England had a lot of the ball in today’s (June 29th) final of the U21 Euro Championships in Malmo, Sweden. The problem was, they didn’t really know what to do with it, and Germany did. However, there probably weren’t too many people out there who would have bet on a 4-0 Germany victory. To those who did, then congratulations.

England were behind the eight ball from the get go, due to the suspension of strikers Gabriel Agbonlahor and Fraizer Campbell, along with number one goalkeeper Joe Hart. But that’s the nature of football, and sports in general for that matter. You need to be prepared for anything and England clearly weren’t. While Theo Walcott, and James Milner are players with some admirable offensive skills, they’re not pure strikers.

In fact, England didn’t have any other strikers to suit up in the final and that shows the sorry state of football today as well as terrible management by England’s Stuart Pearce and his staff. How you can only take two strikers out of a squad of 23 to a major tournament is beyond me. But that just goes to show you how much importance is placed on scoring goals in today’s game.

Scott Loach, who played with Watford last season, started in goal, while many supporters thought Peterborough United’s Joe Lewis would have been a better choice. But in the end, it doesn’t really matter as you’re not going to win any football games if you don’t score at least one goal.

England got off to a good start, but Gonzalo Castro put Germany ahead with a beautifully timed run and an excellent pass from Mesut Ozil. Castro neatly slid the ball past the oncoming Loach. That goal held up until half time, but once the second period started it didn’t take Germany long to double the lead as Ozil let a screaming free kick go from 35 yards, that Loach totally misplayed and while he got his hand to it, the ball dribbled over the line.

That seemed to take the starch out of England, and while they did create a few chances, Lee Cattermole nicked the crossbar with a long-range shot in the 57th minute and two others were cleared off the line, but none of them actually forced the keeper to make a save, and Germany punished them further with goals by Sandro Wagner in the 79th and 84th minutes. He could have had a hat trick, but blew a sitter in the 77th minute after being set up by Ozil, who was a thorn in England’s side all night long.

The game was definitely decided by this point and it was just a matter of how many goals Germany might bang in. But, the scoring was over and Germany added the U21 title to go along with the U19 and U17 championships which they currently hold as well.

While Pearce will be seen as some type of hero in many experts’ eyes, let’s look at the facts here. He didn’t bring along enough attacking strength and paid the ultimate price for it after his strikers were suspended. And his team didn’t respond well in the big games. After taking a 3-0 lead against Sweden in the semi final, England then surrendered seven straight goals. So they didn’t look too good in the defensive end of the pitch either. I’m no expert, but that’s no way to win a championship.

The fact England beat Sweden on penalties after a 120-minute, 3-3 draw didn’t really come as much of a surprise as many experts thought it would go down to the wire, (including England manager Stuart Pearce), but the way the game played out took quite a few people off guard.

In what looked like to be a walkover for England, after taking a 3-0 lead into the dressing room at half time, suddenly became a game of life and death for them as they blew the lead and looked certain to go tumbling out of the European U21 Championship semi final in a most humiliating way.

Martin Cranie silenced the Swedish crowd after just 53 seconds with a goal off a corner from James Milner. Then Nedum Onuoha doubled the lead in the 27th minute on another Milner corner. Sweden has been brutal all throughout the tournament on set pieces and in the 38th minute they failed to clear another corner and Mattias Bjarsmyr eventually ended up putting it in his own net for what looked like to be an insurmountable 3-0 lead.

The second half started with England looking adventurous. Theo Walcott made a brilliant run in the 51st minute which showed why he’s so important to England’s future. Pearce had no choice but to play the speedy youngster today as it would have shattered Walcott’s confidence. Here’s a kid who is good enough to score a hat trick in a World Cup Qualifier away in Croatia for the senior team, but isn’t always getting into the U21 squad. He has to play for the U21s or he’ll obviously begin to have doubts about his ability. There’s no way England can afford to screw with this guy’s mind. When he’s healthy and available, he has to play. It’s as simple as that.

