Yesterday evening proved a very fruitful night for England in Belarus. A 3-1 victory away from home sees England looking pretty at the top of group six on 12 points with much of today’s press praising the managerial ability of Fabio Capello and the brilliance of star striker Wayne Rooney.
‘Fab’ Fabio has seen his stock rise even higher after steering England to four straight wins in group six including impressive victories away at Croatia and last night in Belarus. Thirteen goals scored with three against provides compelling reading considering some observers at the start of Mr Capello’s reign questioned his attacking prowess over his defensive disciplinarian brand of football.
Wayne Rooney to the delight of the English public seems invigorated under Capello’s guidance and with strike partner Emilie Heskey offering Wayne solid support, has allowed the United striker the opportunity to shine in his favoured central role. A brace last night coupled with goals against Kazakhstan and Croatia has seen Rooney develop a clinical edge to his already superb all action displays.
Although too early to suggest England are the finished article, they certainly look more composed and assured under Mr Capello than under their previous manager. Only time will tell what England’s first eleven or best formation are, though one suspects it will depend on the opposition England face. The early signs under Capello suggest England will adjust their tactics and personnel in search of the results they need to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
But on a day when the press rightly praise the England team with their performance, writing countless superlatives and adoring accolades in Europe, it is the Olympic team in London that are the sound of reasoning for our aspiring footballers. Today saw the Olympians and Para Olympians be recognised for their fantastic achievements at this summers Beijing Olympics with a parade through the heart of London. With over 150 medals on show that were won at the games, and impressive 2nd and 4th place finishes for our British Olympic teams, the reality of what are footballers must emulate are striking.
Our Olympians that won medals over the summer have trained tirelessly for several years. It was the long arduous hours in the cold and winter months coupled with the early mornings and late nights that helped them to perfect their abilities. It was 100 lengths in the pool every day, the long sparring sessions in the gym, the countless laps at the velodrome and the help of their coaches that resulted in Britain’s greatest ever Olympic medal tally.
This is what caught the imagination of the British public; the individual stories of our Olympic heroes, the courage and dedication in circumstances that most others could not comprehend. These are the people that deserve to be called sporting heroes. These are the people that have earned the right to be recognised and praised.
If our footballers want to become the sporting heroes of tomorrow they need to remember that success isn’t a couple of good performances every 6 months. It is a string of good performances over a sustained period coupled with tireless training and an intense inner drive and determination that will see them achieve great things.
Our footballers have shown the English public recently that they may at last have a manager and a setup that gets the best out of group of players that have flattered to deceive over the years. The golden generation that promised so much may, finally, be beginning to believe in themselves. Believing though is half the battle. The other half is putting the hours in where it hurts; when your body is exhausted; when you push yourself to the limit; when the cold and winter months draw in and night falls earlier than you could every remember and your still out their training.
Luck and injuries also play an important factor in the outcome of big tournaments. Big players performing at their best, the best teams gelling at the right moment to provide a cohesive unit and the most intelligent managers that bring the best out of their players are the driving forces that win World Cups.
When our England team walk out in the knock out stages of the World Cup in South Africa, it is that bit of luck, those players and their manager that will decided how far England can go. That and their inner belief, their time on the training ground and that will to win when the chips are down: when the going gets tough and you find the answers - thats when you can look back at those moments on the training ground and say it has paid off. If you’d have asked any Olympic medal winner today they’d have told you exactly the same: a Chris Hoy or a Rebecca Addlington.
Hopefully a day will eventually come when our national football team realise that they have the talent, that they have the ability and that they have the inner belief to achieve the Holy Grail in football and win the World Cup. Then and only then will they finally be able to feel the euphoria and triumph that our Cricket, Rugby and Olympic medal winning teams felt when they achieved their holy grails in their respective sports.
