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England v Algeria: two lessons from '66

June 18, 2010
Heskey, Gerrard, Rooney,
Heskey, Gerrard, Rooney,

1966 has two main lessons for 2010. One is positive and encouraging. The other isn’t.

The positive lesson is that teams can change and grow during a long tournament. Everyone has pointed out that England started with a draw in ’66 (0-0 against Uruguay), and in their other most successful tournament, in 1990 (1-1 against Egypt). More encouraging, though, is if you compare the team that started in ’66 with the team that won the cup. The team that played against Uruguay had neither of the scorers against West Germany. Greaves and John Connelly played instead of Peters and Hurst. Greaves. Connelly was replaced by Terry Paine in the second group match and then by Ian Callaghan of Liverpool in the final group match. Hurst only came in for the quarter-final against Argentina. In the meantime, Alan Ball missed the 2nd and 3rd group matches. So, of the winning team, Hurst, Peters and Ball all missed group matches and the team that played in the final only came together in the quarter final win against Argentina.

No one expects the team that played against the USA to play against Algeria or Slovenia, or indeed to play again together in the tournament. There are opportunities to experiment in the next two matches before the serious stuff begins in the first knockout round.

There is also a discouraging lesson, however. In ’66 (and 1970) England had several world class players, running right through the spine of the team, and all of them were at their peak: Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst in their mid-20s and Bobby Charlton and Gordon Banks both 28. Banks was the greatest goalkeeper in the world for several years. He played 73 times for England between 1963 and 72. The captain, Moore, won 108 caps between 1962-73. Charlton, 106 caps between 1958-70, was a midfielder who scored goals: three in 1966, 49 in his career (the most scored by any England player). And Hurst not only scored four goals in 1966, but scored 24 goals in 49 games between 1966 and 1972.

By contrast, age and numerous injuries are fast catching up with John Terry, The jury is still out on whether Lampard and Gerrard can play effectively in the same midfield or whether either can capture the form they consistently show for their clubs when playing for England. That leaves Rooney as the only undisputed world-class player in the England team who is at the peak of his form, and often able to produce his best form for his country.

Four world-class players in key positions, supported by a number of very good players, won the World Cup in 1966 and with more luck might have won it again in 1970. One reliable world-class player, two world-class players who can’t always produce their best form at international level, and a very mixed bag which on Saturday's match against USA included two crocks, two players who arguably should never play for England again, and a striker who is 350-1 to be the top scorer at this tournament. It’s not the same.

There will be changes, as there were in 1966. The question is, will these compensate for basic problems that have not been solved since the days of Sven?

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