As we take the International break from the Elite leagues all over Europe, my thoughts go straight to those on the International stage: who are the contenders for the next European Championships? Which teams would be in pole for Russia 2018?
One player you wouldn’t bet against his presence at Russia 2018, injury permitting, is no other than Tottenham’s Harry Kane, who can’t seem to keep out of the dailies at the moment.
That he is a talented forward is not in doubt, and after his goal on his England debut against Lithuania, Harry keeps riding on the crest of the wave.
Can Harry deliver in the Champions league? Would he ever get the chance with Tottenham? Can he deliver on the International stage against world class and international class opposition?
He has done so against premiership opposition so the answer should be yes, but after all Wayne Rooney has only ever scored one goal for England in three world cups.
Do the best English players suffer from inundated pressure at major championships? If this is true, why is this so? And are we seeing another pattern with the reviews about Harry Kane?
The English press have always highlighted their rising and upcoming stars before major tournaments, especially if they have trodden the path of the Premiership successfully: Paul Gascoigne, Michael Owen, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney.
But for all the pre-tournament media hype surrounding these players, England have not won any major tournament since 1966, Brazil and Germany have both won the world cup three times since that time, Argentina and Italy have both won it twice, while Spain and France have also succeeded in winning the world cup each on one occasion. In the European championships, Germany have won it three times, Spain and France both twice each and Holland, Czechoslovakia, Denmark and Greece have all one it once.
Spain, Germany, Brazil, Argentina, France, and Italy. What is it that they get right that the FA are yet to figure out? If you read my columns you would see that I have subsequently talked about the projects started in these countries to unearth talent and their numerous investments in youth academies, something which is still missing in England.
The investment in England has been on the Premiership, and no wonder the results on the International scene have not been favourable.
When Spain dominated the world scene, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Ramos, Casillas, Villa, Alba, Alonso, Fabregas, Puyol, Silva, Pique, Martinez and Torres among others appeared on the International team at about the same time.
Germany have Neuer, Khedira, Boateng, Hummels, Howedes, Ozil, Muller, Kroos, Reus, Goetze, Howedes. These players would hold out their own in many teams worldwide.
England? Let’s face it, Kane, Sterling, Barkley, Wiltshire, Oxlade are all players just developing but need time to mature and become world class players, but are they being rushed too quickly into the superstar hall of fame?
Are the press quick to sing the praise of young talents when they emerge on the scene, stunting their growth with the ‘I have arrived syndrome’. Is it a coaching problem at all levels that is failing to unearth natural talent? Or is the problem even bigger than we accept; the fact that there are not enough talents arriving on the scene at the same time to steer England to success?
Maybe Harry KAN not do it all alone and with all the hype surrounding him, and England need to quickly look inward and find seven world class players by the next world major championship that would finally bring home a trophy into the FA trophy throve, or else he’ll just be like the others; another one of us who can’t seem to get it right at a major tournament.