England's 6 best performances since 66

[Gilps]

Guardian blog - any you'd disagree with?

 

The Joy of Six: England's best performances since '66

 

From Gazza to Germany via glorious failure, we recall England's finest hours.

 

Guardian UnlimitedMay 30, 2007 12:22 PM

 

1. 18/06/96: England 4-1 Holland, Euro 96, Wembley

 

The Dutch may have been divided, as ever, by infighting but never before or since have they been dismantled so thoroughly at a major tournament. England opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, Alan Shearer converting a penalty after Danny Blind had been fooled into a foul by a fabulous flick from Paul Ince. Steve McManaman, who tormented the Dutch throughout, won a corner on 53 minutes, which Paul Gascoigne swung to the far post for Teddy Sheringham to nod home powerfully. Four minutes later came the brilliant third, McManaman and Gascoigne picking their way through the Dutch defence before teeing up Sheringham who, instead of shooting, gently slotted it sideways for Shearer to hammer gratefully into the roof of the net. Sheringham added a fourth moments later, steering in the rebound from a Darren Anderton drive. England fans' joy was complete when Patrick Kluivert stole a late goal for the Dutch - and thereby deprived Scotland of a place in the quarter-finals.

 

 

2. 11/11/87: Yugoslavia 1-4 England, Euro 88 qualifier, Belgrade

 

At a time when Steve McClaren is trembling at the prospect of winning in fortress Estonia on the back of a timid display in mighty Israel, it's worth hailing an occasion when England travelled to a genuinely daunting destination - and tore into their hosts from the start. Needing to avoid defeat to be sure of reaching the finals in Germany, they sprung into the lead after just four minutes, when Peter Beardsley slid in to beat goalkeeper Mauro Ravnic to the ball and divert it into the net. Time to sit back, Sven-style? Not quite - England fired in another three in rapid succession (through John Barnes, Bryan Robson and Tony Adams) to go 4-0 up after 25 minutes and force the home side to switch to all-out defence just to avoid total humiliation. England relented sufficiently in the second half for Srecko Katanec to snatch a late consolation goal, the only time that Bobby Robson's men conceded in the entire qualifying campaign. "I am proud to have a long association with England going back to my playing days and I cannot recall a more emphatic first-half display overseas," gushed Robson afterwards. "We looked unbeatable in that opening half hour".

 

 

3. 30/06/98: Argentina 2-2 England (4-3 pens), World Cup second round, St Etienne

 

Glorious failure is such a painfully English phenomenon, but it is hard to be cynical about this performance. Either side of David Beckham's notorious (and unjust) red card, Glenn Hoddle's side gave masterful exhibitions of those two English football staples: high-octane attacking and then, with 10 men, backs-to-the-wall heroism. Knockout World Cup games between traditional heavyweights are normally defined by first-half sparring, but mutual antipathy changed the context of the game and the two sides traded blows from the start in a breakneck, four-goal first half. Diego Simeone dived for Gabriel Batistuta's early penalty; Michael Owen did likewise for Alan Shearer's almost immediate equaliser. And then it happened, Michael Owen's extraordinary solo goal. England should have gone 3-1 up but Paul Scholes missed a sitter, and they were made to pay in injury time when Argentina equalised with a sublimely worked free-kick. If that was beautifully two-footed, Beckham's attempts to show he could also use both feet were less impressive: he waved his left foot weakly at Simeone and was sent off. That left England with little option but to play for penalties and hope for the best. Or, at least, glorious failure.

 

 

4. 01/09/2001: Germany 1-5 England, World Cup 2002 qualifier, Munich

 

A freakish night when England deflected almost everything the Germans could throw at them and were clinical enough to capitalise on every chance that came their way - and all despite falling asleep to allow Carsten Jancker poke the home side into a sixth-minute lead. After 12 minutes, it was the Germans defenders' turn to slack off, as no less than three Englanders sprung their offside trap and Oliver Kahn charged off his line into no man's land to allow Nick Barmby to nod the ball down for Michael Owen to equalise. After the much-maligned David Seaman pulled off an outstanding save from Jörg Böhme to preserve parity, Steven Gerrard rifled in a 30-yarder on the stroke of half-time. The home side had more shots on target and 61% of the possession, but England continued to counterattack devastatingly after the break, and Germany continued to help them: on 47 minutes Kahn gifted Owen a second by fumbling his shot into the net after Emile Heskey had set up his tiny sidekick with a neat knockdown. Owen completed his hat-trick on 66 minutes, collecting a fine Gerrard through-ball before lifting it expertly over the outrushing Kahn. Heskey rounded off the rout on 73 minutes, sealing only the second home defeat Germany had ever suffered in World Cup qualification, and earning new manager Sven-Goran Eriksson a permanent place in a grateful nation's heart. OK, maybe not permanent.

 

 

5. 12/03/75: England 2-0 West Germany, friendly, Wembley

 

West Germany hadn't lost since winning the World Cup a year earlier. England hadn't beaten them since the World Cup final of 1966. But the burgeoning curse that the Germans held over English football was put on hold for one night only, as England celebrated the 100th international at Wembley by stuffing the world champions. On a luscious, rain-sodden surface, England passed Germany to death, with Stoke's Alan Hudson playing so sensationally on his debut that no one would have believed he'd go on to one just one more cap. Hudson's choice wasn't quite Hobson's Choice, but the pragmatic manager Don Revie didn't do mavericks and Hudson's abundant ability - he was one of a phalanx of rebellious raw talents who barely got a look-in in the 70s - couldn't change that. Hudson was one of three debutants, along with the long-forgotten full-back pairing of Steve Whitworth and Ian Gillard, and West Germany could not handle England's effervescence and hunger (apart from Colin Bell and Alan Ball, the team had just 62 caps between them). Hudson made the first for Bell, and then Malcolm MacDonald headed in a second from Bell's cross.

