Euro 2016

[Posh Red]

They might not achieved much at international level themselves but you could see they bloody cared last night.

What else were they supposed to do apart from deservably slag off the shit we saw served up?

There's this idea that if we play shit, the players don't care.

Remember Shearer & Wright were members of the England team that didn't even qualify for the World Cup in 1994, I'm sure they both cared then but they were pretty abject in that qualification group.

Also Euro 2000, where we managed to qualify (on goal difference) in second place, 9 points behind Sweden who won the group. We then got to the finals & lost two of our three group games and went home without getting out of the group. Again the players that allegedly cared were part of a shit team.

The team last night played crap, but to somehow suggest they are the worst of all time is conveniently forgetting years & years of abject performances and failure by the majority of England teams including those that they played in.


It was blatantly obvious that England do not possess anyone creative in that central midfield role, just look through the squads of the premier league & pretty much all the best players in those positions are foreign.

[FreddySTFC!]

I'd just like to say as a proud Welshman it's been an utter treat reading through this thread!! Keep it coming lads 

[Ells]

I'd just like to say as a proud Welshman it's been an utter treat reading through this thread!! Keep it coming lads 

Did you have your photo taken with your face next to Bale in one of those things they've had in pubs?

I don't think you can really call yourself a Wales fan otherwise

[FreddySTFC!]

Did you have your photo taken with your face next to Bale in one of those things they've had in pubs?

I don't think you can really call yourself a Wales fan otherwise

No, I haven't thankfully. Went to Toulouse for 8 nights & my flight home got cancelled so winged it to Paris for the NI game. Terrific experience!!!

[Quagmire]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but Ross Barkley I believe was our highest goalscoring midfielder last season, and didn't get a look in all tournament in a team struggling for goals.

[fuzzy]

We're shit and we know we are........

No, lets be realistic. We aren't shit. We just aren't as good as some of us like to think we are.

On our day we can play some nice football and get a result. Our day doesn't come along very often.

The problem is deep down and at the heart of the system. The pool of players from which our squad is picked is based around the Premier League. This is a league that is probably 75% foreign at kick off on any given Saturday/ Sunday/ Monday evening. The foreign influence on the Premier League is a good thing for the Premier League as it promotes worldwide interest and swells the coffers of the Premier League. It is disastrous for the England FC set up however as it stifles development of home grown world class players.

The F.A. should look at this and drastically improve it's talent development programme.

[Reg Smeeton]

We're shit and we know we are........

No, lets be realistic. We aren't shit. We just aren't as good as some of us like to think we are.

On our day we can play some nice football and get a result. Our day doesn't come along very often.

The problem is deep down and at the heart of the system. The pool of players from which our squad is picked is based around the Premier League. This is a league that is probably 75% foreign at kick off on any given Saturday/ Sunday/ Monday evening. The foreign influence on the Premier League is a good thing for the Premier League as it promotes worldwide interest and swells the coffers of the Premier League. It is disastrous for the England FC set up however as it stifles development of home grown world class players.

The F.A. should look at this and drastically improve it's talent development programme.

Clearly Brexit will help this situation, top top players will be able to get a work permit, but journeymen won't. Make little differnce going the other way as next to no Brits go and play abroad even though they should. The odd Bale type will be fine still....in much the same way as John Charles, Gerry Hitchens and Jimmy Greaves were.

[nigel grays a postie]

Tottenham faded dismally when it came to the crunch last season. After taking all the plaudits Kane and Ali have both been really poor. Walker was probably our best player in first 2 games but Iceland's first goal down to him switching off from bog standard long throw being flicked on and neither him or Rose were anything like the threat going forward they had been earlier. Dier seemed vital in group matches but again wasn't really with it in first half v Iceland. Got to be a worry for Spurs fans how they are all going to react to reception they will get next season - plus the fact that they will be knackered. Lot players back for pre season just as they finally end their previous one.

[RobertT]

We were shit before the Premier League, so that's not the reason, although it might now be the reason for such apathy to fix the problems.  The issue therefore has to be both systematic and cultural.

If you compare to our Rugby team.  There you could say that the past few years has been a massive underperformance because the systems and processes were put in place when the money flowed in as witnessed by England now being the dominant force at under 20 level.  Eddie Jones has therefore released the potential where others failed to do so.  England in football do not have this pedigree (until the past few months we haven't really been that good at any level).  That's why unless we have found the trick and our youth levels are improving, we are still in for years of being average.

[Bob's Orange]

Is it also time to take the captaincy away from Rooney? I'm pretty sure he doesn't inspire leadership on or off the field of play, that said, in this squad, who would?

[@mwooly63]

Cue the resurrection of the league 3 idea, for the good of the national team blah blah blah.
The prem was supposed to do that but has failed.
Typically

[FormerlyPlymRed]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but Ross Barkley I believe was our highest goalscoring midfielder last season, and didn't get a look in all tournament in a team struggling for goals.

Nope think your correct and also got a fair few assists as well. Makes sense not playing him at all doesn't it....

[RobertT]

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but Ross Barkley I believe was our highest goalscoring midfielder last season, and didn't get a look in all tournament in a team struggling for goals.

I think this would have been like moving the deckchairs on the Titanic.

[Reg Smeeton]

Is it also time to take the captaincy away from Rooney? I'm pretty sure he doesn't inspire leadership on or off the field of play, that said, in this squad, who would?

The mental disintegration of our lot, just showed it was very much little boys against men....I thought Rooney did OK as captain, I'm not sure anyone could easily have prevented the disintegration in a captaincy role.

How do you get that mental toughness? 

Obviously in some cases moving abroad helps....but the mindset of our perceived superiorlty to Johnny Foreigner, just won't go away.

In tournaments it manifests itself at the beginning  in places like Marseille...here we are, come and have a go if you think you're hard enough. 

Brexit is the logical conclusion.

[Posh Red]

I always find the comparison to the Rugby team interesting.

It's hard to compare as there are very few countries that play, let alone that are any good at Rugby.

In fairness the current crop have done well, grand slam & a series whitewash in Australia, but in recent times England have a reputation of bottling the Grand slam decider.

Generally not a lack of ability, but lacking the mental toughness which is what the football team are being accused of (probably rightly so).

Although it does make me smile when Lineker makes those comments as his record in Euro finals is impeccable played 6, won none. I guess he had no mental strength either