England Expects... Too Much.
I WON'T launch into any sanctimonious rant about the calamitous harbinger of apocalypse that is England's seventies retro failure to qualify for a major tournament. Firstly, I am not really an emotional stakeholder in the FA XI, and, secondly, there will be a tsunami of hypocritical bile and blinkered patriotic self delusion to contend with in the next few days anyway.
I'm not that bothered about England. I think it is a distraction from the passionate engagement of club football and comes enveloped within layer upon layer of preposterous media hype and expectation that rubs me up the wrong way. It doesn't hurt me if England lose. It hasn't ruined my week. I won't be changing my holiday plans for next Summer. If anything I will enjoy the European Championships more now that we won't have to put with the foaming mouthed xenophobia and rabid tabloid tub thumping that comes as standard with games against nations we once waged war against back in the mists of time.
But I will say this: anyone who believes that England have a divine right to qualify for every major tournaments just because they invented the game and won the big one once needs to seriously examine both the realities of world football and their own unfounded expectations.
It doesn't matter how easy a scapegoat the Steve McClaren makes, or how easy it is to demand victory in every match as a minimum from players just because they are paid squillions of pounds a week, or how spectacular a setting for big games the new Wembley is, or how much the FA would make from qualification, or how big the back page headlines that scream 'England Expects' - this is a team that has a woeful record on the world stage and anyone who expects England should cruise into every major tournament is expecting too much.
Most England fans and the entire massed ranks of Her Majesty's Press Corps believe England to be a football super power. Why? This Newcastle of the global game have reached the World Cup final once in 56 years (and then with home advantage and some generous refereeing) and have never been in the European Championships final at all. This is a team that consistently reaches the quarter-finals before crashing out amid broken dreams and bitter recriminations (usually about cheating foreigners) but rarely is there any realistic assessment of why.
The bottom line is that England are not good enough. They are a yo-yo team that fluctuate between being the eighth and 16th best team in the world. Despite having one of the strongest and richest domestic structures in the world the game here remains insular and inflexible. The high-tempo athleticism that makes the Premier League the biggest bums on seats spectacle on Planet Football is ironically a style that when pitted against other more sophisticated approaches is revealed as a tactically and technically inferior anachronism.
True, Premier League teams regularly make progress in the Champions League - but those teams are dominated by expensively imported foreign talent. Stripped of the magic Fancy Dannery and thrown back to a utilitarian reliance on the traditional virtues of muscularity, passion and the long ball forward England are repeatedly found wanting against sides who are better organised, more skilful and who control and pass the ball more effectively.
We are constantly told that England has world class players but where are they? In England. It is telling that the big clubs in Europe - Barca, Juventus, Bayern, the Milans, Juve etc - are not raiding England to snap up the talent. The reason for that is because they do not believe that the skill set of the average English player is readily transferable to a different footballing culture, that they are not flexible enough to switch to a slower but more technically demanding environment: that they are not good enough.
And it is not just the superstars. In a Europe where free movement of labour is the norm within the game there is no marked outward traffic of journeymen players or coaches who are exporting skills then importing the lessons to replenish and strengthen the domestic game. There can't be much demand for bruising defenders who can't control the ball or dynamic tackling machines with woeful distribution, players whose second nature is to play it long and direct and who believe that getting stuck in is the key to success.
The other side of the coin is that the English game is recruiting from abroad those who have skills that here are regarded as top of the range added extras but abroad are seen as bog standard. We are a nation who regard Joe Cole as some kind of supernatural conjuror because he can do a few step-overs before he crosses harmlessly into the crowd.
Until English football embraces a culture of technique, tactical awareness and comfortable close control rather than sheer industry and is willing to put time and money into making those the virtues promoted in school, youth and grassroots football it will continue to stumble every time it attempts to bridge the cultural gap.
The truth is probably that we don't want to do that, that we LIKE our football fast and furious and unpredictable because work-rate can overcome wizardry and that makes it possible for lesser teams - of which we have many - to hold their own. We don't want a culture of excellence, we want a more egalitarian approach that elevates endeavour above artistry and offers the hope that sheer toil and commitment can lead to success. And ultimately because our clubs are our primary concern we certainly don't want to sacrifice that for the benefit of the national team.
