Well they certainly didn't do it last night did they? 70% possession without a real cutting edge, scored the goal with 10 minutes to go and then couldn't defend! If that's the best we have and the future of English football then we are screwed well into the future! £20Million for Henderson Liverpool have been mugged over big time! I'm glad Connor wasn't part of this and he can now return fresh and ready for pre season. His reputation will not be sullied by this only by being associated with that shower. Cue the excuses but in the final analysis they were lacking ideas, effort, application and the will to win. Welcome to the millionaires club for inflated egos boys!
Too true JWM, Who the hell was our number 4, everytime he got the ball he either tripped over it, passed to the czechs or booted it out for a throw!!!!!!!!!! All this we must play like other countries is a huge gripe of mine. Other countries used to fear playing us because we were right in their faces, didn't give them time on the ball and bombared them from the first whistle. but now we seem to have lost our pride in our nation and always think someone else is doing things better so we must copy them. I suppose what i'm trying to say is, if the players we see week in week out in the premiership were allowed to carry that style into an international game we would a be a hell of a lot better, lets face it we couldn't do any worse.
DM, I think the problem with your solution is A. Josh Carson is northern irish & B. The Josef Fritzel of not606 (aka CS) has Connor still locked up!
There is so much quality throughout that side. It has nothing to do with the players or even Stuart Pearce. The problem is Fabio Capello wanting consistency between the U21 side and the full side. In other words the lacklustre tactics, formations and training routines have filtered down to the youngsters.
I agree to certain extent Hamps but you can not excuse throwing away a winning position in the last 10 minutes! The defending after the goal was shocking. They allowed the Czechs to get back into it and made 2 school boys mistakes for the goals!
Was anybody wishing that CS released connor when it was still 0-0 to score and add another 5 million on his price tag? The National team really needs to play with same tempo as a premier league team, not this lets do 3000 passes then think about crossing the halfway line. I can't wait till we get an England manager who has the belief to play to our strengths and not try to copy the italians or spanish.
Not so long ago we had a decent U21 side, reaching semi finals before bowing out. Alas, even the youngsters are going the same way as the full team - pants (and it hurts to say it)
Well I think the big problem is the mentality of the players. They are all millionaires and set up for life. How can they be motivated to play for their country? Unfortunately the ultimate for our players it seems is to play in the premier league everyweek and sod the country! Terry Butcher they aren't!
With you 100% Warky except I would add the Champions League has become too much of a priority for some also.
Spot on JWM. As I said in another thread, there was no drive, enthusiasm or invention. Just another mediocre England performance and failure which imitates those of the senior squad. I don't think it's a coincidence that the younger English set ups, (ie those not earning £50k+ a week) do far better - they have considerably more pride in playing in an England shirt.
There should be a cap on earnings up to a certain age of say no more than £100k per year. This too much too young culture has a lot to do with the current malais affecting our football. I know its probably unlawful etc etc but how else are we as a nation going to deal with this growing problem in football. The kids know the price of everything and the value of nothing!
JWM, Good idea but the fact of the matter is there will be that some snotty nosed kid will say their Human Rights are being affected, and don't even think of getting me started on this human rights load of crap!!!!!!!! I seriously don't think its all down to the players, its down to the stigma that we must copy everybody else. Take Peter Crouch for instant, he has the best goalscoring ratio in modern times for England, yet because he isn't the stereotypical size of a footballer he doesn't get a fair crack of the whip.
I agree, the midfielders looked uninterested and tired. It's obvious to all fans, especially us, that you need hungry players to succeed. We would have done better with a midfield made up of football league players than with premiership players who have made it at 20 years old. Although saying that just picking players that are hungry and leaving those out that are not would be papering over the cracks. There needs to be regulations in place to safeguard the development of younger players. Salary caps, limits to transfers...
The problem starts with kids football and the U12s! Why the hell do we insist in this country that small kids must play on a full size pitch at that age! Feck me the poor Goal Keepers can't even kick the ball further than their 18 yard box from a goal kick! The other countries are laughing at us when their kids play on small sided pitches with the emphasis on KEEPING THE FOOTBALL!!! All we are taught is how to hoof it, header it and run around like headless chickens! I sometimes Ref this age group and I see it all time and time again.
Keeping the ball is all well and good JWM, but it needs to be done with a purpose. Last night it was start at the back for about 18 passes, then cross the halfway line for 18 passes across the pitch only to go back to the defence to start again. There is no urgency and creativity, every player looked scared to make an opening because they would be castrated for committing the ultimate sin of losing the ball. The Spanish style is very much passing the ball from the back but its a fast urgent style always looking to make chances, not just keeping the ball for the sake of it.
