Paul Parker

Don’t blame Roy, Jose Mourinho couldn’t improve ‘limited’ England

England coach Roy Hodgson greets supporters after the 2014 World Cup qualifying match against Ukraine

What I took out of England's draw in Ukraine is that it remains a lot easier to destroy than it is to create.

When you are sitting so deep in any match, it makes your job a lot easier. England go away from home and are dependent upon defending. As a defender, that type of 0-0 game in Kiev suits you. Every time.

If England play every game as they are doing now then Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka will be fine, but if they go to a World Cup finals to try to play a game of football to win the match with one of the central defenders joining in the attacks, then you might find a problem because that means you are squeezing up high.

You could have had John Terry sitting in there last night, and he would have done just as well because it is only defending.

England set out their stall to defend in the Ukraine, and defend only. If we are going to the Ukraine to avoid defeat rather than trying to win the game, I'm not sure we have the players to win games at a certain level.

We will be talking about trying to win the World Cup if we reach Brazil, but that is nonsense. It is also too easy saying it is just about qualifying.

You want to do it playing well, and having confidence approaching the finals playing different styles. We have to attack in the next two games at Wembley. There is work to be done.

I'm worried about the two games against Montenegro and Poland because they have decent players up front. At home, we haven't been great.

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard are doing okay at the moment because they are only blocking space up. They are not taking the game to anybody. Steven Gerrard has been a lot better player for England than David Beckham.

But should Lampard still be in the side? In my opinion, no, but the way Roy is playing suits him because he is sitting back waiting for the ball to come to him.

I think the manager is looking at what he has got, and is thinking we don't the players to win games against decent opposition so we go negative. Without Wayne Rooney or Daniel Sturridge, England don't have a player who can make something out of nothing going forward.

England will go to Brazil, but let us not compare us to Spain, Germany, Italy or the Dutch. That is before we even get to the South Americans.

I think England would struggle to beat a high tempo Japan side in Brazil. Especially in the heat.

The jury is still out on Roy Hodgson as a England manager. Unless your side goes out to try to win a game or a major competition then the jury has to be out.

But we can all blame managers. Jose Mourinho was offered the England job but not even he could make a difference to that side. Mourinho could only manage England if he was allowed to buy players.

It doesn't matter what manager you put in there, it is still the same tools in the box. It is the same with Harry Redknapp.

Would Harry have been up to the job without money to spend? The answer is no. He'd be doing the same as Roy in trying to destroy rather than create.

You could get any decent Sunday manager who knows how to play defensively. Roberto Di Matteo done it at Chelsea. It is very easy to do.

You also have the problem of supporters still living in the past. The younger fans are more concerned about the Premier League than the national side.

We played Scotland recently, and I think the Scots have more promise in their squad. They have younger players, and took more out of the recent friendly at Wembley than England.

Stuart Pearce probably made the best comment today. He wondered why we are allowing Under-21 players to go straight into the full squad without coming through the Under-21s.

Why are we doing that? I didn't get rushed straight in. Sir Bobby Robson had a bit of respect for the England cap that way when he was manager.

That has been lost somewhere over the years when you see younger guys like Ross Barkley being plunged straight in without being given time to see what international football is like at youth level and Under-21s.

It would be a good idea if we brought more prestige back to pulling on the England shirt, but that is another subject for another day.

About Paul Parker
