England were dismal. Inevitably, Suarez wreaked havoc; England players see him week in week out, and still they thought it’d be class to let him run around freely. Marking is overrated, right Johnson? Yes, no need to mark. It was awful. The majority of the team consisted of a Liverpool base. The exciting Liverpool four that everyone raved about for weeks leading up to the title race finale; it sounds promising, but in reality it was a failed experiment. Sterlin looked bright, but his inexperienced was painfully obvious. Henderson, I didn’t even notice, and Gerard, he was too busy helping best mate Suarez. Yes, Johnson got an assist, but his defending against Cavani is still haunting and incredibly baffling. He’s a professional footballer, playing for England, and he literally ran away from the opposition, stood, watched, and applauded. He’s simply a terrible option for a right back; he runs a few yards, only to stop the ball and pass backwards. Well done. Give him more caps. Although, the only positive I can call upon from England was Daniel Sturridge, who stood out in the ugly mess that was the England team, and even then, that might not be saying much. However, he does seem to be one of few who can transfer club form to country, and he’s bar far England’s best forward option. Rooney’s criticism was over the top, and boring, however, I don’t think he merited his place, or any United player for that matter. Their season was a train wreck. Play the players in form. Not history. Hodgson never had the bottle for this World Cup. What’s worse, and frankly, it suits Arsene, and us fans fine (freshness is essential in the modern game) was that the only Arsenal representation came in the form of a fifteen-minute cameo against Italy. Well played, Hodgson. Arsenal representation was always going to be overlooked, seriously, there’s no replacing Danny Welbeck on that team sheet, because he has long legs and stumbles around. You can’t replace that with technical quality, that’d be stupid. Another casualty of the World Cup was Baines, who really disappointed given the goals and assists he rams home for Everton. England’s flanks were an open wound, bleeding every minute of every game, and the midfield was drab and heartless. There were Arsenal players available, both in Brazil, and at home, who deserved a greater role, ad would have offered better quality in key areas.
Jack Wilshere was the only Arsenal player given game time in Brazil, granted, injuries played a part in keeping out other big names in Chamberlain and Walcott. Henderson had a very good season for Liverpool, but in Wilshere, you have England’s future, and not trusting him in Brazil, or simply neglecting his talent in the face of one good Liverpool season is strange. Here’s the boy that Wenger entrusted the coveted number 10 shirt; something you don’t give to any old player—we ignore Van Persie, we know no Van Persie. Role back a few years to the Emirates where Arsenal clashed with Barcelona and emerged victorious, and there’s Jack Wilshere, English, nineteen years old, matching and surpassing the best players in the world at the time. Finally, England had found their superstar. He was the only Arsenal player, bar Fabregas, who accompanied the stats dominated by Spanish players — who are shipping out the most accomplished footballers on a technical level. He may have ran Ramsey’s shadows for the majority of the season, but he looked to improve his game, he was scoring more, not to mention goal of the season, whilst all the time showing flashes of his brilliant best. In the games, he and Ramsey both played in, he was as much an influence as the Welshman. Ramsey scored the goal in the F.A. cup final, but it was Wilshere’s inclusion in extra time that gave Arsenal a much-needed boost and decisive quality. Going back to England, who had no composure on the ball whatsoever, it’s hard to see how Hodgson couldn’t find room for Wilshere. He’s probably, currently, and for the long future, England’s most technically gifted player. He’d have driven at the defence instead of this lackadaisical, infuriating crab football: backwards and sideways. It’s signature English football: no ideas, no urgency, and no quality. What did Henderson offer at the World Cup? Good question. What could Wilshere have offered at the World Cup? Better question. Welbeck has a non-existent first touch, he’s the Bambi of football, he had no place in the starting eleven; and even Wilshere would have fared better in a wide role. England lacked composure. Wilshere has it in abundance.
Baines was England’s first choice left back this year; surely based on his free-kick record than anything else. You have to feel for Gibbs, really. What does he have to do to get England recognition? I’d have preferred him to Baines all day long. Has Baines played in the Champions League? Did Baines win anything this year? Gibbs is integral to the Arsenal side, his attacking has improved in recent years, and despite the annual team collapse, so has his defending. I’ll always remember the £25 million tackle in the last minute against West Brom. He secured us Champions League football that day, whilst Baines was probably eyeing up the Europa league. England’s primary concern was exposure down both flanks. Both Johnson and Baines were at fault for Italy and Uruguay goals.
Also, surely there’s a better right back than Johnson? I mean, anyone, really. Jenkinson hasn’t had a lot of football, and he’s raw and kind of square…you know, the way he just runs forward…but he’s still better defensively than Johnson, and Jenkinson runs like Forest Gump, so that’s a plus; no, seriously, the engine and recovery speed of that boy is awesome. His best game in an Arsenal shirt has also come away to Bayern Munich. I like Jenkinson. He runs his socks off. And he’s so much more positive than Johnson. Obviously, he was never going to be picked for England, let alone put on a plane to Brazil, but when a shift at right back is desperately needed, there’s no plausible explanation as to why he shouldn’t be amongst consideration.
There’s not much to say about Chamberlain and Walcott (who are the only other Arsenal players readily available to England), due to injuries. Walcott would have put Welbeck back in his best position, which is the bench, and offered England a much needed goal threat. He has a good England record, it’s a real shame he missed this World Cup; injuries haunt Walcott, they always find him at the peak of his powers. I don’t know how fit Chamberlain was, regardless, he should never have been injured. He was England’s wild card, their more accomplished Sterlin, including him in a warm up game seems silly now. He could have been fresh. He could have been electric.
Also, less than half of England’s starting eleven had Champions League experience: Hart, Cahill, Gerrard, Rooney, and even Welbeck. Something to chew on.