What hope is there for England in International Tournaments?

I post this thread in the light of the on-going conduct of two England internationals, Sterling and Wilshire. To my mind both have been less than professional in their behaviour. Firstly, Sterling. OK, it is within his right to turn down 100,000k a week but given his status in the game, as a player with potential rather than the finished article, he would be well advised to focus on developing his game at the moment. I predict that this guy is never going to be in the same league as John Barnes and will end up at a mid table Premiership club after being touted to second string clubs on the Continent in a couple of seasons time.

Now to Wilshire. This players behaviour has been the subject of many column inches all season, no doubt some of it exaggerated by the press. Even so, his behaviour on Sunday was nothing short of disgusting and should be subject to bringing the game into disrepute. IMO he is not CL or International material. When you compare him to the likes of Scholes, Lampard, Hoddle, Robson, Platt and our great Alan Ball you will see where I am coming from when I say that England have not got a cat in hell's chance of being anywhere near the winning enclosure in future tournaments with players like these.

 

No hope... until they appoint a modern, tactically astute, world class manager.

 

Ah. I'm getting the idea that you have accidentally posted before you finished.

 

Rectified!!

 

I am astounded David Platt sits in a list with those other names!!!

We need to start again with football and how we teach kids the game at a young age... it's the English Disease, but you really don't want me getting my soap box out now.

 

He may not have been the most gifted but he worked very hard at his game, played with great intelligence and conducted himself very professionally off it, giving interviews in fluent Italian when playing there. Wilshire can't even speak English!!!

 

No hope, considering we won nothing with that list of midfielders, Wilshere doesn't stand up to any of them (even David Platt!).
I have been under the impression that the last 2 World Cups were compete failures and that England were losing more and more ground, with ever decreasing chances of winning anything. Until I watched the football mavericks and realised that the rot started a lot earlier...
I think there's a lot of work to do, and only a handful of clubs are helping in any way (ours included, though even that may be changing as we become more successful - I hope not)

 

Ok yes, he was a decent bloke, but I couldn't put him in the footballing category as the others

 

Calm down, calm down....won't be long before no player will be selected for England without the Southampton Academy stamp of authenticity on their rump. Guaranteed nice, hard working, well trained lads.

 

We won't win anything until we do what Germany did and bring through a successful U21 group. If Southgate's team do well this summer, that squad should become the core for next summer's senior Euro tournament. Even if they crash and burn, the experience of playing together will do wonders for future tournaments.

Plus Prowsey will be captain of course...

 

Come and beat my drum. Have been saying this for years...absolutely essential that our U21s are treated seriously. This tournament in June is a big chance to give the players experience, especially playing with each other. There is talk about the team spirit of this bunch of lads...this could be carried through to the seniors if handled right. Glad to see Kane wanted to play....and so did Shaw (though he is injured). The FA have to come down hard on the teams...cooperate to a certain extent, but let them know that they can't just pull the players out on a whim. Pochettino going on about Kane being tired....well don't drag him across the world for unimportant money-spinning matches. If he's not fit for the start of the EPL...he should have been rested now.

 

Well if UEFA pull out of FIFA and then we pull out of UEFA we can re-start the Home Internationals - we'd have a hope of winning that

 

It used to be a privilege to play for England, a real honour!

Caps are now dished out to any Tom, Dick or Harry that either scores a good goal, or plays for a big team.

I disagree with some of the current squads call ups; Wilshere being one of them. He has always been vastly overrated. He has spent more time in the hospital than at the training ground, he hasn't deserved it!

Again Walcott, yes he is in extremely good form, but like Wilshere he hasn't played for well over six months. This does not merit a call up!

 

Er, if Walcott is fit (and a hat-trick and cup winning goal in his last two games suggest he is) then he should be called -up. Why wouldn't he be?

 

The squad was announced before both of those games.

 

Well why you moaning. Roy's is clearly a genius... or Glenda has lent him Eileen

 

It used to be that the youth were lacking in skill, and the tactics used at school and clubs were basic - hoof it to the big lad. Those two problems are fading away, if you watch U21 games the skill level has improved a lot. The problem now is that young players get their head turned by the likes of Chelsea and instead of playing at a lower level they are more than happy sitting on their are collecting their money.
Take Morgan for example, when he was 20 he had played around 100 games for us, it was only with that experience that he could grow into the player he is now.
Still think we will do well this summer in the U21 though

 

The horrible thing is that because they don't seem to care, I've genuinely stopped caring about England now too, and I hate that. Internationals used to be a highlight, now I almost find myself wanting them to lose, that is if I've bothered to watch in the first place.

 

I personally don't think footballers personalities have any impact on their performance. By all accounts, Luis Suarez is a ****er but he's brilliant. Ronaldo is self centred and a bit of a knob but he is also amazing.

The problem has nothing to do with their personalities, and everything to do with our players not being a) good enough and b) suited to international football

 

I'm not there yet. I won't let myself get there. I do care. But I don't care really. I do care. Of course I care. It's England. It's football. I do care.

They do my head in!!!