Future should be the focus for national team

Fabio Capello stepped down from the manager position last week and for some people that is a big negative going into Euro 2012, and some have even put a cloud over the future of the England side but is there any need to worry about the future?

Granted, the Euro’s maybe too soon for certain players but the future of the England team looks to be shaping up very well from what we see week in and week out in the Premiership this season.

The young players that have been linked with, or have already got a few caps with the national team are the likes of Micah Richards, Jack Wilshere, Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Jack Rodwell and Kyle Walker due to their outstanding performances so far for their clubs. We already know how good these players are on the pitch and what their strengths are, but what other young English talent is out that?

Some players have only played a few games for their clubs and haven’t had the chance to prove themselves and some have.

One player that has been giving the chance due to poor performances from Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott is Arsenal Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Over the past few weeks Oxlade-Chamberlain has brought excitement back into the lives of Arsenal fans, with brilliant performances against title challengers Manchester United and relegation battlers Blackburn.

The former Southampton player offers something that other wingers don’t have. He has the ability to beat defenders with his blistering pace down both flanks or trick a defender with his flair, something Patrice Evra found out in their last encounter. In the last two seasons wingers have become too predictable on the ball, even when they’ve cut inside, but we have haven’t yet seen this from young Oxlade-Chamberlain.

He does the unexpected on the ball with the occasionally drop of the shoulder and to round it off he has the passing ability of a central midfielder.

He showed his range of passing against United with a beautifully weighted reverse ball to striker Robin van Persie who hit the back of the net. The pass was placed with so much perfection that it caught the whole back four sleeping. Fortunately for him, other wingers don’t do that in the modern game anymore, which is allowing people to notice his talent. When van Persie returned the reserve ball favour against Blackburn, Oxlade-Chamberlain showed he had the composure to round the goal keeper and tap the ball into an empty net. A player with so much to offer is already challenging for a starting place in the Arsenal side and if he continues to play the way he is it’s only a matter a time before England come knocking.

The second rising star set to be a part of the England team in the near future is Manchester United’s Tom Cleverley. This season the midfielder has been hit with a few injuries but showed his qualities last season when he went on loan to Wigan Athletic, and in this campaign wearing a United shirt when he was fully fit. He made an impressive 25 appearances for the relegation battlers last season, showing his confidence and calmness when in possession. 

He’s a player who enjoys getting his team forward with quick and accurate passing but unlike other midfielders he’s not afraid to win the ball back for his team by sticking his foot into a tackle or harassing players who are on the ball. His awareness of what is going on around him is very good as well, similar to what his team mate Michael Carrick does. It seems like they both know where they will pass the ball before it’s even played to them. Sir Alex Ferguson will look to develop his talents by giving him a lot more games when he is fully fit.

Josh McEachran is another midfielder that is looks to be a hot prospect for the future. The Chelsea man is a playmaker that is very good on the ball dribbling wise, taking defenders on, making it hard to get the ball off of him with his close control and great balance. He also has great vision but he hasn’t broken into the Chelsea side yet but he has been given the opportunity to show his talent in a few games and has been very impressive.

The future of the national side seems to be overloaded with creative players and a few clinical finishers. It’s not just the big names that are listed above but the likes of Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson and Jay Spearing are showing what they can do with the ball at their feet.

To add to that pool of talented players we still haven’t had the chance to see the developed Connor Wickham at Sunderland the same way we have seen Danny Welbeck at Man United, but his time will come eventually. His teammate Jack Colback has been given the chance by manger Martin O’Neill and has also shown promise in the middle of the park. 

England’s chances of winning a European Championships or a World Cup in the future have improved and I think it’s down to the Premier Leagues rule in squad registration. Squads must include 8 home grown players and that has helped the youngsters develop by playing in arguably the best league in the world. Without that how could we measure the talent we have in this country? All I know is that there will be exciting times for England whoever the manager is and the fans will be hoping that they will see the national side bring back a trophy in the next 10-15years.

Jordan Brown @MediaJB  

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