Sweden cut the lead to 3-1 in the 68th minute when Marcus Berg was left unmarked in the box and he right-footed a shot home. It was his sixth goal of the tournament. This brought the crowd back to life

The stadium got a lot louder just seven minutes later as England gave up a ridiculous free kick just outside of the box and Ola Toivonen slammed it home.

Berg then raised the roof off of the stadium with his seventh goal of the event as he leveled the score at 3-3 in the 81st minute. England had completely lost the plot and Pearce’s substitutions need to be questioned as he couldn’t leave things alone when they were going well for the team. As they say, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.

Sub Fraizer Campbell, who came on for Gabriel Agbonalahor in the 59th minute, darkened the skies more for England as he was sent off in the 84th for his second yellow card in 25 minutes.

It was one-way traffic from then on as Sweden opened the floodgates, but couldn’t find the winner, even though Berg came close to scoring his third of the game in extra time, but his header ricocheted off of the crossbar.

England managed to hang on until the final whistle and Pearce’s prediction of a penalty shootout came true. I’m not sure if he was dreading it though, as he’s been on the losing end of them twice as a player and once with the U21s in that marathon 32 penalty shootout to Holland in the semi finals two years ago, or if he was actually looking forward to it, to finally get the monkey off his back.

Either way, Milner stepped up to take the first kick and promptly ended up on his ass while taking one of the worst spot kicks in the history of football. But English keeper Joe Hart saved Sweden’s first penalty to even things up. Hart then took the next penalty and got England on the board. Things were level at 4-4 after five penalties each. Kieran Gibbs, put the visitors ahead 5-4 and then Guillermo hit the post on Sweden’s sixth shot and that what all she wrote. England had won a rare penalty shootout and will now face Germany, who beat Italy 1-0 in the other semi final, in the championship game on Monday June 29th.

Things won’t bee easy though as Hart, Agbonalahor, and Campbell will all miss the match because of suspension.

Aston Villa striker John Carew has backed striker partner Gabriel gbonlahor to come back even stronger next season.

The Brummie forward began last season in electric form, netting a hattrick on the opening day of the season against Manchester City at Villa Park.
The England Under-21 international, who is currently on duty with Stuart Pearce’s side, continued his good form throughout the first half of the season as he set the pace at the top of the goalscoring charts.

However, a loss of form which seen him net just two goals in the latter stages of the season showed signs of the 22-year-old’s room for education, and mentor Carew believes he can learn from the experience.

“Gabby was fantastic last year,” Carew told the Birmingham Mail.
“He was one of the top scorers in the league. During the season a player of his age will have ups and downs.

“He will be a fantastic player and I think he had a good season again. He’s been doing it since I got here and I think next year he will be even better.
Despite the indifferent form in the latter stages Agbonlahor still earned a nomination for the PFA Young Player of The Year, which was won by teammate Ashley Young, and 29-year-old Carew thinks there’s more to come.

“He will continue to score goals. You can score a lot of goals in a short period and then it can suddenly stop for a few games,” he added.
“That’s part of it. You just have to keep your confidence up. You have to do the same because if it’s worked before it will work again.”

Meanwhile Villa have announced a pre-season friendly date with Italian giants Fiorentina which will take place at Villa Park on August 8th.
Fiorentina boast Champions League qualification and represent a stern challenge for Martin O’Neill’s side, but the boss is looking forward to the task.

“To follow up our Peace Cup participation with a home game against real quality European opposition in Fiorentina is fantastic and ideal preparation for the start of the season,” he said.

The friendly date will bring back memories of Villa’s pre-season 3-0 thumping of fellow-Italians Inter Milan two seasons ago and O’Neill is hoping for a repeat performance.