 

 

6. 25/04/90: England 4-2 Czechoslovakia, friendly, Wembley

 

These days England friendlies carry the gravitas of a Big Mac meal, but this pre-Italia 90 funfest, against a wily, accomplished Czechoslavakia side, was significant enough to change Paul Gascoigne's life. Before it he had started only one game for England, was mistrusted by Bobby Robson and wasn't even certain of a place in the World Cup squad. Ninety minutes of the purest genius later he was irreplaceable. If this was a World Cup audition, then Gascoigne's performance was up there with Betty's in Mulholland Drive. Except this was no dream. Gascoigne was every bit as wired as during his career-wrecking display in the FA Cup final on the same ground a year later, but here that frenzy manifested itself in an extraordinary, all-action display. He may have been as daft as a brush but he bristled from the off. After Tomas Skuhravy's opener, he raked a glorious 30-yard pass over the top for Steve Bull to spank in a stunning equaliser, and then his corner led to Stuart Pearce's first goal for England. Shortly after half-time Gascoigne danced past two on the right before planting a perfect cross on the head of Bull and, after Lubos Kubik's free-kick made it 3-2, Gascoigne crowned the game of his life with a glorious goal in the last minute, taking Tony Dorigo's crisp pass, bustling past two defenders and lashing the ball into the roof of the net. A star was born.

[Nerik]

Watched 5 out of those 6 and indeed they were some of the best games England featured in out of those I have seen. Would put the Italia 90 semi in there as well as England played very well on the day.

[Cobs]

friendly matches ?

 

i'd replace them with

 

the 0-0 away to Italy to qualify for France 98

the 1-1 in the S/F of Italia 90

[PhilM]

How was Beckham's sending off unjust? He kicked Simeone, regardless of Simeone's theatrics.

[matty]

It's hard to find six competitive games where England have played really well in 40 f***ING YEARS!!!!!!

 

ye gods.

[Cobs]

thinking back now

 

beating the French (Platini, Giresse, Tigana, et al) 3-1 in Espana '82 should deffo be there

 

maybe beating the Poles in Mexico '86 - Lineker's hat-trick and all that

 

 

 

we haven't been all that have we?

[Florist Cinema Pond Goal]

I can only remember 2 games since the 5-1 where England have really performed, both against Argentina funnily enough - the group stage match at WC 02 and the friendly in 06.

[Gilps]

thinking back now

 

beating the French (Platini, Giresse, Tigana, et al) 3-1 in Espana '82 should deffo be there

 

maybe beating the Poles in Mexico '86 - Lineker's hat-trick and all that

we haven't been all that have we?

 

That France game definitely should be in there

[Hassony]

what about the 2-2 draw against greece, or the 6-0 demolition of Jamaica

[Cobs]

what about the 2-2 draw against greece, or the 6-0 demolition of Jamaica

Typical SKY generation fan

[Nebraska Red]

who the heck cares?

[Conrad]

England 2 Italy 0 1977 wembley - keegan and brooking

[Bo Benn]

What? No mention of games against Sweden during the last 30 years?

 

 

 

...sorry couldn't resist bringing that up

[charlie clown]

England 2 Italy 0 1977 wembley - keegan and brooking

 

I think that was the one I was thinking of as well - was it the game where Steve Coppell and Peter Barnes played, first time England had played with two proper wingers for decades and they ripped into what at the time was a very impressive Italian side?

 

Funny as well that there are no games from the 70 world cup - I remember it just about but not in anyway that I could say what the quality of the football was like. But it was supposed to have been a better side than the 66 one.

[John am Rhein]

If the're including friendlies (which is daft) then England had an excellent performance in a friendly away to Spain in the mid/late 80s. Won 4-0 or something (?)

 

One of the best I saw England play was in the 3-1 win over Scotland when Keegan and Brooking combined for that 1-2 goal they used to show every 10 seconds. 1980?

[Cobs]

If the're including friendlies (which is daft) then England had an excellent performance in a friendly away to Spain in the mid/late 80s. Won 4-0 or something (?)

 

4-2

 

 

 

another (if you're including friendlies) is beating Brazil 2-0 in the Maracana when Barnes scored that millstone goal

[Rich Gobey]

England 3-1 Argentina at Wembley in 1980. When David Johnson got a couple o' goals.

 

The first International I ever went to, Diego Maradonna played too as did many of their world cup winners.

[Will]

England 3-1 Argentina at Wembley in 1980. When David Johnson got a couple o' goals.

Bloody hell - I remember that game being featured in the first ever issue of Match magazine I bought - I think I bought it in York as well. And there is no reason I should remember that really

[Guest Pete B]

Have England actually performed well six times since 1966?

 

The only one that really stands out for me is the 1-5 in Germany.

 

I think we won 0-8 in Turkey in 1987, but that was when Turkey were rubbish.

 

The 1-3 in Rio when John Barnes scored that great goal in 1981.

 

The 4-1 at Wembley against Holland in the 1996 European Championships.

 

That's four, I shall have to ponder the other two - maybe any time that Frank Lampard has scored for England??

[Cobs]

The 1-3 in Rio when John Barnes scored that great goal in 1981.

0-2 1984

[John am Rhein]

another (if you're including friendlies) is beating Brazil 2-0 in the Maracana when Barnes scored that millstone goal

 

England didn't play particularly well in that one, though. Nor for that whole tour, in fact.

[Guest Pete B]

0-2 1984

 

Thanks, I remember now. I think it's old age