Germany legend Franz Beckenbauer has launched a scathing attack on the style of football played by England in their opening game of the World Cup against the USA, calling it ‘kick and rush’ football.
Beckenbauer, who captained Germany to World Cup victory in 1974 and also wore the armband in the final defeat to England in 1966, wasn’t impressed by England’s performance and told South African newspaper the Times that he believes the national team are suffering because of lack of quality English players playing in the Premier League.
“What I saw of the English against the USA had very little to do with football, said the man famously known as ‘Der Kaiser’.
“It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rushâ€.
“I am not sure if the England coach Fabio Capello can still change much there. The English are being punished for the fact that there are very few English players in the Premier League as clubs use better foreign players from all over the world,” he added.
