England against Germany the most stirring of football matches

England against Germany- the most stirring of football matches

Oh how the English love to meet the Germans in football. It is undoubtedly one of the most stirring and dramatic confrontations in any sporting arena. But throughout the years both countries have locked horns like two antagonistic stags or two red blooded lions with the needle to each other. There is something very raw, primeval and amusingly silly about the sheer loathing that both Germany and England have always held for each other.

But hold on. This can't be true because this is rather like sibling rivalry where the two brothers just scrap and scuffle for territorial rights, a tooth and claw conflict that only occasionally threatens to spill over into outright hostility. In fact if anything it just stops short from descending into a bloodbath if only because both teams would rather claim moral victories over each other. They come face to face with each other, square up to each other and just stare amusingly at each other.

Last night in Dortmund it seemed to be the latest instalment of this epic European soap opera featuring England, dressed somewhat strangely in naval blue and the Germans just doing what the Germans do so calmly and composedly. At times both England and Germany conform so closely to their national stereotypes that the match seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to past encounters.

England, now under the very youthful and imperturbable Gareth Southgate, are a team that seem to be opening up and blossoming like a very disciplined row of spring daffodils. Southgate looks the unlikeliest of footballing managers, too nice and polite to pass any kind of dogmatic judgment on anybody in particular. With his smartly tailored suit and dark blue waistcoat Southgate learnt his playing apprenticeship at Crystal Palace whose present boss is ironically the man who lost his job as England manager in the most acrimonious and disgraceful circumstances.

When Sam Allardyce was briefly in charge of England it was widely felt that the quality of football he'd always advocated at various spells with Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham would drag the game into some dark age where football was played above sea level. But Southgate looks prim, proper, methodical, idealistic and visionary, a man with a plan. He stood in his technical dug out rather like some university student about to embark on a post graduate course. But here is a man who looks the real deal, somebody with an innate footballing intelligence and plenty of streetwise know-how.

But unlike his predecessors, Southgate does seem to come without any emotional baggage. There is nothing of the apparent secrecy and suspicion that seemed to haunt Don Revie during the 1970s, the rather unfortunate whispers and scandal that eventually drove Glen Hoddle out of a job and poor Kevin Keegan who seemed to impulsively walk out on England when ironically the Germans had just beaten England in the old Wembley Stadium for the last time.

Southgate seems to revel in his new found celebrity and status and the comparisons with previous England managers do invite some comment. You could never draw any parallel with Terry Venables. Venables was mischievous, cheeky, daring, for ever scheming, wheeling and dealing.  But if you were to find any common ground with Ron Greenwood then Southgate, I suspect, would be enormously flattered. Gareth Southgate looks like one of the game's studious thinkers and Greenwood was immensely well informed, learned and one of football's most erudite of academics.

At the moment Southgate seems to observing his team's evolution with the most detached of perspectives. He seems to be developing his team's tactics, formations and strategies rather like some very forward thinking scientist in a laboratory. There is something very shrewd and perceptive about Southgate that quite clearly reminds you of the late and much loved Sir Bobby Robson. Southgate is canny, hugely intelligent and admirably analytical. Better to be safe than sorry as they say.

 Southgate will not be hurried into a rash act that might backfire on him. Southagate rubs his bristly chin, looks on very thoughtfully and gives every impression that eventually some special chemical formula will work for him. Here is a cool, clever, calculating man who measures his words and carves out his well planned manoeuvres like a military general who knows exactly what he's doing. In Dortmund he began to formulate what would now seem like the most cherished of victories. In the end it didn't quite work on the night but tomorrow, as they say, is another day.

And so we return to England's 1-0 defeat against the one and only Germany. Exactly a year ago Eric Dier, Spurs rugged centre half, rubber stamped a famous victory over the Germans and left English football supporters with a rather smug smile on their faces. This is neither personal, childish, spiteful nor is it vindictive. By now England and Germany must be heartily sick of each other, fed up to the back teeth whenever anybody mentions the 1966 World Cup Final, the 1970 World Cup quarter final, the 1972 European Championship, the 1990 World Cup penalty shoot out fiasco, the 1996 European Championship penalty shoot out calamity and the 5-1 thrashing England handed out to the Germans in a 2001 friendly.

These are the historic statistics. mere detailed footnotes and quite obviously well documented facts that seem to be raked over again and again just for emphasis or clarification. The recent England football story is so moving and heartbreaking that any Hollywood script writer would probably jump at the chance of bringing it to the silver screen. But Gareth Southgate looks a man in complete control of his destiny. There were no furious hand gestures, irate fist pumping or all of those hysterical histrionics that have so often characterised some England managers from the past.

The sad passing of Graham Taylor may have taught Southgate some salutary lessons in how not to take the game too seriously. The image of Taylor ranting and raving on the touchline as England were given their marching orders in a World Cup qualifier in Holland, remains a disturbing reminder of what happens when it goes wrong for England managers.

