The English Narrative: What Defines the Home of Soccer? England’s Future

Coauthored by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner

The Three Lions, labeled for noncommercial reuse by Google at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Arms_of_England#/media/File:Royal_Arms_of_England_(1198-1340).svg

In the current English squad, Rooney is the true captain (Wikipedia, List of English Captains), and Hodgson has stood behind him : ‘Form is transient. His qualities, and the fact he is captain of England, is not transient. That is a given. There is no way I should be looking to dismiss a Wayne Rooney who is fit and playing football on the basis he is out of form, because he is our captain.’ (Dominic Fifield, Daily Mail). Rooney has also led England in scoring in qualifying, even becoming England’s all time leading scorer in September

Hodgson, though, has had to defend himself on Rooney’s role in the starting XI thanks to recent events. Those recent events, too, have had many pundits thinking back to early 2000s and the first international games of the Golden Generation; there seem to be, to use the expression, some new kids on the block.

Raheem Sterling. Harry Kane. Nathaniel Clyne. Dele Alli. Ross Barkley, even Jamie Vardy. These are the new names pushing towards being unquestioned in the starting XI for England. The rapid rise of these younger stars has raised murmurings of a new Golden Generation, a side built (instead of on a possession based midfield) on quick release scoring and exciting soccer. This time around, though, the question has been asked: should the English media really put such expectations on these younger players?

This question of expectation has been widely talked about in the media; even members of the Golden Generation themselves have taken part. Steven Gerrard, arguably the midfielder who defined the Generation, has gone on record warning Dele Alli and other young stars to ‘embrace the moment because now it’s going to get really tough’ (Steven Gerrard, Daily Mail). Gerrard points out that right now, ‘You pick up the paper and read a different article every day saying how fantastic you are. Your club and international manager are asked to talk about your qualities every week so you can be presented as an emblem of a bright future. Ex-England players such as myself will write columns expressing their admiration and high hopes. ‘And it’s true. Alli in particular seems to have taken on talismanic status, the 19 year old gem who’s brought Tottenham’s midfield to life and revived interest in the English side. ‘It’s part of our culture to pounce on young players and become their biggest champions because it seems a fresher, more dynamic and forward-thinking approach’ writes Gerrard, but he cautions against dropping experienced players who ‘we grow tired of’. Just because something is fresh and new doesn’t mean it is better. And while Gerrard is happy about the problem of having young players to include in Hodgson’s side, he cautions against changing the style and personnel too dramatically.

There is no denying, though, that the Three Lions side has gotten younger since the last World Cup. As recently as 2015, Hodgson’s average age in the squad was 25.7 years (Greg Lea, Goal.com). People have begun to ask if Hodgson’s 4-4-2, the traditional English formation, should make way for a 3-5-2 to get more of the dynamic younger players on the field, or perhaps a 4-3-3 (Callum Hosier, GivemeSport). Again, as at the turn of the century, the English people are clamoring for changes in the side to get younger, faster, and more attacking. Maybe this is in response to the world of soccer we live in now, or maybe it’s simply an admission that the last Golden Generation failed. Whatever the reason, the argument has pervaded English soccer. How young should this Euro squad be? How many of each position should be carried? (For more roster questions, look at Seth Johnson’s perspective on how the English side is shaping up).

England, by any conceivable metric, has a bright future ahead of it. 12 out of the top 101 young footballers in the world are English (as ranked in 2016) (Dov Rawson, 101 Great Goals)by Don Balon, a respected Spanish soccer publication. As recently as 2010, England only had 5 players in the list (John O’Brien, Soccerful). Clearly the talent in England then, has blossomed in the last 6 years. Even better, its almost all home grown; Alli came out of MK Dons, Harry Kane grew up at Tottenham, and Sterling came up with Liverpool before moving to Manchester City. Out of those 12 top 101 young English footballers? Every single one came through a UK academy and still plays on the island England could potentially have a young star at every position in European Championships. Those young players helped England to a convincing European qualifying campaign

Wait just one second though; doesn’t this sound familiar? A group of young talent, at all 11 positions, all breaking into top clubs in England at the same time? The similarities between 2016 and 2002 are eerily similar, and it’s understandable why there’s been such agitation for change in the Euro side.

That agitation comes from history, and it comes from the space that England feels it occupies in the game. England should be the best in the world, or at least that’s how the media often views it. The Golden Generation failed at that, and so in a lot of ways have been unceremoniously swept away. Sure, David Beckham was knighted, and Paul Scholes is now the most watched pundit in the UK. But the last ten years of international football? That failure has been swept away. Why dwell on the past when you can look to the future argue some, even going as far as to look forward to the World Cup in 2018 as when Rooney will be retired from English play and Hodgson will have moved on, the last vestiges of the Golden Generation retired (John O’Brien, Soccerful). Young is in, old is out, and the words of Gerrard and Lampard arguing against putting too much on the new generation are falling on deaf ears. The average age of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad was 26. The captain, Sir Bobby Moore, one of England’s greatest heroes, was 25. Other players like Nobby Stiles were 24. Even the great Bobby Charlton was the elder statesmen at only 28. Rooney today is 30, and arguably past his prime in an England jersey. But when we throw out experience for youth, we often get the same results that have plagued England in the past 10 years: inconsistency, team disorder, and a lack of leadership.

It is perhaps optimism that tells us that these new players are different from the Golden Generation, and grew up in a different time. Children of the recession, maybe these youngsters will refuse the excess of the Golden Generation, the fast cars and model wives. Maybe these players will be different, and centralizing in sides like Tottenham and Liverpool together will give them a chance to gel and become a true XI. Or maybe England will once again put too much pressure on its young generation, asking them to deliver against the likes Germany, Belgium, and Spain in the Euros when they are simply not ready.

With England not projected to get much past the quarterfinals (TotalSportek), expectations are tempered. But the quiet optimism in the side is encouraging, and brings to mind the atmosphere of 1966 once more. When Alf Ramsey simply said quietly ‘that England would win the World Cup in 1966’ he was saying so of a young team, with low expectations. Who knows if England can recreate that magic of Charlton and Moore with Alli and Kane, but the thought and the narrative continues. England, always talented, are deep, young, and finally exciting the population again after a half decade of quiet. These youngsters, though, will be fighting England’s soccer narrative on two fronts. They must first break themselves from the Golden Generation, and create a new collective identity on and off the field. And in doing so, they must confront the real English narrative. Is England the home of soccer? Or is it simply the empty house falling behind the times at the end of the block? It is too early to tell if Euro 2016 will be the moment to change these narratives, but whatever happens, watching England’s new look side in France will change how the country views soccer, and whether football will indeed be coming home in 2016.

How to cite this article: “The English Narrative: What Defines the Home of Soccer? England’s Future” Written by Seth Johnson and Stephen Kirchner (2016), European Cup 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/european-cup-2016-guide/english-national-team/the-english-narrative-what-defines-the-home-of-soccer-englands-future/ (accessed on (date)).