As the spineless bottlers return from their latest triumphant campaign to shame and embarrass their faithful support, over the next couple of days Premier League Blog will take a look at their individual performances. Starting with the goalkeepers and defenders…
Robert Green – 2/10
Green: Set the ball rolling on England's abysmal campaign
Green had precious little to do in his sole World Cup appearance against the United States, so it is impressive that he could manage such an eye-catching score with such limited opportunity. Unfortunately for the West Ham stopper, his one error will be forever etched into the memory as the defining moment of England’s 2010 campaign. The horrible sight of the ball trickling over the goal-line, after a spill from Clint Dempsey’s harmless strike, put paid to any thoughts that England might finally be heading in the right direction. Suddenly the confident and organised England that qualified in style was gone forever, replaced by an incohesive rabble of nervous shirkers. If Joe Hart continues to impress in the league next season then Green may never play for England again.
David James – 6/10
Despite a rumoured falling-out with manager Fabio Capello over his omission from the first game, the 39-year-old custodian far from disgraced himself in goal after Rob Green’s aberration. Quiet games against Algeria and Slovenia didn’t stop him from being alert enough to make a string of good saves against Germany, and but for James England would probably have conceded six or seven. Still, he always has a mistake in him, and his indecision for Miroslav Klose’s opener ensured he didn’t cover himself in glory. James simply proved to be the lesser of three evils in England’s goal, preferred to the shaken Green and the, erm, green Joe Hart.
Glen Johnson – 4/10
If England were feeling the pressure going into the tournament, Liverpool’s £17m right-back was one of the worst-affected players. He has long been described as “good going forward, dodgy at the back” but on this showing, that is a great insult to the likes of Roberto Carlos. Johnson was woeful in both directions throughout the tournament, never more so than in the collectively abject display against Algeria. Johnson was appalling in an attacking sense on that day, stopping many of England’s forays forward before they’d even started. He did, however, fulfil the second part of the adage, particularly against Germany when he was beaten easily on several occasions by Mesut Oezil and co. The worst of it is that he is undeniably England’s best in this position, with former competitors Gary Neville and Luke Young now playing peripheral roles at their respective clubs.
Ashley Cole – 7/10
The pickings are admittedly slim, but Ashley Cole was undoubtedly one of England’s better performers during the dismal campaign. Suspicions that he might have been declining surfaced a year or so ago when his form dipped for Chelsea, but on this showing there is still plenty of life in one of the country’s few genuinely world class players. He showed up the rest of England’s back four in terms of defending, and also managed to offer far more going forward than attacking players like Shaun Wright-Phillips, Aaron Lennon and Joe Cole. With only Stephen Warnock and Leighton Baines apparently in reserve, England should cross their fingers that Cole is still on top of his game when Euro 2012 comes around, when he will be 31 years old.
Terry bravely hoofs the ball into touch
John Terry – 4/10
The man who declared half way through the tournament that he “still behaves like England’s captain”, despite having been unceremoniously relieved of the armband earlier this year, was one of the guiltiest of England’s old guard when it came to leading by example. If Terry’s hilarious attempt to stand up to his manager was foiled by the fact that none of his team-mates agreed with him, a similar lack of cohesion as a defensive unit also foiled England’s coup du monde. Cumbersome, indecisive and shoddy in possession, Terry’s amateurish positioning from Manuel Neuer’s long punt against Germany gave his team a mountain to climb – not that he would admit it. It’s probably about time English coaches realised that being big, willing and able to kick the ball far do not a great defender make.
Jamie Carragher – 4/10
Carragher’s performances were predictably ropey – he was booked twice in his first two games, and on one particular occasion his lack of pace was brutally exposed by the cumbersome Jozy Altidore – but his very presence at the finals are cause for concern. Carragher spoke about playing on the biggest stage in glowing terms in his autobiography, saying “representing your country is the ultimate honour, especially in the World Cup.” Why, then, had he retired from international football at the age of 29 after voicing his frustration at being used as a utility player, shunted across England’s back four whenever someone else was injured? The clue came later on in that chapter – “Whenever I returned home from disappointing England experiences one unshakeable, overriding thought pushed itself to the forefront of my mind, no matter how much the rest of the nation mourned. At least it wasn’t Liverpool, I’d repeat to myself, over and over.” During the league season, such words would not so much as raise an eyebrow – Liverpool pay his wages, Liverpool is his home. But it’s the World Cup and England are out again – Carragher shouldn’t have been there, and it’s a damning indictment on England’s best young central defenders if we have to look to players like him.
Matthew Upson – 2/10
No-one could ever have pretended otherwise; any side which names Matthew Upson in it simply can not be expected to progress far beyond the group stages. The absence of Rio Ferdinand became more keenly felt as England’s campaign progressed, and when the dubious decision to take Ledley King backfired, Capello turned to a player who had been poor all season in a desperately struggling West Ham side. Upson carved out a reputation as a solid if injury-prone defender at Birmingham, but the step up to international football proved far too steep. Despite being lauded after a late block against Slovenia, he struggled in possession every time he got the ball during the World Cup, and his distribution against Germany was right on the border between embarrassing and disastrous. It may have also been a sign of poor movement in front of him, but Upson’s attempts to orchestrate play from the back largely involved propelling the ball out of play, thirty yards above any English player’s head. At 31, Rio Ferdinand will probably continue to suffer niggling injuries for the rest of his career. Is there no-one else?
Ledley King – n/a
Ah yes, there’s Ledley King. King is a player whose quality cannot be doubted, but whose capacity to last more than 45 minutes frequently can. At this World Cup, King lasted just that time – forty-five minutes, during which he clearly felt enough of a groin injury that he should be ruled out for the remainder of the tournament. There’s not a lot you can say about King’s involvement in regard to the actual player, but his selection was dubious from the start and it will be remembered as a gamble that failed for Fabio Capello.
The only known photo of Ledley King in an England shirt
