UEFA Euro 2012 is now in the past – and doesn’t it feel like it?! – and it’s time to embrace the new football season. To get us started, here’s the new England squad depth analysis for July 2012, the first in the wake of Roy Hodgson’s first tournament as England manager. For the last couple of months this feature was on hold as we could assume, falsely but conveniently, that Hodgson had a 23-man squad in mind, because they were in a hotel with him in the Polish city of Krakow.
Despite the resignation of Gareth Southgate, the Football Association’s Head of Elite Development, progress appears to be being made in various areas of the FA’s approach to player development and the England national team. Some aspects, like the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP) are controversial, ruthlessly stoking the fires of an increasingly fraught ‘us v them’ debate relating to the Premier League and its position within the wider football infrastructure.
When the people of the future find TSC‘s rotted remains in a shallow post-apocalyptic grave and bluetooth the contents of the black box directly into their giant, throbbing brainpods, this week should prove confusing. Wednesday: Gareth Southgate’s manifesto for the future of children’s football and its long-term effect on the national team.
Friday: Gareth Southgate has left his position as the Football Association’s Head of Elite Development, and no longer wishes to be considered for the role of Technical Director.
Elite. It’s a word of varying connotations. Elite isn’t just good; it’s the best. And yet elitism is something altogether different, a wilful bettering of only the best at the expense of the majority.
A little after 2pm yesterday the magistrate overseeing Chelsea captain John Terry’s prosecution for a racially aggravated public order offence relating to comments made to Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand when the pair met in the Premier League last season recorded a verdict of not guilty. Terry was alleged to have used the words “f***ing black c***” towards Ferdinand – words he admitted uttering – but with no evidence to prove beyond doubt that Terry was lying about the context there could be no proof of guilt.
Supporting the England national football team from a fresh perspective.
.
Home