Guardian and Observer Editorial

4 The Guardian | Monday July 3 2006 World Cup England v Portugal Timeline Sven’s long goodbye Emotional 08|05|06 25|06|06 Lampard hits Sven annonces squad England 1 Ecuador 0 Theo Walcott is named in the Rooney makes his second out at critics provisional 23-man squad. Arsène start, this time as a lone Wenger, who has not yet picked striker but England’s him for Arsenal, praises midfield fail to support him Eriksson’s gamble. “He will and only David Beckham’s Daniel Taylor Baden-Baden be lethal,” he predicts. 60th-minute free-kick lets Eriksson save face. 10|06|06 20|06|06 There is a marked difference between England 1 Paraguay 0 Sweden 2 England 2 30|06|06 being a great footballer and a football Carlos Gamarra deflects David Beckham’s Michael Owen collapses with torn knee Once more unto the breach great. Frank Lampard will know that third-minute free-kick to give England the ligaments before a minute is up but Joe Cole Ray Winstone joins England for their better than most after a hugely disap- lead. Their first-half performance is praised scores England’s best goal of the last fulll training session before the pointing tournament for the Chelsea but the substitution of Michael Owen and an tournament. Defensive disarray gifts two quarter-final and recites passages midfielder, culminating in his missed attempt to blame the lethargy after half- equalisers to Sweden after mistakes from Paul from Shakespeare’s Henry V to penalty against Portugal and a tetchy time on the heat is widely ridiculed. Robinson, John Terry and Sol Campbell but inspire the players to attack display when asked yesterday why he had Gerrard seals top spot in group B. Harfleur or indeed Portugal, failed to reproduce his best form. 12|06|06 should they prefer “I’ve had chances to score and I haven’t Metatarsal mended? 21|06|06 scored,” he acknowledged. “I feel a little Wayne Rooney’s clumsy Owen home bit upset, though, after what I’ve done in tackle on Walcott during the warm- England’s No10 flies home the last couple of years, that when I’ve down after the Paraguay game is seen as after the extent of his injury missed a few chances a lot of people have evidence that the Manchester United forward is confirmed. Eriksson admits that it is a “huge been very quick to get on my back. I am is champing at the bit for a recall. His club, blow” but remains confident as does his upset about that because I have worked however, maintains he is not ready. assistant. “I still believe the dream of Sven and my socks off to try to be successful in this I leaving England as world champions is very World Cup. I would have loved to have 14|06|06 much alive,” says Tord Grip, “and the players scored the winning goal [against Portugal] I’m the boss believe it too.” and shown a few people. Sven-Goran Eriksson scoffs at reports that “I am a harsh critic of myself but when Brian Barwick had vetoed his decision to use 23|06|06 01|07|06 criticism comes from outside and I feel it Rooney as a substitute against Trinidad & Him indoors England 0 Portugal 0 is a bit unjust it gets my back up. After all Tobago against the advice of Professor Angus Eriksson says that he is “not married to David Portugal won 3-1 on penlties I’ve done in the last two years I think I Wallace, the independent assessor. “He is Beckham” and that he would drop the England Rooney is sent off in the 62nd minute for a deserve a little bit of respect and when match fit,” he says “but let me sleep on it.” captain if he felt he wasn’t pulling his weight. stamp on Ricardo Carvalho. England regroup people come along who want to knock me Work on defending set-pieces continues and to play their best football of the tournament down I do feel a little bit peeved.” 15|06|06 practice revolves around Michael Carrick and at the quickest tempo. But despite He acknowledged that he had failed to England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 playing as a holding midfielder and Owen Portugal missing two penalties, England justify his status as second only to Ronald- Peter Crouch grabs Brent Sancho’s Hargreaves moving to right-back. have three saved. inho in Fifa’s world footballer of the year dreadlocks in the 83rd minute and uses the awards. The 28-year-old had 26 shots in leverage to score England’s first goal. For the 02|07|06 five games but did not score and his open- second game in succession Michael Owen is The other Englishman Jump before he’s pushed? ing penalty miss against Portugal set the withdrawn before