Is patriotism driving England's football forward?

If you are on the TV show “Pointless”, and the question was “Name a country which is crazy about football”, an answer of “England” would not win you a jackpot. While South Americans choose to express their enthusiasm through throwing toilet rolls and fireworks, traditional rivalries and hostile chanting (with a beer in hand) forms the picture of loyal football fans in England.

The commitment is driven by a sense of belonging to the local community, and this sense of belonging has effortlessly extended to the national level. There is nothing to be ashamed of standing behind your country, but has it exerted a positive influence on the England National Team?

Once world-class, but hardly forever be

Prior to the start of Euro 2012, Gary Neville urged the fans to be more realistic about the chance of their home country winning a trophy, a very unpopular but constructive statement. By looking at the squad, you don’t even think they could avoid playing Spain in the Quarter Final.

By the time they luckily conquered the group stage, thanks to the officials in Ukraine’s match, Joe Hart declared that the goal for England had always been winning the tournament. No wonder, confidence was high when praises were sung from everywhere in the media locally.

Everyone knows how the story ended, which was of no dissimilarity to the previous tournaments. All of a sudden, the team was transformed from brilliant against Sweden and Ukraine, to toothless against Italy.

It will be harsh to put all the blame on patriotism, but one cannot deny that the patriotic crowd has overcastted the sensible voices who have correctly addressed England’s problems. After two decades, people still believe in the spot kick curse.

It is impossible for a team to improve under such disillusion. One single header turned Andy Carroll into a national hero; a simple tap-in made people forget how poor Wayne Rooney had been. Nobody seriously addressed England’s inability to cope with speedy attack and to launch an attack with more possession and better passing. The belief was England was going to do it in Greek style --- to win the tournament by the safety-first approach.

The future of Three Lions

The spell did not last long until people realised the incapability of the midfield to hold the ball and pass it properly under pressure, not to mention the inability to contain opponents’ playmaker. After the disappointing campaign, pundits shouted for a change in the playing style.

Roy Hodgson’s era ought to be starting after Euro, which he will be given two full years to build a team which would, hopefully and expectedly, shine in Rio de Janeiro. The honeymoon period had officially finished and now it’s time for Hodgson to show the fans what he has.

Nevertheless, the fear for failure only means the same old story continues. The 5-0 scoreline against Moldova appeared to be promising, but praises were heaped on a 34 years old midfielder, who may not even be fit in 2014. Four days later, Gerrard and Lampard were completely outpaced by Ukraine in Wembley, only not penalised thanks to Ukraine’s poor finishing.

Hodgson emphasised that England’s future lies in the younger generation, but he dares not to make a radical revolution. As a consequence, Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain was in the starting XI, which half of those will be in their 30s and could well not be in the squad in Rio, whereas his prospect teammates were only bench-warmers. 

Hodgson cannot fail, and he knows very well what the public reaction would be if he threw matches away without selecting the “golden generation”, such as Ashley Cole, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Stephen Gerrard. The love towards the home country has gone to an extreme, that people still believe they are the players to lead England to success, and they want them to lift the trophy more than anyone else. The cruel fact is, their best days have long gone, particularly Gerrard and Lampard, who show their struggles to maintain their high competitiveness for two matches in the gap of three days.  

The scarcity of resources does not help either. Foreign players rush to the Premier League and limit the first-team opportunity for the young Lions. Chamberlain, Cleverley, Bertrand, Sturridge and Welbeck were the younger players on the field, but only the latter has more regularly featured in the starting XI for his club.

England is not in a tricky group, which one would expect them to qualify for the World Cup with ease. At the same time, this is an invaluable opportunity to let the younger generation mature, both as an individual and as a team, because you don’t improve as a team in football if you don’t play together regularly. Scrappy moments will occur, but the veterans will be there to back them up. 

Laurent Blanc will be a good example for Hodgson

 It will not be a hard decision for Hodgson to decide to qualify in a less roller-coaster way, but England will only distant themselves even further away from the top teams in the World, disregarding their rankings. This only means a longer time to rebuild. France and Germany have both gone through the painful transition period. Now they possess the assets to be title-challengers. It is time for the Brits to play down their patriotism, firstly to learn from the lesson of their fellow rivals, and secondly to be more forgiving towards their managers’ reform, in return for the long term success.

