London: Steven Gerrard declared the time had come to consign talk of “golden generations” to the history books as he prepared to lead an England with more realistic ambitions into the World Cup.
The Liverpool and England captain got the qualification party started with the second goal in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Poland but he was determined for the euphoria not to mutate into the kind of hysteria he said had previously put “unfair pressure” on players hailed as world beaters.
Gerrard is one of the three remaining members of the so-called ‘golden generation’ still involved on the international scene more than a decade after the term was coined by former Football Association chief executive Adam Crozier.
The players involved failed to live up to the tag, reaching three quarter-finals between 2002 and 2006 before steadily disbanding.
Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole could all retire from international football after next year’s tournament. Expectations had been reasonably low before England’s final two qualifiers against Montenegro and Poland, but exciting performances from several of their youngsters have threatened to spark the usual cycle of hope and despair.
“The important thing now is that people don’t get carried away and start putting us as favourites, thinking everything is fine and we are a fantastic team,” said Gerrard, who admitted that his goal on Tuesday night was as satisfying as his first for his country, which came against Germany in 2001.
“My experience going into World Cups is people talking about golden generations and of us being one of the favourites, this is going to be our year, and stuff like that. But that only creates a false pressure, an unfair pressure.
“It’s a very tough tournament and I think, this time, people will be more realistic. We certainly will be. We know we’re a good team but we need to improve.”
Yet, even Gerrard is excited by the players coming through.
“Andros Townsend has been magnificent over two games,” he added. “[Jack] Wilshere, [Raheem] Sterling, [Ross] Barkley are all breaking through. But the important thing is to keep the experienced players to guide them in the right way. That’s what Roy [Hodgson] has created, a good atmosphere in the group and a good blend.”
There is no hiding the scars of previous World Cups for Gerrard.
“I watched [Paul] Gascoigne and saw the lads get to the semi-finals and to within inches of the final in 1990,” he said. “Unfortunately, as a player I’ve not had similar memories to what the lads had at Italy in 1990.
“The World Cup is the ultimate tournament. It’s so difficult to do well in because there are so many good teams and so many good players there. It is tough, but I’m hoping this time we’ll surprise a few people.”
To help them do that, England must find a middle way between the circus that marred their 2006 campaign and the prison-style regime of 2010.
Hodgson looked to have found that balance at Euro 2012 and Gerrard said: “He gives us space and free time but when we work we work hard. And if he sees anyone slacking he’s on us like a ton of bricks, which is the right way to do it.”
While next year will mark Gerrard’s World Cup swan song, it will also herald Gary Cahill’s first taste of football’s biggest carnival. “I tried to stop myself thinking about it before these two games,” the Chelsea defender said. “Now I think I can think about it and look forward to it. We have done the hard work to get there. Obviously there is more hard work to come. It’s something that you look forward to as a player.”
Meanwhile, England manager Roy Hodgson apologised on Thursday following British media reports that he offended a member of his squad by telling a joke about a monkey.
Several newspapers claimed that Hodgson told the joke at half-time of his side’s 2-0 win over Poland on Tuesday, which saw them qualify for next year’s World Cup in Brazil.
According to the reports, Hodgson encouraged his players to pass the ball to in-form Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend by telling a joke about a monkey being sent into space by US space agency NASA.
The word ‘monkey’ can have racist connotations, but although the joke concludes with the words “feed the monkey”, it is not racist in nature. Townsend is of Cypriot and Jamaican descent.
In a statement, Hodgson said: “I would like to apologise if any offence has been caused by what I said at half-time.
“There was absolutely no intention on my part to say anything inappropriate. I made this clear straight away to Andros in the dressing room.
“I also spoke to Andros again on Wednesday. He has assured me and the FA (Football Association) he did not take any offence, and understood the point I was making in the manner I intended.”
Hodgson received support from England striker Wayne Rooney, who wrote on Twitter on Thursday: “Seen the story on Roy this morning. He done nothing wrong. This is ridiculous.”
The joke, which reportedly emerged at NASA in the 1960s and 1970s, is about a man being sent into space for the first time alongside a monkey.
The astronaut becomes frustrated that the monkey is being asked to do all the work and radios mission control to ask what he should do.
NASA replies: “Don’t touch anything — just feed the monkey.”
Former England striker Stan Collymore was critical of the newspaper reports, writing on Twitter that the joke was inoffensive and that the story “demeans every anti-racism campaigner by having [a] cheap pop at RH (Hodgson) who said NOTHING WRONG.”
— With inputs from AFP
