..and I can't believe that R.H. is worried about Pirlo. Moreover, commenting about Uruguay and Costa Rica - "I don't think right now this even represents an advantage for any South American side," regarding the heat, he is loosing the plot already. They are going to be used to playing in the heat, it is no rocket science... I hope we (England) do well in the world cup but I doubt we can and R.H. makes me worry already. Viva Mexico they have a better chance Seriously, we (England) are going to make it hard for ourselves again......
We will get shown up to be a 2nd rate football nation as usual - nothing will change whilst we have the type of people in charge of football. Lucky to get out of the group stages and if we do it will be to fail once again.
Maybe one of the Liverpool guys could nobble Suarez in a late season training session. We'll get knocked out by the 2nd stage at best and then all the excuses about being too tired will come out etc.
12 years old in 1966, having watched WFC for two years already, I was overjoyed at our world cup win, but to little Englander me it simply felt like the natural order of things. All the black and white films on telly showed us beating the huns and sundry other foreign nations, and it just seemed to follow. 1970 we were pretty close to getting to the final again, despite our worries about altitude and heat (anyone remember the special light, airtex-y shirts that were deemed revolutionary?). Ever since then it has become a lengthening procession of disappointments and downright pathetic attempts so that now I watch through my hands in despair. Oh 'eck, do we really have to go through it all over again??
At least your nation is at the finals and are good enough to qualify nearly every time. Is the problem the Premier League does not help because there are not enough English players at the high level. Arsenal and others have teams playing with sometimes no Englishmen and some like Chelsea only have players at the ends of their playing life. I am sure here are good young players I am sure but they do not have the occaission to play.
There's no doubt about it - apparently we are all really lucky to have the premier league and therefore have to pay the price by having a carp national team ... thank you lord scudamore!
We weren't exactly winning things before the PL was formed. Also, is there the possibility that the amount of foreigners has also reduced the chances of the other Home Nations qualifying for tournaments?
Well it is probably true that we weren't winning too much before the PL but we were getting closer - it seems to me we are getting further and further behind and those winning it now do so off the back of the PL providing good training for their players. I also agree the other Home nations are getting further away too - look at the case of Ryan Giggs - never to grace the World Cup when in his prime he would have been an outstanding contributor.
I think getting through the group stage will be a 'success', which just shows you the state of our national team. You can certainly say the amount of foreign players has had a detrimental affect, but it does go deeper than that. It's also because teams can get a foreign option so much cheaper than buying English. As an easy example, look at Luke Shaw at Southampton. No doubt a potential talent but it's being reported Man Utd are going to spend £30m on him. Why would teams spend that when they could get and already-made talent for so much less. They could probably pick up Contreao at Real Madrid for £5-10m Also, with all the money in the Premiership, teams don't want to take a chance on youngsters by throwing them into the first team. There's too much short-termism in the game now, and too much pressure on managers. Moyes should be given time to rebuild an aging and relatively poor squad, but if they're in the same position next winter, will he still be there? I reallly hope RH takes some of the youngsters who will be England's future. Shaw over Cole (who never plays), Barkley, Sterling, etc... keep some of the older heads who got us there but take a few of the younger players for big tournament experience. Then after the tournament drop anyone who will be too old for the next tournament and have a 4 year building plan
Kev, remember how Eriksson got critised for taking Walcott to give him tournament experience (can't remember which tournament) as it was a waste of a place in the squad?