Post match analysis: Real Madrid 3 Manchester City 2

One could not help feeling surprised when the lineup was announced. Not only because both teams dropped their starting centrebacks, but also when the away team came to Bernabeu trying to be the boss. Starting Maicon without either Zabaleta or James Milner was a gamble, which left the Brazilian exposed to Christiano Ronaldo, one of the most dangerous attackers in the world. To have played Silva and Nasri , also asking Yaya Toure to be more adventurous seemed to be an unpopular move, when Javi Garcia and Gareth Barry struggled to win the ball from Real Madrid.

Marcelo celebrating his right foot curling goal

On the other hand, Jose Mourinho was asking for response from their poor run lately. It was a brave decision to drop Sergio Ramos to the bench for Varane. Having Essien, Khedira and Xabi Alonso in midfield provided more assurance. While it seemed Mourinho opted for a safety-first approach, apparently they overpowered Manchester City's midfield and allowed Di Maria and Ronaldo to freely torture the City's fullbacks.

The injury of Nasri seemed to have further hampered Mancini's side, who only enjoyed  less than 30% of the possession in first half, but Kolarov provided an extra workforce on the left and had released Yaya Toure. The Ivorian was much more lively in the second half, not once seeing him burst through Real Madrid's defence in counter-attack, and also assisted Dzeko, who replaced Silva, to bring City the lead.

Mancini's decision to switch from 4-2-3-1 to 3-5-2 in the second half and inserting Kolarov were justified, especially the freekick that brought City back in front after Marcelo's equaliser. However, it was Mourinho who sparked off the goal fest when Ozil was introduced and have opened up the game. The absence of Essien inspired  Yaya Toure, although the latter looked jaded in the last 15 minutes of the game.

There was a game plan for Manchester City, and it was well executed, thanks to the brilliant effort by Joe Hart. Taking off Maicon for Zabaleta appeared to be a sensible move, but somehow the floodgate was wide open. Mourinho went all out after falling behind. Modric and Benzema retrieved the attacking line, particularly when Barry and Javi Garcia possessed tired legs and unfortunately, Rodwell was not in the plan to stop the bleed. Suddenly, Manchester City was all over the place. Even Joe Hart could not stop the marvellous shots by Marcelo, Benzema and Ronaldo. It was a fantastic recovery by Real Madrid, but more question marks are raised  towards Mancini's tactical moves.

The Special One has the last laugh

Man of the Match: Jose Mourinho. They were on the back foot unexpectedly, but the Portuguese made courageous though sensible substitutions. He did not over-crowded the frontline, as what he did in the match against Getafe. Removing the more defensive Essien and Khedira showed his determination to win, and he clearly addressed the weakness in opponent's defence by overloading the attack on the left. It was a victory for Real Madrid, as well as a convincing victory for Mourinho in the tactician battle.

Flop of the Match: Gonzalo Higuain did have a good early season, but he has been equivalent to wasteful recently. There were two golden chances ruined by the Argentine in the first half, who could have given Real Madrid the upper hand. In contrast, Benzema required only 15 minutes to impress. One would not imagine Higuain featuring in the starting lineup in the near future. 

Post-match analysis: Reading 1 Tottenham 3

After a long break from Premier League, Reading welcomed Tottenham Hotspurs by fielding their best XI, who impressed in the loss at Stamford Bridge, apart from first choice goalkeeper Federici, who is replaced by debutant Alex McCarthy. Guthrie played behind Pogrebnyak and the 4-5-1 had to be at their best to contain Tottenham's wingers Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon, especially Chris Gunter and Ian Harte are not the best defending full backs.

Still in search for their first win, Andre Villas-Boas dropped Jake Livermore and the injured Benoit Assou-Ekotto. Dembele, who scored at White Hart Lane in his debut, and versatile full back Kyle Naughton got the nod to start. Sigurdsson, still yet to impress the Yids, supported the confident and in-form Defoe. Lloris and Dempsey started the match on bench.

