It's only a friendly, but...
I can't remember a friendly being more derided before the event than tonight's Germany-England match. As somebody who still naively clings to the romantic notion that international football means a great deal, I was not against it, but even so I was struggling to concentrate for long periods. Which was a shame, because as it turned out this was a highly satisfying and revealing performance.
Certainly the notion that Fabio Capello is a fantastic manager who knows exactly what he's doing should now have been drummed into even the most xenophobic of Little Englanders (all of whom are now handily available in one big list for our perusal). Tonight England beat another of the "big" nations with what was basically a reserve team. Sure, the Germans weren't at full strength either, but many people have been lamenting our perceived lack of depth - presumably because while the first choice XI is playing so well they need to find something else to moan about.
Gabriel Aghbonlahor, Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick, little Shaun Wright-Phillips and Glen Johnson all looked eminently comfortable at the very least, testament to the coach's training methods and tactical acumen which clearly give players confidence. Stewart Downing meanwhile was unrecognisable from his last, absolutely toilet performance against Andorra. It may be that we can only show our true colours against the better sides who are actually prepared to open up and play against us, a theory backed up by the Croatia performance. But it all bodes very well for the years ahead. Plus, if tonight means that Scott Carson and Darren Bent will never get the chance to cock things up in an England shirt again then mission accomplished, frankly.
Certainly the notion that Fabio Capello is a fantastic manager who knows exactly what he's doing should now have been drummed into even the most xenophobic of Little Englanders (all of whom are now handily available in one big list for our perusal). Tonight England beat another of the "big" nations with what was basically a reserve team. Sure, the Germans weren't at full strength either, but many people have been lamenting our perceived lack of depth - presumably because while the first choice XI is playing so well they need to find something else to moan about.
Gabriel Aghbonlahor, Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick, little Shaun Wright-Phillips and Glen Johnson all looked eminently comfortable at the very least, testament to the coach's training methods and tactical acumen which clearly give players confidence. Stewart Downing meanwhile was unrecognisable from his last, absolutely toilet performance against Andorra. It may be that we can only show our true colours against the better sides who are actually prepared to open up and play against us, a theory backed up by the Croatia performance. But it all bodes very well for the years ahead. Plus, if tonight means that Scott Carson and Darren Bent will never get the chance to cock things up in an England shirt again then mission accomplished, frankly.
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