England’s ‘soft center’ in defense fuels Euro fears
Print Edition
THE debate about Wayne Rooney’s place in the England team will rumble on for the next 10 weeks, right through to the start of the European Championship in France.
But that’s not the only serious dilemma England manager Roy Hodgson will be wrestling with as he plots an unlikely end to the country’s 50-year drought at major tournaments.
Central defense used to be England’s forte. Only 10 years ago, Sven-Goran Eriksson was in the enviable position of taking Rio Ferdinand, Jamie Carragher, John Terry and Sol Campbell — four greats of the Premier League — as his center-back options to the 2006 World Cup.
Now, there’s just a soft center in the defense. And it’s threatening to hamper the blossoming of Hodgson’s new breed.
Since England exited the group stage of the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, the team has played 14 games and Hodgson has played a different back four each time. For the last six matches, culminating in the 1-2 loss to the Netherlands on Tuesday, he has had a different central defense.
Defenses, especially the center backs, develop as a unit and a lack of consistency of selection can’t help. Indeed, it highlights the concerns he has in the area.
While Chris Smalling now appears a sure starter after a solid season at Manchester United, Hodgson has to choose between John Stones, Gary Cahill and — as an outsider — Phil Jagielka as the other center back.
Stones is the future, the 21-year-old heir apparent to Ferdinand with his calmness in possession, deceptive pace and reading of the game. But after starting the season superbly with Everton, Stones’ errors have piled up and he has even been dropped by his club.
The game against the Netherlands was a microcosm of Stones’ season. One minute looking so assured and at ease on the ball, the next taking too long over a clearance or slipping over to set in motion a chain of events that led to the Dutch equalizer by Vincent Janssen. By the end, Stones’ game appeared ragged. “I don’t think I’ll think about selecting him or not selecting him on the fact he slipped over on that occasion,” Hodgson said.
Cahill would be the other, safer option alongside Smalling — it was England’s most common partnership in Euro 2016 qualifying — but he has only regained his place in the Chelsea team since a serious injury to Kurt Zouma in early February.
With Terry no longer an option, England lacks leaders and a dominating force at center back. Having the defensively minded Eric Dier as an out-and-out holding midfielder should give England more protection in France but it’s an area that opponents will look to exploit.
In Dele Alli, Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy and returning captain Rooney, new-look England’s options in attack suddenly look healthy for France.
Hodgson must now get his defense in shape if England is to be a genuine contender.
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