Arsenal News 24/7Writer: Amos 
Date:Monday July 12 2010
Time: 10:24AM
UK time is: 14:14:15
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I guess Spain were worthy winners of what was a dull tournament. They had the best balance to their team and a decent bench. The big guns disappointed with Brazil and Argentina falling short while I suppose the Germans surprised more than most. The Dutch were solid throughout but lacked the creativity to excite as much as the 'total` footballers of the past. Most teams were pretty well organised and were capable of getting a result as the Swiss did against Spain early on in the competition.
There have been times in the past when these tournaments have influenced the playing styles of club football but there is little to adopt from the rather mechanical fare offered in this competition. We have learned something though, Thierry Henry isn`t the only nor the worst cheat in international football and with enough egg on their faces Fifa can be made to see some merit in technology after all. Not all technology was appreciated by 'keepers in this competition though as the technology of aerodynamics supposedly applied to the Jabulani ball is apparently the reason for even the best of keepers being made to look a bit suspect at times.
We have also learned that appointing a coach because of his success in European club competition doesn`t guarantee an improvement in international fortunes. Despite his reputation Capello has been uninspiring and possibly one of the most conservative coaches the England side has had. A braver man than Capello is needed if England are to earn any credit in these tournaments.
But with the carnival over we can return to real football. Maybe some vuvuzelas will now appear in the club shops and if so the first chance to use them at an Arsenal game will be the friendly against Barnet this coming Saturday and with a couple of games in Austria beforehand the Emirates Cup gets underway a couple of weeks after at the end of this month. We should get to see Chamakh and Koscielny in action in Arsenal colours for the first time. Shortly after this short pre-season we are away to Liverpool in the first game of the season. Will we have done enough by then to strengthen the defense as was intended?
The transfer window doesn`t close until the end of August though so even without the vuvuzelas there`s still plenty of annoying noise to come but you do get accustomed to it after a while.
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Your Comments
It is nice to have the focus back on the club stuff again, though I can't pretend I was anythign other than delighted to watch so much football in June and July. My anticipation has got the better of me this time and I'm actually going to Barnet this Saturday for the first time in eight years. I did ban myself from pre season games unless it was a ground I wanted to visit, but the thought of being reunited with the Gooner brethren in the sunshine and with the likes of Nasri, Walcott, Arshavin, Eduardo, Chamakh, Rosicky, Denilson, Djourou, Gibbs likely to be on display, I couldn't resist this time.
Little Dutch
Even though on .com it says first team players are likely not to feature, i still fancy you may see a couple if go to the likes of Daggers/ACF Wimbledon/Welling (?!)
shewore
I know it says Arsenal XI v Welling with that caveat. But as I understand it. no such declaration is made on the Barnet game.
Little Dutch
Hansen & shearer are complete to**ers. They berated holland for their tactics and said they would of been unworthy winners yet when teams do the same to Arsenal it is apparantly the right way to go about it. Cant let Arsenal get in to their stride, got to get up them, let them know your their etc. Disgrace they both are. I want to see when we play Blackburn, stoke etc if they change their tune again.
paul_ownz
Yep saw that & agreed when reading arseblogger n all. nothing we didn't already know though eh.
shewore
No, it does not suprise me but is still a disgrace. Makes you feel paranoid that the media is anti Arsenal, oh wait they are.
paul_ownz
Your condesending & patronizing does not go un noticed either shewore. Well done
paul_ownz
Think Hanssen is still bitter over us winning the title at Anfield seeing as he made a right tit of himself with his *****e defending that day. Dont know what Shearer's problem is though. I am used to these typical double standards from these two tossers. Hanssen was saying that a Dutch win would have been bad for football because of the physicality that they employed, yet when Shawcross broke Ramsey's leg, he leapt to Shawcross' defence instantly. Are tackles like that not bad for the game? He is a bitter old ***** who cannot be objective to save his life.
