England vs. Belgium: Poor Performance by English Is Sign of Things to Come

There are not many instances where a win results in disappointment for the team's fans. But England's sluggish 1-0 victory over Belgium was undoubtedly one. 

Saturday's friendly with Belgium was England's last tuneup match on the pitch before the Euro 2012, as they continue to get used to a new system and are obviously still taking slow steps toward being a great team again. Their showing indicated they may not be as ready for the 2012 event as many had expected.

Roy Hodgson's start to his new job as head coach of the Three Lions has gotten off to a rocky start after they put themselves in a hole to start the Euros, which kicks off June 8. World phenom Wayne Rooney was suspended for the first two games of the tournament after an out-of-line kick during a qualifying match.

It's unclear at this point whether or not Hodgson has the quality strikers on his roster that England will need to win their first ever European Championship. And being the only European World Cup winner to never bring home the home continent's championship, they indeed need it more than ever. 

The English struggled to get things going early in the game and didn't even get a touch the ball until the third minute of the contest. The midfield-heavy and possession-heavy strategy that Hodgson is implementing disappeared at many moments during Saturday's friendly, and they seemed surprisingly outmatched for much of the game. 

It's important to remember that we're just analyzing a friendly here, but the aggression that England played with proves that they weren't just brushing this meaningless game aside. They seemed to be taking Belgium very seriously and the Three Lions didn't shy away from playing a shockingly physical match.

England's current play isn't the only thing that will keep them from having a solid Euro. Hodgson raised eyebrows around B/R and across the sports world by leaving some speedy forwards off the 23-man roster at the expense of pass-happy midfielders. Without the likes of Daniel Sturridge available, England's attackers on the pitch will be laughable (without Rooney) compared to the norm.

In a win, though, not all can be bad. Manchester United youngster Danny Welbeck performed enthusiastically as the lone striker and netted the game's only goal. Welbeck may have earned a spot in the starting lineup for England's Euro opener. 

But when it comes down to it, England has underperformed as of late and the new addition at coach has made for some growing pains. With the plethora of elite international talent in Europe, England's chances of winning their first European Championship are dwindling.