so' but as the season goes on I have no doubt he will become core to their success again. He will play the best in the Champions League, and it is this year where he can prove himself. He has a fantastic pass, and is a strong player who won't shy from a challenge. He also has a terrific engine and will run from box to box all game long. Like Barry he can be a core member of a counter attack strategy, in fact his longball passing ability may make him stronger in this position than Barry. Unlike Barry you could make an argument that Huddlestone could help breakdown a strong defence with his skilled passing and striking ability (his long shot is a good one). Perhaps in two years he will be a core first team player.
The New Hero - Adam Johnson
Adam Johnson grabbed the limelight at the end of last season and has kept it at the start of this. Struggled to break into the first 11 so far for England but is seemingly becoming a regular squad member. Come Euro 2012 I would not be suprised if he has broken into the first 11 and has been built as a hero by the media in a similar way Gerrard and Rooney have been. He is the first of the players mentioned so far that breaks from the 'traditional England midfielder' mould. He is a skillful winger that will run at defence and take players on. He does not rely on expert passing technique, though he isn't bad at that, instead he relies on close control and quick feet. He is very much the kind of player that would fit into a counter-attacking team, he can get up the wing quick and beat players to open up a team at speed. Whether he has the crossing ability and strike from range to help break down a 10 man defence remains to be seen.
Inconsistant Brilliance - Aaron Lennon
Like Johnson, Lennon is a winger trying to break the mould. His main skill lies in his ability to run at defenders and break them down. This makes him fairly useless against a 10 man defence, which I expect Montenegro will be, but his quick pace makes him perfect for a counter attack style. Questions still exist over his consistency, his last ball and his ability in front of goal. He has two years though, in those two years he will either make himself a sure thing for the England squad, or be replaced by someone like Johnson. Lennon is young though and good easily find his feet. I would suggest he may not ever become 'first name on the team sheet', but he may be perfect for a rotational squad needed for a competition like Euro 2012.
The Rising Star - Jack Wilshere
In a similar way to Adam Johnson, Jack Wilshere is quickly becoming the hero of the media. The one thats going to save us from what happened this summer. Whether or not this is the case or not, we shall see over the next two years. The fact is, we are all very excited now and he could be the star of the show for us. He is confident well beyond his years (18), and has ball control and passing ability which can be key to a strong attack. A stint at Bolton taught him to be a bit rufty-tufty as well. He may become the complete midfielder - the kind we hoped Gerrard would be - that fits into both styles of midfield easily.
The Man Who Makes Up The Numbers/The Game Changer - Shaun Wright-Phillips
Shaun Wright-Phillips gets two titles, mainly because he can be either one. There are times when he is superb, he takes on players and scores goal as well as any winger. Then there are times when he just doesn't appear in a game - and it is these times that has stopped him becoming an England great. It is too much of a worry that he may not perform when needed. He has two years to prove his consistency and at the increasingly competitive Man City he has the place to prove it. If he can become an ever present there, then no reason why he won't become first team England player. He primarily fits into a counter attacking style of play, getting the ball and running at a defence, exposing holes. He isn't an amazing crosser and doesn't have a brilliant strike - therefore struggles against teams that sit 10 men behind the ball.
The Suprise Package - Ashley Young
Ashley Young could well be the suprise package of Euro 2012. He has no where near the amount of hype that Wilshere or Johnson have and yet possesses as much of the skill, and has proven it many times. He is perhaps a big fish in a small pond at Villa but two good seasons secure him a place in the England squad and if things go right he could take many teams by surprise with unexpected skill, flair and ability. Unlike the other wingers he can fit into either midfield style. He has a great cross which could unleash Crouch against a solid defensive team, as well as the ability to run at defenders and hit teams at pace. I think he should almost certainly make the Euro 2012 squad, and potential first team player, but he will have to work hard to prove himself to Capello whilst at Aston Villa.
Overview:
So it would seem Capello has balanced the team with experience (Gerrard, Barry and Cole) with the future (Huddlestone, Wilshere and Johnson). Wright-Phillips has the potential to fit either bracket, as he does between genius and anti-climax. These players need to start securing their places for two years time and performances need to be strong from the get go. I think Gerrard and Cole may stand-up over the next two years as key players but never shock us by going beyond what we have seen before - for me Huddlestone, Johnson, Wilshere and Young may become the key players in our Euro 2012 midfield and that will suprise many teams. The unexpected skills of these players could shock and awe many of the best. Capello will need to give up hope on the old class of Gerrard and Cole, which I don't see happening. Capello has always been a fan of Barry - will Barry repay this, who knows.
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