What if... England qualified for the World Cup in 1994?

Romantic Nihilist

[FONT=&quot]What if... England qualified for the 1994 World Cup?[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Wednesday 13th October 1993. England vs Holland. Both teams needed a win to keep their World Cup dreams alive. England were rejuvenated after a comprehensive victory over Poland while Holland had thrashed minnows San Marino. It was Graham Taylor’s last stand; he was already savagely treated in the media as an ‘enemy of football’... he needed one last roll of the dice to save England’s hopes for a chance at winning the ultimate prize.
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[FONT=&quot]England vs Holland[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]England started brightly but fell foul to a Frank Rijkaard goal which shook them. They almost conceded another to talisman Dennis Bergkamp and were visibly relieved at half time. Taylor needed to act fast – he was quoted as needing ‘a little luck’. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]As the second half took hold, England took hold of the match and suddenly Holland were on the back foot. Shearer and Platt especially were causing problems for the Dutch defence as the offence progressed further with furious haste. ‘A little luck’ came in the form of an Andy Sinton long ball which David Platt gained with a blistering run. Ronald Koeman however had other ideas and dragged him down just inside the penalty box. Swarms of orange and white shirts surrounded the referee in protest as he reached for the red card. Koeman was sent off with little complaint on his behalf. However, the penalty was still to be taken...[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Alan Shearer was considered one of the best strikers in England and it was of no surprise when he took on the responsibility. With one look at the keeper, he struck the ball with power as goalkeeper Ed de Goey could only watch it sail into the top right corner of the net. 1-1. And the drama has only just begun.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Without their captain, Holland seemed lost though their strikeforce was as deadly as ever – testing David Seaman countless times. But the defence left more to be desired. Clumsy tackles resulted into inviting free kicks which a frustrated Dick Advocaat could be seen with his head in his hands at the touchline. Paul Merson stepped up for one of these free kicks as the clock ticked. Ian Wright could be seen at the edge of the pitch awaiting his substitution as Taylor watched on.
But Merson made no mistake as his strike took a minor clip on the post and ricocheted into the net. 2-1 to England and suddenly every England had a reason to hope again.
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[FONT=&quot]As Holland tried in vain for an equalizer, England controlled the match right down to the final whistle. As The Sun printed with the following issue "Do I Like That!" The following victory over San Marino confirmed the joyous truth: England were going to the World Cup. [/FONT]
 
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mattep74

If they simply just takes the Neatherlands spot in the world cup and the draw is the same England ends up in the weakest group facing Saudi Arabia, Belgium and Morocco. They will win the group and i think they will avoid loosing to Belgium. This will have butterflies for the ranking of third placed teams in the tournament. USA and Italy now get different opponents. The last third spot might go to Russia as OTL if Belgium gets a worse goal difference.

So we get a round of 16 between Germany and USA and Brazil vs Italy. The lucky draw is Nigeria that now faces Russia/Belgium. England faces Ireland.

The winner of Brazil vs Italy now faces England 9 times out of 10.(because Ireland will not be a problem). Remember Brazil vs Italy in the final? Not a plesant game to watch.

Germany vs USA in 1994 isnt as one sided as one can belive. Remember, in 94 Germany went out in the quarter finals against Bulgaria.

Nigeria vs Russia/Belgium will be intresting and that winner will face Spain.
 

Bantamtim

Taylor gets a stay of execution and as long as England don't embarrass themselves in the World Cup he stays in charge until Euro 96. That probably butterflies away the "Football's Coming Home" revolution caused by England's excellent performance in that tournament - I don't see England doing anywhere near as well with Taylor instead of Venables.

Who do you think would be in an England World Cup squad in 1994? A couple of interesting names who never got to go to a major international competition with England are Andy Cole, who scored 34 goals for Newcastle that season, and Matt Le Tissier, who was probably at his peak and was basically the entire Southampton team.

Goalkeepers: Seaman, Flowers - who else?