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Anthony Vickers
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Well, I'm an Italian fan when it comes to international football, but even I have to say that England DO have some world class players and the list is quite long.
The problem with England is the same problem as with the Boro, namely, they never pick the very best people for the job who have the footballing knowledge, experience, and man management skills to bring out the very best in players.
In your last blog you talk about kharma.
Well how's this for kharma ?
"Only in England can someone with such evident limits become the head of the national team." - Massimo Maccarone.
Sven's a great club manager but he's someone who doesn't know how to envoke the " British Bulldog " spirit, and in my opinion this is why he failed to bring out the very best in his players whilst in the job.
His brand of coaching works in places like Italy and where a club has lots of foreign players as his " intellectual " approach, as opposed to the " passionate " approach, of say a Stuart Pearce, is highly respected by the players sat in front of him.
English players at half time when the chips are down, like against Brazil, need a Churchillian type of person who knows how to press the right buttons within players so that they spark into life.
Erickson with England just didn't know how to do this.
McClaren is just rubbish, plain and simple. Little experience in management, can't express himself well when he talks, and just doesn't have the tactical knowledge that is required at this level.
ONLY McClaren would have put in a 22 year old rookie keeper in the biggest English game ever as his first game.
Anyone else would have put James in.
The list of candidates for the job is endless:
Mourihno
Capello
Lippi
Scolari
and so on...,
If even one of these people had shown any interest before, everyone knows that McClarens name wouldn't have even made the betting.
Granted, many of the world's best managers were not available before, but they are now, and so this time the FA have absolutely no excuses.
It isn't just McClaren that has to go, it's also the people that made this incredibly poor choice in the first place that must also get the bullet.
TB
AV, I think it’s clear to almost everybody that the setup of football in England does not produce world-class English footballers.
We blame the foreign invasion of players, and it has played a part in the lack of development in English players, but if we had top-class English players most of them wouldn’t be needed.
It’s been reported that McClaren has around only 30 Premiership players to choose from – most of them defenders – and virtually no overseas-based Englishmen.
Look at the team yesterday, it featured half a team of premiership reserves plus a half-fit American soccer player, along with a few untested newcomers and a couple of serial over-hyped ‘unable to produce club form’ regulars.
We had to put our faith in a team playing ‘hoof it up to the big man’ while the defence constantly backed-off players who had the audacious nerve to pass it to each other.
So like you AV I’ll probably enjoy the Euro Championship next year – OK I won’t be on the edge of my seat – I’ll save that for Boro’s relegation roller coaster season.
AV - England are the most overated team in world football.
As many of us suspected MaClaren was out of his depth and yet he again last night he reverted to type.
Gerrard and Lampard have just about failed in every competitive game when played together. Why were they left on at half time?
Once England equalised Macs trump card was played, get everyone behind the ball.
Poor manager and poor side, the only amazing thing was that I was able to back Croatia at 15/2 to win the game.
I like to see England win, however England come a distant second to Boro.
The one thing both have in common at the moment is that both England and Boro are poor sides with managers who are out of their depth.
Lets hope Boro don't fail like England.
If SG is gambling on spending little, (Beattie is the lastest alleged transfer target) until he gets the PL pot of gold at the end of the season, then he is risking the PL future of the club.
Also, every other team is going to get a share of the PL millions and most teams are already out performing Boro both on and off the pitch.
C'Mon Boro!
Taxi for MacClaren.
It is not all his fault. We have good players but not world beaters and they are not broadening their football education by playing abroad, with the money available here there is no need to do what Liam Brady, Gaza, Ince and Platt did.
Many teams in the premiership rely on overseas players as playmakers, people comfortable on the ball who can stroke it around. The only true English playmaker is Paul Scholes and he is 33 and not available.
The same goes for coaches and managers.
It was a lesson watching the Croatians passing and keeping the ball. They deserved their win. They had nothing to play for and when England equalised there was only one team going to win and it wasnt us. And that is where Mac deserves huge criticism, we have seen only too often his teams dropping back.