True-Gooner-Blood
Are we the most well-rested top team? Only RvP could claim he's tired to be honest. I also hope the poor guy picks himself up, which I believe he will, he's a tough boy.
GoonerLou
shocking news regarding the new season... chavs preaching financial responsibility and having a 'one in, one out' transfer policy, never thought i'd never see the day... http://www.chelsea.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=519449
TPowell
*never thought i'd see the day* no need for the double negative, haha
TPowell
Thanks but i wasn't being that in the slightest, was agreeing with you tbh.
shewore
Maybe its my, how you say, paranoia
paul_ownz
I was enjoying the tournament but I too am glad to see the return of proper football. Agree with the hypocrisy of the pundits re the Dutch & Arsenal, tho I was rooting for Spain because of Holland's thuggery throughout the tournament, for which they were rarely booked, incl. at least 3 that were clear leg-breakers. I really despise von Bommel. Lou, can't say Cesc will be very rested - assuming he's staying of course. Just bring on August!
jaelle
I don't know why but since 1978 I have got very excited about the world cup but every time I've been desperatly disapointed.
I really thought that this time at least the final would be good as two of the best teams who had never won it got through and I didn't care which one won. WRONG! Not only a poor display from both teams, even the winning goal was from a dodgy decision.
Total disaster from the opening show to the final whistle.
Bertee Mee
Bertee, it was the same in 06 and 02, also in 94 and 90. The 3rd place game is always better than the final. Also, re LD's comments re Capello: I was very surprised by him. His savvy and football understanding was exposed as limited to club football only - he was exposed as totally out of depth in a big int'l tournament. Yes, the players were to blame too but he just seemed entirely incapable of handling a big tournament.
jaelle
I'd point out that Amos wrote the article, I don't hold with the criticism of Capello. Schumacher wouldn't have won a Grand Prix in a mini cooper. For all the criticism of Capello, there's not one player not on the pitch that you could point to and say, "It'd have been different if he'd been there." Fact is Capello didn't have a lot to work with and the worst thing you can say is that he did not get England to play above their capabilities, he got them playing to exactly what their capabilities are. It's easy to say the squad was too conservative in hindsight, but would Adam Johnson have single handedly beaten Germany? Would Walcott have stopped them getting raped on the counter attack? I fully understand why Capello was conservative with his squad, he knew they were a limited bunch and so went for the players with the most experience who he felt would make the fewest mistakes- hence the reason Cole wasn't given game time. Fact is, they met a good side and went on, as it is, was and ever shall be.
Little Dutch
Agree with LD (as usual!). Capello might have improved matters a little by going with a 4-5-1 as it would appear on the evidence of club form of last year to have suited Gerrard and Rooney better, but overall the weaknesses would have still been found out as soon as we hit a "big" team.It just came a round earlier this year due to the inability to win the group (as it did in 98).
One interesting bit of history that I did not know until recently. The Englannd team that lost to USA in 1950 contained all the greats of the English game, so it seems that not much has changed in 60 years!
grouvillegooner
Interesting comments from Wenger re the French national team meltdown: http://www.football365.co.uk/story/0,17033,8652_6255082,00.html // re capello - I honestly do think that even with the limited players Cappello had to work with, he could've gotten to the quarters with the players he had to work with.
jaelle
Were England only found out when coming up against a 'big' team? Draws against USA and Algeria and a narrow win over Slovenia hardly seem an example of a good manager making the most of a limited bunch. Capello lacks the imagination to mix experience with youthful exuberance. It would still not have been enough to have taken us much further but even with the resources he did have he lacked the imagination to have them playing anything than predictable method football.
Amos.
Like I say, I can't think of any English players not already playing that would have changed that. He went safety first for the same reasons Otto Reghal did with Greece, because he knew England didn't have a chance any other way. The results in this World Cup were no anomalies for England. In 06, they squeezed past Paraguay and Ecudaor and drew with a limited Swedish side. In 02, they drew with Sweden and Nigeria and squeezed past the worst Argentine side in living memory via a dodgy penalty. In 98 they lost to Romania and squeezed through the group. As I said, Capello just got them playing how they usually do when I felt he is probably good enough to get them playing above themselves, but it would be revisionist to suggest the games against Algeria and Slovenia were anything other than par of the course.