Defenders: Paul Parker, Lee Dixon and Rob Jones will be going for the right back spot, while Graeme Le Saux was emerging as a left back option along with Stuart Pearce. Tony Adams and Gary Pallister are obvious options at centre back - anyone else?

Midfield: Paul Ince, David Batty, David Platt. I think Gazza may have been injured at this point. Darren Anderton is an emerging option on the wings, while Paul Merson and Le Tissier are creative midfield options. Lee Sharpe is an interesting wildcard - was still just about in England contention at this point and is naturally left sided, while John Barnes may come along as an experienced option. Alternatively we take Andy Sinton and Carlton Palmer and the entire world laughs at us.

Strikers: Shearer, Cole, Beardsley, Ian Wright? It's too soon for Robbie Fowler. Other options are Les Ferdinand and maybe another wildcard in Chris Sutton?

I don't see this side doing that well at the 94 WC, though there is some talent there if it's used correctly, especially up front.
 

sharlin

Banned
The usual thing that happens over here. The whole country goes berserk thinking that we'll do it this time. That fecking song 'vindaloo' is rolled out AGAIN, we do reasonably well and then loose on penalties to a European rival.
 

Romantic Nihilist

[FONT=&quot]This is what I came up with. I can butterfly away both Palmer and Sinton.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]England Team for the World Cup in 1994[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]David Seaman, Chris Woods, Tim Flowers[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Graeme Le Saux, Stuart Pearce, Robert Jones, Tony Dorigo, Paul Parker, Gary Pallister,
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[FONT=&quot]MF[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]David Platt, Paul Gascoigne, David Batty, Matthew Le Tissier, Paul Ince, John Barnes, Paul Merson, Lee Sharpe[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]CF[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Alan Shearer, Ian Wright, Peter Beardsley, Les Ferdinand, Andy Cole[/FONT]
 

Stateless

I think Tony Adams would get a place in the team. Lee Dixon and Des Walker are also likely additions - Walker played in all but one of the qualifiers, and Dixon was also a regular. I'd definitely put Dixon instead of Le Saux. Not sure about where Walker and Adams would fit in. 5 strikers seems a lot for Taylor to take, given that he often played with only 1 striker. Drop Beardsley, who was out of favour with Taylor at the time.
 

Romantic Nihilist

[FONT=&quot]The Second Round – First Match v Saudi Arabia[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]England came into the World Cup in high spirits. After some convincing wins in the preceding friendlies, it seemed the stuttering start to the qualifying was all but forgotten. The England team were not free from criticism however: many clamoured for the removal of Taylor and wished for several alternatives to lead the Three Lions.
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[FONT=&quot]The first obstacle was choosing the squad. Taylor’s old faithful Carlton Palmer was left out due to an injury sustained during a Sheffield Wednesday game (even more tragically, it halted his rumoured move to Leeds United). Andrew Sinton was also left out the squad due to injury though little of the media found any cause to complain. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Players like Gascoigne, Shearer, Platt and Pearce were chosen almost automatically. Andy Cole was chosen due to his blistering form at Newcastle and represented the new generation of footballers at Taylor’s disposal.
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[FONT=&quot]But the main focus was on Group F. England were drawn into the same group as Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Belgium. Taylor was relieved they had been drawn into such a soft group though he was wary all the same. “We are particularly blessed with the group we have been drawn into though the worst thing would be to expect nine points before we even start! We are looking for maximum points in our first game and we’re taking it one game at a time”.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]England vs Saudi Arabia[/FONT]

