Sudden realisation that the Scottish and Welsh teams suck really badly

I can't really have too much of a go as it isn't their own fault. The populations are far, far lower than England's so statistically they just won't produce as much talent.

But christ, being completely honest, they blow more than I realised.

Scotland's first teamers or close to the first-team with regular caps, i.e. the absolute best players Scotland can offer:

Bardsley - Sunderland
Caldwell - Wigan
McManus - Middlesbrough
Whittaker - Rangers
Morrison - West Brom
Brown - Celtic
Maloney - Wigan
Naismith - Rangers
Robson - Middlesbrough
Miller - Cardiff
Kyle - Heart of Midlothian

Wales's first teamers or close to the first-team with regular caps. Again, some of the best players Wales have at their disposal.

Gunter - Nottingham Forest
Williams - Swansea
Nyatanga - Bristol
Crofts - Norwich
Ledley - Celtic
Vokes - Wolves
Church - Reading
Morison - Norwich

Now both teams have some fairly good players. Scotland have Adam, Hutton, Bannan, Fletcher and Gordon. Wales have Collins, Bale, Ramsey, Vaughan and Bellamy. And some of the players listed there (like Bardsley for example) isn't too bad. However, for an international side and the best players the country can offer, that's dire. Especially when it's against the best players other countries can offer. A fair chunk of them can't even do better than play for a Championship side.

Compare that to England, where pretty much every position is filled by an English player in one of the best teams in the Premier League. Hart, Ashley, Jones, Ferdinand, Wilshere, Terry, Lampard, Downing, Milner, Walcott, Young, Johnson, Parker, Rooney, Bent, Carroll, Lescott, Lennon, Gerrard, Defoe, Agbonlahor and so on.

England might be playing a bit ****e at the moment, but fook me, the level of quality and the sheer quantity of it is beyond vast.

 

Both teams within one result of getting into the play offs.

 

you've just suddenly realised

small nations even when they had good players in the 70's/80's they were still ****e
hasn't helped that not many play in the pprem league at one time the top clubs core players were Scottish

 

I knew they were poor sides, but I didn't realise that they had to fill so many positions with Championship players just to field a starting 11.

 

I think I'd be readier to read criticism of the Scots and Welsh if it weren't written by an English supporter!

"The English, the English,
The English are best!
I wouldn't give tuppence
For all of the rest!"

Yeah, right.

 

You're right. It's my English bias which is preventing me from realising that Scotland and Wales can field starting 11's which have as much quality as England.

 

that's what i was saying about the 70's80's look at the liverpool sides the team in the 80's had a spine of Hansen,Souness,Dalglish.Man u had Albiston,McQueen and Macari.
don't know if it's because the scottish league is poorer or what but the standard of player is as you say piss poor these days

 

Shame on you Chappaz for that interesting piece of info

 

SPL is weak, Rangers and Celtic would get relegated if they were in the Premier League now.

 

I'd listen to a retort if the person wasn't a ****wit and labelled everyone as English just because it's about how bad Scotland and Wales are....tit

thank god for Eire

 

i think even jock and OT would agree they are poor

 

For me, if England are without Rooney they are no better than average either (in comparison to teams who actually qualify for the major tournaments).

 

agree i wouldn't say the current line up of players are the ones i'd pick as they're average at best but that seems to be the way for a few years now the same underachieving players getting picked every game.there's some players i'd keep but not many

 

You shambling oaf, he IS an England supporter. Secret ingredient in deep fried turd, you mean?

 

special needs up this late haven't you got a favourite window you'd like to lick

the word under your name sums you up

 

Like for real.. who cares Chappaz?

 

obviously terrypaine he's wet his panties

 

the secretion ..... oh find your dirty sock and take it to your lonely bed and try to get some sleep, you awful posturing fraud.

 

is that the best you can do

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England have 10 times the population of Scotland. 3 million more people live in London than the WHOLE of Scotland.

The FA in England are the richest football association in the world. The Premier League is the richest football league in the world. I think the tv deal for the SPL is something like 10 million a season, whereas the EPL is just mind boggling.

Of course Celtic and Rangers would struggle in the Premiership at first. But if they managed to stay up a couple of years and get the sky tv money, they would become a regular premier league side.

The truth is England as a football nation, are massive under-achievers on the world stage in the modern era. With the facilites, and the money thats pumped into the game, England should be a much bigger player on the international stage than they are.

The media also are a severe hinderance on England. The pressure, scrutiny and the hysteria that is created around the players and coaches nowadays is immense, and England will NEVER win a major trophy until that changes.