I didn't see the game, Spurf, I had to go out. I was talking generally. We are a long way behind the continental players in basic skills, overall. Barca 's style of play may not suit everybody, but they work on one simple truth - if you haven't got the ball, not only can't you score, bu they'll try to wear you out chasing it. If England, and English clubs generally, wised up a bit to the fact that if you don't keep giving the opposition the ball, they can't score, we might get a bit further. To me, football has moved on, English players haven't.
I have to disagree, Spurf. England were largely ****e throughout, though it did get worse at the start of the second half. Hodgson should use this injury to Barry as an excuse to call up Carrick and start him. He arrogantly turned down a place in the squad, but England's options in that role are sorely limited.
Absolutely right Spurf. Have any of the people who want us to play mediterranean or Samba football actually thought that maybe the weather conditions in countries play a part in how the game's played? Northern Europe: generally milder temperatures and cold winters; game played at pace. Southern Europe: generally warmer and hot at the beginning and end of the season; game played at a much slower pace allowing more intricate skills to develop. The world HAS voted on which they like best. The EPL is the most watched in the world. As long as that continues we will not change appreciably.
We dominated possession in the first half and looked like we could create chances at will. Young scored a good goal and Carrol had a good chance as did Gerrard. I would not describe that as ****e PNP, what game were you watching?
The EPL is full of players from continental europe. They don't lose their skills when they come here and so make the EPL exciting and skilful. However one of the most skilful comes from Croatia which is not exactly like Spain or Italy, so if he can learn there why don't British players?
Quite simply, £££. There's plenty of money sloshing around the English top flight for an run of the mill player with the technical ability of a rock to forge a respectable career (Robbie Savage springs to mind...) so why would they want to move abroad where they'd earn less money, have to learn a new language when it transpires the entire club won't learn English just to accommodate them (although many continental players are bi-lingual, unlike the English players in the Premier League), and they;d have to learn how to play differently instead of get by on the bare minimum they know how to do louder than everyone else.
These skills used to be taught. Before even my time, Stanley Mathews taught himself to be able to control the ball with either foot, equally well. One of the reasons he was so elusive was that this gave him the ability to go past his marker using either foot. A basic inability to be able to control the ball properly, and pass accurately, has nothing to do with weather conditions. It's a combination of poor coaching, and laziness on the part of the player.
It's not about the individual skills of any particular footballer Britain has always produced skilful players. from Mathews to Best to Gazza to name perhaps the most famous but there are many more. It's not about them it's about the team play. Holland is a northern country but has had an ethic of ball playing teams. British football has always had room for both in it's team play and therefore produces a greater variety of team play. From long ball to push & run all are used. This variety means players have to change their game according to what team they play for. Moving from Spurs to Stoke is a far greater difference for a player than any that a Spanish player would find moving within his league. That all makes it far harder to find a good blend for the England team and always has.
Being taught something doesn't mean you'll get it, some lads can be taught to be two footed all day long, some, mainly lefties, are just so horribly one footed they'll never be any good with there right all the time its there to stand on. The culture through my playing days was hard graft, and get your tackles in more than anything, all the decent players you just wanted to clog! The continental approach has been, right, lets sidestep these cloggers, and as they like running around a lot, they can do just that chasing the ball while we pass it. Simple as that!
Yes, exactly. Apart from the drastic rule changes since those days, players like Chopper Harris and Norman Hunter wouldn't last five minutes against a team like Barca. Chasing shadows and being unable to kick them, would probably drive them crazy. Once again though, it doesn't matter what style you are being asked to play. A basic ability to control the ball properly, and pass accurately, should be fundamental skills of any professional.
The trouble for Barca is that teams have learned to beat them by playing anti-football and waiting for a lucky break. The idea that we'll ever see two Barcas playing each other in a game of skill, wits, and goals is too fanciful. For every Barca or Spurs there are ten Chelseas. England is always Chelease, never Barca. Roy's appointment is confirmation that it won't change any time soon. That's why us fans have grown tired with international football. Come the World Cup, I am going to support Brazil and Spain.
If I was England manager, I would pick a completely new squad, giving caps to emerging English talent in teams like Saints, WBA, Swansea and Norwich; and I would tell the fans that I do not expect to win anything during my five year tenure, but that what I want to do is encourage good football with players who are actually proud to play; and I would promise exciting "never say die" football; and I would only ever play friendlies against teams like Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and Spain. Oh, yeah... and I would tell the FA to **** right off!
Mostly, yes. However Barca ultra lite a.k.a. Swansea, haven't done too badly in the Prem , trying to play football.