“If it’s half as good as the match against Inter Milan here two seasons ago, it will be terrific.” One player who could join up with the senior squad for pre-season is Arsenal Under-16s captain Samir Carruthers. The teenager is expected to put pen to paper at Villa Park having recently turned down an offer to remain at the Emirates.

Villa’s academy director Bryon Jones has revealed a deal is in place to bring the promising youngster to their setup. “He was offered a contract by Arsenal and turned it down. We were given permission by Arsenal to speak to him. “We have agreed in principle a contract and hopefully he is going to sign for us on July 1st.”

Stuart Pearce has come a long way since he burst onto the management stage as boss of Manchester City. His England Under 21 side have now reached the semi-final of the European Under 21 Championships and it is no secret that a lot of the success is down to the gaffer. Pearce was always known as a player for his fierce temperament and he is showing with each day that passes how much more he is looking like a solid and efficient manager.

It is no easy feat, taking a group of young men to play football all around the world and being able to keep them in check is difficult. The old art of temptation must often surface on many occasions on these trips and the discipline he has created that has helped his team get so far is something that Pearce has orchestrated and must be praised for.

Pearce said: “I knew what I had behind me on the aeroplane when I left the shores of England with those 23 players. We’ve got pace on the counterattack, and the modern game is about that. We also have a strong mentality. We’ve got guts in abundance but have to pass the ball better. The Spanish keep the ball better. I’d be stupid to say technically we are level. A lot of that is also game management, knowing what to do and when and in what areas of the pitch.”

Pearce’s men have emerged as the team that everyone is talking about in the competition. They had the ability to grind out a result against Finland and then pick off one of the most technically perfect sides in the world, Spain. When you beat any Spanish side 2-0 then it is going to draw attention.

England’s Under 21 side have just one group match left in the opening stages of the competition, which comes against the old enemy, Germany. It is actually quite nice for once to not have anything riding on the last group game and unless Germany stuff England then Pearce’s side should finish top of the group. You would be hard pushed to go and find an Englishman some where that would not be surprised at the fact that a match with Germany is a dead one.

People are starting to talk about the resemblances that Pearce has to the manager of the senior side, Fabio Capello. Pearce, who is the assistant boss in that side to Capello, clearly is picking up tips and tricks that have made Capello into one of the greatest managers to have ever graced the game and if this Under 21 side make it to the final and even win the tournament then not a lot of people will be surprised.

It would also be quite nice to have something to shout about in English football, during a summer where some of the best players in the world are leaving our shores and travelling to Spain for greater fame and greater riches.

England Under-21s have secured their place in the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championships with a 2-0 win over Spain Under-21s.

With Germany having earlier moved top of the group after beating Finland 2-0, manager Stuart Pearce knew his side would regain control with victory over the Spanish.

After a relatively low-key first half, which saw James Milner miss a penalty, Pearce’s men came back out and goals from substitute Fraizer Campbell and Milner saw off their opposition, who now look like joining Finland on the road home.

Campbell, a first-half replacement for the injured Gabriel Agbonlahor, capitalised on some woeful Spanish defending as Mario Suarez’s misplaced pass sent the Manchester United forward through on goal.

He still had work to do, however, as he cut inside Javi Garcia onto his left foot before drilling an unstoppable shot into the bottom corner past the heroic Spanish keeper Andres Sergio Asenjo.

The introduction of Theo Walcott, who was surprisingly left on the bench, galvanised the English youngsters and he was instrumental in Milner’s strike which effectively wrapped up the points.

Walcott used his electric pace to beat the Spanish defence down the left flank before squaring for Milner, who made amends for his earlier miss, as he thumped the ball past Asenjo.

It was just the response Pearce wanted from Walcott, and Franco Baldini, who was scheduled to attend, will probably send a glowing report back to England boss Fabio Capello.

Pearce will be praised as well because his youngsters are now in the semi-finals, with a Group B match against Germany to spare.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who was strongly opposed to his youngster travelling to Sweden after representing the seniors against Kazakhstan and Andorra, cannot complain either as Walcott has only played 75 minutes in the tournament so far.

