“It’s coming home, it’s coming home, it’s coming, football’s coming home!”
A song chanted by millions of English fans at every international football tournament. Ironically, the last time England won a major trophy was the FIFA World Cup back in 1966.
England is nowhere near the greatest national team in terms of achievement, but the country never lacks promising talents. David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, and many other football hall of famers have filled the squad over the years.
Additionally, England has one of the best domestic leagues in the Premier League.
That being said, what are the reasons behind England’s shortcomings in football? Here is what you need to know!
Contents
#1 High Pressure and Expectations
“With great power comes great responsibility”, a saying that perfectly describes the whole situation with the England national team.
For instance, England’s 2018 FIFA World Cup squad had big names including Trent Alexander-Arnold, Raheem Sterling, Kyle Walker, and Harry Kane. Nonetheless, they only managed to finish 4th after losing a gruelling semi-final against underdog Croatia.
England is a fantastic producer of world-class football players. It is not a coincidence that they also happen to have one of the best domestic leagues in the world.
Why the Premier League is considered one of the top leagues in the world deserves its own elaboration. However, it is safe to say that the level of football and fans are two major factors.
With a new batch of exciting talents blossoming each year, it is only normal for millions of passionate English fans to expect only the best from their national team.
England fans were quite hopeful in 2018 as they drew the underdog Croatia in the Semi-Final, yet they lost 2-1 after failing to capitalise on big chances. They faced a similar situation after England lost a penalty shootout 3 years later in the UEFA Euro 2020 finals against Italy.
Proving that they are strong enough to play until the later stages is certainly a positive thing, but it also builds more pressure as the fans and media are expecting them to eventually win a trophy.
#2 Poor luck during penalty shootouts
Here is England’s recent penalty shootout record:
| Number of Penalty Shootouts | Won | Lost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | 3 | 7 |
You can find out more about penalty shootouts here.
England had a total of 10 penalty shootouts in major competitions. With a winning rate of just 30%, England is never the favourite when it comes to penalty shootouts.
Luck is undeniably a factor in penalty shootouts, but whether or not unlucky is the correct term for England is rather questionable.
In the highest level of football, multiple elements are involved in a shootout. Research from a German institute suggests that there are strategic elements that are key to winning penalty shootouts.
It is explained that there are tactical and psychological factors to be prepared before a penalty shootout. For example, the team manager’s choice of the series of takers and selection of the keeper is not to be overlooked.
In the Euro 2020 final against Italy, manager Gareth Southgate decided to sub in Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho just to take the penalties before any game time. Both players missed and Southgate’s choices were met with major criticism.
England had a chance to save the shootout after Jorginho shockingly failed his penalty. Unfortunately, Bukayo Saka could not convert his penalty which eventually concluded the final. Southgate’s decision on appointing 19-year-old Bukayo Saka was also heavily criticised by Roy Keane.
#3 Manager appointment
| Manager | Period | Competitions |
|---|---|---|
| Fabio Capello | 2008-2012 | World Cup 2010 – round of 16 |
| Stuart Pearce | 2012 | – |
| Roy Hodgson | 2012-2016 | Euro 2012 – quarter finalWorld Cup 2014 – group stageEuro 2016 – round of 16 |
| Sam Allardyce | 2016 | – |
| Gareth Southgate | 2016-now | World Cup 2018 – fourth placeEuro 2020 – second place |
Managing a national team is different from managing a football club.
When managers of football clubs can target players for transfers, national team managers can only scout talents within the country. When football club managers can spend an entire season building their team, managers of national teams are given a more limited time.
You can find out more about whether football managers should come from the same country as the national team they are managing here.
One similar thing between football clubs and national teams is that a good manager is a foundation for a team’s success. England is currently managed by Gareth Southgate. Despite having better records than the last 5 managers, fans and critics are still questioning his credibility.
Gareth Southgate started his managing career with Middlesbrough from 2006-2009. After taking 4 years off, he returned as manager of England u-21 before getting promoted as first team manager in 2016.
Conclusively, it is fair to say that Gareth Southgate may not be the most experienced manager for such responsibility.
Gareth Southgate was still backed by a proportion of English fans regardless of his track record. However, his recent shortcomings have put pressure on FA as fans demand quick changes before the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
You can find out more about why managers get sacked here.
Playing style
Winless in their last 4 matches, England’s only goal came from a penalty converted by Harry Kane against Germany. With the World Cup just around the corner, fans are concerned that England lacks the creativity to score up front.
From pacey wingers like Sancho and Sterling to ruthless finishers such as Harry Kane, England is overflowing with attacking players. With such players, fans are demanding an attacking style of football instead of the defensive and ‘boring’ style adapted by Southgate.
“Look, I’ve got to find a balance because I don’t want to sit and be defensive but some people have managed teams and others haven’t,”
Gareth Southgate’s response to critics
Regardless of which playing style truly suits England, the statistics over the last 4 games are surely worrying for any team looking to compete for major trophies.
Some Positive Signs
England’s men’s national football team has yet to win another major trophy. While both players and managers were faced with harsh criticism over the past few years, the record shows that the team is progressing as they finish fourth and second in the World Cup and Euro respectively.
England is considered one of the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar, and it is for a good reason. Over the years, Southgate has developed the most successful England squad in recent decades.
As England managed to reach the semi-finals and finals of two major competitions in consecutive years, it may not be too far of a reach for English fans to dream of winning the upcoming world cup.
England’s squad is not necessarily the youngest, but they have young talents with plenty of years to play for such as Mason Mount, Bukayo Saka, Reece James, Jadon Sancho, and Declan Rice. In addition, England’s U19 squad had just won the UEFA U19 Euro 2022, showing that their young talents are amongst the best in the world.
The next major competition for England is the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Doha, Qatar. Despite not performing well in the last series of matches, morals are high as the England women’s national football team had just won their first ever Euros after beating Germany in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022.
Conclusion
As England enters the World Cup in Qatar, they remain one of the strongest teams in the world. However, the pressure is on Gareth Southgate and the players as millions of proud English fans are looking for their first major trophy in a long time.
The future’s looking bright for England, but they have to make a statement in the upcoming World Cup. Otherwise, it may be time for the FA to evaluate its approach and make necessary changes.
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