He has said that the England set-up has been seriously damaged by the Premier League's lack of commitment to using English players and I tend to agree. A lot of us have been saying for years that the landslide of foreign ownership and the vast amounts of money being spent on non home grown players has damaged the ability of our national team to field a competitive squad. Just look at the competitiveness of some of the teams that 15-20 years ago were almost laughable that now can not only compete but challenge in major competitions. Not only that but look at the likes of some of the major European national squads that have a large number of their ranks playing in the Premier League. Although yesterdays game was not important in the overall scheme of things it certainly proved that the national set-up is in dire need of revamping and a good place to start would be with the managers who I really cannot see changing things under the current framework. How much money did we spend on the Football Centre for Excellence and this is what we get? I was never sure what this centre was supposed to achieve other than look good in the eyes of the public and media but if it was intended to support and improve the level of players trotting out for England then it has failed badly. It has almost become an embarrassment watching and supporting England when you know the outcome before the kick-off and the same old commentating adages come out of the bag such as England were better than that and all the other rubbish. They are not better than anything and the performance, or lack thereof, is yet another nail in the coffin of future success.
How Graham Taylor feels he can judge the situation is beyond me. He was probably the worst England manager in living memory. The turnip inherited an England team from Bobby Robson that made the world cup semi finals and ruined it.
Taylor's Watford ( And the Gas ...) played a style of football that is part of why England had fallen behind Europe. Bloke preferred Carlton Palmer v Gascoigne for England.
He may have been referring to Lillieshall, the previous previous centre before the FA did that thing before the ... The model here being used is nothing like the top nations in Europe, that is based on extensive nationwide coaching, England is not even close. Taylor is part of the problem, he certainly did not condemn what passed for strategy in the past when he had the top job, his team's as pointed out adopted the techniques of one Charles Hughes - Coaching guru who thought Brazil were wrong!!!
OOPS see what you miss when you emigrate (remember this Shiny) and you aren't involved in the day to day business of football. You risk getting slated for a thread that had no intention of pissing you all off but just to comment on the sadness of the England set-up during the last few years. Did not realise that the person I quoted was so disliked in England for his involvement in the game and the policies and style of play he chose. Please forgive me lads because I know not what I do (lol).
Was so funny how GT changed his style of coaching etc once he got the England job could it be he just didn't trust the players. He didn't want to play PG but as PG jas admitted he was drinking at that time and just perhaps GT wanted him out of the limelight, not saying this is what he did but I did spend ages a few years back trying to work out why various managers changed their patterns of play as soon as they got the England job. At least we don't have to wonder about RH he has always used the wrong tactics except when he was playing for a draw(which was 99% of the time)
I have no problem with Roy Hodgson - he is the first England manager for decades to try and deflate the country's over expectant fans and press by virtually saying the truth which is that we ain't good enough to compete with the top boys. We are light years away from outplaying the likes of Spain, Germany, Holland or a number of others at the moment so we have to go for organsation and hard work and just occasionally it comes good and it is no coincidence that I thought that our best period against Brazil came when the lads actually started passing the ball... It would probably take a good thrashing or 2 like the all conquering England team in the 50's received from Hungary (3-6 at Wembley in 53 and 7-1 in Hungary in 54) who played a brand of football previously unseen in England to shake the pathetically disinterested UK football powers out of their complaceny but the Premier League don't give a toss so long as their gravy train continues and in the meantime, as I witnessed a month or so ago, young lads at grass roots level still get bellowed at for trying to play the ball out of defence instead of just kicking it as far as they possibly can. THERE IS THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM, RIGHT THERE....
Graham Taylor the man who couldn't get England qualified for a World Cup has the answers. Probably the last person we need to hear from. On one hand yes more English players would mean more to choose from however you could also argue if they are good enough to play for England then they should be good enough to come through the system and get in their teams first team regardless of whoever else is at the club. I guess the biggest problem in my opinion is given the money in football, clubs want instant success so clubs aren't willing to give players a chance to come through the system. Liverpool are a prime example that in the last 20 years they have produced top English strikers like Fowler and Owen. Both given their chances young and both becoming legends where now they spend £35m on Andy Carroll instead of giving Adam Morgan a chance who has beat most of Fowlers and Owens academy / reserve goal records and Fowler himself said, "as a finisher he is probably one of the best I’ve seen". It makes you wonder where English football would be if we didn't (pre sky money) have these players come through. Would it be a case of Beckham who? If you look at the national team about half of those players do not currently play first team football weekly or they play in different positions for their clubs. Maybe if they changed the selection policy of picking players to you have to play week in week out some of these players might rather league for first team football rather than sit on the bench earning millions and still make the England team. And if I'm being honest people claim Rooney is world class and is our best player yet our win rate and goal scoring rate is better without him than with him and if you looked back at all of England strikers he wouldn't even make the top 10. Hes scored 11 goals in his last 26 games and a few of those were against teams like San Marino. 42% goal scoring rate. Even Peter Crounch in the same period has 67% and you wouldn't say hes world class. England future is apparently with Jack Wilshere who is very talented but it doesn't help you if you are always injured (ask Jamie Redknapp) but he becomes a good excuse when hes out injured as apparently according to the radio we would have beaten Ireland recently but we lacked his creativity (Instead Lampard played and scored). We wont win the next world cup with the current manager / tactics / team selection. Think we have all seen over the last few seasons at City what happens if you put the wrong person in charge Graham Taylor also once said, "so many people are in football for the wrong reasons. Not because they love the game, but because they smell money"
If Englands Management could be bothered to get of their backsides and go to matches outside of the premiership instead of watching the matches on TV in the comfort of their armchairs, I know you hear of so and so being seen at a game but usually they spend half of it in hospitality, and always at a Prem match. As far as England are concerned only the Premier League exists and for most of football history it has been the same they think only the top division can have good players, How many times have we heard on TV or Radio if he wants to get selected for England he needs to be playing in the Premiership what they seem to forget is there are so many foreigners in the Prem he wouldn't play every week like he would in the NPC and some players don't do well being rotated in and out of the squad they need to play week in week out. This has been the case for years you only have to look back in our own history How many games would Big John have played for England if he had played at one of the top divisions sides or gone to Inter when he had the chance? he was at least the equal of any other forward playing in England at that time and his record of 5 goals in 6 games would be hard for any other forward to match. If there was a Big John or a Brian Clark at the Gate or a Geoff Bradford at the Mem would they even get looked at by England nowadays, no chance it would be 'If they were any good they would be playing in the Premiership'
I remember the days when players from other divisions than the top flight put on an England shirt. Obviously John Atyeo immediately comes to mind but others I can remember were Budgy Byrne from Crystal Palace and I'll tell you what they put in way more effort than the over-egoed lot of today. How's your memory on the non top flight players playing for the three lions? Terry Paine?
Kevin Phillips, Steve Bull I'm sure of David Nugent I think didn't he play and score in one game? sorry can't think of anyone else off hand but I suppose I could do a Google search if anyone is really interested.
They need to bring back the England B and C teams. Then maybe English players from form teams like Celtic and Southampton could show that they are better than the Man Utd fringe players
Hardly likely to happen the managers of the teams complained about players being taken away for what to them were meaningless friendlies
Do you think they'd be willing to play for England B when a lot of them will feign injury or illness to get them out of playing for their country? You're absolutely right though. I think they should move Pearce to be the England B manager and get a new guy in for the U21's.
John Ward to be the new England U 21 manager and this isn't a wind up he has a history of putting youngsters into his teams.
