In recent years I’ve been finding international football a bit dull and uninspiring. So yesterday afternoon I almost didn’t bother.
But in the end I was sucked back in to see how Jack, Theo and Johann got on. Plus there was that Scott Parker who many suppose could supply some diligence and maturity to Arsenal’s midfield. Then there were a couple of lost boys too: Ashley ‘never been the same since…etc’ Cole and Phillippe Ponderous, sorry Senderos.
England started with ten minutes of quite spirited stuff, looking quite promising, but then lost there pace and purpose. Inler and Behrami established Swiss control over the midfield and England were on the back foot.
Then those England boys seemed to come up with the tactic of confusing the hell out of the Swiss with a startling different way of defending free-kicks. Rather than the zone method they adopted the ozone method, as in les make big holes in it. The Swiss will be so confused they won’t understand what they’re up against!
Two direct free-kicks later the Swiss are so confused they’re two goals up. Two free-kicks in which no-one, attacker or defender, touched the ball on its journey over the line. The first came from a slightly high ball into the the middle of box that neither Terry nor Ferdinand judged right. Hart decided not to come for it, which was not necessarily the wrong decision, and was left stranded as it crept inside the far post. Even if he had managed to reach it and parry, the two nearest players were both Swiss.
The second was from a tighter angle. Hart set a two-man wall of Walcott and Milner to guard the near post and crouched ready. This time the free-kick was hit low and at the wall with a Swiss player making a late run into the box.
Milner obviously decided that this was the threat and started to move, despite the fact that the ball was heading straight for the wall. It was a bit like a snooker player concentrating so hard on where the cue ball is going to end up that they miss the pot. So the ball sails past Walcott, who had stayed put, through the space where Milner had been positioned by Hart and in the goal at the near post.
So, two-nil down and it’s looking a bit desperate. At this point England woke up and went back to playing football. Jack Wilshere won the ball and went on a determined run into the box where his club team-mate Djourou obligingly brought him down for a penalty. Frank Lampard almost messed up with poor placement but had enough pace on the shot to score. So England ended the first-half still in the game.
Much of the pre-match debate had been about how knackered Jack Wilshere must be by now, but actually it was Lampard who looked most short of pace and form. So it wasn’t a massive surprise to see him replaced at half-time. In the end it was a draw, after a good goal from Young. But for a lot of the time the Swiss were the better side and if they’d taken three points you wouldn’t have called them lucky.
So what of the Arsenal boys, old and new?
Jack Wilshere is looking a bit worn round the edges now and needs time on the beach, but he was one of the better England players yesterday with determination, good running and intelligent passing.
Theo didn’t get in the game as much, but did okay. He made some good runs but didn’t get a lot of support. He also did his bit defensively making some good covering moves when Johnson got overlapped.
Djourou had a bit of a ‘mare. He made some strange choices positionally and could have conceded a second penalty. Senderos was the same as ever – committed, direct, reasonable positioning but little finesse and no pace. Ashley Cole wasn’t too bad, but not stunning. Someone landed on his instep early on which left him limping. For some reason Capello waited an age to replace him with Baines, so he spent half his time on the pitch looking rather half-hearted.
So what of Scott Parker? He certainly is diligent and mature, again yesterday as ever, and there are times when Arsenal need that. But he doesn’t have have massive skill on the ball. For a good price he would be a good option to have, but I hope we can do better.
