England under-21s

[animalwilliams]

Terrible tournament from arguably our best young players. Watched the Israel game and and was not impressed with any of them.
Not sure if a change in manager will have any effect on the current lack of talent in the country.     

[Reg Smeeton]

Terrible tournament from arguably our best young players. Watched the Israel game and and was not impressed with any of them.
Not sure if a change in manager will have any effect on the current lack of talent in the country.     

Zaha is going to be a good player...the contrast between our lads and the likes of the Italians, Dutch, Spanish and Germans is stark.

[LucienSanchez]

Part of the problem was that they aren't our best under-21 players. Jones, the Ox, Rodwell etc. should have been there and not in Brazil.

[Reg Smeeton]

Part of the problem was that they aren't our best under-21 players. Jones, the Ox, Rodwell etc. should have been there and not in Brazil.

The main problem is that clubs in the countries I mentioned see the importance for their domestic game in having a decent national team, and therefore are prepared to work with their FA's towards that goal....in England that doesn't happen. Increasingly, the national team is seen as a hinderance....an attitude backed by many fans, who have no interest in te national team.  I can see the Qatar WC, really bringing this into open....as there's no way the Prem will allow it's players to go there for a summer WC.

[Farmboy]

Fair points all, but Germany are also going home.

The main problem with the under 21's is not lack of players, this has always been a problem, Owen, Rooney, Gerrard, Beckham etc never played for them.  The problem is Stuart Pearce, in this country we alway mistake passion for ability. Pearce may be a good coach/top bloke, but he's a terrible manager, who along with his selectors has time and time again picked an unbalanced squad.  When Peter Taylor was in charge, the team was a joy to watch, and you actually got the feeling the players were being developed.

[Paolo69]

Fair points all, but Germany are also going home.

The main problem with the under 21's is not lack of players, this has always been a problem, Owen, Rooney, Gerrard, Beckham etc never played for them.  The problem is Stuart Pearce, in this country we alway mistake passion for ability. Pearce may be a good coach/top bloke, but he's a terrible manager, who along with his selectors has time and time again picked an unbalanced squad.  When Peter Taylor was in charge, the team was a joy to watch, and you actually got the feeling the players were being developed.

Was he a terrible manager when we got to the final 4 years ago?

[LucienSanchez]

It's a combination of factors. I'd get rid of Brooking, who has done nothing to improve coaching and youth development and is a dinosaur, and I also think having a businessman at the head of the FA is counter-intuitive.

[Bob's Orange]

We walked the qualifying group and then lost all 3 of our championship matches.

England just never seem to be able to perform when it really matters. Is it lack of big game bottle?

[Reg Smeeton]

It's a combination of factors. I'd get rid of Brooking, who has done nothing to improve coaching and youth development and is a dinosaur, and I also think having a businessman at the head of the FA is counter-intuitive.

I've always wondered exactly what Brooking did to get a knighthood.

[Batch]

Is it right the the U21 squad lost players to the Brazil friendly?

If so, then why bother with U21 at all.

[Farmboy]

Yes Pearce was a bad manager when we got to the final 4 years ago, we were lucky to get there. In fairness to Pearce, it did look like he had practised penalties though. In that championship just like this one, Pearce overlooked the need for strikers, we just attacked set pieces better (and we didn't have goals ruled out for phatom offences)

Completely agree with the Brooking comments, Howard Wilkinson appeared to do more with less in his time.

[sonicyouth]

Is it right the the U21 squad lost players to the Brazil friendly?

If so, then why bother with U21 at all.

Norway released players from their senior side to the U21 side despite having a qualifier.

There's no long term vision in English football and that's the biggest issue.

[Reg Smeeton]

Norway released players from their senior side to the U21 side despite having a qualifier.

There's no long term vision in English football and that's the biggest issue.

Well there is...to make shed loads of money for the Prem and tbf it's worked a treat. 

[derbystfc]

Can you trust an FA to make the right decisions who have history in monumental cock ups, Kevin Keegan, Graham Tayour, Steven Mclaren, Howard Wilkinson et al.

The problems are with the FA.

[sonicyouth]

Well there is...to make shed loads of money for the Prem and tbf it's worked a treat. 

I was talking about the national team but there's no denying the monumental success of the EPL