England have never been so poor

Following their worst World Cup since 1958; England’s FIFA world ranking is set to plummet with some estimating a drop as low as 20^th when fresh rankings are released on the 17^th July.  The rankings are not a be all and end all but they represent how far England have fallen and, if English football is to be respected, something needs to change.

In the strangest twists, England: a nation which gave birth to the game of football, which is arguably home to the best league in the world, bowed out of the World Cup with their lowest point tally in history and were not met with overbearing hostility from the public or media because expectations have seemingly never been so low.

The golden generation of English football has come and gone with nothing but a series of quarter-final finishes and now Roy Hodgson is expected to do little more than adapt a positive fashion of play.

Clear to all is that Hodgson has changed the English tactics and constructed a young, positive side that dominates play, but to what effect?

 

	World Cup 2014	Euro 2012	World Cup 2010	World Cup 2006	Euro 2004	World Cup 2002	Euro 2000
Location	Brazil	Poland & Ukraine	South Africa	Germany	Portugal	Japan & South Korea	Belgium & Netherlands
Manager	Hodgson	Hodgson	Capello	Sven	Sven	Sven	Keegan
Games	3	4	4	5	4	5	3
Win rate	0%	50%	25%	60%	50%	40%	33.33%
Goals	2	5	3	6	10	6	5
AGPG	0.66	1.25	0.75	1.2	2.5	1.2	1.66
Conceded	4	3	5	2	6	3	6
ACPG	1.33	0.75	1.25	0.4	1.5	0.6	2
Clean sheets	1	2	2	4	1	3	1
Clean Sheet %	33%	50%	50%	80%	25%	60%	33.33%
Shot accuracy	30.09	45.17	64.17	44.96	63.13	51.18	Not available
Mean possession	58.33	42.5	56.75	55.4	45	44.6	Not available
Squad average age	26.04	25.87	28.43	25.26	25.61	26.65	26.77
Opponents	Italy, Uruguay, Costa Rica	France, Sweden, Ukraine, Italy	USA, Algeria, Slovenia, Germany	Paraguay, Trinidad & Tobago, Sweden, Ecuador, Portugal	France, Switzerland, Croatia, Portugal	Sweden, Argentina, Nigeria, Denmark, Brazil	Portugal, Germany, Romania
Tournament finish	Bottom of group	Q-Final	Round of 16	Q-Final	Q-Final	Q-Final	3rd in group

On paper; England were better than Costa Rica and Uruguay and not miles apart from Italy.

But tactically, the figures speak for themselves: England were poor.

The table shows England held a great deal of possession but they didn’t utilise it to their advantage; emphasised by the worst goals per game ratio and shot accuracy seen in an England team for over twelve years. A reliance on possession and lack of risk taking has been their downfall.

In a nutshell: Hodgson has simultaneously managed to ruin both our attacking threat and our defensive solidity. Statistics don’t paint a full picture but they do tell us England is not moving in the right direction.

Many have looked at the squad and suggested a weaker team to years gone by is the reason behind England’s demise but the hearty performances from minnows: Greece, Costa Rica and Algeria suggest more could be done with the talent on disposal.

In the way cycling was revolutionised in England, the way that Spain and Germany have ploughed through lacklustre years to win cups, England need to do the same. But what needs primarily addressing?

Surely fans can’t be over expecting? England has never been so poor. Do we have a poor youth system? Well no- we’ve just won the U17 Euro Championships. Poor selection of players? Well if Costa Rica just made it to the quarter finals, Sturridge, Barkley, Cahill and company certainly can.

An unimaginative manager afraid of taking risk and installing passion, pride and belief? Now we’re talking.

BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty puts it well:

“No manager who presides over a World Cup campaign without a win can emerge with any credit”

and that is a sentiment reflected in the actions of many of the managers who failed to attain a victory this World Cup. Up to date 50% of the managers who failed to register a win have taken the blame upon their own shoulders and resigned. Alberto Zaccheroni of Japan, Hong Myung- Bo of South Korea, Luis Suarez of Honduras and Carlos Queiroz of Iran (even though he appears to be doing a U-turn) have all resigned and these are all nations with a lesser footballing tradition to our own.

Resignations or sackings can sometimes be viewed as knee jerk reactions but in Hodgson’s case it is exactly what the national team need after collecting the nation’s worst win rate in recent history.

Manager	Win Percentage
Fabio Capello	66.7
Sven-Goran Eriksson	59.7
Steve McClaren	50
Roy Hodgson	48.4

So why is Hodgson still there? The fact that Hodgson is the world’s second highest paid national team manager, second only to ex-England manager Fabio Capello, could be the reason he hasn’t resigned or been sacked by the FA on but that doesn’t seem the case. Instead it lies more to the fact a) the public isn’t demanding Hodgson be sacked and b) there is no obvious, credible alternative.

