| The domestic season which followed the World Cup in Mexico established Chris Waddle as a genuinely outstanding English player, beyond the doubts of the last few who were still wondering. With Waddle ripping defences to shreds down the right flank, Tottenham Hotspur chased three trophies (although ultimately won none of them - third in the League, semi-final defeat in the League Cup and a loss in the FA Cup final was the sum of their efforts) and had a number of players with designs on the England team. This helped Waddle re-establish himself with his country, even though Barnes and his clubmate Hodge were still closely craving the left flank position for themselves, and it wasn't until the end-of-season Rous Cup fixtures that Chris started an England game on the right with Barnes down the left. Brazil were the Wembley visitors and the game ended 1-1, with Waddle still looking a tad fatigued (and upset) after the fruitless FA Cup final exertions of three days earlier. Robson, however, seemed quite convinced that Chris could fulfil his club role in an England shirt, even though international football generally had the resources to find players whose feet matched the flank they were asked to work. Waddle picked up an injury at the end of 1987 and missed the final two qualifiers for the 1988 European Championships, which England won with ease to seal a place at the finals in West Germany, before returning to the team - wide on the right, with Barnes on the left - as England tried an experimental 4-5-1 formation in Israel to account for Gary Lineker's absence. It didn't work, though could have suited Waddle as it was how Spurs played and featured his clubmate Clive Allen as a lone frontman. Chris was in and out of the team thereafter but was a clear and obvious member of Robson's squad for West Germany which had a right to feel confident about the tournament ahead. The nightmare which followed again pointed fingers at underachieving players, although this time Waddle wasn't castigated because after one anonymous game against the Republic of Ireland - which England lost 1-0 - Robson dropped him and brought back Steven for the next game against the Dutch. Waddle came on as a sub when the game was already lost, and then didn't feature at all in the pride-only third game against the Soviet Union. England were a disaster, largely through fatigue and an undetected illness for Lineker, and Robson was livid. Several international careers - Glenn Hoddle, Kenny Sansom, Mark Hateley (barring one more cap a whole four years later), Peter Reid, Dave Watson - were brought to an end but Waddle was still deemed the main choice for England's right flank. (Matthew Rudd) |