English hopes and dreams heading into the World Cup

British Steel: Are we there yet?

Could this be the look of the new England squad?

It has been a roller-coaster ride for anyone following the Barclays Premier League this season.Manchester United have been decimated by their bitter rivals on their home turf. The Special One has put Chelsea back in the title contention after two years of disappointment on the Premier League front.Manuel Pelligrini has shown his magic touch by ensuring that Manchester City do have a say in the league title. Brendan Rodgers has taken Liverpool from mid-table obscurity to title contenders.Roberto Martinez has established that Everton will take the fight for a place in Europe’s elite competition right down to the wire. Mauricio Pochettino has reassured that Southampton are no longer cannon fodder for the big teams.Tony Pulis has been instrumental in the metamorphosis Crystal Palace have undergone since their wayward start. But, what has been special about this season would be the rise and emergence of British players in the Barclays Premier League.

The fact that England were drawn against Italy,Costa Rica and Uruguay in the group stages of the 2014 World Cup, probably blew the air out of the English media. The usual hype and lofty expectations which were placed upon the shoulders of English stalwarts has been missing this time around. Many England fans would consider it a great achievement if The Three Lions were to get past the group stages.

In Italy, they face a team which knocked them out of Euro 2012 and in Uruguay, they face a mercenary in front of goal who leads the Premier League in goals and assists department. Roy Hodgson faces an uphill task in order to maintain his job as well as ensure the future of English Players. But all might not be lost for the Three Lions as some English players have proven to be better than their foreign counterparts in the Premier League this season.

Jordan Henderson : 4 goals and assisted 7 times. Raheem Sterling: 7 goals and 3 assists. Daniel Sturridge : 20 goals and 7 assists

Heading into Matchweek 35, Liverpool have scored 93 goals in the Premier League. The core of Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard have combined to score 44 goals and 27 assists. Given that 4 of those 93 goals were own-goals, British players alone in the red half of Merseyside were involved in 75(45 goals and 30 assists) of the 93 goals Liverpool have scored this season.

Jon Flanagan has upped his game since his horrendous mistake on the opening day of the 2011-12 season. His “defense-first” mentality has reaped rewards with shut outs against Southampton and Manchester United away from home. Kudos to Brendan Rodgers for churning out such wonderful numbers from homegrown players. It has truly been a really long time since British players themselves made a huge impact in the Premier League.

Wayne Rooney has been a source of inspiration for what has been an abysmal season for Manchester United. He has provided the team with 15 goals and 10 assists which would translate to being involved in 44% of the goals Manchester United have scored. He is a firm shout-out for an inclusion in the Premier League best XI of this season given his defensive prowess as well, wherein he has averaged a successful tackle per game and has cleared the ball 31 times this season.

His endless work-rate and “never give up” attitude for Manchester United have kept them in a relatively safe spot, although United are more used to being at the summit of the Premier League table. Southampton caught the Premier League viewers by surprise when they won resoundingly at Anfield earlier in the season, the 1-0 scoreline would not do justice to the way they outclassed the men in red. Securing draws against both the Manchester Clubs sent out a clear statement to the Premier League that they are here to stay.

The Southampton trio: Jay Rodriguez has scored 15 times and assisted thrice. Ricky Lambert has scored 11 times and has 10 assists to his name. Adam Lallana has 9 goals and 6 assists this season.

The British trio of Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez have combined together for 35 of the 50 goals the Saints have scored this season.The trio have also chipped in with 19 assists. Jay Rodriguez would stand third behind Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney if only the goals scored away from home were to be taken into account.

Luke Shaw has been something of a sensation as a Left-back for the Saints averaging 2.7 successful tackles a game and averaging 3.7 clearances a game. His no non-sense defending has shut down some of the best attackers this side of the world has to offer.He’s churning out wonderful numbers for a guy who’s just 18.

Rickie Lambert has been clinical from the penalty spot, scoring his last 34. One may wonder if he would be a solution to the heartbreaks England have suffered during penalty shoot-outs. Although the man from Kirkby might not be the young gun one would hope will stop the Three Lions’ spot-kick woes, we have seen a veteran Pirlo prove that a touch of inspiration can come from anywhere and anyone irrespective of their age.

Although Liverpool, Southampton and Manchester United may not encompass the entire Premier League, the numbers put up by some of these players have been really encouraging. They have also been instrumental in disproving the myth that English players are accustomed to only a single style of play.Gone are the days wherein playing long balls were considered an English style of play. This crop of English footballers have proven that they can not only adapt to tactics but deliver at the right moment. However, to expect these players to win England the most coveted prize in International football in a few months time would be fool hardy.However, they must be nurtured and developed in such a way that they can replicate their Premier League form.

The next generation of English footballers must learn that complacency will get them nowhere and must show the desire to improve incessantly. If they do show it, the Three Lions will be the team to fear and one can only imagine the damage they would do. As for now, they have proven that they can headline the Premier League, translating that success onto the International field would be quite a spectacle to watch and would clearly rank amongst the best the footballing world has to offer.