After what had to be one of the biggest embarrassments in the history of English international football comes the retirement of Steven Gerrard from the captaincy. This leads to the obvious question as to who replaces him and I have problems with the comments of Sven-Gormless when he says it should be Wayne Rooney because by my definition he is one of the worst offenders when it comes to not showing up for international duty. His showing in South Africa was an insult to human intelligence and I don't think Brazil was much better so why on earth should we get excited about the prospect of him becoming captain? We are now ranked 20th in the world by FIFA, which is an all time low, and I just cannot see our fortunes changing in my lifetime when we are being overtaken by the likes of the Excited States of America and Costa Rica and some others not worthy of a mention some 25 years ago. The game on the international front is changing by the minute and unless someone comes up with the answers to our problems then we risk drowning in the sea of despair along with our hopes of even qualifying for future tournaments, yet alone showing up and making fools of ourselves. Talking about all the brilliant youth coming up for our use in the national squad does no good unless we can instill some pride that should come with wearing the English shirt but, sadly, that is the biggest missing ingredient from what we should expect from our side. Perhaps our poor position in the world is one of the reasons that FIFA is promoting every other country in the world rather than England to host future World Cups, but then again maybe our false sense of fair play does not include handing out money under the table.
I don't normally suggest a problem with the manager or a need to replace him very often, as any regular reader here would testify, but I think there is a glaring need for Venables, Hoddle or Rednapp to take charge. Personally I would have Rednapp in the hot seat and Hoddle overseeing the England academies. We do have some good managers in England (some Scots and Irish too), so why we are persevering with Hodgson I do not know. By playing Welbeck in a forward, destructive role to try and nullify Pirlo, we denied Lallana what could have been his finest moment, and lost a ball-playing passer who could have kept the ball instead of giving it back to them. By keeping our Captain Marvelous in the midfield we lost Wilshere, a man capable of running a game from midfield like another Gazza type - i.e. one that has a degree of wit, guile, two footed skill and panache (those things we rant about in foreign players). When we have the players we don't play them. Hodgson should have played Gerrard instead of Henderson (because nobody had the guts to drop him), Wilshere and Lallana in midfield, then we would have been a well balanced football side that may have stayed in Brazil a bit longer. When Gerrard was flagging, Hendo would have been ready to shore up the midfield and we could have thrown bodies in there. I am convinced that with any of the three managers I mention above we would have beaten both Italy and Uruguay. For me, its time for Rednapp (or Venners) to mould our promising youngsters into a match-winning team that can play but don't know how to lose. And maybe time for the Sweet FA to grow some balls
Nice insightful comments brightred and it makes me wonder how long are we going to apologise for being England and always expecting the usual outcome? Remember those heady days back then when we went in to the lions den and kicked the asses off the Germans and I can remember their supporters leaving the scene of the crime in droves with barely a word. I am a firm believer that if you expect the worst then nothing else will happen and I think we saw some of that philosophy down in BS3 under the direction of SOD. When is someone running the England show going to take risk and say to the supposed new breed "get out there and kick ass non-stop until the final whistle blows"? I get fed up with the approach that if, heaven forbid, we get a lead spending the remainder of the match falling back until the inevitable happens and we end up losing. That again sounds somewhat familiar to the happenings with Bristol City. To win games you need to score goals and if you spend the entire 90 minutes worrying about the opposition scoring then you are missing the point of the game. Simples., they score 4 you score 5 then you win!
sorry mike, but whether we get to host a world cup has nothing to do with rankings, but everything to do with sepp blatter, bribery and corruption,otherwise how would it be going to Russia and quatar.?. its a poisoned chalice anyway, I don't think we need it that badly.
Looking at the job Brazil made of winning their own World Cup, it seems home soil is no longer the great assist it used to be. If we have the players and the management we can win it on foreign soil. Germany, by winning a world cup in South America, have put to rest the ghost of 'this thing that can't be done'. Lets hope some of it rubs off on our team.
We need someone with the balls of Van Gaal to get the side going with a good kick up the arse. Then again Fabio Cappello didn't work, he's done worse at Russia
I knew someone would bite me on that specific comment but regrettably you're absolutely correct that any control that we may have thought we had in the sport has long since fallen in to the hands of the wrong people. They have no interest in England and in fact would probably prefer that we disappeared off the radar. Our current status in the overall picture only proves that they have gained their best case scenario.
I think we need science as much as a loud voice We need a manager who can get our young players to pass the ball correctly and accurately, and make the team play. Our problem is an inferiority complex, so we need inspired organisation and direction, and a manager who will pick a team to win instead of a team to limit the damage. And a captain who doesn't introduce fear into young players in the melting pot of a world cup by explaining what will happen if we lose. That really was the dumbest thing I've ever seen from an England captain. We need midfield players who can pass and move, in packs of 3 and 4, playing short unless as a surprise tactic we decide to go long
Simple until the premiership is returned to British players playing against each other we will struggle at international level. Four foreign players only in our sides.
