England vs. Spain: 10 Observations Made Live on Three Lions

Sam Tighe@@stighefootballX.com LogoWorld Football Tactics Lead WriterNovember 13, 2011

England vs. Spain: 10 Observations Made Live on Three Lions

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    On the 12th of November 2011, England entertained world and European champions Spain at Wembley in a glamorous international friendly.

    In what turned out to be a memorable match for the 87,000 attendees, the world champions were tamed by the English lions' determined defensive display.

    Joleon Lescott and Scott Parker had standout games that may have just guaranteed their spots in the Euro 2012 squad.

    I was lucky enough to attend the game as a Bleacher Report representative. Here are my observations live from the game.

    Enjoy the slideshow!

England Were Tactically Sound

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    England started well by pressuring Spain on the ball and playing a high defensive line. With Spain’s pace and ability to find the killer through-ball this was a huge risk but the score line proves it paid off.

    By playing a high line, England squeezed Spain’s team up the pitch leaving them less room to manoeuvre in and amongst the bodies. Space was difficult to find in the middle of the park and while Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso weren’t bothered by this, progress was tough to make.

    David Villa, besides hitting the post in the second half, was relatively ineffectual during the game and was often pushed wide and away from the danger areas, unable to make himself a threat.

    The immediate thoughts were, "Can England keep it up?" Well, the score line gives you the answer, although they were stretched to the breaking point several times.

England Can't Play Spain at Their Own Game

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    There were a few occasions when England tried to replicate Spain’s calm nature and play the ball out of defence. It didn't look nearly as calm and the fullbacks struggled to stay comfortable on the ball.

    Scott Parker did an excellent job in providing an outlet for the defense to use in order to play the ball out, but there were plenty of slip-ups committed by Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson.

    Even Frank Lampard looked hurried and harassed on the ball and Parker was the only player in white that Spain manager Vicente del Bosque would even think of utilising in his own squad.

    The counter attacking methods England used were far more successful than the patient probing that initially occurred.

One Shot at Winning

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    It seems as though Fabio Capello has exposed Spain’s weakness, but his team failed to exploit it regularly enough. There is certainly a chink in the armour.

    Spain are, quite simply, like rabid dogs when regaining possession. The attacking formation they deploy, coupled with the desperate attempts at regaining the ball, transforms them into a temporary 2-4-4 formation.

    England needed a player to win the ball in their own half and hold onto it for three or four seconds, sucking the Spaniards in. A turn and slotted pass then on two occasions saw England up and away on the counter attack.

    Both times nothing came of it and that is largely thanks to Theo Walcott’s on-the-ball nerves, but Spain’s hounding of the ball too high up the pitch left Xabi Alonso wondering where his teammates were a few times.

Rare Display of Solidity

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    Today’s defence put on a master class. Or, more specifically, Scott Parker, Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka put on a defensive master class.

    A clean sheet against the world’s best team possessing some of the most exciting attacking talent your ever likely to see is something to be very proud of.

    It will be difficult for Fabio Capello not to include the guys who contributed so heavily during the win in the Euro 2012 final squad.

Scott Parker: Saviour?

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    Coming into this game, I postulated that should Scott Parker and Darren Bent turn in strong performances in the game, they would seal their spots in the squad.

    Darren Bent had a tough night, but he did his best. England played a defensive, careful game and left him with almost nothing. He was isolated for his entire time on the pitch but still manage to hit the post with a header.

    Bent has sealed his spot in the squad, but he did that when Wayne Rooney was sent off against Montenegro.

    Scott Parker sealed his spot tonight with a majestic, match winning display that will probably see him start England’s first Euro 2012 game next summer.

    He is a basic yet brilliant player with spacial awareness and talent on par with the Spanish midfield by the looks of tonight.

England Scored in the Only Way Possible

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    There was only one way England were going to score tonight and that was through a set piece. Wembley erupted when Frank Lampard scored a one yard tap-in from Darren Bent’s initial header, but it wasn't your standard elation.

    It was a surprise to everyone that England managed to score, let alone get the opening goal. Spain were too good to be beaten in open play, evidence for that lies in their four consecutive 1-0 wins on the way to lifting the World Cup.

    It proves that your never out of the game, and if you can deliver a ball like James Milner's for the goal, then you can always get yourself on the score sheet.

Growing into the Game

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    The last set of qualifiers has been a nightmare. England have consistently outclassed their opponents in the first half but dropped off in the later stages, causing unnecessary concerns.

    Montenegro was a prime example of this, Wales another.

    This time, however, the England team was on the back foot early and grew into the game. They took the lead with the second half still in its infancy and by the 70-minute mark were enjoying good spells.

    Surviving a late scare (as standard) it was good to see the team finish strongly and continue to defend doggedly till the end.

Glen Johnson Wasn't Great

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    It’s difficult to criticise the defence after a clean sheet against the best team in the world. But the widespread concern over Glen Johnson’s inclusion into the starting XI was justifiable.

    The Liverpool right-back continually made a meal of things, putting his teammates under unnecessary amounts of pressure. His passing was inaccurate and his inability to deal with potentially dangerous balls first time hindered the team.

    In fact, he took several non-threatening situations and made them into real heart-stoppers for the England defence, such as the header which set David Villa up for his shot that hit the woodwork. 

    Fabio Capello has announced Kyle Walker will start against Sweden. I personally hope he shines to make the Italian tactician's decision significantly easier. Or better yet, give Micah Richards a well deserved call-up.

Those Tactics Were Crying out for Rooney

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    If Fabio Capello were to deploy these tactics or a similar set against another big team, Wayne Rooney would be a necessity.

    England got by at Wembley by using Darren Bent and Danny Welbeck, but both were fighting a losing battle from the start.

    It certainly wasn't 4-3-3, as the entire midfield dropped deep to help out the defence, leaving the lone striker in acres of space, isolated.

    Bent and Welbeck performed admirably and did the best they could, but Rooney could have done the job even better. Dropping deep is a strong suit of his and he doesn't lose the ball easily.

    Sir Alex Ferguson's experiments of using him as a central midfielder could pay off for England should they approach a similar situation next summer.

Has Adam Johnson Learnt a Lesson?

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    His appearance was short and sweet. Adam Johnson took to the field for 10 minutes or so and proceeded to work his socks off to preserve England's lead.

    Roberto Mancini raised concerns last week about the young winger's commitment to the cause, stating he thought sometimes the young star felt he had "done enough for today."

    Against Spain, Johnson flew up and down the wing, back and forth sticking his foot in everywhere possible. He lead two late counter attacks but unfortunately his end product wasn't there.

    Would it have been different had he started the game? No one can say, but his cameo displayed the kind of attitude and work rate that lands you a spot in the Euro 2012 squad.

Final Thoughts

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    Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed both the game and the article.

    Some final talking points to consider,

    -Joleon Lescott and Phil Jagielka played an incredible 90 minutes of football. Should they be the first choice pairing for Euro 2012?

    - If you were faced with the decision of selecting four centre-backs for the squad, who would be your choices and why?

    - Did anyone just guarantee their place in the England Euro 2012 squad? Why?

    - Who had a bad game, and why were you unimpressed with them?

    Follow me on Twitter! @stighefootball

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