England Team Thread

[Team Andromeda]

It has nothing to do with imports. The world has caught us up and we have done nothing to improve our game. Japan are a prime example. 20 years ago they formed their league and the players have bloomed as a result. Lots of South American influence and they have developed their game along with the other leading nations. Watch them play, their midfield would tear us a new one. Many other smaller nations have also improved and there are very few easy games in the international game today.

Spot on again. I was watching some local Mexican teams play a football match on TV while on hoilday's in the USA and even they we just so much more comfortable with the ball:controlling it,keeping hold of it and very nice passing .

[PaTaito]

If i was asked to represent this country, i dont think i'd give 100% either.

[fallenangle]

What I don't get is that some of these players are in Premiership teams who are international class with people capable winning and holding up the ball and passing accurately. So surely that should rub off on those in the team who qualify for the England shirt. It just seems that when the team is put together they forget all that, even Lampard.

I think that game exposed Rickie Lambert as being out of his depth and the unremarkable striker he really is but having said that: what's the alternative? Defoe? He's too small for a one up target man and despite his often good positional play he's just not a ball holder.

It is just so disappointing to watch that sort of performance. Lack of skill and playing it so safe it comes over almost as a lack of commitment.

[Baseley09]

Carrick should have played.

[Team Andromeda]

If i was asked to represent this country, i dont think i'd give 100% either.

I think that's part of the problem and a shocking attitude to take myself . Its amazing what a difference it can make when players give it their all for their country .

[Tetsuo]

The players? What of Hodgson? The guy is a dinosaur, with tactics (if can you can call them that) to match, who has achieved absolutely nothing of note in his entire career. The perfect appointment for England manager, then.

[PaTaito]

The players? What of Hodgson? The guy is a dinosaur, with tactics (if can you can call them that) to match, who has achieved absolutely nothing of note in his entire career. The perfect appointment for England manager, then.

The FA can always be relied upon to pick the wrong man...

Imagine the humiliation if redknapp had become the ukraine boss(and won).

The image that kept springing to my mind last night, was gary neville in hodgsons ear constantly and then him finally OK'ing whatever neville had been in his ear about.

Overrated, too oldschool, and lacking balls.

[PaTaito]

I think that's part of the problem and a shocking attitude to take myself . Its amazing what a difference it can make when players give it their all for their country .

Exactly...

But when you've got hal holbrook on the sidelines, i imagine its less than inspiring.

Of course it doesn't help that the premiership is so tight, that it seems to take precedence with managers/players.

[Nu-Eclipse]

But when you've got hal holbrook on the sidelines, i imagine its less than inspiring.

That's harsh.





























...on Hal Holbrook.

[Team Andromeda]

Exactly...

But when you've got hal holbrook on the sidelines, i imagine its less than inspiring.

Of course it doesn't help that the premiership is so tight, that it seems to take precedence with managers/players.

Club manager I would sort of agree - Playing for your country should count for a hell of a lot more . That said England have had more mangers than most and still always come up short . To me its just the players aren't really that good on the world stage

[Leon Retro]

I want to believe that most of the England players actually enjoy playing for their country and feel honoured, but part of me... thinks that many of them feel pressured into playing, because they can't exactly say, " To be honest, I'd rather not play for my country." Maybe I'm being negative, but that's a feeling based on what I see on the pitch and in interviews.

England should, theoretically, play positive attacking football, but that's not what we get. No, we more often than not, see negative football that lacks direction. It's often quite cringeworthy how lacking in decisiveness England are. The most obvious problems are that England don't look like a team - and they often look lost with no direction.

Redknapp should have been appointed manager, because if England still looked lost with him in charge, we would have concrete proof that the players attitudes are the problem. I think Redknapp would sort things out the best he could - and would most probably inject some enthusiasm into the squad.

[PaTaito]

I want to believe that most of the England players actually enjoy playing for their country and feel honoured, but part of me... thinks that many of them feel pressured into playing, because they can't exactly say, " To be honest, I'd rather not play for my country." Maybe I'm being negative, but that's a feeling based on what I see on the pitch and in interviews.

England should, theoretically, play positive attacking football, but that's not what we get. No, we more often than not, see negative football that lacks direction. It's often quite cringeworthy how lacking in decisiveness England are. The most obvious problems are that England don't look like a team - and they often look lost with no direction.

Redknapp should have been appointed manager, because if England still looked lost with him in charge, we would have concrete proof that the players attitudes are the problem. I think Redknapp would sort things out the best he could - and would most probably inject some enthusiasm into the squad.

amen.

[EJG1980]

Whoever has been in charge the general England performance is to qualify pretty comfortably for the tournaments (unless someone out of their depth like McClaren is in charge) and then make it to the second round / quarter final where we lose to a superior team. I'm not sure Harry could get England to do any better, to be honest, I just don't think the players are up to it.

What would be different though, is that I'm sure it would be a much much more entertaining ride! In my twenty odd years of supporting Spurs, Harry had us playing the best attacking football I've seen. I'd actually look forward to England matches for the first time in many many years if I thought we'd try to play that way.

If you're a team who's not going to win anything (and unless we make drastic changes to the way we coach kids, that will always be us) at least go out there and entertain the public. I can get to Wembley in 15 minutes by tube, extremely convenient, but I've seen about two England matches in ten years because the chances are the match will be dull.

[Team Andromeda]

Redknapp should have been appointed manager, because if England still looked lost with him in charge, we would have concrete proof that the players attitudes are the problem. I think Redknapp would sort things out the best he could - and would most probably inject some enthusiasm into the squad.

I was for Harry but its time to stop blaming the manager and start to look at the players . Becasue if the likes of Capello can't get it right then its hard to see anyone else who could and I don't but the enthusiasm argument either: when it comes to that, there was no-one better than King Kev and even he came way short

To me English players just aren't good enough on the world stage and can't play or handle the world game. England may well have given us the game; but that doesn't give one the right to win the World Cups and play in all the finals . Somtimes I wish the press would come to see that

[PaTaito]

Harry was most importantly a character though, a truly charismatic english manager who totally transformed spurs in one season.

That is precisely the kind of man you need with these players...

As someone said before, if harry had failed...nobody would have succeeded.