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[FONT=&quot]England started brilliantly with Shearer almost scoring within the first three minutes. Though they resisted, the Saudi squad could not contain his efforts. It was at the 15 minute mark that he finally found the net. David Platt did most of the work; drawing out the defenders before sliding the ball to Shearer who made no mistake in front of goal. 1-0 to England.
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[FONT=&quot]The rest of the half was dominated by England though they had to wait until the 45th minute before they could add to their goal tally. A corner kick was converted with a simple tap in from Alan Shearer who was the cornerstone to the whole attack. 2-0 to England.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The second half began though it was of a more passing game as Saudi Arabia tried to claw back into the game. They came close as Amin hit the bar and Al-Owairan had his effort cleared off the line by Stuart Pearce. Taylor made the first of his substitutions as he brought on Andy Cole for Shearer much to the surprise of the team. Cole wasted no time stamping his authority on the team. In the 80th minute, Gascoigne stole the ball from Amin and after a few clever turns, found Andy Cole in space who blasted the ball far beyond the goalkeeper. 3-0 to England.
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[FONT=&quot]Gascoigne himself had an effort saved late on in the game as the referee blew the final whistle. A good performance increased the spirit as many pundits tipped England to top the group with none of the doubt of before. But, there was Belgium and Morocco to come.[/FONT]
 

Bantamtim

I think Gascoigne was injured in the summer of 1994, so I can't see Taylor taking him along. I'd also suggest that the squad is striker-heavy, especially as Taylor is likely to see Le Tissier as a second forward rather than a midfielder - I could see Les Ferdinand dropping out.

Chris Woods had been dropped as first choice in 1993 - it's very possible that there would be a different 3rd keeper. Kevin Pressman played a couple of B internationals around this point, while Nigel Martyn was already capped.

So, for keepers:

Seaman, Flowers, Woods/Pressman/Martyn

The right back slot has three real contenders - Lee Dixon, Paul Parker and Rob Jones. Dixon is a fairly certain pick, so him and one of these two - possibly Parker for his greater versatility.

At left back Graeme Le Saux and Stuart Pearce are the standout options, with Tony Dorigo and Nigel Winterburn also having a slight chance of getting in.

Centre backs - Des Walker, Gary Pallister, Tony Adams. If we pick another one rather than relying on Pearce and Parker to cover, Martin Keown or Steve Bould are options or possibly John Scales.

Midfield - lacks real wide options, particularly on the left. Darren Anderton was emerging as a talent on the right and could've got in, and there is a slight possibility of Steve McManaman getting in as well - he made his debut later in 1994. Stuart Ripley had been in and around the squad at that time, and John Barnes had moved a bit more central for Liverpool by that point, while Lee Sharpe was busy not fulfilling his potential. I fear that an Andy Sinton or Jason Wilcox may sneak their way in, or Merson could get shunted wide. Centrally, Batty, Ince and Platt are fairly obvious choices, as is Gascoigne if he doesn't break his leg. Le Tissier may come along as a creative option, though he may also get shoved into the front line. I can still see Carlton Palmer coming along - this isn't an idealised "how would you have managed England in 1994" otherwise I would be building the team around Le Tissier, and he was a Taylor favourite. Dennis Wise could also be picked for the central midfield.

Strikers: Shearer is an obvious choice and I can see Ian Wright being picked as well. Les Ferdinand or Andy Cole are options as well as Peter Beardsley and of course Le Tissier.

So, the potential squad:
Seaman, Flowers, Woods/Pressman/Martyn
Dixon, Parker/R Jones, Le Saux, Pearce, Walker, Adams, Pallister
Batty, Ince, Platt, Merson, Anderton, Barnes, Palmer/Wise, +1 winger (Ripley, Sinton, Sharpe, McManaman?)
Shearer, Cole/Ferdinand, Wright, Le Tissier/Beardsley

Actually not a bad squad if managed correctly, though the right back options and wide options are fairly uninspiring. I'd love someone like Paul Ince in our midfield at the moment, for example.
 

mattep74

Romantic Nihilist said:
“We are particularly blessed with the group we have been drawn into though the worst thing would be to expect nine points before we even start! We are looking for maximum points in our first game and we’re taking it one game at a time
Click to expand...

HAHA, thats fun. And here is how the tabloids would spinn it.

ENGLAND WILL SWEEP THE GROUP
 

Romantic Nihilist

Bantamtim said:
I think Gascoigne was injured in the summer of 1994, so I can't see Taylor taking him along.
Click to expand...

