I think that they might, if we keep sticking with the 'status quo'. I sent the FA a letter after we lost to Italy in the euro's and they sent me a well written letter back (fair enough), but I think that we need to do something radical similar to what Brazil did in 1950 when they lost to Uruguay, they decided to change their style of play and then they won 5 world cups in 50 years.We can't keep making small insignificant changes that lead to nothing. First thing we need to do is recognize the fact that we are going downhill every year,we are still playing veteran players like Gerrard and Lampard, one or the other, having both of them in the team is slowing down the coehsion of the team and the fluidity of the team,in other words, we are passing the ball around way too slowly. Stop picking players based on reputation.Milner?What does he do?Nothing.He looks like he does something, but he does nothing, he runs around the pitch chasing shadows and he is slow as well, just like Barry. Play more youngsters, I hope Hodgson doesn't think that Lamps and Gerrard will play in Brazil in 2014... Just look how we pass the ball around, it's so bad to see.Look closely at how Italy,Holland and Spain pass the ball around, even countries like Portugal,Belgium pass it around in a different manner, the ball sticks to the shoe, it sticks as if they've got chewing gum on their boots.I wanna see us play like this. Anyway, this is just a very small flaw in regards of the England set up.The bigger problems lie both in the way football is played and taught around the country. All of you have already heard about the way they coach kids etc with all the "Hoofball" tactics etc so I'm not gonna talk about that as most of you probably know more than me about that subject than me as I don't live in the UK. First things first, we need David Cameron to get us out of the awful EU (I know Off Topic),but I just need to mention this as, in the letter I sent to the FA, one of the subjects that was of extreme importance to me was the number of foreign players in the starting XI, I preposed a cap on the number of foreign players that could start in the starting XI (something like 5 or 6).In the letter that they sent to me, they clarified that FIFA tried to implement a rulling very similar to mine, but the EU said that it would infringe upon the free movement of trade, goods and citizens of the European Union. This isn't the sole reason for the UK to stop remaining a member of the EU, there are many reasons, but I'm not going to get into any more details as it's off topic. It's very scary, the FA have recently built a new training ground, but I don't see how these is going to help the national team. Luckily, Southampton seem to be keen to create a path way for our youngsters to come through the ranks and ultimately become England internationals, it might just keep us in the top 10 in the world. England have been poor for years and years.In my opinion we've had two great teams since 66', the one of 1990 and the one of 2002-2006 (golden generation) if you look at the team that we had in 2002 to 2006 it makes your mouth water, I still don't think that there were many better teams around at that time than ours.We didn't make the most of the quality of players at our disposal. We beat a pub team on friday and we were average at best and we couldn't beat Ukraine yesterday.It's looking very bad. We are England, we invented this game, we should be blowing teams away!Look at what we did in the Olympics and Paralympics,we were superb,we can do it if we put our minds to it.Let's unite and go watch and support England. I can't stand some of the glory hunters "Oh England are rubbish" "Oh LOL England" , yes, I know, they're not that good anymore, but they are still your country and you should still support them.We should send these type of people to Swaziland and make them live their.Support Swaziland then. Let's get together. We are from the country that created the modern world. We made the world what it is today, If anyone can do it, we can. Stop moaning on TV, on your pc's and to your mates and family members about England and let's start doing something. I just wish some people would wake up and see how poor we are. We need to create our own style of play that works for us.It can be hoofball or tiki taka or a mix or something else, as long as it works for us.What we've been doing so far hasn't worked so far. Sorry for the long post .
This is the start I'm sure. It will take a while, but the next few years are a transition year, as youth facilites are upgraded, the old guard are phased out etc. Patience is all I can say! We will never get like Wales, and am confidence we will improve, but right now it's transition
Whilst i don't agree with all your assessment of the Ukraine game, you are correct that England have drifted along, always good enough to qualify but not good enough to win anything. The fact is that the national side is always well second to the PL and there is nothing that can be done about that. He who pays the piper etc. We know that we place Saints well above England in our priorities. The only thing the FA can change is methods of training young players. They are trying to do this with changes to academy system and the opening of the new England training facility. The plan is to encourage balls skills rather than win at all costs in the young. Only time will tell if this is good enough. If it works and better players are produced, there will be a knock on effect of more English players in the PL available for selection. Only time will tell if it's good enough, but I prefer England under Hodgson.
With regard the Foreign players rule; yes the barmy EU wont allow it, so any player cap will have to be for non-EU players. This might reduce the number of African and Asian players, but they are a drop in the ocean compared with the 'continantals' so I don't think it will make a lot of difference. There will also be wily ways to get around things. In County cricket, for example, there is a limit on "overseas playrs" but that actually means non-EU. One local example was Nic Pothas, a former Hampshire wicket keeper. He is South African, but is of Greek decent and was eligible for a Greek Passport. Hey presto, he wasn't an "overseas player"
Bloody hell which team have you been watching? Because last time I checked England have failed to qualify for the world cup only three times in the last 60 years and are currently ranked 3rd in the world. Obviously that's somewhat generous but if they were even half as bad as you suggest they'd be in the hundreds somewhere. Honestly, I've never read such a load of rubbish.