Reading attempted to repeat the success of West Brom and Norwich by playing counter-attack against Tottenham, but they could not get the basics right. The defence could not make Tottenham's life harder. Alex McCarthy's heavy touch was nearly punished. Ian Harte's first half was terrible as well. They struggled throughout the match to catch up with the pace of Tottenham. At the same time, Pogrebnyak did not have the speed to outpace Gallas and Vertonghen. Substitutes Robson-Kanu and Noel Hunt caught their opponents out in a typical counter-attack. Other than that, on a day when Ian Harte's set pieces were not sharp enough, Reading was only slightly better than toothless.

An average performance by Dembele, who first started for Tottenham

Tottenham left with a smiling face and their first league victory this season, but there is more work to be done if they are to challenge the top four. Another late goal conceded did not boast the confidence of the defence, who was otherwise solid, or more accurately, unchallenged. Besides, they failed to make opponents pay for their mistakes. Lennon and Sigurdsson could not extend Tottenham's lead in the first half. This led to an anxious five minutes spell in the second half when Reading threatened to pull level. Bale's goal was with a bit of luck, as his right foot shot could not cleanly hit the ball.

The first goal was a typical Tottenham style, with Lennon released at the back of Ian Harte and found Defoe with a cut back pass. It proves that when the wingers get going, Tottenham is a way better team. The midfield dominated the tempo, but was not very organised in attack. Sigurdsson continued to look nervy, despite his brilliant pass leading to the first goal. Sandro's active forward run kept Dembele on the back foot, and the Belgian did not really get into the match until  the second half. Andre Villas-Boas needs to find the right balance in the midfield combination, especially with Dempsey already itching to join the starting lineup.

Defoe fired his second goal of the match

Player of the Game: Jermain Defoe continued his hot form with a brace. His eagerness for goals is perfect for Tottenham, who lacks a finisher at the moment. His shot choice occasionally frustrates his teammates, but his hard work in pressing the defenders deserves appreciation. Defoe seldom disappoints his manager when facing average centre backs. Now he needs to bring this quality display to big matches.

Flops of the Game: In a match where the midfield had been overpowered, Danny Guthrie posed little influence without the ball at feet. He has been more used to dropping deeper to help build up an attack, but with Pogrebnyak alone up front, McDermott wanted to utilise Guthrie's attacking wisdom and played him as trequartista. It did not work in this particular match, especially in the first half when Reading hardly got the possession.  McDermott might have to rethink where to position Guthrie in order to get the most out of the creative midfielder.

What if Robson-Kanu and Noel Hunt came in earlier? Has Brian McDermott regretted of not bringing in the two substitutes slightly earlier? He may well have. The pair spent less than ten minutes in the field and exposed Tottenham's defence in a counter-attack, with another substitute Le Fondre supplying the assist. The trio had the speed to unlock Gallas and Vertonghen. McDermott did not continue piling  the pressure on when Reading was dominating in the second half. Soon after, Bale got the best of luck and sealed the game. Should McDermott be more determined, the story of the match could be completely different.

What if Gareth Bale was content to play on the left? The Linesman has not once stressed that Tottenham is the most dangerous when Bale hugs the left flank. This match is another strong evidence to be presented to the Welsh winger. He has the speed and footwork, but his decision-making in the final third does not make him a better player in the centre, while his pinpoint passes make him a world-class winger. It would definitely be more beneficial to Tottenham if Bale begins his personal training after he helps the team clinch the victory first. 

How well would Mancini's plan B work?

Every club is keen in the search for improvement, regardless of their ambition –defending a title, contending a trophy, aiming for European competitions, or avoiding relegation. Every single way is exhausted to build an even more competitive team.

Having already owned one of the best squads in Europe, Roberto Mancini has not failed to motivate himself in further strengthening the team. Conquering Europe is their next target, however hard the challenge lies ahead, after drawing into a group with a combined 14 Champions League trophies.