The FA would be making a brave, positive decision in removing Roy but they would need to complete some thorough research before appointing someone.

Rodgers, Mourinho and Wenger are out of reach but the likes of Pardew, Bruce and Pearson haven’t the reputation or the availability to do better than Roy.

My bet? Apparently Sven-Goran Eriksson wouldn’t mind another stab at the job, and with his past record, it wouldn’t be a bad choice.

One thing is for certain; the selection of players isn’t going to change but the way they’re deployed will and needs to. The statistics don’t lie. Hodgson must go.

January Film Releases 2014

Another year, another batch of films to stretch and stagnate the imagination. January sees the appearance of Hollywood royal Leonardo Di Caprio alongside long anticipated 12 Years A Slave. One that’s set to be a disappointment is Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom. From Idris Elba’s aberrant South African accent to the apparent appraisal of violent methods to overthrow government it seems they’ve made a hash of it all, which doesn’t prove well for a subject that is still in the memory of many. Nevertheless the recent death of the great South African leader will undoubtedly prove a boost to ticket sales.

Paranormal Activity- The Marked Ones

Release Date: 3rd January

After what seemed like an endless stream of Paranormal Activity films, with the fifth expected to be released at the back-end of 2014, things are moving in a refreshing direction with The Marked Ones. Central to the film is still the idea of paranormal entities creating increasingly threatening situations  but the Marked Ones drags the action into the open world, introducing audiences to an array of new paranormal incidents. With a new setting, cast and set of ideas, The Marked Ones looks promising.

The Wolf Of Wall Street

Release Date: 17th January

Starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Jonah Hill, Matthew McConaughey and directed by Martin Scorsese, most, including myself, won’t need more reason than the all-star cast to see this black comedy, Leonardo Di Caprio’s on-screen aura is always a good enough reason to visit the cinema. The film  is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government. The release of The Wolf Of Wall Street will mark Di Caprio’s fifth collaboration with Scorsese, following; The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Shutter Island and The Departed.

12 Years A Slave

Release Date: 24th January

A year after the UK release of Django Unchained comes 12 Years A Slave, a film that has many parallels to Tarentino’s Western but one that promises to top its dizzy heights. Based on an incredible true story of one man’s fight for survival and freedom, a free black man from upstate New York is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses, Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life. Directed by Steve McQueen and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, Paul Giamatti, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt, it is yet another all-star January release. If you’re not yet sold on 12 Years A Slave, I challenge you to watch the trailer and not be touched by Ejofor’s rousing ” I will survive! I will not fall into despair. I will keep myself hardy until freedom is opportune!” speech.

A Guide To The 2013 African Cup Of Nations

The 29th African Cup of Nations kicks off on the 19th of January, a tournament which pitches the 16 greatest African nations against each other in a scramble to become the best on the continent. The competition usually lingers in the shadow of the more predominant international tournaments, or at least from a European perspective, and any attention it does garner is usually connected to the inconveniences caused to Premier League clubs, stripping them of their prized assets for many a crucial game. Nevertheless it’s still one of the few international tournaments so it should be cherished regardless.

Attentive followers will note that there was an African Cup of Nations last January, bypassing the usual rate of a tournament every two years. This is down to intervention from FIFA who’ve made the decision to bring the tournament forward so in future it doesn’t clash with the World Cup. Sepp Blatter is also pursuing the case for the African Cup of Nations to be held in either June or July to avoid conflict with domestic European leagues but it is yet to be seen if this change will take place, especially as these months are often considered wet months in many African countries.

To add even more controversy into the mix, this year’s competition was meant to be held in Libya but due to internal turmoil the decision was made to move it to South Africa. This is most likely to the benefit of all parties, bar Libya, as you’d imagine South Africa are better suited to hosting the tournament having held the World Cup back in 2010. As part of the deal Libya will now host the 2017 African Cup of Nations instead.

The winner of the tournament gets one of the most sought after invitations in world football; qualification to the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil alongside such world heavyweights as Tahiti, Japan and Mexico. On a serious note it’s the master of national tournaments, putting the winners of each continental international competition against each other, alongside the winner of the World Cup, to see who is truly the best footballing nation on the planet.

The beauty of following such a tournament is that you not only get to see many teams you wouldn’t normally from a mainstream European perspective but you also get to see lots of upcoming stars. For example who would have suggested that Zambia could have won the tournament last year? Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of all the teams.

