2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup Views and Analysis
By Glenn Kirkham of East Grinstead Hockey Club
Glenn Kirkham made 223 appearances for England and Great Britain and retired from international hockey at the age of 31 in 2013. Glenn competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games in Beijing and London respectively as well as Commonwealth Games, World Cups, European Nations and Champions Trophy competitions. Glenn won the European Nations in 2009 with England, defeating Germany 5:3 in the final and is considered to have been one of the most consistent performers to have graced the England and Great Britain sides.
Great result against Malaysia; what do you think were the positives other than the result ?
It was a really good result and one that the team couldnt afford to let slip. Result aside, I again felt that we were strong defensively (highlighted by a clean sheet) and I was also impressed with how many chances we created and had it not been for the heroics, and good fortune on occasion, by the Malaysian keeper it could well have been more. A number of those less experienced players in the squad are starting to look more comfortable and the older heads are playing well.
Two big games coming; what do we need to make it through to the semis in terms of outcomes against Australia and Belgium ?
Given the result between the two sides, a win against Belgium puts us in with a really good chance. The Australia and Belgium match was a high class game played at a ferocious intensity and really set the standard for the group. That said, England have been so strong defensively and so well organised that I believe they are going to be a real match for both teams. In recent years we've done well against both teams in major competitions and hopefully this will continue.
Australia - as ever - have been setting the pace in our group; do you think their position at the top is a fair reflection of their performance and capability…?
I think so. Its the pace and physical nature of their game that is the difference between themselves and the rest at the moment. I do feel that England are the team to be able to match them in these two departments and so I feel we can definitely get a positive result.
Jamie Dwyer has been one of the top rated players in the world for many years now; however his name has not been hitting headlines as much as in previous times. Who are the danger players in the Australia side we might not be so familiar with ?
Jamie is quite rightly regarded as one of the best players to have played the game and his pace, skill and finishing ability made him a diificult proposition for opposing teams. I believe it's more a case that the strength in depth of the Australian squad means that they don't need to rely on him to be the match winner and therefore he doesn't necessarily stand out quite so much as he did a few years back.
The likes of Knowles, Ockendon, Orchard and Kavanagh have been impressive players for Australia for a lengthy spell now but the really exciting talent for me is Jake Whetton. He's quick, makes intelligent runs and is a natural in front of goal. I feel that he's the player that the English team need to make sure doesn't get a sniff.
The England team has had to manage a lot of complications during this tournament; Iain Lewers has just started to play after his dead leg, Dan Fox suffered quite a major blow on the leg and of course Ashley has been nursing his shoulder. Can you recall another tournament when England had to deal with all these challenges and how do you think the management team and squad are handling them ?
We used to have tournaments on the continent where illness would be an issue but I'm not sure I can quite remember a tournament where injuries have been such a common occurrence. It's great to see Lewers back on the pitch, he brings so much to the team not only in his technical skills and work rate but also in leading and organising and it's crucial to have him available for the Australia and Belgium games. With regards to Ashley, as long as he is able to get onto the pitch you know he'll give you absolutley everything he can. With all that said, I've been really impressed with the whole squad effort and I absolutely believe we are in a good position to take on the Aussies.
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