It was not the best transfer window Manchester City have gone through, when they were more successful in parting away with fringe players rather than bringing in assets. They hit the rocks as other clubs often pushed for ridiculous transfer fees from their lucrative owner. Also, Mancini’s shortlist would be full of players who are labelled as “untouchable”.

Amid the frustration, Mancini managed to pull the tactical talents out of his bag. Perhaps inspired by the success of his home country in Euro 2012, the Italian attempted to develop a plan B by introducing the 3-4-1-2 formation to Etihad Stadium.

Manchester City played a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2 formation last season and was unarguably one of the most effective tactics in the league, thanks to their midfield blend of attacking flair and defensive awareness, particularly the all-rounded Yaya Toure, the invaluable cornerstone who has a strong presence at both ends of the field.

He didn't enjoy the summer transfer window at all

Nevertheless, in The Linesman's view, there is no invincible tactics. Not once have we seen Manchester City struggle against weaker teams who crowd the backyard to make City’s life hard. On the day when killer passes and final touches are missing, for instance the final day of last season, they are in desperate need of an alternative game plan. 

The reason of their struggle is the lack of width. City’s rival Manchester United uses a similar 4-2-3-1 formation, but they field typical wingers like Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young, in contrast to David Silva and Samir Nasri, who seldom hug the touchline. Threats from the flanks originate from fullbacks' overlapping, but they are not completely liberalised, given the weak presence in defence by their wide attacking midfielders.

3-4-1-2 appears to be an appealing solution to the problem. City is no short of attacking fullbacks, with Kolarov and Clichy on the left, Micah Richards, Zabaleta, and new signing Maicon on the right. An extra defender at the back grants them more freedom to surge forward. Meanwhile, it is of no compromise to the quality of midfield. Two holding midfielders and a creative playmaker is a solid combination that is capable of controlling the game tempo and creating chances. The formation may sacrifice the playing time for either David Silva or Samir Nasri, although a 3-4-2-1 formation could allocate both as the two behind a lone striker.

While the midfield remains superior, the defence, an area Manchester City has been most proud of, has surprisingly become a massive issue. Firstly, they just couldn’t find their third reliable centreback after Vincent Kompany and Johan Lescott. Stefan Savic proves to be too raw for Premier League and has already found his way out in order to welcome young Serbian Matija Nastasic, who is not expected to be in the picture very soon. Kolo Toure is not Mancini’s cup of tea, while Micah Richards demonstrates he is more comfortable playing at right back. Mancini’s experiment of slotting Zabaleta and Gael Clichy at centreback shows he is in fact desperately running low in as well as misplacing resources.

Secondly, neither of those players has regularly, or ever, played in a 3 defenders system before. Dissimilar to Italians, Germans and Argentines, a backline of 4 is a common practice in England, where Lescott, Kolo Toure and Clichy spent most of the time of their careers in. When attacks come from the sides, confusion and hesitation arise that defenders are uncertain whether they should press the wide attackers. Inserting a fullback among the three could help the situation, but simultaneously become a risk when they are not ordinary centrebacks. Unfortunately, the lack of positioning and coordination in a 3-defender system can only be resolved by rigorous real match practice, only if Mancini dares to risk the formation more frequently.

The man who needs to get off the bench more

When attack starts from flanks, ideally there should be a target for the flankers to aim at. Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero are both of world-class calibre, but the two Argentines are not the biggest strikers in the world. When longs balls are seldom played, they work well in a 4-2-2-2 formation. The presence of Yaya Toure also compensates the lack of physicality between the two Argentines. However, when Yaya Toure is required to be sitting deeper in a 3 defenders system, nobody has the height or the instinct to meet the crosses. Tonnes of quality crosses, particularly from Kolarov, were left unconverted in Charity Shield, also at Anfield. Edin Dzeko, one of their most efficient goalscorers, possesses the physicality they need in the box. He could be the key to help Mancini get the most out of the 3-4-1-2 formation.

