A view from Wembley | A forgettable night for the English

Written by Ali Gokal | 18 November 2010
Posted in Comment - Sport

Wembley Stadium previous to the match starting. Photograph: Abeer Sharma

Returning late from Wembley stadium having just watched England v. France, tired eyes and a mountain of work mean this post is to be mercifully short.

Matthew Toms’ piece gives some idea of the dire position English national football finds itself in: dreary, downbeat, unenthused. His piece could have in many ways been written about the state of Les Bleus. Our French counterparts will have clearly etched in their minds their World Cup turmoil in South Africa – and most infamously the expulsion of five senior players for confronting the management – epitomising the dreadful mess the F.F.F. and Laurent Blanc are left to clean up. So the stakes for both sides were certainly high going into this match.

It would not be fair to accuse England of not wanting the win; their desire and commitment has never been in question. But there is no denying they were second class tonight against a superior French side. Mediocrity from the home was hard to veil: the clear lack of technique, poise and creativity which will surely concern manager Fabio Capello. This was in stark contrast to the French team, whose classy but patient approach was not fully reflected by the scoreline. In truth, they were unfortunate not have scored more.

Tedious waves of repetitive, trite and vain forays into the French half were all too predictable. Dozens of long-balls was launched up to the solitary figure of Andy Carroll, who all too often found himself battling the French backline on his own.

The disparity was unmistakable; the gulf palpable. French approach play was meticulous, passing with patience and diligence. Unlike the home team, who looked to play the killer ball at every turn (which was in any case often poorly executed), they were happy to keep possession until an opportunity opened up, taking advantage of the gaps in an uncomfortable-looking England defence. Florent Malouda and Samir Nasri’s movement and invention was too much to handle for the anonymous Henderson and Barry, who looked brutally out of their depths against their mobile opponents. Karim Benzema’s clinical goal was the culmination of a build-up England could only aspire to in the first half, whilst Sagna’s run and cross for the second goal was a lesson in practice to the ineffective Jagielka (though Richards was more ambitious for England at right back in the second half).

There were few positives of note. Carroll’s display was heartening and valiant, but the aerial challenges he won were too often trivial as they were swept up by the efficient French back four. It was evident he lacked the support to set an effectual foothold in the French half. Gibbs, in only his second appearance for England, looked assured, albeit somewhat unadventurous in assisting Milner pushing forward. Substitutes Young, Johnson and Crouch bolstered a pedestrian England attack, but it was all in all a familiar case of too little too late. While some might say it was but a friendly with Capello picking an experimental team burdened by a plethora of injuries, there is no getting away from the fact England were lethargic and anxious.

The England Coach must hope that the return of the likes of Terry, Lampard and Rooney will add mettle to a team that shows real signs of regression and lacks quality in depth. French Manager Laurent Blanc, on the other hand, will be brimming with optimism after watching his young side show maturity and guile. The only blemish was a late goal that hid the true difference in quality between the teams, but one that even former stopper Blanc can forgive.

And if England weren’t in a mess before this game, there’s a good case for that being the case now. Injured players returning will bring about the predictable changes: Lampard and Wilshere in for the second-rate Henderson and Barry; Johnson for the disorientated Jagielka; and, of course, Terry and Rooney will come back into the fold. But the problem is greater than one of personnel. The general mise en scène at Wembley lacks confidence and belief; the air of negativity and pessimism is hard to look past.

While their World Cup fates in South Africa may have been similar, the resurgent France and a lacklustre England are going in very different directions on tonight’s evidence.