Little Dutch
It's also worth pointing out that Eriksson went with a fair bit of youth in 06 and got the same result.
Little Dutch
http://www.football365.com/story/0,17033,8652_6257649,00.html
- Unlucky RVP! Enjoy a holiday then bring some fine form back for August :)
FuiKaka
I'm not arguing that other England coaches were much better than Capello (but they weren't any worse) just that at best he hasn't shown any improvement. The German squad wasn't significantly stronger than Capello's if at all - though at least they had the good sense to conscript a few Poles and a Brazilian to strengthen what they did have.
Amos.
Capellos job was made near impossible by big egos, spoilt tw*ts, injuries and all the controversies. From terry's public rant to undermine him to cole & terry's extramarital activities and then injuries to King, Ferdinand, Milner, Rooney etc. Not to mention how bored they got between world cup games, pathetic. It is also very english to blame each manager after every tournament, we all can do better from behind our screens. Why did he play Gerrard on the left blah blah blah
paul_ownz
Same old story of English media hyping the English players in the PL forgetting they're surrounded by foreigners. Even when there weren't any foreigners playing in England during the late 70s and early 80s when English clubs dominated the European Cup, England still didn't do anything at international level.
Gooner_Vin
amos: "The German squad wasn't significantly stronger than Capello's if at all" -- wow, you couldn't be more wrong. The German squad is full of young players trained in Germany's new youth academy system that trains players very differently than is done in England. They have skills and awareness and intelligence very much lacking on the England squad. "though at least they had the good sense to conscript a few Poles and a Brazilian to strengthen what they did have." Podolski emigrated to Germany at the age of 2 and started at Koln's youth academy at age 10; he was raised, educated and trained in Germany, his German is far better than his Polish. Klose emigrated to Germany at the age of 7, same story. As for Cacau, he's played in Germany since he was 18 (he's 29 now), sings the German anthem fluently and loudly (while players like Schweinsteiger barely open their mouths) and calls himself "100% German and 100% Brazilian." He also didn't do much during the tournament. Boateng and Ozil were born and raised in Germany. As with the French team, nearly all the so-called "foreign" players on the German national team were either born in Germany or emigrated there as very young children and raised there, Cacau being the only exception.
jaelle
I'd say Capello's biggest error was not taking Arteta, he might have made a difference!
Little Dutch
A rather more experimental England side beat the superior awareness and intelligence of the well schooled Germans in a friendly just 18 months earlier. I don't think German players are generally better overall than English players but they were a better balanced team playing with a great deal more belief and confidence. We've struggled too long with the need to fit both Lampard and Gerrard in a team that should only have a place for one of them. Someone braver and less conservative than Capello might have taken that decision. Not that I care a great deal frankly but if we are prepared to conscript a foreign coach we should also be willing to play naturalised Englishmen as freely as others adopt players. Arteta would indeed have added some qualities we were missing. I'm sure he would have been able to sing the national anthem as enthusiastically and coherently as say Rooney for example.
Amos.
If the World Cup showdd us anything at all, it would be the hero worship of individuals is as redundant as it is vacuous. Hilariously, all of the individuals nike feted as demi Gods in its adverts failed miserably, the 2010 World Cup was the triumph of teamwork. Portugal, England and Argentina piled their hopes onto one individual apiece and came up short, Spain, Holland and Germany showed the value of a well balanced team where the collective was prized.
Little Dutch
We must not forget that with the two foreign coaches the qualification campaigns have been fairly easy going ( 02 Erikson only took over half way through and turned things around)and the tournament has been about par for the course, no more. The only English coach in between them did not manage qualification.
grouvillegooner
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