[Archived] England Decline Must End

[roversfan99]

I love Tydlesley's "pun" tonight: "Now we just need to find Ibrahimovic's English grandmother..."

Why, is she better than Sturridge?

Why do you watch England matches, when you have continually claimed that they bore you and you don't support your national team, just to seemingly get kicks from them not succeeding?

It's a shame that Sweden won't be going to the World Cup. Martin Olsson, Zlatan, the girls...always considered them a tournament side.

Ronaldo is some player though. 47th goal in 109 caps and apparently his 31st in the last 19 games.

France win 3-0 and are through as well.

Portugal, France, Croatia, Greece, Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Nigeria, Ecuador, Honduras, Chile, Colombia, USA, Costa Rica, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Iran, Brazil, Argentina, Holland, England, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Russia, Bosnia, Spain and most likely Mexico and Uruguay will be the teams at the World Cup.

Although that's 30 so there's 2 missing.

Martin Olsson is a terrible left back. Even if he is trying, something he didn't bother to do all last year.

His only good season was under Big Sam as a winger.

[Amo]

Why do you watch England matches, when you have continually claimed that they bore you and you don't support your national team, just to seemingly get kicks from them not succeeding?

Now you're getting it.

[jim mk2]

Question: why are Germany always better than England on the football field and why is the German economy so much more powerful than ours?

Answer: they are disciplined and they do the basics right.

Wembley tonight was a perfect example and thoroughly depressing from our point of view.

[Audax]

Like you I'm happy with tonight's WC results. This could be a great tournament with loads of crazy S. American fans piling into Brazil. The Olympics pales into insignificance to football compared to the world wide passion that a WC brings.

Really, where else can you get such quality officiating such as Lampard's goal not being counted in 2010 against Germany but in the World Cup.

That's at least the 3rd straight playoffs Portugal has gone through to get to the World or Euro Cup.

They do speak Portuguese in Brazil, so based on that, I hope Portugal have a good tournament but not at the expense of England.

But after Brazil, the next two World Cups, I'm not sure about at all as to whether these will be great spectacles and the officiating in South Africa was rather atrocious.

[Rover_Shaun]

England are what they are, a very average international team. Germany are streets ahead of them, but that's hardly a shocker.

Yep. The two friendlies rammed home the fact that we'll struggle to get past the group stages. Sadly we'll probably play lesser lights nearer the tournament and all the morons will get whipped up into a frothing frenzy again.

What do you expect from a team with no world class players?

[FGS5635]

Yep. The two friendlies rammed home the fact that we'll struggle to get past the group stages. Sadly we'll probably play lesser lights nearer the tournament and all the morons will get whipped up into a frothing frenzy again.

What do you expect from a team with no world class players?

Phil Jones was nearly world class, but the lad has lost his way since he left he finder/mentor in keanochio

[K-Hod]

Only Ashley Cole is genuinely class, the rest are bang average.

[thenodrog]

Question: why are Germany always better than England on the football field and why is the German economy so much more powerful than ours?

Answer: they are disciplined and they do the basics right.

Wembley tonight was a perfect example and thoroughly depressing from our point of view.

Correct. Attitude is almost as important as skill. I've a feeling some of our 'stars' are demotivated when the pull on the 3 lions shirt.

However lets not forget that Germany is now been unified twice and post 89 is now a massive nation of 90+ million which is almost twice that of England. Maybe if we unified similarly there are one or two from the UK that might have made a difference over the years. The likes of Giggs, Best, Bale, KMD, Rush would all have been 1st names on a UK team sheet.

[Mike E]

Correct. Attitude is almost as important as skill. I've a feeling some of our 'stars' are demotivated when the pull on the 3 lions shirt.

However lets not forget that Germany is now been unified twice and post 89 is now a massive nation of 90+ million which is almost twice that of England. Maybe if we unified similarly there are one or two from the UK that might have made a difference over the years. The likes of Giggs, Best, Bale, KMD, Rush would all have been 1st names on a UK team sheet.

Even discounting those names, there is no reason the likes of Ferdinand, Terry, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Rooney etc couldn't have won us something in the 00's (esp when Becks still had it). But they just never put in that same effort that they did for their clubs.

I'm hoping Southgate's re-entry of the u21s into the Toulon tournament may help our younger players get some genuine competitive tournament experience before being shoved into the spotlight.

Graduates of that tournament include an array of 90's breakthrough talent like Shearer, Gazza, Batty etc. In the wider world there's Figo and the majority of 98 France and 02 Brazil squads.

[EgyptianPete]

I love Tydlesley's "pun" tonight: "Now we just need to find Ibrahimovic's English grandmother..."

Why, is she better than Sturridge?

I would imagine so after what i saw from sturridge last night.

