Coming Back Stronger

A 0-0 draw in Kiev left England requiring two wins from two games

When it comes to England, it doesn't take long for a new supporter of football to realise that they never do anything the easy way. After a 0-0 draw against Ukraine last month left the Three Lions requiring two wins from two remaining home games, tensions were high as there remained doubts. After the two games against Montenegro and Poland, the doubts have not vanished, yet they have been eased. Whilst England will be at the World Cup in 2014, no one is willing to stake with any certainty how far they will progress in the tournament. Arguably, that is wise, from both the players and the media in lowering national expectations. perhaps allowing the 23 players who travel to Brasilia and beyond a bit more freedom when the games start to count again. What will strike into the mind of every player soon enough is the blatant truth that they cannot hide from: England Expects.

Andros Townsend - should he make the plane to Brazil?

Based on the last two games, England perhaps should be allowed to expect something from the tournament, even if it is just feeling pride for our country. Since Roy Hodgson took over the National Team, it seems that he has placed showing your pride for representing your country as one of the top priorities. In every game under his stewardship, the players have sung the national anthem, even Wayne Rooney whose once recognisable defiant chin thrust was met with dismay, he now opens his mouth with pride, mingled with, perhaps, the threat of a team sanction if he fails to comply. Also, his team has shown pride on the pitch, not necessarily for their nation, but for their reputations. Only losing one game under the Hodgson era, unfortunately the only game Ryan Shawcross has played in, suggests that the players are capable of grinding out results against tricky opponents. I think in the last three games this has shown, where even if they are not playing at their full capability as a team, they still gained 7 points out of the 9 available. In the Ukraine game, with certain players missing, we still managed to gain a draw against a team that, if they had won, would have doomed us to the play-offs. In the last two games, with pressure mounting on Joe Hart after recent below-par performances, he kept one clean sheet, whilst looking capable of returning to his best for his nation by blocking attempts from Robert Lewandowski and Stevan Jovetic in the two games. Wayne Rooney, in the two games, scored two goals, whilst debutant Andros Townsend impressed with a goal, plus plenty of attacking promise in his first two appearances.

Could Ross Barkley be the midfield engine-man England needs?

If there is one area of weakness I feel that the squad as at the moment, it is in the defensive third. Against Montenegro, England played Lampard and Gerrard as screening players ahead of an attacking quartet of Rooney, Townsend, Welbeck and Sturridge. After conceding a goal in this game, Hodgson turned to Michael Carrick over Frank Lampard for the Poland game in an effort to have a player sit closer to the back four who is aware of potential counter-attacks. The problem I see here is that whilst Michael Carrick is a good player for distributing the ball, he is not the fastest player on the pitch. Poland's counter attacks demonstrated a weakness that our defensive unit will have to overcome in the next eight months, with players returning to their defensive positions as fast as possible when a break is about to occur a priority. Perhaps a younger player, such as Ross Barkley, could be an alternative in the position? Whilst he has played closer to the striker for Everton so far this season, his athleticism would allow him to play deeper and track runs on the counter. Playing with Leighton Baines for Everton as well, a player who's attacking presence at set-pieces also leaves a gap on the counter-attack, could benefit Barkley's push for a place on the plane to Brazil. If Liverpool continue to play a 3-5-2 system throughout the season, Jordan Henderson might be worth looking at as well considering the discipline he has shown at times in the right-wing back role so far this season. Whilst this will be the last World Cup for the likes of Gerrard, Lampard and Cole, sentimentality should not come into Hodgson's thoughts come May when he selects his squad. If Lampard is not suitable for the role required as seen on Tuesday, if Baines is playing better than Cole come the end of the domestic season, and if Gerrard is tiring after a full season with Liverpool, then Roy Hodgson should look to substitute experience with youth for a push for pride. After all, Andros Townsend justified his selection in these two games. What's to say that another young starlet will not do the same across a tournament?

Back to the Brit - "We're Stoke City, we'll play how we want!"

The long throw of Rory Delap against Chelsea

Over the years, Stoke City supporters have stood by their team and its style of play. When the opposition team supporters' chant "1-0 nil to the football team" Stoke supporters would retort in glee late in the game "2-1 to the rugby team". Style mattered little over substance. Culminating in the sacking of Tony Pulis, the club united in its decision that this style of play was no longer providing any substance, the results simply weren't good enough. Part of this is down to poor purchases from Pulis, Peter Crouch for example proving to be only worth one year of his five year contract. The other part relates to one key sale from the team, the release of Ricardo Fuller in 2012. Whilst perhaps declining in weekly effectiveness, Fuller has been the only player in recent times who could create a goal out of nothing. Even if his appearances had come from the substitutes bench, Fuller could have gained Stoke a goal or two more last season, with more reliability than Michael Owen provided. With Fuller's release, plus the short-passing preference that the club's new players preferred, it comes as no surprise that the change of style HAD to occur. Yet the change is beginning to raise doubts.

Jon Walters - not a ball magnet by any means, but capable
of a good touch when leading from the front

Three consecutive league defeats, combined with only three goals in seven games has ushered in the inevitable question from some supporters: would we have scored more under Tony Pulis? The downward trend the club was on would suggest that although relegation might not have been a worry, goals still would have been hard to come by. The crucial question now is if Mark Hughes has done enough to improve the goal scoring chances and create more goals for the team. Whilst Stoke have been far more attacking in their opening 7 games than in the entire 38 league games last season, I still feel that attacking moves need a touch of simplicity adding to them. At times, Stoke have had good crossing opportunities, players in the box, yet the player in control has chosen to pass short rather than play the ball into the box. At other times we have played the ball around the back and in the midfield when perhaps a sharp long-ball would have opened up the defence for our forwards. One player who I feel has come off bad from this lack of potency is Jon Walters. In several of the games this season I have watched, I have seen him make forward runs when the ball is in midfield possession, yet the tendency to over-play the ball has resulted in him having to come back onside and try to help in the attacking build-up. Until they gain a fluency in play that comes with understanding runs and movements of your teammates, Stoke will remain in their infancy, like a toddler learning that you don't stick car keys into your mouth but into a car lock. As long as we don't have any more performances similar to the Norwich game, we will not suffer relegation, yet we could be in for a bigger fight than we have in the past five seasons, and Stoke supporters should rally together and prepare for this fight. And as far as battling performances go, what better game to try and roar the team on than a 'local' derby against West Brom where the Stoke fans love to chant "we always beat the Baggies!"

Quick Snippet - Dario Gradi

Dario Gradi, one of nine members of the 

On paper, it is a good idea look into why England is not producing enough players who play in the Premier League. Whilst it is not impossible that the pool of players progressing in the Premier League Academies could be better than those progressing in La Liga's B and C teams, it would not hurt to enhance England's pool for selection. From the list that includes Howard Wilkinson, Danny Mills and Greg Clarke, I think the stand-out name is Dario Gradi. Whilst his managing days appear behind him, he has masterminded Crewe's successful youth academy. How many names can be listed from the Gradi era who came through their academy? Danny Murphy, Dean Ashton, Rob Hulse, David Vaughn, Nicky Maynard, Nick Powell, Ashley Westwood, Luke Murphy. There are more who did not start at Crewe yet who became great players under his stewardship. If there is one man who can put his finger on why English football has declined so much that England hopes rather than expects, I have faith that Gradi knows the answer.