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with regards to the English safety-first mentality.
I do promote the tendency to play defense-first soccer and consider offensive strikes as potential risks against the defense. That said, it is hard to win a game if your team does not score. With any team, you need to recognize your own team's abilities and skill sets. If your team will be lucky to score a goal or two, then you definitely emphasize the defense and work for opportunistic goals. With a standout goalie, this is the recipe for an upset. Now, if your side has a potent attack, you definitely want to promote that while not leaving yourself unprotected in the back. This kind of strategy can work well if the entire team is on the same page. Everyone needs to know that they have both a offensive and defensive role to play. I think that your Brazil example reflects this balance and strategy.
I enjoy this soccer discussion. I don't have much to add regarding specific EPL players, though.