Group A

 

Angola

FIFA Ranking: 79

AFCON 2012: Group Stages

Best AFCON Performance: Quarter Finals (2008, 2010)

A relative unknown on the international front, Angola’s players are largely confided to their own domestic leagues. Fans however will be familiar to their most prized asset, Manucho, who was previously on the books at Manchester United and now regularly fires in goals for Real Valladolid and the national team, with 22 goals in 44 appearances. Other stars include Gilberto, Djalma Campos and Nando Rafael who will provide attacking firepower to the squad. Unfortunately for Angolan footballing hero Flavio, there was no room for him in the squad, making it unlikely he’ll ever clinch the title as Angolan’s all time top goal scorer, currently held by previous star player and now Member of Parliament, Fabrice Akwa.

Cape Verde

FIFA Ranking: 63

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: N/A

This will be the first time Cape Verde have graced a major international competition and their presence will certainly be an interesting one. On their path to qualification they managed to beat Cameroon 3-2 on aggregate, an impressive feat for any African nation never mind one with a population of just over 500,000. Due to the countries size and poor footballing record, several notable talents born in Cape Verde have opted to play for other countries over the years, including Nani and Gelson Fernandes. In their ranks they do possess some talent however, Ryan Mendes of Lille will be the main threat with experienced Fernando Neves propping up the defence.

Morocco

FIFA Ranking: 72

AFCON 2012: Group Stages

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1976)

One of the more established teams, Morocco have a wealth of talent at their disposal. This was emphasised when manager Rachid Taoussi chose to overlook  such players as Premier League striker Marouane Chamakh, Mbark Boussoufa of Anzhi Makhachkala and Adel Taarabt of QPR. The explanation behind such a controversial decision was that Taoussi was looking to create a team spirit rather than one of individuals. Surviving the cull, players Younes Belhanda, Mehdi Benatia and Oussama Assaidi will be key to the Moroccan’s plight. Belhanda’s vision and technique helped Montpellier win their first French title and he now attracts the likes of Tottenham and Fenerbahce. Benatia has been a stalwart performer in the heart of the Udinese defence over the last couple of seasons and although he’s yet to show signs of his quality at Liverpool, Assaidi has impressed in the Dutch Eredivisie for a while. Other familiar faces include Karim El Ahmadi of Aston Villa and ex-Tottenham player Mounir El Hamdaoui now of Fiorentina.

South Africa

FIFA Ranking: 84

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1996)

Hosting this year’s competition, South Africa will be expected to put up another brave performance. Although they didn’t travel past the group stages, as hosts in the 2010 World Cup South Africa had some great performances, including a memorable 2-1 win over France. Helping them reach those dizzy heights, the ever unpronounceable Siphiwe Tshabalala can be relied upon to chip in the odd goal, captain Bongani Khumalo, currently on loan at P.A.O.K from Tottenham, will shore up the defence and Katlego Mphela will be expected to add to his respectable international goal tally. In recent months however Bafana Bafana have found it difficult to hit the back of the net and the absence of Steven Pienaar and all time top goal scorer Benni McCarthy won’t make the situation any better. Others to look out for include Oldham star Dean Furman and Crystal Palace defensive midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi.

Group B

 

Democratic Republic of Congo

FIFA Ranking: 99

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1968, 1974)

The second largest country in Africa, war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo have failed to assert a notable presence on the African Cup of Nations over the last decade. Gifted with such talents as Youssouf Mulumbu of West Brom, 2009 winner of the COF Best African Player On The Continent Tresor Mputu, tireless midfielder Cedric Makiadi and Anderlecht powerhouse Dieumerci Mbokani, it’s a surprise their only recent achievement is winning the less prestigious 2009 African Nations Championship. Gabriel Zakuani and Lomana Lua Lua also feature and will be familiar to many followers of the English game. Many Congolese players ply their trade in English leagues, with some notable talents missing in this squad, including: Yannick Bolasie of Crystal Palace, Jacques Maghoma of Burton Albion and Herita llunga who’s currently unattached following a spell at Doncaster Rovers.

Ghana

FIFA Ranking: 30

AFCON 2012: 4th

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982)

One of the heavyweights of the competition, Ghana should definitely be contending for one of the places in the final, if not winning it. At the back, and creeping up on 100 appearances for the Black Stars, John Paintsil will feature yet again in another tournament, most likely his last however as many of the old guard have been moved on. In front, Kwadwo Asamoah, Anthony Annan and Derek Boateng will form a midfield filled with quality and spearing the attack 2012 BBC African Footballer Of The Year Asamoah Gyan will most likely steal the show, especially after a stellar few seasons at Al Ain which has seen him bag 46 goals in 37 appearances. Although there’s obvious quality in the squad, missing players highlight a weaker group to previous years. Michael Essien, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Sulley Muntari and Andre Ayew are all absent, players who play at the top-level and will be significant misses to the squad, especially Essien.

