England youngsters have what it takes

ENGLAND has been one of the top footballing nations for so many decades. In fact, the country boasts of having the most prestigious league ‘the Barclays English Premier League’ in the world. Unfortunately, the England national team has failed to much the country’s reputation since 1966 when they won the Fifa World Cup. They have been seeded as one of top favourites in major soccer tournaments only to chalk. In fact, the three lions have not reached a major final since 1966 when they actually went on to win it. It has become customary for a player to be blamed for a careless mistake in games where England gets knocked out of major tournaments. A case in point is goalkeeper Robert Green at the 2010 Fifa World Cup. With the 2012 European Championship round the corner, I’m sure the English fans will want this custom to end sooner rather than later. After Saturday’s emphatic win over World champions Spain, England coach Fabio Capello is already contemplating on changing things round. The Italian used a number of youngsters for the tie and got the result he wanted. The likes of Kyle Walker, James Milner, Jack Rodwell and Phil Jones were impressive to say the least. Rodwell shone on his debut as a substitute against Spain, while Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck made an impact from the bench. Manchester United’s Phil Jones, now a regular in defence at Old Trafford is only 19, and played in the heart of midfield against Spain. Rodwell and Welbeck are 20 yrs old; Tottenham full-back Walker who has established himself in Harry Redknapp’s first XI this season is the eldest of the quartet at 21. Perhaps Capello should consult managers like Joachim Low who managed to pick a young team and made an impact at the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The young Germany side embarrassed an England side with vast experience. The likes of Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, and Thomas Muller were simply unstoppable. Could be seeing the last of Rio Ferdinard and John Terry? Only time will tell. Ends