Why are England light years behind Spain, Germany etc?
Discussion
PRTVR said:
yes:
I know very little about football but England appear not to have the skill level of the likes of the Spanish.
The England game is very predictable keeper kicks the ball as far as he can usually to the other side followed by a long period of defending.
About ten years ago I was in Spain on the costa del sol, our apartment overlooked a training ground,
The skill level on display was amazing, the ball control from the kids aged from about seven to ten was impressive to watch,
at the same time in the UK we were putting people off playing ball games,my house fronts onto a small grass/tarmac area, one day there was a knock on the door and a guy introduced himself and asking if I would sign a petition to ban ball games on the area, I refused saying that the would have to play on the road or walk half a mile to a playing field, my children ar all grown up but still think it was a safe are for the kids to play, but nimbism won the day, the sign went up,the signs started to multiple, ever grass area appeared to have one, areas where in the past you would see kids having a kick around,not anymore, we have to ask how a country like Sweden with a small population can produce a good side and we fail with a lot more people.
Agree 100% with this. Used to play footie as a kid after school and at the weekends with loads of mates, 2 of whom went on to play in the premiership (alex mathie and stuart balmer). And all these areas we played on, since the late 1980s..........."No ball games, by order Falkirk District Council." Seems hard to believe, but when I was growing up in the 70/80s, Scotland actually had a serious number of star footballers, many playing in Division 1. Very different now.I know very little about football but England appear not to have the skill level of the likes of the Spanish.
The England game is very predictable keeper kicks the ball as far as he can usually to the other side followed by a long period of defending.
About ten years ago I was in Spain on the costa del sol, our apartment overlooked a training ground,
The skill level on display was amazing, the ball control from the kids aged from about seven to ten was impressive to watch,
at the same time in the UK we were putting people off playing ball games,my house fronts onto a small grass/tarmac area, one day there was a knock on the door and a guy introduced himself and asking if I would sign a petition to ban ball games on the area, I refused saying that the would have to play on the road or walk half a mile to a playing field, my children ar all grown up but still think it was a safe are for the kids to play, but nimbism won the day, the sign went up,the signs started to multiple, ever grass area appeared to have one, areas where in the past you would see kids having a kick around,not anymore, we have to ask how a country like Sweden with a small population can produce a good side and we fail with a lot more people.
These stats are pretty scary especially when you consider it takes more than double the study hours to gain a pro lcnse is Spain than it does in the UK.
UEFA A & PRO COACHES
SPAIN -------------------- 14,860
GERMANY ---------------- 6,570
FRANCE ------------------- 2,588
ITALY ----------------------- 1,810
NETH'NDS ----------------- 1,137
ENGLAND ----------------- 1,010
UEFA A & PRO COACHES
SPAIN -------------------- 14,860
GERMANY ---------------- 6,570
FRANCE ------------------- 2,588
ITALY ----------------------- 1,810
NETH'NDS ----------------- 1,137
ENGLAND ----------------- 1,010
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Having just watched the final, I think light years is an underestimation.
I just cannot imagine an England team playing like that, not in my lifetime. I'm 49. So I've got another 30 yrs with a bit of luck and a following wind.
I'm 22 and can't see it in my life time either. I just cannot imagine an England team playing like that, not in my lifetime. I'm 49. So I've got another 30 yrs with a bit of luck and a following wind.
A player driving a Bentley GT doesn't mean they are a good football player. What was pretty evident in watching England play against other countries and it is the same for any sport, having a good youth team coming thru is fundimental to its future and how the under 19's are doing today will be your World Cup Team.
But you don't have to be Mystic Meg to predict what will happen. You will use the same names that you always do. You will have a big name striker, you will play like you did in for the last 20 years. Then have Allan Shearer explaining on the BBC why you look like old people shagging compared to the likes of Spain.
But you don't have to be Mystic Meg to predict what will happen. You will use the same names that you always do. You will have a big name striker, you will play like you did in for the last 20 years. Then have Allan Shearer explaining on the BBC why you look like old people shagging compared to the likes of Spain.
glassspares said:
I think the whole set up is a joke within the FA talk about organising a p**s up in a brewery who else would appoint a manager a few weeks before a tournament and at that not the one the fans really wanted. Fair play to Woy and the boys they did better than most expected but until they have a clear out at the top we will keep going in to tournaments unprepared. As for the squad i had higher hopes after Woy decided to drop Rio and bring a younger side and gain experience for the world cup but for some reason stuck with Ashley young who i thought had a shocker i'm sure had Young still been at Villa he wouldn't of played as much. Time will tell now if he brings Lampard back in and Rio i for one hope he doesn't and i know this will look like an attack at Man Utd players but Rooney should of come off the bench clearly not fit and has been poor in the games he did play.