I had the privilege to watch my young grandson play his first club football game last weekend in the under 10's. It was interesting to watch. They certainly do not play hoof ball as such that is for sure. None of them have the power to kick that far unless on a re bound..........So they did play some very short sharp passing moves. Their only problem was accuracy. They scored three good clean goals from open play coming back from 3.0 down. Then disaster a deflected goal in the last 2 minutes so they lost 4.3. They never gave up and hit the bar just before the final whistle blew. My reason for telling you about this was to challenge another posters view that the kids are taught hoof ball tactics. At a young age they are not, they do not have the power. They are taught to play with in their ability unfortunately as they get older they get into bad habits and even worse coaches. Not all I would agree but they are very few and far between. It is though, at this age we need to instill the discipline of passing to the feet of passing into the gaps to team play and work. Re introduce competitive games back into the schools get the school sports teachers and mistresses properly qualified as they used to be for specialised sports. I am convinced we as a nation lack behind others in early development of our children. Our recent successes in sports came from youngsters and the not so young came up through the club system because their parents encouraged them to compete at a youngish age.Surely our schools should also be doing their bit!
Although I agree that the England team needs to blood youngsters more quickly, I don't think a match against Ukraine, arguably the toughest opponent in our World Cup Qualifying group is the place to do it. As others have said this is the beginning of the transistion period. As for the rest of your post, well I guess you are the sort of person who would write to your MP to complain that the disabled person next door has a reserved parking space.
This whole thing about the EU and foreign born players is nonsense. How many non-British players were playing in the top division in England in the 1970s, 80s and 90s and what did England win then?? The French, Germans, Spanish and Italians are all subject to EU rules and have all won the major trophies in this period and yet somehow it's the foreigners fault that we haven't? No, the problem in the UK/England is homegrown and not the fault of foreigners.
I agree - the same applies with all subjects and not just sport. The kids need to be pushed and trained by people who know what they're doing. I won't go on as it'll take this off topic!
I agree that the 2002-2006 squad should have on paper been capable of so much more however there is a problem and it isn't the FA. It is the way Britain is these days. Everything costs so much money. The FA can do all it wants having proper training facilities and coaches etc but if it costs too much then who is going to use it??? When I was a kid you played in the garden, you played at the park or on the street. Trained coaches? Didn't see any of them. When I was a little older I started training with football sides, was never good enough to get in the starting 11 or on the subs bench but I loved it and went every week......It cost £1 a week. Nowadays those sort of teams are asking for £3 a week and I have 2 boys in that 'starting to play football age'. That makes £6 a week. I can just about stretch to that however you also have to consider that these days schools ask you to pay for the multitude of trips they take the kids on. They don't walk to the swimming pool anymore because that is a H&S problem. Swimming is free they proclaim however the bus for 7 sessions will be £27 Add uniforms (and young kids destroy them very quickly) charity 'drives' which are pushed to the max and are very frequent and my 2 boys (aged 6 and 7) are costing an average of £10 a week just for school!!!! Add the £6 for football and that makes £16. Doesn't sound a lot to many I am on council estate, self employed but barely earning £12k (plus tax credits) and this is the sort of 'breeding ground' for football players it seems. So in the gardens, the streets, the parks, the under x's team......Will there be trained coaches on any of these? No they will be on 'Soccer Skills' afternoons or weekends and guess what? They are £14 for a single afternoon or £24 for a 2 day session. So only the rich kids will be on them. They need to stop wasting their money on these stupid 'proper training at a young age' schemes and instead focus on getting free or cheap training to ALL kids that are interested instead of making courses that are just money spinners for their organisers. We had that before with 'Bobby Charlton's Soccer Skills' and it was a rip off even then before over inflation Britain got underway. My view is simple. When I 'trained' with those 'under x's' teams The actual play was either in halls where the goal was a laid down bench only slightly higher than the ball itself. The outdoor training was on 6 a side pitches and the rule was 2 touch. If you had 3 touches it was a free kick to the opposing side. Only the matches were played on full pitches. This was in the mid to late eighties so why is everyone warbling on about 'hoofball' and 'unqualified coaches'. That is BS to excuse our failings and to hype things up that make money for others. Won't get found out for 15 years though because they will say 'it needs time to filter through' at which point they will say something wasn't working and come up with something else. If the government wants kids to get better then they should talk to EDF and EON and make them limit the amount of power households can use in the daytime and then kids wouldn't be sat in their bedrooms playing games. Mine aren't because I kick them out the back door into the garden as long as it isn't raining and they are playing football, Rugby & Cricket constantly at age 6/7 and it's FREE!!!! As to the 'player limits? The OP not remember but 20 years ago, not that long ago there used to be a player quota and in Europe you could only have 3 foreign players in your team. I remember when Man U had to choose between Mark Hughes and Roy Keane in their squad. Did it make any difference? Nope. Excuses must stop and media must be ignored. We have quality in this country but while media and image rules then important decisions are not made. Last night's team had Jolean Lescott and Jagielka, both media favourites and they were crap. Glen Johnson was OK but there aren't that many right back options at the moment. Cleverley is not even a poor man's Lallana. Gerrard is past it. Lampard (and I am whincing praising him) was great. Milner is half the player Dyer is. Oxlade Chamberlain is a one half player still at the moment. There are probably 10 or more strikers in the Prem better than Defoe, Wellbeck and Sturridge!!! Leighton Baines IS the best left back in the league and at last is geting that chance and Rooney however much people want to say he is overhyped is by far the best attacking option. It's also a pity Scholes has been away from the internationals for so long because as we saw last week he is still the best midfielder that England has. So it's not that we don't have good enough talent in this country. It's just that we pander to media and 'peer pressure' all the time and do not put the quality out there.
