Two summers ago at the World Cup in South Africa, Steven Gerrard was preparing to lead England out in a pivotal knockout game, just as he will against Italy in the Euro 2012 quarter-final in Kyiv. But the similarities end there – this is a different English side, with a different manager, a different set-up and a different Gerrard.
The gut-wrenching 4-1 loss to Germany in 2010 brought the curtain down on a miserable World Cup campaign, complete with subpar on-field performances and disarray in the camp. With John Terry being stripped of the captaincy prior to the tournament, Gerrard found himself stepping into a tense situation with rumours of discontent proving to be a constant distraction. Talk of mutiny and players only meetings took matters from bad to worse, leading to their humbling exit. At that point, the future looked bleak.
But Euro 2012 has been another story altogether. Gerrard has had the full backing of manager Roy Hodgson, who wasted little time naming the Liverpool talisman as his captain, unlike his predecessor Fabio Capello who laboured continually over the issue. Despite Hodgson’s own disappointing spell at Anfield, he had seen more than enough to put his faith in the midfielder.
And Gerrard has not let him down, blossoming in the role and stringing together some of his best England performances during the group stage, with his Man of the Match display against Ukraine the pick of the bunch. There are numerous styles of captaincy and Gerrard’s lead by example approach might not be in line with Terry’s more vocal style, but it has been mightily effective. Given that many wrote off the senior members of the World Cup squad – Gerrard and Terry, in particular – after the debacle in South Africa, it has been revealing to note the key roles both have played thus far at Euro 2012.
"There’s a lot of belief and confidence in the dressing room — and that’s very different from South Africa," Gerrard explained. "At times, it feels like we’re unbreakable."
Hodgson added: "Steven has been fantastic ever since I was given the job. My first thought was to contact him and since then he hasn’t put a foot wrong as a captain, a person or a player. He’s playing like a captain should, as one of the best players in the tournament.”
It should not be forgotten either that Gerrard missed chunks of the 2011/12 Premier League season, starting just 12 league games as injuries derailed his campaign. The one silver lining is that he has come back fresher for England duty, without the mileage of a full league schedule. The energy and hunger were noticeable in every group stage game.
Now of course, the stakes are upped. England deserve a pat on the back for winning Group D, building momentum and avoiding a potential quarter-final with Spain. But that will count for little if they wilt in the spotlight against Italy.
The Azzurri represent a major test for Hodgson’s revived, steelier England as they look to progress to a major tournament semi-final for the first time since Euro ’96. Gary Neville, England’s assistant coach, was a key man 16 years ago and his involvement in the national team set-up has also had a steadying effect. The Italians are enjoying a revival of their own and are a more talented group than the Euro 2008 and 2010 World Cup teams but, make no mistake, England will be ready for the challenge.
As for Gerrard, his showdown with Italian maestro Andrea Pirlo in the midfield battleground will go a long way towards deciding the outcome of this quarter-final. The two went toe-to-toe in Champions League finals in 2005 and 2007 when Pirlo was at AC Milan and the Liverpool man will need to be at his best to break up play and launch counter attacks.
England and Gerrard have taken big strides since the 2010 World Cup shambles – and the next two weeks offer an opportunity to banish those memories completely and write a new upbeat chapter in the nation’s football history books. And, with a focused and on song Gerrard leading from the front, hopes and expectations are rightly building once again for England fans.