<<<<This post sums up why England can and will not win a major tournement.
Because footballs fans (well 90% of them) think they are just a change of coach or FA chief exec or 1 midfielder away from winning the world cup. They are deluded to think that lots of money equals lots of success.
It is the English fans' obsession with their own club teams that is the primary problem - and this leads to a host of other problems.
- Too many overseas players in our leagues
- too few English players in other leagues
Cheib said:
Two things....firstly the midfield players aren't good enough....Milner is a classic Premier League player....loads of energy....gets up and down the pitch but just hasn't got the technique or pace to worry players at the highest level and he can't hassle players like you do in the Premier League because you'll end up in the book. Secondly I think Hodgson picked a team to get to the QF's and didn't gamble once they were there....I think he thought he'd done his job by getting to the QF's...personally I think he should have picked Walcott against Italy....his technique isn't up to it but he's got pace to scare anyone which creates mroe space in midfield because the opposition can't press as much....yes he's not got much to offer tracking back but frankly if you're the coach of Italy Milner isn't going to get more than five minutes thought.
The player who can potentially transform England and is the best England midfield player of a generation is Wilshere. Yes I am an Arsenal fan but his ability to retain possesion and make those seemigly simple passes is something England haven't had for longer than I can remember.
Here's him last season playing against the best midfield in the world as an 18 yr old....and didn't look out of place at all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5NpD3bRZvs
Bingo, here's another one - more interested in club football than international success.The player who can potentially transform England and is the best England midfield player of a generation is Wilshere. Yes I am an Arsenal fan but his ability to retain possesion and make those seemigly simple passes is something England haven't had for longer than I can remember.
Here's him last season playing against the best midfield in the world as an 18 yr old....and didn't look out of place at all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5NpD3bRZvs
oyster said:
- Too many overseas players in our leagues
How many overseas players were in out leagues when we failed to qualify in 74, 78 & 94. We haven't had a team good enought to challenge for a trophy since 1970. We made the semi in 1990 but we were largely rubbish in Italia 90, we played 6 games and were crap in 4 of them.It's got nothing to do with overseas players. If anything, the best foreign players have raised the standards of our players.
It's purely to do with fgootball culture. week in and week out, we dont actually want to watch the type of football the Spaniards play. We pretend we do, but stand on the sideline of any kids game and just listen to the dads screaming "get rid of the damn ball", "clear it" and "don't mess around there, get shot of it" whenever it's near their own penaly area.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
oyster said:
- Too many overseas players in our leagues
How many overseas players were in out leagues when we failed to qualify in 74, 78 & 94. We haven't had a team good enought to challenge for a trophy since 1970. We made the semi in 1990 but we were largely rubbish in Italia 90, we played 6 games and were crap in 4 of them.It's got nothing to do with overseas players. If anything, the best foreign players have raised the standards of our players.
It's purely to do with fgootball culture. week in and week out, we dont actually want to watch the type of football the Spaniards play. We pretend we do, but stand on the sideline of any kids game and just listen to the dads screaming "get rid of the damn ball", "clear it" and "don't mess around there, get shot of it" whenever it's near their own penaly area.
Great thread guys.
I've heard all the arguments for and against why we wont/dont win anything, but there's a valid argument as to why we should be winning something....I just dont get it.
1. We play kick and rush and our players aren't technically good enough = But our players perform very good in the Champions league year after year.
2. To many foreign players in our league = in the 40s 50s 70s we won nothing anyway.
3. We haven't got any world class players = Nor has Greece, they won the Euro.
The only thing I can think of is that we don't play as a team, We seem to pick a player even if he's unfit or playing badly just because he's got a good agent and is hype'd up by the press. We almost got things right at the last tournament but Woy (bottle'd it/was told) to play Wooney and Ashley Young. I hope he's learnt his lesson.
Pocty
I've heard all the arguments for and against why we wont/dont win anything, but there's a valid argument as to why we should be winning something....I just dont get it.
1. We play kick and rush and our players aren't technically good enough = But our players perform very good in the Champions league year after year.
2. To many foreign players in our league = in the 40s 50s 70s we won nothing anyway.
3. We haven't got any world class players = Nor has Greece, they won the Euro.
The only thing I can think of is that we don't play as a team, We seem to pick a player even if he's unfit or playing badly just because he's got a good agent and is hype'd up by the press. We almost got things right at the last tournament but Woy (bottle'd it/was told) to play Wooney and Ashley Young. I hope he's learnt his lesson.
Pocty
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