I butterflied away that injury (he did play a friendly against Denmark in '94) and decided to sacrifice Palmer and Sinton (I thought it was a fair trade-off plus... there's nothing more depressing than writing about those two...).

The team sheet I uploaded was an example. I haven't really decided on who is in the final 11. I'll just wing it aha - it's practice for my next timeline (but that's a secret for now).
 

Romantic Nihilist

England vs Belgium

[FONT=&quot]The Second Round – Second Match v Belgium[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]The hype machine was truly up to eleven as England traveled to Orlando to face Belgium. The Sun (despite their previous vehement opposition to Graham Taylor) proclaimed an easy victory for the Three Lions. Taylor however, refused to let the optimism go to his head. In a now-famous interview he claimed ‘Belgium is a talented side. But we have the players to cause them problems and make our lives easier within this group.’ Little did he know how those words would be repeated after the match.
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[FONT=&quot]England vs Belgium[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The match started at an even tempo with both sides trading chances. The deadlock refused to break – even with efforts of Platt and Gascoigne controlling the midfield. Andy Cole was guilty of a particularly glaring miss when goalkeeper Preud’homme clawed away a Shearer effort into his path which the young striker sent just over the crossbar. It seemed England would be close to finding the breakthrough until a mistake by Pearce and a scrappy clearance by Dixon resulted in a Belgium corner at the 45 minute mark. The corner was whipped in, deflected off Seaman onto the head of defender Albert who punished the lapse severely. 1-0 to Belgium. Half time arrived soon after and suddenly, the tabloids began sharpening their knives...
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[FONT=&quot]The second half showed an England switching to a more offensive formation. Cole and Shearer demanded more of the ball as Gascoigne and the rest of the midfield pushed further in hopes of an equalizer. After several long-ball attempts were snuffed out by the stoic Belgium defence, England’s midfield took the mazy route of fast passing dazzling runs. Andy Cole came close to scoring after connecting with a Platt cross though Preud’homme did well to save his effort.
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[FONT=&quot] The clock ticked as Belgium seemed comfortable with their lead and an irate Taylor was heard yelling at his demoralised squad. It was fast approaching the 85th minute and it seemed the headlines were already written.[/FONT]
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Gascoigne, the talisman of the 1990 World Cup felt otherwise. After stealing the ball in midfield, he found acres of space due to a rare lapse in the Belgium defence and thundered forwards past any who dared to approach him. Shearer saw his teammates run and darted into the box where a cross was floated in. Slipping his marker, he chested the ball and sent it straight into the roof of the net. A collective sigh of relief could be heard all around the stadium as Shearer celebrated his goal thus preserving England’s route into the next round. England 1-1 Belgium.
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[FONT=&quot]Then, the remained minutes flew by as the referee blew the final whistle. England had survived a scare –but barely. Though the result was not to the satisfaction of the fans in white.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]The Aftermath[/FONT]


[FONT=&quot]Taylor’s squad was derided in the press due to playing a defensive formation and the supposed lack of cohesion from the wings and side-backs. Various headlines were thrown about by the more unforgiving tabloids (TURNIPS ALMOST SPROUTS being the most ridiculous). However, Taylor remained confident and stuck by his squad ‘Yes, we made some mistakes but overall it was a good performance. We shouldn’t have conceded such a goal but now we know we must learn to avoid such mistakes in the Morocco game. The lads know what must be done as do I. There will be some surprises this World Cup, you’ll see’.[/FONT]
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[FONT=&quot]Hopefully, those surprises will be of benefit to a squad who now have four points from two games.[/FONT]
 