But onto the Boro.
A.V. Your comments re England are ( in my opinion )spot on !
The FA are wallowing in the shadow of 1966 still , and are a major contributer to the plight of English Football today
It is easy to point to McLaren, after all he`s the Manager , but the rot starts behind him. I get embarrassed watching our midfield aimlessly lumping the ball up to the forwards , skill factor ZERO !
I wont single out any individual for criticism , as the whole set-up requires major surgery from top to bottom , and I can now look forward to a summer free of embarassment .
Dene Grove Dave
Personally I do believe we have the quality in our ranks to do the business in tournaments. It just needs a decent coach to come on board and get the best out of them.
McClaren is a good coach but that's as far as it goes. He is tactically naive and obviously cannot man-manage the top players.
great news and i hope that stupid smile is wiped firmly off his face. you could see in england performances that it was Boro of old and the negative tactics contributed to his demise.
McClaren should never have been there in the first place and not qualifying is punishment enough for the F.A.
How many people watching that game in boro knew he would throw on 3 forwards and try to save his job?
Predictable and foolish thats what he will be remebered for as well as being the worst England manager ever, yes worse than Taylor.
publicly humiliated and ripped apart by the media. it couldnt happen to a nicer man. he was too clever by half with the fans and the papers when he was at boro but with england he was found out when he was with england.
now i am just waiting for the first southern hack to try to pin the blame on boro.
Interesting selection dilemma for GS - who does he pick at CB. with Woodgate, Pogi, Riggott and Wheater fit?.
I don't think Wheater deserves to be dropped, however can he be paired up with Pogi?
Pogi played his best football with Woodgate at his side, but Woodgate has been poor this season.
It may be that GS selects Pogi at LB, however that will lead to problems against Villa with their pace on the wings.
Possible that in a Maclrenesq type of way he might pick a back 5 so he can accomadate Woodgate, Pogi and Wheater.
Good to see the injured players returning and it will be interesting to see who GS thinks is his best side when everyone is fit.
As I said I don't think Wheater deserves to be dropped however that might be the easiest option for GS, he then won't have to bruise the senior pro's egos
AV, im not one for stroking ,our local or national press corps, that wouldnt be politically correct would it, however i have to say your comments today on this blog are unbelievably outstanding. you are right on the money with everything you say,
what i cant understand and i hope steve mclarren learns a lesson, is you have to be your own man. he has a habit of surounding himself with all kinds of people,seeking advice on numerous things.
im dissapointed because to me he bowed down to what the media was wanting regarding team selection,and tactics. he should have picked a team to do what was needed for this particular game, forget big names or reputations or what the pundits want.
fact; which goalie in the last 18 months kept his team in the prem, nd helped them move forward all on his own Robert Green, man in form.
Campbell - old man. Lescott - untried. Bridge - 2 games for chelsea, Gerrard - awfull last 10 games for nation, Cole - the worst left winger ever, Defoe and Bent - Tottenham reserves.
we didnt need to go out and win 5-0,keep the game at an easy pace for 30min,and gradually start creating advantages, but dont breakdown.
with that back 4,we needed at least one holding midfielder in front, even Cattermole would have done a better job ,why was an experienced Phil Neville overlooked,in games like this?
you cant always be looking to the future. remember when,jack brought in Bobby Murdoch,to suppliment the young team he had? thats my point
and I know mclaren has been canned,but is their really anybody currently in management out there who wants this job. ,just venting
**AV writes: Vent away
Anthony: Terrific article, I think your line: "Until English football embraces a culture of technique, tactical awareness and comfortable close control rather than sheer industry ......" sums up the problem perfectly.
I actually think we have two world class players Rooney and Ashley Cole but we inflate the reputations of others (Gerrard, Richards) in a way that is irrational and perverse.
My view is that coaches of Junior Football teams across England, armed with their FA coaching certificates are systematically ruining football as an 'art form' and removing the enjoyment and beauty from the game.
I see more skill in children's football today than there ever was in my day. The problem is that coaches value 'muscularity, 'engines' and the inevitable "passion" above balance, touch and brains.