Last night England were rather undeservedly beaten in a friendly against Germany. It's not the end of the world and nothing unsavoury happened. England look a work in progress, a team still in the experimental stages rather than at an advanced point where World Cups have to be given serious consideration. Gareth Southgate looks almost too young to be an international manager but age has yet to influence any major World Cup match- apart perhaps from a 40 year old Dino Zoff who lifted the World Cup with Italy.

On Sunday England play an important World Cup qualifier against Lithuania which shouldn't, in theory, be too taxing but then how long have we been following England for anything to be considered as straightforward?  Last summer poor Roy Hodgson could hardly believe what he was watching when his England team were humiliatingly beaten by Iceland in the European Championship. Most English supporters are still in a state of shock and bemusement, a team traumatised by the most improbable result in the history of  English football. Even the Americans thought they'd seen everything in the 1950 World Cup.

The whole of the England side last night in Germany played both impressively and for long periods creditably. For much of the game England gave a passable impersonation of an international team who know what they're doing, a side confident in both their style and methodology. Now there is a real structure, shape and framework to an England side that genuinely looked as though they were enjoying their football and had none of the inhibitions or social awkwardness that might have ruined their game in past years.

Occasionally Joe Hart does look the most uncertain of England keepers but some of us can still remember the Peter Shilton gaffe on that famous Wembley evening in 1973 when Shilton allowed the ball to squirm under his body against Poland in that infamous World Cup qualifier. Hart still exerts a reliable presence and there is a commading air about him that doesn't bring you out in a cold sweat when Hart comes out decisively for crosses.

The relatiively new  back three consisting of Michael Keane, Chris Smalling and Gary Cahill are beginning to develop a very dependable empathy. Your mind goes back to the days of Mick Mills, Phil Neal, Emlyn Hughes and Phil Thompson and everything looked secure and completely assured. It may be the defensive foundation of this England team may be in good hands, oozing stability and know how.

 Eric Dier is gradually emerging as one of the best holding midfielders in the Premier League and may just have the relevant  credentials for continued success on the international scene. It's hard to make any real assessment of Dier's prowess both on the ground and in the air but for Spurs he seems to have established a valid case for a regular place in Southgate's team.

Once again Kyle Walker, his Spurs defensive colleague, has emerged as a player of real character and authority. He also possesses the kind of lightning turn of pace as an overlapping full back that English football may have been dreaming about. Walker moves like a cheetah and would probably give Usain Bolt a run for his money, a fast, athletic player with little in the way of fear and uncertainty.

Ryan Bertrand, one of Gareth Southgate's Under 21 products certainly looks as though he could take full responsibility for the senior team if given a lengthy run in the team. Bertrand has a marvellous awareness of where his team mates are and very rarely looks unruffled by a potential crisis. He also looks as though he could be a future Mick Mills which may be the best of all compliments.

Dele Alli, Adam Lallana, Jake Livermore are rapidly turning into the type of England player that are no longer afraid to express their inner feelings without feeling as though something is holding them back. Alli, in one eye catching moment, executed the most remarkable of drag backs, turning his opponent inside out with complete maturity and a lovely cameo of skill. There is an audacity and natural dexterity about Alli's football that in several moments during the game had shades of Paul Gascoigne about it. It is to be hoped that Alli does not follow in the unfortunate footsteps of Gazza's private lifestyle. Alarmingly though Alli has revealed a prickly side to his character which has to be of enormous concern to England manager Southgate.

Adam Lallana, Jordan Henderson and Ross Barkley look a midfield collective that could flourish with time and patience. Barkley has an exquisite talent that  frustratingly disappoints on the international stage. But there is a sense that Barkley could yet emerge as one of the most inventive English playmakers ever to pull on the England shirt. Judgment has to be reserved on both Livermore of West Brom and the excellent and exciting talent of Nathan Redmond. Both Livermore and particularly Redmond look very positive and ambitious on the ball but at the end of the Germany game, the England football team trooped off the Dortmund pitch beaten but not entirely defeated.

We still have the tireless and lethal Jamie Vardy, all perpetual motion and frightening speed. Vardy's career has now reached the point where, rapidly approaching his 30th year, he may not represent England's long term future. When Marcus Rashford and Jessie Lingard of Manchester United came on as the England substitutes you began to think that these are the players who may figure more prominently than Vardy as we approach the World Cup in Russia next year.

Still  though  England certainly passed the ball with much more conviction and accuracy than would ever have been imagined possible, say ten years ago.  There was a readiness to try out different  techniques, neat passing movements and intuitive touches on the ball that looked almost as if it belonged in the German textbook or in another era, a Brazilian foot. There were sleek, symmetrical patterns that none of us thought England were even remotely capable of. But we were surprised and we were almost breathless with wonder. Yes England could play football again and when the final whistle went in Dortmund last night a young man by the name of Southgate had finally injected life back into the England football team. It was the sweetest of nights. We may hope that the Germans have had their moments of fun. It's time for the English cavalry to launch their counter attack.Come on Gareth. We have to believe.