Do you believe we are the 3rd best in the World ? We have athletes not footballers , or workhorses over flair , the fact this is disguised by the Premiership is all the more apparent when the National team plays , as an example Scholes would walk into the England team at his age . We are getting worse as teams buy quick fix solutions by buying foreigners who can play the game which in turn leaves our own players in the reserves . No good at all for the future of our game .
I thought Italy changed their system a few years ago ? Nothing to stop a federation bringing something in and the clubs signing and adhering to it , the players have some responsibility as well as some simply aren't arsed or they simply are not good enough , can anyone remember England B games and squads that started with 40 players who were quality , sure they were crap when they got to a tournament but that is a different matter altogether .
If we'd had any half decent player on the pitch instead of Cleverly last night we'd have won comfortably. We conceded a wonder goal..although it was poor defending from Gerrard showing him onto his strong foot. Other than that we created more than enough chances..but Cleverly and Welbeck were extremely poor.
Yet the media proclaim Wellbeck as a game changer and Cleverley has been 'championed' since the Olympics as was Ramsey who was terrible at the Olympics!!! None of these are GB/England Quality. Only Ramsey should be in an international shirt because he is at his level with Wales current squad!!!
I do like the idea of more "jumpers for goalposts" type games in parks or sports halls where creativity isn't stifled. If I wasn't so shockingly uncoordinated at any sport, I'm sure I would have gone to more of these. Kids like being outside if they are safe and have something to do. Good coaching as well wouldn't go amiss though. There's only so much that an informal setting can teach. Lionel Messi got his raw ability and love for the game from playing street/park football in Argentina. but also learnt a lot from the great coaching at Barcelona. A careful balance of both styles to encourage both flair and discipline is the ideal. Also staying clear of boneheaded ideas like 8 year olds playing 11 a side on full size pitches will help.
Seeing as you drifted off-topic, I'm not convinced that we need to leave the EU. Whenever the right-wing press pushes hard for something, you can bet that they're not doing so for your benefit.
Wanna know what I think England's main problem is? The ****ing fans. So many people pointing the finger at Cleverley because his finishing let him down, when actually it should be clear to anyone who knows anything about football that his contribution to the midfield yesterday was excellent. I share Pass The Football's frustration with all the posters who fancy themselves as the guy who could solve all of England's problems. Your assessments are half-baked, misguided bullshit, and even my cat would be able to poke holes in them. The England team is clearly in a transition phase, as it is slowly adapting to the modern style of playing. They played a better passing game yesterday than I've seen in years. Shame about the result, but there you go. If Defoe's goal had counted, and Cleverley had scored his sitter, you'd all be praising the performance. Can you not see the blatant hypocrisy in that? Your opinions are clearly born from frustration and blindly pointing fingers, rather than calmly and logically assessing the game. And no, we definitely do not need to leave the EU.
Let's see where we are in a year. Cleverly will get some stick for the misses but it wasn't his fault we didn't get the goal, but Hodgson's had nine games and he still hasn't lost one. By the way it could be worse, Euro finalists Italy laboured past Malta after an opening draw at Bulgaria. And the winners Spain needed a late goal to beat Georgia, and they will have to overcome France to get the automatic ticket to Brazil. Portugal made heavy work of Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Just imagine if England were Netherlands and got 0 points in Euro 2012, it would have been anarchy over here. Oh and one more thing, we missed Rooney. Please abuse me in 100 words or less.
Is this because we drew and didn't play amazing against a decent side in Ukraine without the likes of Rooney, Wilshere, Terry and Cole? We haven't lost under Hodgson and beat the Euro finalists the other day. Spain play average most games yet win a lot of them, do you think their fans care?
