budgetmeansbudget wrote:Gingerfinch wrote:I'd imagine being a 20 year old Footballer, who plays in the EPL and for our under 21's, will go to your head. Not saying this is the reason why we went out. That reason imo is, we're not that good at Football.
If that really is the case then its a blooming disgrace with the amount of money thats floating around the English game these days. I'm wondering whether its more of a case that we are good enough but the players due to past history don't think they are when they get on the biggest stage, and we haven't got the right people in place to instill the belief that they can compete at the top level.
Agree with the last point. We get knocked out a minor nothing kids tournament and the venomous reaction about them being paid too much, snide remarks about them getting drunk in Spain, not good enough, don't care enough.... it all comes out. These guys are talented, they entertain millions if not billions around the world. If their clubs generate the money, they should get paid to their talent level, if that is a lot of money then so what. If they, at 21 in their spare time, have too many drinks on holiday and are filmed lying on the floor being sick then so what. I am a relatively well educated, well brought up man, but I hasten to add that I don't know a single person I would call a friend who hasn't had "a bad night" and got too drunk, made a prat of themselves. I certainly have, many many times before. I cant judge a 21 year old on some fake superior notion that
They are human beings after all. I am sure if your company or its customers wanted you to sacrifice your holiday after a tough few months working non stop in a high pressure situation I wonder how many of us would. Probably none.... but hey, footballers are judged differently. They don't care about the country unless we whip them to death... they get paid loads after all, they have no right to complain.
This team beat the German team recently, cut them apart going forward. Put them in a tournament and they prepare themselves to be the one who misses a penalty, or prepare for the media to annihilate them when they are home. That's what makes me laugh about this "send the kids out, get them used to tournament football".... great idea, lets inflict the psychological torture on them as soon as possible so when they get to the real thing, they appropriately play like rabbits frozen in the headlights.
I mean, the seeds of negativity were sown when they hired a manager like Southgate to lead the team. Got Middlesbrough relegated after 11 straight years in the Prem, spent 20 million on Alves (arguably the worst signing in history by a long way) and who is most famous for passing the ball to the German keeper to knock us out of a major tournament!!
I can imagine the inspirational speech he would give......"don't worry lads, if you miss the penalty you will be hated everywhere you go for the rest of your life, but at least Pizza Hut will pay you 400 grand for an advert to take the piss".
The England setup needs a strong character at the top who is able to set and bring into line the press and public to taking measurable and positive goals from each tournament. Say in the Euro's, Roy needs to be the one to say "we are going to try to win it, but realistically being competitive and getting to the knockouts where we at least play well... that's a positive". Then the team are murdered for not winning, and the next team think "ah well, we can play with some actual freedom here".
If I were in the team, I would be scared to touch the ball.