Pearce battled to keep Walcott in his squad, dismissing fears of burn-out ahead of next year’s World Cup, but then responded by removing the highest-profile player of the tournament after a quiet 45 minutes against Finland.

“Reputations and being well-known count for nothing,” Pearce said on the eve of the finals, and he kept his word by replacing Walcott with Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson against Spain.

Pearce’s attitude is that players may have to “fall on their sword” for the good of the team, so Walcott started on the bench and Mark Noble retained the captaincy despite the return of Nedum Onuoha from a thigh complaint to replace suspended Michael Mancienne.

As he admits himself, Pearce is still learning as a manager and his decision not to train at the ground almost cost his youngsters an early goal.

Onuoha over hit a backpass, misjudging the pace of the turf, with Joe Hart racing back and clearing on the line. Even then, it required England to hack away as the Spaniards closed in.

Hart also sent a clearance along the floor straight to Javi Martinez, a possible Manchester City target, but the Spain midfielder could not direct his finish. Milner’s crosses appeared England’s most likely route to goal.

The Aston Villa midfielder put one on Agbonlahor’s head which got deflected over, then from the corner Onuoha and Martin Cranie had close-range efforts blocked.

Milner earned and took England’s penalty just after the half-hour mark. Spain lost possession in their own half and Johnson fed through Milner, who twisted his way past Javi Garcia before getting brought down.

It was a well-struck penalty but Sergio Asenjo was down sharply to his right to palm away.

Worse was to follow for England as Agbonlahor had to be taken off six minutes before the break but it was Campbell, not Walcott, who came on.

Hart had a rush of blood to the head 10 minutes after the restart, racing out to meet Martinez even though there was little danger.

The Spain midfielder rolled the ball towards goal and Cranie was needed to clear off the goal line.

There were jeers when Barcelona’s Bojan Krkic was taken off for Diego Capel just before the hour mark, with two of the biggest stars of the tournament on the bench at that stage.

That lasted until the 62nd minute, when Walcott was introduced for Johnson.

Five minutes later, England were ahead.

Milner won the ball in Spain territory and poked the ball through for Campbell, who cut inside Garcia before planting his finish in the bottom corner.

Smoke then came out of the stand at the end Campbell scored in, but the situation appeared to be in control.

Pearce danced down the touchline when Walcott set up the second goal, racing behind the Spain defence by outpacing Garcia, then cutting the ball back for Milner to smash home.

The only sour point was Milner’s late booking, which rules him out of the Germany game although it did appear as though the Villa man knew what he was doing.

Pearce has defended his decision to leave Theo Walcott on the bench in the wake of the winger’s second half demolition of Spain Under-21s.

Walcott’s introduction in the second half of the Group B clash prompted an explosion of life into the team as England opened the scoring just five minutes after he replaced Adam Johnson.

“I felt with the game going to be being stretched in the second half he’d have an impact – he proved me right,” Pearce said after the game.

“But then I know Theo and I know what he’s capable of and little Adam Johnson had done nothing wrong for me.

“He took the sting out of the Spaniards to start with and enabled Theo to come on and put on the virtuoso show that he did.

“I must mention at this stage Theo Walcott’s attitude.

“We spoke before the game about how he answers not being in the starting line up. You know, it’s difficult for him to understand how he’s played for the seniors and then he didn’t start here.

“The only way you answer a managerial team selection is to put in a performance of both attacking and defending that he did and credit to him, but I expected no less from him.”

The European Under 21 Championships kicked off in Sweden on Monday (June 15th) with a couple of pretty good games.

England got the three points they so desperately wanted with a 2-1 win over Finland. However, there were a few rocky moments for them a long the way, with the worst one being the sending off of Michael Mancienne in the 31st minute for a professional foul on Berat Sadik in the penalty box.

