HIT AND RUSH
It's not clear when exactly English football lost its way philosophically and technically. Back in 1953, humiliation at the hands of the magnificent Magyars when Hungary destroyed England 6-3 at Wembley - was one major flash point. Sixteen years later, England won the World Cup on home soil without really distinguishing itself technically. That England team played very much in the English way - lots of hard tackling, hard running and determination. Nothing wrong with that but since 1966, those qualities alone have proved to be inferior to teams that had a better grasp of ball possession and the finer aspects of passing.
THE ENGLISH GAME
The England team mostly gathers its members from the English Football League and whatever brand of football it plays - forms the foundation of the England team's approach. The "hit and rush" mentality - the fast paced, hard tackling, hard running style of football - gained tremendous popularity in the English leagues as crowds fed off on its high energy, high excitement vibe. It is certainly exciting. But at the international level - that approach has been exposed as tactically naive. England teams attacked hard but often not in a "smart" way. Spain showed in the 2010 World Cup - how intelligent its football is - the way they probed for opponents' weak spots and hit them where they were most vulnerable - often with a soft, adroit pass and great movement deep into the box. England teams in contrast - tended to want to force their way past opponents in a physical style - and with a long domestic season before major tournaments - that approach has often crashed and burned midway through the campaign.
The domestic game since the 1990s - has seen a greater focus on technically proficient football with the influx of foreign players. While its influence has been largely positive, their presence has often resulted in the exclusion of English players in the first team - especially in the EPL Big Six teams where the majority of first teamers are non-English. While training with top foreign players is good for English players - their lack of first team football has hindered their development and hence crippled the England team.
SOUTHGATE'S MANDATE
Southgate's role is mostly as a liaison between the FA chief - Trevor Brooking, and the Football League. He travels to the clubs to check on player development, articulate the FA's goals in terms of coaching, facilities and player improvements and ensures that the lines of communication between clubs and FA are strong. The FA has a new National Football Centre in Burton that they plan to use as a hub to train coaches and players and impart a new footballing philosophy and strategy. It will set standards in sports medicine and science and also serve as a focal point for the development of the national team at its various levels. Southgate will be at the heart of this mandate as the point man between clubs and the FA.
THE LAST WORD
Southgate has told the media that the old way of developing English players cannot continue. The lack of emphasis on technical skills and a passing philosophy at the Football League level - is producing England players with inferior skills to the elite teams like Germany, Spain, France, Holland, Portugal and Italy - all of whom emphasize a highly technically skilled game. In essence, England teams are being "played off the park" at major tournaments. For a more technical game to grow, English players must abandon its "hit and rush" mindset and play more like the Europeans. That's the heart of the matter. There are a few such young players coming through - Jack Wilshere is a prime example. There is power and strength in his game - but he is also technically skilled and a thinking passer. England need more thinking passers in the vein of a Xavi, Iniesta, Xabi Alonso and Cesc Fabregas - if England are to truly challenge for international honours. Until then, they'll be perennial quarter-finalists at best.
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