BHUBANESWAR: After the end of first round of fixtures of the World Cup, no team quite caught the imagination like Netherlands. The Oranje machine smashed the living daylights out of Malaysia in an utterly convincing display, one full of verve and attacking efficiency. Some of the other heavy-lifters did not convince as much, with the likes of Germany just edging past Pakistan. One team, however, completely failed to deliver: England.
Their 2-2 draw against China, who are making their debut, was perhaps the shock of the first round. England were sloppy in possession, did not show the nous required to play around the Asians’ distinct threat, and paid the price. But scratch the surface, and all is not what it seems to be.
The result was bad; there is no other way to dress it up. But the performance, though, deserved better. The World No 7 were guilty of philanthropy in front of goal, and should have won the game with ease. China’s coach Kim Sang-Ryul admitted as much. “We were lucky to draw.”
Considering that England have radically changed the way they play, teething problems are bound to happen. What should excite their fans is how players have thrown their weight behind new coach Danny Kerry’s playing ideology. One of England’s three co-captains, Ian Sloane, explained it to this daily. “Danny has implemented a different style of play than what we are used to. We are starting to see the opportunities that it can provide us. We are still learning and improving. But we are really happy with where we are in this journey. We are on a good path that will eventually lead us to success.”
When Sloane, one of only eight survivors from England’s Rio Olympics horror show, is prodded to talk about what exactly Kerry has changed, he opens up more. “Our approach to defending is slightly different. Under previous coach (Bobby Crutchley), we were trying to man-mark and prevent opposition players from getting possession high up the pitch. That was done by being tight and without trying to intercept.”
Against the Chinese, World No 17 and lowest ranked team in the tournament, England attempted that, and succeeded in forcing them into pockets of space. The 25-year-old, who has also played at the highest level for Ireland, explained. “Now, we are trying to play a zonal system where we try to force opponents into pockets of the pitch so we can try and create numerical overloads.”
Creating those overloads is only one half of the battle, which they did well. Against the Chinese, they failed to capitalise on those scenarios. Sloane also explained the whole ideology behind having three skippers. “As a three, we (George Pinner and Phil Roper are the other two) all have different strengths. I think I bring a calm head. My ability to deliver tactical messages is quite strong. George is extremely passionate and translates his energy on the field. Phil’s ability to communicate with teammates off the pitch makes sure that everyone is valued.”
These sort of changes have made the England’s men’s team, who will next face Australia on Tuesday, an intriguing side to follow. Sloane, however, warned against expecting too much too soon.
For England, 2020 Olympics is top priority. “As a team, we are potentially closer to the start of that journey (England’s ambitions to become the best) than the end. We feel like we have room for improvement. We want all of our plans to come to fruition in Tokyo.”
Young and restless
England may have the most experienced campaigner in terms of matches (Barry Middleton) at this World Cup, but their noise about this being a young team isn’t just fluff...
Their touring party includes Zachary Wallace (19, 7 caps), Will Calnan (22, 6 caps), Rhys Smith (21, 7 caps), Jack Waller (21, 8 caps) and Liam Sanford (22, 43 caps). This experience will only make them better players.