England were already in the lead by then though, as Lee Cattermole gave them an early lead in the 15th minute after Gabriel Agbonlahor set him up. Tim Sparv tied the game up at 1-1 in the 33rd minute as Mancienne’s red card had led to a spot kick for Finland. Sparv sent keeper Joe Hart the wrong way with a fine penalty.

England’s brightest star and national squad member Theo Walcott of Arsenal was taken off at half time and replaced by Fraizer Campbell.

Micah Richards scored on a fantastic header in the 53rd minute off of a corner by James Milner to give England the 2-1 win and they did enough the rest of the way to hang on to the win. They are a huge three points as Spain, and Germany are also in Group B with them.

While England manager Stuart Pearce was happy with the points, especially with 10 men, he said the team needs to get better if they have any chance of winning the tournament.

“What we need to show is more ability. That performance, for this standard of team, wasn’t good enough. They know it before I even tell them. We have to improve on that. I’ve got three points, I’m pleased. I’m delighted with the points. We need to get better than that and we are better than that.”

They won’t have to wait long to see if they are better as they take on Spain on Thursday (June 18th), and Germany will take on Finland.

In the other Group B game, Spain and Germany played to a 0-0 draw in a game that produced quite a few good scoring chances along with some pretty good saves. The result was actually the best thing England could have hoped for as it allowed them to sit atop the group on their own for the time being.

Spain had most of the possession in the first half, but the Germans’ counterattack was pretty impressive. Spain came close to taking the lead, but Jose Chico was beaten by a good save from keeper Manuel Neur, and Marc Torrejon, saw his powerful header slam off the crossbar.

Germany then hit the post just before the half time whistle as Marko Marin’s shot nicked the outside of the post.

Germany had the better chances in the second half, but Spanish keeper Asenjo pulled off a series of fine saves to earn his side a point. None of them were bigger than in injury time when Anis Ben-Hatira almost won it for Germany, but Asenjo again the hero.

England’s under-21 side scraped through their opening game of the European Under-21 Championships as they saw off a Finland side 2-1 in unconvincing style. In a match that England played largely with only ten men, Stuart Pearce’s men were unable to display the charisma and style that the manager would have been hoping for. Lee Cattermole put England ahead before Michael Mancienne gave away a penalty and was subsequently sent off for his trouble. Manchester City defender, Micah Richards, spared England any blushes when he sent a bullet header into the corner of the goal from an England corner in the second half.

England will need to improve a lot on this performance if they want to have any chance of being able to compete against the better sides in the competition. However, they can take heart from the fact that they showed an ability to be able to grind out a result from a truly bad performance and it is unlikely they will be this poor again. Finland could have had some late goals but the point is that England got their first points on the board and Pearce probably won’t be too concerned about how the side plays if they manage to win their games. There is a slight cause to worry because in the later match that day Spain showed some glimpses of real class and it seems as though they would have played England off the park had the Spaniards been the opposition and not the Finns.





It is all experience for Pearce’s young side and doubtless they will already be working away today on stamping out the mistakes ahead of their next game. England have been tipped by a lot of pundits to make a big impression in the competition but the inconsistency prevents them from gaining momentum. In the friendly matches leading up to the first official game England had been on top form and scoring goals at will. The defence was looking solid but as is so often the case with huge competitive matches, when the important stuff kicks in, supposedly lesser sides raise their game and England may have been caught napping yesterday.

It wouldn’t have been complacency, as Pearce would not have allowed this to creep into the side. England teams always start slowly in big tournaments and this should be a worry for the side and an incentive to quickly eradicate the errors that would not be left unpunished against a better side. If they want any chance of repeating their heroics from last year they will need to rapidly improve.

There is no doubt that Pearce would have been quite vocal both at half time and after the match. This is for the simple reason that this England side is better than this. They will want to stamp their authority and brand all over the tournament and it was disappointing to see them resistant to rise to the occasion. Hopefully they are saving up the big performances for the big matches.