Hugo Strange

19 June 1994 Orlando, Florida
Belgium - Morocco 1-0

20 June 1994 Washington D.C.
England - Saudi Arabia 3-0

25 June 1994 East Rutherford, New Jersey
Saudi Arabia - Morocco 2-1

25 June 1994 Orlando, Florida
England - Belgium 1-1

Team-Pld-W- D - L - GF-GA-GD-Pts
ENG - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 4 - 1 - +3 - 4
BEL - 2 - 1 - 1 - 0 - 2 - 1 - +1 - 4
SAR - 2 - 1 - 0 - 1 - 2 - 4 - -2 - 3
MOR - 2 - 0 - 0 - 2 - 1 - 3 - -2 - 0


Table is a bit messy, but hopefully you can figure it out. ;)
Also, you may want to consider the weather in Orlando that time of year. I remember the temperature hitting something like 35 degrees Celcius when some of the matches were being played. :eek:

But great story line, can't wait to read more. :)
 

Bantamtim

35 degree heat and the "traditional English" way of playing, involving charging around and not actually keeping the ball? This cannot end well at all.
 

Romantic Nihilist

The Second Round – England v Morocco
Though England was through, the final group standings were still to be decided. Belgium was expected to sweep Saudi Arabia while England had to face the softest team Morocco. Team morale was still high; even if the papers were overly cautious.

The team remained largely unchanged though one difference in midfield had brought condemnation and praise in equal measure: Gascoigne would miss the match due to a minor injury sustained against Belgium. His replacement was the Southampton talisman Matt Le Tissier.



The Sun’s headline ‘TAKING LE TISS’ was either meant to be sardonic or clever but Graham Taylor was having none of the criticism “Before this lad has even stepped onto the pitch, he’s getting criticized for not playing for the big clubs. It really shows the influence of tabloids when fans will run their own team into the ground”. Le Tissier would have to show some of the magic that made him such a success at The Dell.


England v Morocco

The match started at an even flow though it was evident England had lost some pace in midfield. A few long balls went to waste before Platt took charge with a passing game. Ian Wright started ahead of Andy Cole and was instrumental in the first wave of attacks, neatly side-stepping goalie Khalil Azmi before striking the side-netting.

Before long, Ince’s dominance in midfield found Shearer who struck the bar with a powerful strike. After a scramble by the defence, Matt Le Tissier stole the ball from the indecisive Khalej and launched a floated ball from 25 yards into the top corner. 1-0 to England.



Le Tissier toyed with the defenders from then on. Though he had little pace, he was able to literally walk the ball past defenders and find Wright and Shearer with ease; even finding time to let off a volley or two. Before long, a parried shot from Le Tissier found its way into the path of Shearer who punished the mistake. 2-0 to England.


Half time came and suddenly the pressure was off. But as they say, football can be a funny old game.


Not long into the second half, a counter-attack led to an unlikely goal as Hassan Nadar gave Morocco hope from close range. Pearce and Dixon were to blame for poor marking and Seaman had no chance. Despite the sapping heat, England had to soldier on. A bad result would not bode well for the next match.


Morocco stuck to a defensive formation; marking Le Tissier yet giving Shearer free reign outside the penalty box. He took few chances which were easily smothered by the opposing goalkeeper.



Wright, not be outdone, tried a jinking run into the six yard box where he collapsed under a hasty challenge from Smahi Triki. He was duly substituted for Andy Cole. Though Shearer wanted to take the penalty, he left it for Le Tissier who was renowned for his ability. He made no mistake. 3-1 to England.



The game pretty much lost pace after that goal; England was anxious not to concede another and Morocco was sluggish in attack. Few players made an attempt to force any attack though when the final whistle rang, it was the result that counted.



The Aftermath

England finished top of their group above Saudi Arabia, while Belgium finished third place. Morocco took the early flight home with no points. Le Tissier’s performance was widely praised and his 25 yard volley was considered one of the best goals in the tournament. Even as his effectiveness dipped slightly in the second half, he earned the respect of even the most cynical of journalists.



Gascoigne’s injury was not as serious as it seemed though starting the next match seemed unlikely, but for Le Tissier it was another chance to prove himself. Shearer was also on fine form, scoring almost at will and Platt was as tireless as ever. Though there were flaws, it appeared things were finally coming together for once.
 
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