As much as it may grate, I would be happy to see Jurgen klinsmann brought in as manager, he has a strong English football connection and was ultimately responsible for the German side that has done so well. I know its not ideal but Hodgson is a washout, the man has no desire or guile about him. we will continue to go backwards with him in charge. stick Klinsmann in with Gary neville and let them develop something.!
Means little as its happened before and the players dont make the transition into starting elevens as they get spoilt by money, get left out for johnny foreigner and above all are not that good when tnhey cross over into the big boys football. All these fantastic youngsters England supposedly have wouldnt get in any of the top teams. England are a thousand miles from the Germans as their kids are taught to play. The Dutch keep producing superstars and England with all its money has the underperforming Rooney and nobody else. Many say they should play like that, play like them, play like this like its turning on a tap. You cant to expect poor and average and maybes to compete properly with real inernational quality players. Wilshere, lallana, Wellbeck etc would if German wouldnt make the bench.
I did not think England = The biggest embarrassments in the history of English international football. The team performed better than I expected. The team and squad is what it was. Good enough to qualify, not good enough to progress yet. I foresee an improvement as some of the better yoiung players mature, but no trees being uprooted. I do expect in the long term a change of sorts. I get to coach and watch football up to five times a week. At junior level and development /academy levels you can see a change. Kids are becoming more skilful and are being taught to have a better appreciation of the football. The skill level of some children is vastly exceeding that I knew as a child. Coaching methods are changing, parents are realising the English game has it totally wrong and are becoming more discerning as to where they place their kids. Soccer schools are appearing everywhere nationally, junior clubs area adopting coaching and playing philosophies, futsal is being played more widely, street football is increasing in popularity [ Andrew Henderson is a world wide star and English] and there the emphasis is /or can be all on improving on the fundamental flaw in English football âIts lack of technique!â So while I expect no revolution or England to trouble the top nations I do expect to see improvement. The odds of producing a real football genius are improving because parents, coaches and clubs not the FA/EPL are becoming ever more aware of what it requires to create better players
You can't do that, it's the European law that gives freedom of movement, it's the same as you can just up sticks and go and work in France, Germany etc. They can restrict non European players and I think they do that already, could be wrong on that one. The trouble is now is football is a business not sport and the only way to possibly return it in this country is to slow the champions league down to just that Champions not runners up and up and up.
Desperate times for the National team, terrible World Cup, lowest Fifa ranking ever and no obvious leader to take over as Captain. I was reading the BBC site the other day and it offered up Joe Hart - Did OK in the WC, so could be a good option. Gary Cahill - had his pants pulled down by Suarez and looked as though he had never seen Jagielka before in his life. Will be lucky to keep his place in the team, let alone be Captain. Wayne Rooney - are you F**kin kidding... What a terrible state if affairs
There is always moans about playing to many games the champions league should be just that as has been said. 32 teams... 8 groups of 4 (seeding being the last 8 countries in in the previous year) the top 8 being in 2 groups of 4 with top 4 playing semi's. runners up being 2 groups of 4 with top 4 qualifying for uefa league knockouts 4 versus 4 then is semis for them. At the mo 4 from UK is crap..should be 2, top plus (cup winners from prem or championship)
It's make me laugh when the top clubs say they play too many games. It used to be that you played a maximum of 9 games to win the European Cup, now you play just about that to get into the knock out stages. I also disagree that our world cup was a total embarrassment, this year I think we were just a bit unlucky, We've played a lot worse in the group stages of the world cup before and managed to fluke our way out of the group. Although I'm not saying that things don't need to change. Not convinced by Woy either to be honest. England managers with a Bristol City connections probably aren't the best way forward with Woy and the Wally in the Brolly
Agree with all the above, but how about Henderson as an interim captain, until Stones is a little older or Rodwell sorts his head out, leaves Man City and starts featuring again ? The team needs a pit bull in front of the defence, and Rodwell could have been that player
You can limit the number of foreign players. The FA introduced the homegrown rule which limited numbers v squad size and age. The will was not there as Cesc Fabregas amongst others qualified as home grown due to the years he had spent in he UK. This thinking is limited and back to front. The players coming through still have to be of the required standard. Spain has no quota its FA's focus is on producing as many kids of high ability as possible increasing the odds of making the "difficult" football transition from youth to adult. The Germans are scientific in their approach to youth development. England meanwhile make it up and lurch from position to position.
