The brand of football England plays is embarrassing, as a nation we need to address the culture. Next time England or any random English premiership team plays go into a pub and listen to the **** which comes out of peoples mouths, we're too impatient and direct. From when we're kids it's drummed into us that it's all about having a good engine, if your pacey you go on the wing, If your tall, strong and can shoot you go up front. Teams that pass the ball around are boring, team's that play 4-4-2 don't know what they're doing. Our attitude is disgusting and ignorant it's why we haven't won **** all for decades. I seriously hope for the sake of the national team and our pride that coaches and parents encourage future generations that it's actually OK if you pass the ball about, you don't need to run around like a madman for 90 minutes to make it and more importantly the kids need to realise that too.
If you were listening to the Monday Night Club on R5Live last night you will have heard the very positive reports about the FA's new centre of excellence and the fundamental changes it will be bringing to our coaching culture. As usual, we are way behind everyone else, but it does look as if things ARE going to change. http://www.thefa.com/St-Georges-Park
Whilst it's all well and good for you to sit there and praise the Spainards for their passing football, don't forget about the success of different styles of play at home: [video=youtube;5SaUGjy-To4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaUGjy-To4[/video] Beautiful.
A straw poll would I believe indicate that 100% of Norwich supporters on here would want NCFC to remain in the Prem ahead of England winning anything. International football is now at best a side show to the intensity of a full league season. And for the top teams, the Champions League as well. Cricket, Rugby, Athletics to a certain degree and I'm sure other less noticeable sports are more geared to a National team succeeding than clubs. Football is parochial and I think thats the way it has to be. Yes we want England to be good and win things if possible, but not at the expense of the club set up. That doesn't mean to say we shouldn't improve our standard but it won't happen at the professional level, it will have to be at kids level. Take away competition, goals if necessary, and let them go out and learn to control first, pass second, run third.
redruth, i shall break free from the 100%. i'd rather see england win the world cup than norwich stay in the premier division. i've always said the same. england winning the world cup would be the most extraordinary feeling and the amazing lift the whole country would get from this 'once in a lifetime' event would be something to truly appreciate and enjoy. doesn't look very likely to happen though!
I remember 1966 with affection but there wasn't the same marketing in those days so it was basically a very important football match. And Norwich were in Division 2 then and never looking like or having the ambition for getting promotion. I'm sure England in a WC Final would be an extraordinary lift for the country and financially a bonanza. And probably create some extra interest at league level. And when I say Norwich in the Prem, to be honest, I loathe the Prem and most of what it stands for. But unfortunately, having got there, it is fairly imperative that we stay there, sensibly, for a wee bit longer. Luckily England aren't likely to alter my agenda.
good post. i do think some people are very quick to say 'club before country' these days. i think if they thought about what a world cup win for england would actually mean, they may think slightly differently. it doesn't help though that many of the current england players are knobheads and their performances are lame, but if england were currently in spain's position, the majority of people would be delirious right now
That's a positive and I really hope this change but the idiots who manage the actual squad pick nothing but battlers and runners. At a grassroots level it won't happen much too, because half the football fans in this country do not have an absolute clue it's the whole 4-4-2 culture, it's almost fanatical.
There was a good story on that R5L programme about a recent course for aspiring coaches. The trainees were given balls and told to practice keepy-uppy and short passing among themselves for ten minutes, during which time other instructions would be given by staff, which they should follow. At the end of the ten minutes they were asked how they thought they got on. "Fine" they said, "until you lot started shouting instructions at us". "Exactly!" said the course leader!!!