There are always more upsides than downsides for having an alternative formation in the tactics book, especially of the squad of Manchester City. The versatility of the players, for example Zabaleta and James Milner, even enables them to make in-game changes in formation. The first step is always painful, as how Sir Alex Ferguson suffered in 2001 with the 4-4-1-1 formation. Having already got the assets, persistence and patience are what Roberto Mancini needs now to fine-tune the system, which he may bank on through the journey as the reigning Premier League champion.

Spurs 1-1 Norwich: Post-Match Analysis

After missing out on Joao Moutinho at the last minute, Andre Villas-Boas has re-set his sights on bagging his first 3 points as Spurs manager. Both managers were cautious as the home team made one change from last match with Sigurdsson coming in for the departed Van der Vaart and Chris Hughton named an unchanged side which drew 1-1 against QPR.

Tottenham ended the half as the happier side as they could well be 0-2 down. It was only 8 minutes when right back Russell Martin headed Snodgrass’s lovely free-kick against Friedel’s crossbar. Spurs did little to respond as they struggled to conjure anything substantial and they had their veteran keeper to thank for producing a wonderful reflex save to deny Snodgrass’s heading Pilington’s cross from wide left behind the net. The Canaries’ high work rate in attack and defense saw them trouble Spurs, especially with crosses, and they finish the first half comfortably.

Spurs new signing Moussa Dembele came on at half time for Sandro as they searched for inspiration. After little drama, aside from an open header inside the box that Holt failed to hit the target, Adebayor was introduced at the expense of the disappointing Sigurdsson. However it was Norwich again who came closer to breaking the deadlock. Friedle defied his age by getting down on the ground quick enough to stop Pilkington’s low drive from close range.

At 68^th minute, the home crowd became lively again as Dembele, after a great bit of footwork just outside the box, sent his shot to the far bottom corner to open his Spurs account. Norwich, however, still lack a bit of luck as an obvious shirt-pull inside on a Norwich player by Assou-Ekotto did not impress referee Mark Halsey.

Exciting Signing and Goalscorer Moussa Dembele

Chris Hughton’s men were finally rewarded with a deserved goal following a nice build-up with headers. Martin Russell headed back Pilkington’s far post cross back into play and Holt headed the ball again into the path of Snodgrass for the midfielder to volley in a similar goal Matt Taylor scored earlier against Fulham. In the dying minutes, Norwich was denied 3 points by Friedel again after Bradley Johnson’s thunderous strike set up by a Holt back heel was pushed away by the American. AVB will have more to worry than the poor form of his team as Kyle Walker landed awkwardly before the final whistle.

Man of the Match: Robert Snodgrass. The former Leeds captain joined Norwich this summer and looked to have cemented a place in Chris Hughton’s starting lineup after putting up an all-rounded performance. His set-piece and crosses may not be as good as his Scottish counterpart Charlie Adam but was already sufficient to pick out his teammates against a vulnerable Spurs back four. His mobility to cut in the middle and take a strike also exposed the lack of communication between BAE and Vertonghen. If his form continues he may easily become Norwich’s signing of the season.

 A Lively Performance from the Norwich Winger

Flop of the Match: Gylfi Sigurdsson. With Van der Vaart gone, the Icelandic should emerge as the first choice attacking midfielder. However, deadline swoop Clint Dempsey could well expect himself to walk straight into the starting lineup after seeing this match. The former Swansea man was keen to impress but his eagerness and perhaps pressure to play at a big club has made him lose his composure on the ball. It was apparent he had little idea of what to do with the ball and often tried but failed to reproduce his crosses and shots we saw last season. He may still have class but his mental weakness could prove to be a stumbling block for him to impress.

Too Fast Too Furious: Having perhaps the fastest pair of wingers in the Premier League could have been a liability. AVB’s men found it hard to strike the right pace in attack as they were often caught in between having no teammates or too many opponents inside the box. Without Modric and Van der Vaart, Spurs could not control the tempo and hence found it difficult to harness the pace of Lennon and Bale, leaving players, fans and the manager frustrated and furious as possession failed to turn into substance. Joao Moutinho should have been the ideal metronome but AVB should now set his sights in quickly involving Dembele and Dempsey into the team.