On the one hand England’s deplorable demise in Nice is indeed one of the worst in their history – surpassed only by defeat to the USA in 1950. But on the other, Roy Hodgson resigned, so some good did come from their defeat to Iceland.
The now former England manager faced the media Tuesday and stated “I’m not sure why I’m here”. In reality, many were contemplating the same way before Euro 2016 and on the back of England’s dreadful 2014 World Cup campaign.
Hodgson leaves behind a legacy of mediocrity and the acceptance of the absolute bare minimum. Tactically inept and wedded to his favourite players, his inability to form a coherent system or an identity built upon a fresh wave of young players ultimately cost him and his assistants – Gary Neville and Ray Lewington – their jobs.
But as yet another postmortem examination gets under way, it’s pertinent to remember that his departure is just one small branch to be axed. England’s problems are far more tangled, and judging by FA chief executive Martin Glenn’s penchant for spouting every business cliche in the book, they don’t look like being hacked away anytime soon.
The “who is next” question lingers in the air but for the moment lets address the issues which await the new man in charge.
Firstly, there’s Wayne Rooney. When the Manchester United man burst on the scene in Portugal 12 years ago, the concept of a Rooney-led England was a stirring one.
In Nice on Monday it was rightly derided. Surely it is now time for Rooney, a fine servant – he is after all England’s highest ever goalscorer and holds the joint record for most outfield appearances – to move on. Justifying his presence in this England squad is illogical.
He is no longer an effective forward and as a playmaker he offered no imagination. Most criminally, though, as captain he provides little leadership. Against Iceland he was the worst performer in a wretched performance. Whatever the questions are now, Rooney is not the answer. This is a team divorced of leaders, a detail sharply emphasised in defeat to a team which meshed simple, enterprising football with passion and fellowship.
The fact is, there are some good young English players who form the feint outline of a competitive tournament team. Harry Kane, Dele Alli, Eric Dier, Marcus Rashford, Ross Barkely and John Stones are all talented players who can be shaped and moulded into a framework designed to utilise their gifts.
But what they lack is cohesion. That is the failure of both the manager and the captain. One has gone, the other must follow.
Beyond that, there are other startling problems. Reputation before talent is the mantra which has been repeated by the England setup time after time.
Joe Hart encapsulates the tiring trend of players who have kept their place in the starting line-up based on their CV.
If you think back the twin pillars of the ‘Golden Generation’, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, their midfield relationship epitomised the accommodation of players from elite clubs, despite the detrimental effect on the team.
Managers repeatedly played them together in midfield despite the obvious signs it would never work. It’s a familiar theme which has underpinned England’s failure in France. The Manchester City goalkeeper was simply abysmal throughout the tournament and should have been swapped out for the last-16 clash with Southampton’s Fraser Forster, a more than capable replacement.
This inclination to lean towards players from the elite was the case prior to Hodgson and is just another detrimental factor. It’s 66 years to the day since the superpower England were beaten by a part-time USA. How long will it take this time to get it right?