Premier League stars are World Cup flops

Football Food For Thought / Feizal Rahman / 04 July 2010 / 1

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Wayne Rooney was inexplicably poor at the World Cup. Or was there a good reason behind it?

"Debates over a winter break will continue but the signs also point towards a decline in the standard of football played in England’s showcase league. The warning signs were there for all to see last season - the ‘Big Four’ were far less competitive, losing more games than ever before and failing to put up a strong challenge in Europe."

Feizal Rahman tries to get to the bottom of why Premier League stars, and not just the English ones, have performed so poorly at this World Cup.

With most of the major nations struggling to meet expectations at this World Cup, equally have football's biggest individual names failed to live up to their reputations. But it is the representatives from the Premier League who have disappointed the most, casting doubt on claims that the English top flight is the best in the world.

England's over-hyped stars were first shown up by supposedly inferior players and were then thoroughly outclassed by youthful Germany side. Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard were mere shadows of the players they are for their respective clubs but failing to deliver for their country is nothing new.

The substantial French contingent from the top three seemed more interested in petty off-the-field issues than those more pertinent on it. Two of the Premier League's finest talents - Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas - have barely made a mark for Spain, while last season's top goalscorer, Didier Drogba, was unable to inspire his Ivory Coast team to progress beyond the group stage.

The intensity and length of the Premier League calendar undoubtedly contributed to a marked increase in injuries towards the end of last season, with hardly a single club unaffected by key players unfit or sidelined for crucial matches. It is no surprise then that players who are battered and bruised from a grueling domestic season are then unable to perform to the best of their ability at the World Cup.

Debates over a winter break will continue but the signs also point towards a decline in the standard of football played in England's showcase league. The warning signs were there for all to see last season - the 'Big Four' were far less competitive, losing more games than ever before and failing to put up a strong challenge in Europe.

Each member of the Germany squad that has impressed so greatly in South Africa played in the Bundesliga last term. All but three of the Spanish squad ply their trade in La Liga - the three English-based players (Pepe Reina, Fabregas and Torres) playing only minor roles thus far. Spain and Germany are both [3.15] to win the World Cup.

And while the Premier League's Dutch players have generally been solid, it has been Inter's Wesley Sneijder and Bayern Munich's Arjen Robben who have guided the Oranje to the semi-finals - the two having faced each other in this year's Champions League final.

The best players now evidently opt for Spain over England. Cristiano Ronaldo was lured to Real Madrid last season, while Cesc Fabregas seems to be edging closer to a move to rivals Barcelona ([2.36] to remain an Arsenal player next season). One of the few stars to shine in South Africa, Spain's David Villa, has already signed for the Blaugrana, having been persistently linked with a move to the Premier League.

The implications for the upcoming season then could prove rather more far-reaching than one would expect. Chelsea narrowly won the double last campaign but, with an ageing squad, have possibly the most change to contemplate for the future. Manchester United relied heavily on Wayne Rooney in the last year but even his herculean efforts failed to reward with major silverware. Arsenal are in danger of losing yet another of their prized assets while Liverpool also face a fight to hold onto key players (Gerrard and Torres both around [1.7] to remain at club next season).

There appears little sign of young talent pushing through to challenge for places at any of the Premier League's top sides. With most priced out of the market for world class foreigners by Manchester City - [1.59] to finish in Top 4 next season - the major clubs are now being denied the luxury they have enjoyed for the best part of the last decade.

Drawing parallels with the England national team, perhaps the answer for some will be to look beyond the big names and build for long-term success rather than a quick fix. The time has come for English football as whole to take a step back and assess it's current situation, even if it means swallowing some pride and accepting it's just not as good as it thinks it is.

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ElBeatle | 04 July 2010

hmm thought messi, ronaldo and kaka play in spain?