Mali

FIFA Ranking: 25

AFCON 2012: 3rd

Best AFCON Performance: Runners Up (1972)

The Eagles have gone through remarkable change over the past decade. In 2001 the national team sat in 117th on the FIFA rankings, their lowest ever, yet just over ten years later they’ve achieved their highest rank in 25th. Helping the team achieve that remarkable feat captain Seydou Keita has been central to the Mali transformation. Building on progress and the third place finish in the 2012 African Cup of Nations, Keita will be hoping to lead Mali to their first ever cup success and with some of the talented players around him, there is hope. Experienced defenders Adama Coulibaly and Fousseni Diawara will be hoping to push the team onto new heights too as, at the age of 32, time isn’t exactly on their side. Also in the team, tough tackling, ex-Liverpool player Mohamed Sissoko will be key, alongside Premier League stars Samba Diakite and Modibo Maiga.  Cheick Diabate of Bordeaux with his mean strike rate, is also someone to look out for. Some big misses for the Eagles include Mahamadou Diarra of Fulham, Tongo Doumbia of Wolves and Bakaye Traore of AC Milan, although the latter’s exclusion is apparently purely down to tactical reasons.

Niger

FIFA Ranking: 105

AFCON 2012: Group Stages

Best AFCON Performance: Group Stages (2012)

Only their second outing in the African Cup of Nations, most would be surprised to see Niger qualify past the group stages. If such an event did occur it’s most likely to be down to star striker and captain, Moussa Maazou. Over the years the striker has accumulated £5,500,000 in transfer fees and now sits in second place as the countries all time goal scorer, with 6 goals to his name. During his career he’s featured for CSKA Moscow, Monaco, Bordeaux, Lokeren, Zulte-Waregem and Le Mans, yet he’s still only 24.

Group C

 

Burkina Faso

FIFA Ranking: 89

AFCON 2012: Group Stages

Best AFCON Performance: 4th (1998)

Burkina Faso, also known as The Stallions, come to the African Cup of Nations lacking any players from their domestic league, instead their squad is built upon players from leagues across the globe: Japan, France, Moldova, Qatar and Romania to name but a few. Central to a successful AFCON will be the performances of such regulars as Bakary Kone, who plies his trade at Lyon, utility midfielder Charles Kabore, pacey winger Jonathan Pitroipa and  Moumouni Dagano, who boasts a solid strike rate with 24 goals in 58 appearances for the national team. Interestingly enough head coach Paul But was banned in his native Belgium for involvement in a match fixing scandal back in 2007.

Ethiopia

FIFA Ranking: 102

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1962)

Being the first African Cup of Nations Ethiopia have qualified for in over 30 years, nobody will be expecting anything from this relatively inexperience and unknown side. The majority of the squad play inside the nation’s domestic league, with only Yussuf Saleh (Sweden) , Saladin Seid (Egypt)  and Fuad Ibrahim (‘Murica) playing abroad. Seid in particular will be looking to provide the team with goals having been the top goalscorer in both 2008 and 2009 in the Ethiopian Premier League. Degu Debebe will captain the side. The majority of the players come from the Ethiopian reigning champions St George and second place Ethiopian Coffee, so squad harmony could help propel them forward.

Nigeria

FIFA Ranking: 57

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1980, 1994)

Nigeria have put together some quality teams over the years. Players like Kanu and Jay-Jay Okocha have blessed the team sheet and created some exciting Nigerian sides. At the moment however Nigeria seems to be going through a period of transition. When veteran players Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and Ikechukwu Uche retire in a few years time, they’ll leave behind a team of relative unknowns. This has been highlighted on several occasions such as the team’s failure to qualify for the 2012 AFCON and recent draws against Niger, Liberia and Cape Verde. But there is hope. From Britain: Victor Moses, John Obi Mikel and Efe Ambrose will be in the setup for a while to come and players such as Emmanuel Emenike and Nosa Igiebor look to have real quality about them. Some of the big names missing from the squad include: Danny Shittu, Joel Obi, Dickson Etuhu, John Utaka, Chinedu Obasi, Peter Odemwingie, Obafemi Martins and Yakubu.

