In the wake of the national side’s latest humbling at the hands of the old enemy Germany, pundits and former players have started to have a post-mortem of England’s back-boneless performance at Bloemfontein. With Alan Shearer arguing that Capello has lost the dressing room, and members of the press calling for the Italian’s head, surely another route can be taken to revitalise the three lions’ fortunes?
English cricket and rugby teams are proof that it works
It’s Sunday 16th May 2010, and England have just won the World Cup…in Barbados. However it’s not Steven Gerrard lifting the trophy, but Paul Collingwood, England’s Twenty20 cricket captain. Who with the help of three South Africans and an Irishman in England’s first 11 clinched their maiden international tournament in the West Indies. Kevin Pietersen, who was raised in Natal, South Africa, is an example of the benefits of widening your pool of players to choose from. Since the start of his career in 2005 he’s become an irreplaceable cog in the England batting line-up; and was voted man of the tournament during the World T20 Cup win in the Caribbean.
It isn’t just the cricketers; even the Rugby Football Union has opened its arms to overseas players. The most recent acquisition to turn out at Twickenham is former New Zealand rugby league centre, Shontayne Hape. So, if this tried and tested method has worked for two of the national sides, surely Capello, if he’s still in a job, should consider foreign players for a team that needs a serious injection of flair and creativity.
The Spanish, Portuguese and Germans have been doing it for years
Even in the football world, Villarreal’s Marcos Senna, who is Brazilian born, was selected by Luis Aragones for Euro 2008, and became a crucial part of the Spanish team that triumphed in Vienna. Similarly, Deco – the Chelsea player, has turned out for Portugal 75 times, yet he originates from Brazil too. At this summer’s
World Cup, the German side which broke English hearts was littered with names from Poland, Turkey, Bosnia, Brazil and Ghana.
Is Arteta England’s answer to Özil?
After Mesut Özil, a player with Turkish blood running through his veins, put England to the sword; footballing purists have been crying for answers to why England can’t produce players that are cut from the same cloth as Özil. Well a ready-made player of the German’s class is already on Capello’s doorstep. Mikel Arteta, the Everton playmaker, has put in a collection of startling performances for his club in the last five years. Yet the Spaniard has failed to be recognised by his country at senior level, and has since been stuck in the international wilderness. Arteta’s strengths lie with his undoubted technical ability, plus an eye for a killer pass that perhaps no other English player has. That flair is urgently needed in an England team low on imagination - just look at the performances at the World Cup.
Foreigners play without fear
Too often in the last few years, Aaron Lennon, Shaun Wright-Philips and Theo Walcott have produced indifferent performances on the right flank. There can be many reasons for why these players have been inconsistent; lack of ability isn’t one of them. Fear of failing, and the psychological pressures that come with international football could be one explanation for the trio’s stuttering England careers. With Steven Gerrard looking out-of-sorts on the left side, and Joe Cole’s best days seemingly behind him, Capello should open his eyes to Wigan’s Charles N’Zogbia.
The former France under 21s winger perhaps isn’t as skilful or talented as a Gerrard or Lennon, yet the Frenchman holds one advantage over the former two – he’s not English. Being Anglo-Saxon and plying your trade as an international footballer is a pressure in itself when one knows 50 million people are urging you on. Maybe N’Zogbia will revel in the opportunity to prove himself on the world stage. If he’s capable of putting in the same performance that he did against Arsenal at the DW stadium last season, when he thundered in a stunning strike from distance in the 90th minute to beat the Gunners, he must be worth a gamble.
Final word
When players of Arteta’s ability are being ignored by their homeland, it seems ignorant to not enquire as to whether the player in question would put on the famous white shirt, should they be eligible. Previously Arteta has held out for hope that he’d get the call from Del Bosque, but with another major tournament passing him by, perhaps he’ll be more open to offers from the England hierarchy now he’s at the age of 28. Some will argue that this ethos might obstruct potential English talent that is bursting through. Nevertheless if they’re talented enough, the youngster in question will make a name for himself, regardless of the personnel in the team.
There’s little point in getting caught up in a game of patriotism and digging our heels in, Spain, Portugal and Germany have already stolen a march on us. Just look at how Özil, a player of Turkish ancestry, made Messrs Upson and Terry look like Sunday league players. It’s time the England manager took advantage of the overseas talent that can strengthen the faltering national side, so that humiliating performances like at Bloemfontein are a thing of the past.