Euro 2012 day eight: what we've learned

England has a team to be proud of again


Two summers ago, Wayne Rooney stormed off the pitch after a dismal England performance against Algeria, and angrily criticised his own fans to a waiting camera. A few days later England were on their way home from the World Cup, following a humiliating 4-1 defeat to arch rivals Germany. The fans were angry not upset; the press bayed for blood; the players hid from the spotlight. It's hard to imagine a time when the national team's popularity was lower.

Fast forward to Kiev in 2012 and after a nervy 3-2 victory over Sweden, England might just have won back the hearts of those same supporters that had seemingly deserted them after the South Africa debacle. For whilst England were far from perfect last night, they played with a spirit and determination that can only be admired.

Let's not pretend that this is anything but an average England squad. It doesn't have the star names of squads from yesteryear, and the young players it includes are promising without creating the kind of hype that Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney's inclusion in previous squads did. The manager, Roy Hodgson, has been in the job a matter of weeks and was recruited from mid-table West Brom, not head-hunted from one of Europe's premier clubs. But with expectations uncharacteristically low, England - as demonstrated last night - are punching their weight in an international tournament for the first time since perhaps Euro '96.

It was by no means a perfect performance - Hodgson will surely have been disappointed with the manner in which the goals were conceded - but the victory over Sweden should be celebrated, rather than a cause for concern. England scored three goals - something in itself many thought beyond them - but the telling factor was the quality of those goals. Have you seen a better header in this tournament than Andy Carroll's? A sweeter strike than Theo Walcott's? Or a more incisive move finished off with a piece of individual brilliance than Danny Welbeck's? And there was potential for more too, with Steven Gerrard prevented from scoring a great counter-attacking goal only by a superb save from Isaksson. 

Of course, the team looked far from assured at the back, but you only have to go back to the France game a few days ago for evidence that England can be solid and stubborn when they need to be. We should not dwell on the negatives. Instead, we should praise the team - and Hodgson - for the verve with which they attacked, the spirit they showed to battle back from going 2-1 down and, whisper it, the manner in which the players are conducting themselves with a sense of togetherness that was clearly lacking in South Africa.

The anger directed at England after South Africa and the indifference shown since can at last be replaced by pride. This England team may not go very far in this tournament, but it as least one the supporters can get behind and be proud to support. We have our England back.