[DE.]

Sturridge is a good player but last night was a poor showing from him.

I wasn't sure what style we were supposed to be playing last night - or against Chile. There seems to be no meaning or direction to our play whatsoever. The ball pretty much gets passed around until a fast player gets it (Townsend last night) then said player runs a bit and either misplaces a pass or crosses and the ball is cleared.

I appreciate it's hard to put a stamp on an international team due to the irregularity of time together, but look at the top teams in the world - Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina - and they all have a style you instantly associate with them. They bring what their top clubs have to offer to the international stage.

Do we? And if we do, surely that brings the question of whether the Premier League is "the best in the world" into serious doubt?

[broadsword]

The problem is the very people looking to solve the problem (the FA) are part of the problem themselves.

It needs a root-and-branch investigation by an independent body with no vested interest.

[Majiball]

Sturridge is a good player but last night was a poor showing from him.

I wasn't sure what style we were supposed to be playing last night - or against Chile. There seems to be no meaning or direction to our play whatsoever. The ball pretty much gets passed around until a fast player gets it (Townsend last night) then said player runs a bit and either misplaces a pass or crosses and the ball is cleared.

I appreciate it's hard to put a stamp on an international team due to the irregularity of time together, but look at the top teams in the world - Spain, Germany, Italy, Argentina - and they all have a style you instantly associate with them. They bring what their top clubs have to offer to the international stage.

Do we? And if we do, surely that brings the question of whether the Premier League is "the best in the world" into serious doubt?

trouble is those countries play that way at every level. here we have so many styles and it's not easy to just switch to a new one.

[Salgado Is A Hero]

Martin Olsson is a terrible left back. Even if he is trying, something he didn't bother to do all last year.

His only good season was under Big Sam as a winger.

I like him. I like watching him in tournaments. I never mentioned his ability. But young defenders don't reach their peak until their late 20s anyway.

[thenodrog]

Even discounting those names, there is no reason the likes of Ferdinand, Terry, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Rooney etc couldn't have won us something in the 00's (esp when Becks still had it). But they just never put in that same effort that they did for their clubs.

They might have done if they'd been managed by Sir Alf, instead they had a clueless silver tongued gold digger, followed by a buffoon and then another foreigner completely ill suited to the British game, all followed by the admirably intentioned but hopelessly inept Stuart Pearce who couldn't even cut it at club level despite many attempts. You need to bear in mind under Ramsey half of those players that you named wouldn't even have got a game. Ramsey didn't take note of the press and tv, nor did he look at their cv's and their past records, instead he looked in their eyes and in their hearts.

By coincidence Joachim Low appears to be of similar ilk.

[Proudtobeblue&white]

All the usual suspects got through by the back door, France, Croatia, Portugal et al, we will go out in the group stage, at least we can moan for three games.....we ain't got the players, we ain't got the manager to do anything better. Last night was rank.

[broadsword]

you do get the feeling hodgson was picked over redknapp because he wouldn't make waves

[Audax]

Brian Glanville once wrote if Rooney had not been suspended for the 2004 Euro Cup showdown versus Portugal, England would have won.

Seems like there are two matches England played, '04 and '06 versus Portugal, '06 Rooney got sent off but England probably should have won one of those two at least and were within a shout against Brazil too in 2002 imho.

Euro 2012 was far from perfect from England but should be a building block nonetheless.

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Unexpected teams often do well in the World Cup, I'm not optimistic of England winning it but I think they should advance and go through the first round. Round of 16.

[thenodrog]

More like he has way too many skeletons in his closet Bryan.

[Audax]

Bryan, I don't mind Harry, 'Arry, I think he had some bad luck with Tottenham and then a bit with QPR though I'd have to see the time line.

And Capello left, March of 2012 I think, I don't blame Capello for leaving. So, were they not needing a manager urgently and at that time, West Brom was doing well.

[Audax]

John Terry was not found guilty of racism by law, he's won player of the week two times I believe this year, defender. Not necessarily calling him to be back in the selection but it is little wonder why England lose when they don't always play their best. I know lots of people don't like him but it's the job that's important to do.

[Guest Norbert]

England will probably just about get through the group stages, depending on who we get. Overall though it'll be as depressing as the last world cup.

[Mike E]

John Terry was not found guilty of racism by law, he's won player of the week two times I believe this year, defender. Not necessarily calling him to be back in the selection but it is little wonder why England lose when they don't always play their best. I know lots of people don't like him but it's the job that's important to do.

The allegation alone (as shown) would have always killed his England career.

[Guest Norbert]

No doubt if we win it, he'll run onto the pitch in a full England kit to join in the celebrations all the same.

[Rover_Shaun]

Cricket, football and egg rolling (league) not a good week for English sport