Tony Adams: England are missing two key elements – a rock in defence and a champion goalkeeper
Arsenal veteran has opened up about his alcoholism, his imprisonment, his recovery and the immense highs and lows of his football career as he joins Sun Sport for the World Cup
SPEND two hours with Tony Adams and the former England captain will tell you about all kinds of things.
His alcoholism, his imprisonment, his recovery, the immense highs and lows of his football career and pride in his Sporting Chance Clinic, the leading provider of mental-health services for amateur and professional sports people.
Adams will even tell you how giving up booze helped him to pull the supermodel Caprice...
But occasionally, you’re reminded that Adams remains, at heart, an old- fashioned no-nonsense centre-half.
And while he is positive that England can punch above their weight at the World Cup, under his former team-mate Gareth Southgate, Adams is well aware of their shortcomings.
He said: “When it came to centre-halves, George Graham always said ‘If you ain’t got two good ones, play three’ and that seems to be Gareth’s thinking too.”
And what does he make of John Stones, the ball-playing Manchester City man likely to start at the centre of Southgate’s back three in England’s opener against Tunisia?
“Stones is technically very good but I’m reminded of a conversation a while back with a couple of 17-year-old defenders at Arsenal,” said Adams, a SunSport columnist during the World Cup.
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“I asked them ‘What’s your job?’. And this lad started off saying ‘Well, the modern-day centre-back . . . ’.
“I said ‘Stop, just stop. See that goal — your job is to stop the ball f***ing going in there!’.
“They talked about distribution from the back but I said ‘Have you done any heading sessions lately?’.
“Stats don’t change much — a third of goals come from set-plays and this tournament will be the same. This was my argument with Glenn Hoddle when he was England manager and he wanted Jamie Redknapp to play in my position.
“Sooner or later that ball is going to come into the box and your centre-half is going to have to deal with it.
“And 85 per cent of goals are scored inside the box.
“Stop teams coming into box and there’s an 85 per cent chance of them not scoring.
“Three at the back helps. Back fours today can be so narrow.
“Full-backs are becoming wingers and the winger ends up defending but none of them can defend . . .
“Teams who win World Cups usually have a real anchor, such as Sergio Ramos or Fabio Cannavaro. England haven’t got that rock.
“And we’re going into tournament without a Buffon, a champion goalkeeper and that’s let us down before.
“Great keepers and centre-backs were what the English were brought up on.
“I’d have liked it if Gareth had more experience among his coaching staff too.”
Adams also fears that England’s core of Tottenham players — who have impressed at club level without lifting a trophy — might not possess the winning mentality needed to succeed at a tournament.
He added: “You must be able to handle winning emotionally and mentally and if they don’t know how to win it, they aren’t going to win it.
“I’m really worried about these Tottenham players, I don’t think they know how to win. They’re very good players but at certain points in seasons and tournaments, you have to step up — there’s a psyche players must have.”
Adams describes Southgate as “perfect for the FA” and smiles about how smooth the England manager’s life has been compared with his own.
The Highbury legend said: “I love him, though and most people do. I’ve texted him and told them ‘There’s some f***ing idiots in this game but you’re one of the good ones’.
“Footballers often have huge egos but low self-esteem. I’ve seen people go to their graves because of their ego.
“But Gareth has always been naturally right-sized and that’s unusual.
“England have a kind draw up until the last eight and if they get that far it will be ‘Hallelujah!’.
“To go further and shoot above your odds, you’ve got to come up with something inventive.
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“The whole of a team can be better than the sum of the parts.
“The worst back four I ever played in individually was Dixon, Bould, Adams and Winterburn. But together we were ‘Thou shall not pass’.
“When you haven’t got the best players, you have to come up with something technically, tactically, even emotionally.
“I think with Gareth in charge and with the support network England now have, we’ll leave Russia proud of what we’ve done and the players will go back to their clubs as better human beings.”
Adams’ own experience of major tournaments varied wildly.
His maiden trip at Euro 88 was an “horrific” experience both personally and professionally.
After being skinned by Marco van Basten as Holland eliminated England, a 21-year-old Adams went on a heavy drinking session with team-mates.
Adams recalled: “During my alcoholism, I often wet the bed and I did so that night. The maid came in to the room holding her nose saying ‘Pee-pee’ and my room-mate, Viv Anderson, told all the lads. I was dying inside of shame and embarrassment.”
Even when Adams scored a belter against the Soviet Union, he was abused by England supporters — some of whom chased him aggressively at Luton Airport after the flight home.
Adams waited eight years for his next tournament, captaining England to the semi-finals in the golden summer of Euro 96.
But all the while he was ‘white-knuckling it’ — getting through the tournament without drinking only to hit rock-bottom with a final six-week bender when it was over.
By the time the next Euros came around in 2000, Adams recalls England having regressed tactically under Kevin Keegan, with the Racing Channel piped into the hotel, gambling rife and big sausages scoffed at team barbecues.
France 98 was the one tournament Adams genuinely enjoyed — despite it beginning with Hoddle replacing him as captain with Alan Shearer.
He said: “Before I’d have just got s**t-faced. Instead, I asked Glenn for his reasons.
“He told me he thought Alan would get awarded more penalties as captain. I said ‘I don’t think it’s a good reason but I accept your decision and will do my best’.”
England’s campaign was ended by a penalty shootout following the epic draw with Argentina, which included Michael Owen’s classic goal and David Beckham’s infamous red card.
Adams added: “When Becks was crying in the changing room afterwards, I told him ‘Chin up, you’re a young man who’ll have lots of opportunities — but quite frankly, son, you’ve f***ed it for me, that’s my last chance gone!’.
“It was the one tournament I fully felt part of. I was dating Caprice at that time and having a lot of fun.
“I couldn’t have slept with Caprice if I’d been drunk — she wouldn’t have accepted me peeing the bed every night . . . ”
