Happy daysThe other day I jokingly offered grudging praise to Germany for the manner of their 4-0 victory over Australia. They were good and probably the most impressive side so far. It isn’t easy for an Englishman to say that, but we must give credit where it is due.
Disappointment
So after finding it within myself to say something nice about the Germans imagine my disappointment when I read that German legend Franz Beckenbauer has totally slagged England off!
It has to be said that England were not great against the USA but that doesn’t make us any different to many of the others. France, Portugal, Brazil and Italy have hardly set the world alight for example.
However, Beckenbauer, who led Germany to World Cup success as a player and as a manager, has decided to single England out for criticism. He told the Times newspaper in South Africa,“What I saw of the English against the US had very little to do with football. It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush. I am not sure if the England coach Fabio Capello can still change much there. The English are being punished for the fact that there are very few English players in the Premier League as clubs use better foreign players from all over the world.”
Meanwhile, whilst Beckenbauer is voicing his considered opinion on England based on one game, the Bild newspaper in Germany is being typically even handed after the German victory over Australia with the headline, “We’re going to blow you all away.”
Former England international Peter Beardsley was asked to respond to Beckenbauer’s comments by the BBC,
“When you look at the way Germany played and the way we played, you would say he has got a point. But overall it is about getting to the final and although Germany were outstanding, there is nothing to say they will continue to be outstanding. He’s right on one game, but overall time will tell.”
Well said Peter! I am fed up of the media in England attacking our own team and I am equally fed up of the media in Germany being so bullish about theirs. Surely there is a middle ground where people can be objective about what they are seeing isn’t there?
Upbeat
Should Germany feel up beat about their prospects after their first game? Yes, of course they should. They played well, scored goals and kept a clean sheet. They have every right to be pleased with that one performance. That all has to be balanced by the fact that Australia were incredibly poor and were unfairly reduced to ten men with the score at 2-0.
Should England be full of doom and gloom after their first game? No, of course they shouldn’t. They didn’t play that well, they missed chances and they gave away a really stupid goal. That all has to be balanced by the fact that they are unlikely to conceded a goal worse than that and the fact that they did create plenty of chances.
Opinion
I don’t really want Mr Beckenbauer’s opinion on England but I accept that he is well qualified to give one. I think he is partially right in saying that there was a bit of the ‘kick and rush’ about our performance and I have already said that by playing a target man we become a little one dimensional.
However, with the possible exceptions of Germany, Ghana and South Korea, I don’t think any team can feel that positive about the style with which they have played in their first game. Maybe Mr Beckenbauer can express his opinion about all the rest as well. For example, I think that England’s performance had just as ‘much to do with football’ as that of France or Italy.
Balanced
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