Zambia

FIFA Ranking: 34

AFCON 2012: Winners

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (2012)

Nobody expected Zambia to win the African Cup of Nations last year and with an arguably stronger team this year, many believe Zambia could be in the mix once more. Player of the tournament last year, Christoper Katongo went on to win BBC African Footballer Of The Year and, alongside countryman Isaac Chansa, earned himself a move to Chinese club Henan Jianye whilst fellow striker Emmanuel Mayuka found himself on English shores with a move to Southampton. Emmanuel Mbola is maybe one to watch out for as at the young age of 19, he already has 30 caps to his name. Midfielder Rainford Kalaba and ex-Pompey striker Colins Mbesuma are also honourable mentions. Interesting to note that Robert Earnshaw was in fact born in Zambia but later chose to play for Wales instead, a decision he’s most likely now regretting.

Group D

Algeria

FIFA Ranking: 19

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (1990)

Currently Africa’s second highest ranked team, like most nations on the continent, Algeria possess some notable talent in European leagues. Two of the most gifted are midfielders Sofiane Feghouli of Valencia and Ryad Boudebouz of Sochaux, both who bring a creative spark. Amidst the ranks there are also several ex-English League players: Rafik Halliche (Fulham 2010-12), Carl Medjani (Liverpool 2003-06) and Hameur Bouazza (Watford 2003-07, Fulham 2007-09, Blackpool 2009-10, Millwall 2011-12). One of the more successful Algerian imports in recent years has been Adlene Guedioura, who’s won over fans with his passionate displays at both Wolves and now Nottingham Forest. Also in the squad, captain Mehdi Lacen and AC Milan backup Djamel Mesbah feature. Choosing a relatively young and inexperienced squad, Algerian manager Vahid Halilhodzic has chosen to overlook experienced Madjid Bougherra, Karim Ziani and Hassan Yebda amongst others.

Ivory Coast

FIFA Ranking: 14

AFCON 2012: Runners Up

Best AFCON Performance: 1992

Viewed by many as the strongest African team around, the pressure is on the Cote d’Ivoire to win their first African Cup of Nations. With the strength in-depth they possess and only missing out on last year’s title on penalties, 2013 looks as good a year as any. Propping up the defence Kolo Toure will be joined by ex-Leicester City defender Sol Bamba, PSG fringe player Siaka Tiene, ex-Gunner Emmanuel Eboue and the experienced Arthur Boka. 2012 and 2011 African Football of the Year winner, Yaya Toure will be a key figure in a midfield that includes the most capped player at the tournament, Didier Zakora, alongside Saloman Kalou, Max Gradel and tough tackling Cheick Tiote. Man City youngster Abdul Razak also features in the squad but with only four appearances to his name all season, he doesn’t look likely to play a big part. Upfront Les Elephants are blessed with an astounding front line, one that has kept free scoring Seydou Doumbia of CSKA Moscow out of the 23 man squad. Those listed include Wigan’s Arouna Kone, Wilfried Bony, who has been constantly rumoured with a move to the Premier League, Lacina Traore of Anzhi Makhachkala, Gervinho and fan’s favourite, Didier Drogba.

Togo

FIFA Ranking: 73

AFCON 2012: Didn’t Qualify

Best AFCON Performance: Group Stages (1972, 1984, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2006)

Wherever Togo go they seem to leave a wake of controversy behind them. In the 2008 African Cup of Nations several of their backroom staff died in a helicopter accident, in the 2010 World Cup they fell victim to an attack by gunmen and subsequently withdrew from the competition to find they were banned from future AFCON’s and in late 2010 ex-national coach Bana Tchanile fielded a fake Togo team against Bahrain. Nevertheless they do in fact entertain their fans on the pitch in a more customary manner. Star player Emmanuel Adebayor will be relied upon to carry the team with defensive player Alaixys Romao and goalkeeper Kossi Agassa hoping to keep things tight at the back. Ex-Aston Villa player Moustapha Salifou also features.

Tunisia

FIFA Ranking: 46

AFCON 2012: Quarter Finals

Best AFCON Performance: Winners (2004)

A squad that’s backbone focuses on talents from its own domestic league, from a European perspective, there aren’t many recognisable names in this Tunisia squad. That doesn’t suggest however that they’re not a strong team, over the past five AFCON Tunisia have won the title once and featured in another three quarter-finals. Players to look at for include Issam Jemaa, who boasts a cool 32 goals in 69 goals at international level, Toulouse leftback Aymen Abdennour and 2011 COF Best African Player On The Continent Oussama Darragi. Followers of the German will note that experienced Karim Haggui has been overlooked.

The tournament starts on the 19th of January and concludes on the 10th of February, so make sure to tune in.