The England national team - four words to strike fear into the hearts of the modern day football fan. Be it live on TV or at Wembley, supporters will bemoan the dreary approach the Three Lions will adopt as a means of boring their opponent into submission and, as proven on Wednesday night, the 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland was no exception.
Lacking any sort of attacking cohesion and an inability to break down a team 32 places below them in the FIFA rankings, the only real bright spot from the dismal stalemate with Giovanni Trapattoni’s side came when referee Willie Collum blew the full time whistle at around 9.45pm.
The result and the performance in the international friendly hardly boded well for the upcoming encounter with Brazil. Granted, England overcame A Seleção the last time England and Brazil met - a 2-1 victory for the Three Lions in February at Wembley - but even then, Luis Felipe Scolari’s side were the stronger of the two teams.
As both sides gear up for their meeting at the Maracana on Sunday evening, there are a number of supporters that are wary of what the fixture will hold. While it’ll give the players an insight into the conditions for the World Cup next summer - should England qualify, of course - the quality of the Brazilians is enough to leave any nation quivering in their boots.
Yet, while the talent hailing from South America is, technically, superior to that of their British counterparts, when comparing the average ratings of players to have made over 20 domestic appearances for their respective club this season, five players from the current Brazil squad would be included in a combined starting XI from those that currently ply their trade in Europe in both squads. Naturally, there are plenty of Brazilians in the squad who play in their home country and will add to the quality in their ranks come Sunday, but having started their domestic campaign only a week ago, a lack of form may be telling when the pair meet, with 10 of the 23-man squad having made just one, at most, appearance in the Brasileirão this season.
Goalkeeper
QPR may have conceded 60 goals this season as they dropped down into the Championship, but having shipped just 37 of those in 24 starts, Julio Cesar boasts the highest rating (6.8) of the three goalkeepers that could take up their place in the teams, with Ben Foster (6.75) and Joe Hart (6.59) the only competition for the 33-year-old. Of every goalkeeper to have made over 20 Premier League appearances this season, only West Ham’s Jussi Jääskeläinen made more saves per game (4.37) than Cesar (4.04), highlighting his impressive goalkeeping capabilities, regardless of the R’s relegation. With Hart also making more errors leading to goals (5) than either Cesar or Foster (3 each), there is further reason to have less trust in the current England number 1.
Defence
While Dani Alves continues to astound all those with his impressive, marauding runs from deep for both Barcelona and Brazil, his average rating for the season (7.14) is lower than that Liverpool’s Glen Johnson (7.25), who leapfrogs the 30-year-old into the right back position. Part of the reason for his high average rating has been his dribble success, a key facet in the modern day full back, with Johnson completing an average of 1.7 dribbles per game this season - the highest of any right back in the Premier League, and signifcantly more than Alves (0.5).
Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil captain Thiago Silva is the first centre back to appear in the team, having garnered an average rating of 7.35 over the course of the season as the Parisian outfit secured their first Ligue 1 title since 1994. His ability to play the ball out of defence, having completed 89.5% of his passes, stood him in good stead over the year and it’s no surprise that only Aurélien Chedjou of Lille has averaged more accurate passes (51.8) in Ligue 1 this season than Silva (45.2) of every centre back that has made over 20 appearances in the French league.
Partnering Silva in defence is Everton’s Phil Jagielka; with the centre back averaging 7.17 this season as the Toffees secured a top six finish. While Silva boasts impressive passing stats, Jagielka’s accuracy when it comes to playing the ball upfield is unrivaled in the Premier League this season, with the 30-year-old averaging the most accurate long balls per game (6.3) of every outfielder to have made more than 20 appearances other than Steven Gerrard.
At left back, Jagielka’s Everton teammate Leighton Baines completes the four man defence, with his average rating (7.39) the third highest of all English players in the Premier League. One of only four outfield players to have started every domestic league game this season, Baines made the most key passes (116) and created the most clear cut goalscoring opportunities (22) of any player in the Premier League this campaign, further reinforcing his credentials as the man to replace Ashley Cole.
Midfield
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott takes his place on the right wing, having made 19 of his 24 Premier League starts as an attacking right midfielder, with the player boasting an impressive rating of 7.4 when utilised in the position. Furthermore, only Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko has scored more goals from counter attacks (4) than Walcott this season (3), and his pace and threat on the break is certainly something that could buoy an increasingly stagnant England side.
In the heart of midfield is Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo, fresh from picking up his Champions League medal against Borussia Dortmund at Wembley last weekend. His average rating of 7.09 is higher than that of England pairing Frank Lampard (7.06) and Michael Carrick (7.04). With Bayern sweeping all before them in the Bundesliga and Champions League, Gustavo’s pass completion of 92.8% and making 2.5 tackles per game sees only Holger Badstuber (92.9%) and Bastian Schweinsteiger (2.8) above the 25-year-old in each respective category, an impressive feat in a team also featuring Javi Martinez and Toni Kroos.
Partnering Gustavo in the middle of the park is Lazio lynchpin and compatriot Hernanes, with the Brazil international mustering an average rating of 7.45 this season; the highest of any player for the Biancocelesti this season. Much of that is down to his impressive goal haul from midfield, with no player scoring more goals from outside the box (6) than him in Serie A this season.
Completing the midfield quartet is young Chelsea midfielder Oscar, the 21-year-old impressing during his debut campaign with the Blues, regardless of their failure to defend their Champions League crown. Signing from Internacional last summer, and forming an impressive attacking triumvirate with Eden Hazard and Juan Mata, Oscar scored key goals late on in the season against Liverpool and Spurs, with his average rating of 7.01 certainly warranted.
Attack
Much has been made of the future of Wayne Rooney over recent weeks after he handed in a transfer request at Manchester United prior to the end of the season, but his performances on the pitch this season have certainly been praiseworthy. The striker boasts the highest average WhoScored.com rating (7.25) of the current quartet of strikers in the England squad. While considered a striker in the squad, he has played deeper for United this term and his creative exploits have seen him attain double figures for both goals and assists this season - 1 of only 4 Premier League players to do so.
Supporting Rooney in the two man attack is Tottenham Hotspur striker Jermain Defoe, with the Brazilian contingent having played just one domestic game, at most, this season (Leandro Damiao, Fred and Neymar) or plying their trade in the Russian Premier League (Hulk). The average rating of 6.8 attained by the 30-year-old ranks him above compatriots Daniel Sturridge (6.76 - Chelsea and Liverpool appearances) and Danny Welbeck (6.69), and with a goal haul of just 11 this season, his inclusion only really serves to highlight the striking inadequacies at Roy Hodgson's disposal, though Sturridge's more recent form (7.62 rating for Liverpool) provides some reason for optimism.
