Why Ross Barkley could be the key as England prepare to play without the ball in Spain

England boss Roy Hodgson has the task of picking a team who can counter-attack effectively

THE elite are about to ask for their ball back.

 

Roy Hodgson has become accustomed to being without many of his England players during an international get-together but the prospect of his side being starved of possession will present a whole new set of conundrums.

England’s qualifying campaign for Euro 2016 has been a doddle and, as a result, they have dominates their rivals with possession percentages of up to 78 per cent against San Marino but more often than not in the range of 60%.

Yet when England are confronted by the likes of Spain’s Sergio Busquets and Thiago Alcantara in Alicante on Friday night – players who regard a stray pass as a catastrophe – the emphasis will switch to how organised England are when denied the ball and how effective they are when they do wrestle back possession.

It is a friendly which demands a different mind-set, England will play on the counter-attack, and piecing together a team that can post a positive performance in those circumstances is the test Hodgson must show he can pass.

 

The possibility of playing Albania one day next June and A-list opposition three days later means switching between formations and personnel could be critical to not only the nation's hopes but Hodgson's desire to extend his England reign.

"You cannot play the same way as when you are team that needs to break the opposition down and you are the team that is going to have the ball if you want it," said Everton manager Roberto Martinez, whose intrigue at how the likes of John Stones and Ross Barkley perform will pep his interest in the game as much as any link through his Catalan roots.

"It is very different when you face a team that you know is going to have more of the ball.

It is a friendly which demands a different mindset, England will play on the counter-attack, and piecing together a team that can post a positive performance in those circumstances is a test Hodgson must pass.

 



England will have to deal with being starved of posession by the likes of Sergio Busquets (pictured)



The possibility of playing Albania one day next June and A-list opposition three days later means switching between formations and personnel could be critical to not only the nation’s hopes but also Hodgson’s desire to extend his England reign.

“You cannot play the same way when you are a team who need to break the opposition down and when you are the team who are going to have the ball if you want it,” said Roberto Martinez.

The Everton manager, despite his Catalan links, will be intrigued to see how John Stones and Ross Barkley perform against the Spanish.

“It is very different when you face a team who you know are going to have more of the ball,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean you won’t have a strong performance or strong say in the game. When you have a group of players to choose from like England, they can set the team up the way they want.

“You don’t need to have possession in order to be affective in the game as long as you have the right players. That is the big difference between a club and a nation.

 



Everton boss Roberto Martinez is interested to see how his players will do against Spain



“A nation can play a game very specifically and be very flexible depending on the opposition you are playing. As a nation you only need to win that game. It is just about that game.

“As a club, I don’t think you can get away with that. You need to know what you are good at in order to win over 10 months.

“It will be a real test of how England use their squad in a different way because you are playing against probably the best team in the world in terms of possession.

“It is probably the type of challenge they need going into the Euros because it is completely different to what they encountered in the group.”

There are only three occasions since the World Cup when Hodgson has seen his players enjoy less possession than their opponents.

They came in both the qualifiers with Switzerland, and the friendly with Scotland a year ago.

 



Martinez reckons Ross Barkley will be key for England on the counter-attack against Spain



England won all three matches and, because their rivals did not simply man the barricades, it suited Hodgson’s side and the players who can light up a game in an instant.

Danny Welbeck’s goals in the 2-0 victory over the Swiss in the first qualifier were the perfect example of how to play on the counter-attack, with Raheem Sterling heavily involved.

Welbeck will again be missing in the Jose Rico Perez Stadium when Martinez believes the “first four seconds” after Spain lose possession will be key for England.

Unsurprisingly, he nominates Everton attacking midfielder Barkley as an England player who possesses the talent to capitalise.

“People will look at what he does defensively but what I look at is what Ross can do offensively against these sort of teams,” said Martinez.

 

England's possession stats throughout their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign

“Because against these teams, when they lose the ball, there is space, but you need pace and power to break into that space.

“Ross gives you that. Those four seconds as soon as you win the ball, who can affect the game then in transition? He is the best in the business.

“If England don’t want to play like that and just wait and get set and have the ball, then Ross is not special.

“It depends what England want from Ross really. We have got to that point now where Ross knows how special he is and what he does.

“England, and depending on how they want to use him, is going to (determine whether he will) be influential or not.”