Resilience of Hargreaves a source of inspiration

Owen Hargreaves' second start of the season for Manchester City, against Arsenal on Tuesday evening, produced a performance that was no more than workmanlike. It certainly did not yield anything like the stunning strike earlier this season against Birmingham in the Carling Cup that crowned his return to top-level football after three injury-plagued seasons. However one could argue the quality of his performances mattered little.

Whilst the opportunity to play for Manchester City is one hardly any footballers would turn down, few footballers have been through the horrendous injuries and presumable self-doubt Hargreaves has experienced since he first broke a leg in 2006.

Like his English contemporaries Ledley King and Jonathan Woodgate, Hargreaves deserves admiration for even stepping back on to the pitch. Released by Manchester United (who seemingly saw little chance of a return to his best form) and subsequently written off by the press and much of the public, few would have begrudged him an early retirement or resuming his career at a lower standard of football.

Hargreaves in action for former club Manchester United. Source: Super MF

Having won two Champions Leagues, four Bundesligas and a Premier League title, played for two of the greatest clubs in world football and earning 42 England caps in the process, he would have been fondly remembered as a world-class midfielder denied a full career by an injury curse. With no shortage of cash and plenty of honours, an early retirement might have brought him to coaching badges, punditry and plenty of golf.

Yet Hargreaves has thrown the script out of the window. The resilience he has shown in proving his fitness, taking the original and very public path of posting YouTube training videos, and then throwing himself into the pressure cauldron of Manchester City (where he is sure to see more regular action in the second half of the season) shows both character and courage. No club will see its players put under the media spotlight as much in the coming years as Manchester City, as they attempt to rise to European greatness. Not the easiest route back from the best part of four seasons of the last five wrecked by injuries.

Hargreaves YouTube videos were bold, but paid off. 

While suffering years of injuries, particularly those involving knees and tendonitis, Hargreaves must have continually questioned his body’s ability to stand up to top level football and the impact these or any future injuries could have later in life. One fears for the long-term damage done to the likes of Hargreaves or Ledley King, who cannot even train in between matches. Will they have any regrets in 15 years’ time?

Having incurred three years of chronic knee pain myself, deciding to stop playing competitive football, even at my lowly level, has been a tough process. Mentally I lost the confidence to play as I dwelled on my injury.  I no longer trust my body to come through the rigours of tackling and am reluctant to compromise my future health and mobility. And my injuries were certainly not on the scale of Hargreaves, King or Woodgate. These players have had plenty of time to reflect on the damage these injuries have had on their bodies, yet fight to resume their careers, albeit with the assistance of the best medical staff around.

Ledley King has also bounced back this season following injury nightmares. Source: TottenhamFan

Without his injury nightmares, one wonders how many more England caps Hargreaves could have won. He seems to be the piece of the England puzzle we have been missing for so long, industrious in defence and possessing quality dead ball skills and quality distribution (although the emergence of Scott Parker into Capello’s plans in the past 12 months may have partly provided a solution).

Were Owen Hargreaves to get back into England squad it would be a borderline miracle. He would surely settle for 10 appearances this season and to progress from there. I root for him and all other players suffering chronic or major injury who strive to return to the field of play. There is the sense that these are the footballers who no longer desire financial rewards, but to continue performing a job they not only love, but is also all they know.

My admiration is not just for Hargreaves’ footballing ability, but his desire to resume playing at the top level, despite the knowledge his body might break down again and the potential implications for his health later down the line. 

Capello takes a leaf out of Mourinho’s book

The anti-football of Mourinho and Capello can reap rewards, but more is needed for England to be contenders for EURO 2012

On the face of it, it was not overly surprising. The 7^th best team in the world, England, beat the best team in the world, Spain, 1-0 at home in a friendly international. Bearing in mind that Spain also lost friendlies to Italy, Portugal and Argentina since they won the World Cup last summer, it certainly is not a result that will cause too many ripples in world football.

It was the manner of victory that was far more interesting. Some commentators have suggested the victory paid homage to Capello’s ultra-defensive catenaccio ways so successfully employed in the 1990s with Milan, with a solid back four and protection from deep lying and combative midfielders frustrating Spain. Along with much of the Spanish team, Cesc Fabregas labelled England’s gameplan as “negative tactics”, lambasting them for “lacking in talent” and setting up to defend for nearly the entire 90 minutes.

However, the whole scenario has parallels with far more recent events. Given the core of players who make both Spain and Barcelona tick and the similarities in style, to all intents and purposes it is the Barcelona influence (supplemented by the best of Real Madrid) that has made Spain both European and World champions. And the only man who has been able to find the methods to challenge the Barcelona way in the past few seasons has been a long time friend of the English, Jose Mourinho. Two series of fixtures in particular spring to mind.

Mourinho's anti-football has regularly riled Barcelona. Source: prismatico

April 2010 witnessed a Champions League semi-final between Mourinho’s Internazionale and Barcelona. The first leg demonstrated a Mourinho masterclass of defensive pressing and swift counter attack as Inter won 3-1. The 2^nd leg, despite Inter losing 1-0, was in truth even more impressive. Down to 10 men for over an hour, Inter soaked up everything Barcelona could throw at them. The statistics were bewildering. Inter managed just 67 passes as opposed to Barca’s 548 and over 80% possession. There were even charges (though denied by Mourinho) that Inter were happy to give the ball to Barcelona so as to not disrupt their own defensive shape.

Fast-forward a year to the latter end of last season. Mourinho’s Real Madrid held Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in La Liga followed swiftly by a 1-0 victory in extra time over their archrivals in the Copa del Rey. In both these matches, Mourinho operated with a ‘trivote’ system, sacrificing an attacking player in favour of a defensive midfielder.

Mourinho used Pepe, a natural central defender, as a midfield enforcer alongside Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira, all focusing on defensive tasks and keeping Barcelona largely at bay. The use of Phil Jones in a side also containing James Milner, Frank Lampard and the imperious Scott Parker on Saturday bore considerable resemblance to this strategy.

Parker clashes with the Spanish midfield. Source: nrssmith

Over these two fixtures, Real Madrid registered a mere 22% possession and 65% pass success as opposed to Barca’s 78% possession and 90% pass success. Yet it reaped dividends for Mourinho – and almost continued to work in the Champions League semi-final between the clubs until Madrid were reduced to 10 men and Messi ran riot.

To anyone who watched England soak up the Spanish possession (71%) and pressure continuously on Saturday evening, this may make familiar reading. This is not to suggest this is the way football should be played all the time. It is definitely not what England should look to repeat too often. And it certainly will not work every time it is tried. But under the right circumstances the methods employed by Capello on Saturday can be very effective.

Ultimately the most important question is whether England can be contenders at EURO 2012. Much has been made of England’s ongoing attempts to emulate the Spanish style, assurance on the ball and technique with the next generation of players. Nevertheless to be contenders in the short term, England must not necessarily look to Spain. The gulf in class is too great at present. In fact we should look to Germany for inspiration.

Germany in South Africa - showing England the way forward. Source: liznn7

England should build on the defensive prowess and determination that they have long been renowned for and personified by Scott Parker against Spain. The challenge for England is to add the power, pace and counter-attacking devastation of the type displayed by Germany at the last World Cup to a steely defence. If Bent and Walcott are not the answer, then the likes of Sturridge, Welbeck, Adam Johnson, Ashley Young and Aaron Lennon could well have parts to play in the absence of Wayne Rooney and the increasingly injury plagued Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere. If Capello manages to blend the right personnel before EURO 2012, England might be able to compete with the top nations next summer.