the hour and replaced by The England captain, in an tone for the shoot-out. Wayne Rooney. Steven England’s sole referee emotional statement, announces “It’s emotional and very depressing,” Gerrard’s 90th minute Graham Poll did not that he is stepping down from he said. “Other players missed too and I strike adds gloss make it to the semi-finals the job that has been the suppose that means it doesn’t isolate any to the either. His triple yellow pinnacle of his career. He individual, but it doesn’t make it easier. scoreline but card muddle in the addresses criticism of the It’s a horrible feeling. It’s a moment to only Aaron Australia v Croatia game team by pointing out that stand up and be a man and when you put Lennon emerges won him a flight home. the team “are hurt more yourself in that position you put yourself with credit. than people realise”. Frank Lampard cuts a forlorn figure where you can miss. There’s nothing I can after his penalty miss against Portugal do about it now. There’s no going back.” David Pleat’s chalkboard How England should have freed midfielders to support Rooney The emotional ending to England’s forward would have forced the Lyon involvement should not disguise the midfielder to confront him, allowing a fact that we have sadly done nothing in simple slipped sideways pass to liberate this tournament to enhance the respect Hargreaves. He, then, could have moved in which we are held globally. Chaotic forward into the space vacated by Tiago failure in the penalty climax will mean to quicken the pace and prompt those little to observers from abroad who will further upfield. That would have lured be so disappointed at the apparent lack Portugal out of their shells, encouraging of movement and imagination in this us to move forward with more bite and side in Germany. zip, and allowing one of Gerrard or The irony, as ever, is that our overall Lampard to buzz around Rooney. performance against Portugal was As it was, there were never gaps actually an improvement on much that between our opponents’ back, middle had gone before. We were more and front lines. They retreated controlled and passed the ball better in comfortably as we passed the ball too the opening quarter, with good early slowly among ourselves at the back, and triangles down the right, and were able we never appreciated the need to to put together more positive play near quicken our rhythm. Gary Neville and their goal. Wayne Rooney ran tirelessly Ashley Cole supported sensibly, before his temperament got the better of particularly in the first half, but, him, but we must ask what might have whenever the ball was transferred been done to offer our lone striker more, inside, the compact Portuguese were and quicker, support. ready to snap. They played cannily and Total football. Luiz Felipe Scolari had employed we were never able to counter-attack Maniche and Petit as dual protectors of and get that vital three against three, or their back four. We had one, Owen even the luxury of a man over. Hargreaves, and he played like two men, There were pluses. Aaron Lennon was breaking from his central role with positive — a natural wide man with pace incredible reserves of energy. But as well — although England might have as Hargreaves played, he does not seek benefited from him playing alongside the ball off the back-line like Michael Peter Crouch during those torturous Carrick. Without the Tottenham final 60 minutes. As it is there was just ‘Helen midfielder we had less opportunity to more heartache and, in the cold light of Lederer start attacks from deep by dragging day, we must ask: has this team actually Tiago out of formation, which would improved under Sven-Goran Eriksson? was asked have freed up Steven Gerrard or Frank if the Lampard to support Rooney. Player move with ball We had to try to coax Portugal out of Player move without ball England their system, but we just didn’t do it Ball movement/pass defeat was quickly enough. When our centre-halves had the ball Scolari’s side retreated and Maniche Petit rich comic stayed compact, squeezing out the territory space between their back, middle and Gerrard Lampard front lines. That meant Rio Ferdinand Ferdinand for her — and John Terry had too few targets to hit Tiago clearly early. They kept possession quite Has England ever had a more complete player than Bobby Charlton? He had speed, comfortably — at one stage the centre- Hargreaves Ferdinand grace and a thunderbolt shot.

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