England go marching on | England 6 Andorra 0 | How England rated | How the action unfolded |
Matt Dickinson | Patrick Barclay | GIles Smith | Debate: is Rooney vital to England chances? |
Graphic: talking England tactics | Graphic: just the ticket |
Right back is the new left midfield. While contenders now brawl for the honour of understudying Steven Gerrard in the space ahead of Ashley Cole — the likes of Ashley Young and Stewart Downing tussle while Joe Cole waits, stamping, like a tag-team wrestler — England have, where Gary Neville once stood, no one. At least no one on whom you could count in a World Cup.
Just as we began to think Glen Johnson might be the answer, along came Almaty. So poor was his positioning against Kazakhstan on Saturday, so wayward his touch, that he had to improve in the second half — and, to be fair, he did, helping to set up Wayne Rooney’s goal. That surge highlighted the problem with Johnson. Going forward, he is like a train. Asked to turn, he becomes a handcart. That’s not a modern international full back. That’s neither one thing nor the other.
Johnson, nonetheless the subject of interest from Liverpool, Chelsea (who once discarded him) and Tottenham Hotspur, wasted no time in finding a rhythm last night and, after his cross had provided Rooney with the first goal, he played a part in three more before walking off to collect the Nationwide man-of-the-match champagne.
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He deserved it too. There had been perception in the pass that sent Theo Walcott to the byline to make Frank Lampard’s goal. He had crossed beautifully for Rooney to volley in. Later, he had put one on Jermain Defoe’s head. So for Johnson that was a quartet of assists — a redemption tale! But every Englishman’s performance had to be taken in context.
Johnson had had nothing else to do save attack; we had seen only the things he does well and that had prompted Paul Hart, the Portsmouth manager, to use him on the right side of midfield towards the end of the Barclays Premier League season. At a higher level, and — more pertinently from Fabio Capello’s point of view — in international football, he still has to prove himself.
Full back has become an increasingly important position, given the shifts in responsibility for starting attacks and providing width that have taken place in the game, and, if you want to see the sort of full back who wins World Cups, check the tapes.
Starting with 2006, when Italy had Gianluca Zambrotta (a goal and an assist in the quarter-final against Ukraine) and Fabio Grosso (apart from winning a controversial penalty against Australia, scoring the glorious late goal that broke German hearts in the semi-final and converting the crucial penalty in the final against France, what did he ever do for the Romans?).
Then go back four years to Brazil, with Cafu and Roberto Carlos (yes, wing backs) in the Far East, and four more to the French, triumphant with Lilian Thuram (a fine goal in the semi-final against Croatia) and Bixente Lizarazu. All could defend: even Roberto Carlos could dominate an opponent, as David Beckham would testify.
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And what have England now? Half a chance. Ashley Cole’s resurgence at left back has been immensely heartening. As for Johnson, we must hope that he recovers fully from Kazakhstan. While last night was quite a start, he must follow up against the more serious opposition of Croatia at Wembley in September. Fingers crossed. Plans B, C and D are discouraging.
First, though, let’s dispose of Plan Z. It is frustrating even to consider, because Gerrard is England’s best right back by a mile and, with Ashley Cole, would give Capello a pair to compare with Marcello Lippi’s three years ago. But it hardly needs adding that Gerrard is quite useful farther forward.
So there are Johnson, Wes Brown, Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Brown, if fit, would be sound but unexciting. Richards, who initially looked a world-beater going forward, still appears to lack the mental equipment to complete his development.
Wright-Phillips may be the best bet to push Johnson. Having played full back and wing back in his first spell at Manchester City, he has experience. And it is better in today’s football to use a converted winger than a pressed centre back.
But Johnson did more than enough last night to earn a place against Croatia. He made the most of the lack of pressure (not all England full backs do that), even demonstrating the handy knack of being able to cross with his weaker foot (do not expect that of every full back, least of all Ashley Cole). When Croatia come, however, Capello will be looking for evidence that Johnson can also play on the retreat.