The idea that from population of 60 million football fanatics we can't find our own Fabregas, and Hleb is ludicrous. The players are there we simply don't have the coaches, scouts to spot and reward them.
World class players are not PRODUCED they OCCUR and the secret is in identifying the clever, skillful players and nurturing them.
The coaches and Academies actually believe that THEY produce great footballers whereas I suspect they destroy more careers than they develop.
We must have very good scouts at the Boro because for sure Downing, Morrison, Johnson, McMahon ..... were not selected for their muscularity - what attracted the attention of our scouts was their skill,balance and touch.
In a nutshell the answer is - "We need to be more like Arsene & Arsenal".
AV:
"And ultimately because our clubs are our primary concern we certainly don't want to sacrifice that for the benefit of the national team."
Don’t we? Well I believe that’s exactly what’s happening!
And who's primary concern are we talking about? I don't believe for one second that the FA Board are motivated primarily by anything other than money and attracting more of it into the game! Clubs are not THEIR primary concern. Well, certainly not all of them - the big ones, perhaps!
And therein lies the problem with the national team also.
We don't have the home-grown natural talent from which to select a competitive National squad. TV has brought "easy money" into the Premiership and the big clubs who have the financial clout to go out and buy the foreign talent that keeps them at the top of the club game, ensure that the national squad is left with (relatively) sloppy seconds.
And where have we heard that argument before? In these very columns is where - directed at the structure of the Premiership and the power that's invested in the big clubs via their and Sky's stranglehold on the "competition". (I use the term loosely, because everyone knows that it's not really a competition any more -it's an annual procession!)
It's NOT McClaren's fault!
Nor was it the fault of Sven Goran Ericson before him!
Anyone, yes anyone, in a managerial position is automatically constrained by the quality of the players at his disposal! At least club managers can buy players - if they have the funds. National Managers can't!
The restrictions are also imposed by injury. And injuries are commonplace and serious in the Premiership, because of what’s at stake. The Premiership, in more ways than one, is becoming like American Football – but without the protective "benefit" of the personal equivalent of Chobham armour! (Although knee-injuries are still commonplace in that game also).
The FA's sacking of McClaren is just the latest in a line of spineless and self-serving decisions that this "organisation" has made, without facing up to the realities in the domestic game.
The FA have promised a "root and branch" examination of why England failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
But will it be an independent examination? I think we can all answer that!
Any conclusion that doesn't implicate them and their subservience to the lure of money will be a whitewash and will still leave the national game bereft of a future that is more in keeping with it's preferable receding past.
It really is time for radical change before the high-level game, club and national, disappears from us, the grass roots, completely!
And if this means dropping Sky or reducing their influence by cutting back on their involvement - then let's do it and restore some local control. I instead of handing our heritage over to the Rupert Murdochs, Roman Abramovichs and Randy Lerners, let’s take it back!
Either that or resign ourselves to watching Hartlepool or Darlington, until Boro joins them in the lower divisions. Because, over time, that will be the inevitable result of a continuation of the present policies of the FA!
This is NOT head-in-the-sand jingoism on the back of heart-ripping disappointment. (Like you AV, I expect the tabloids to excel themselves and milk it to death over the next few days, weeks and months.) It's a long-held and, I believe, objective opinion based on observation of the Premiership, business, relationships with the media and the demonstrably detrimental effects of the big-club stranglehold in the SPL.
No, my opinions aren't English jingoism - I'm Scottish.
But I wanted all of our home countries to be in Euro 2008!
hard work, commitment, passion, fighting spirit determination, organisation. These qualities are sitll precious and shouldn't be undervalued.
If we could find a formula to group these with technique, patience, skill and most importantly good passing then there is no doubt that we could be a world force.
This cannot happen without a total revolution of the way people view what is a good game of football.
The champions league final a few years ago between Milan and Juventus was classed as boring but the likes of Gattusso show fight and spirit as well as technical ability.
Why is it that teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and manchester United seem to be able to mix the english intensity and pace with technique and compete on the european stage?
I realise that these teams are awash with foreigners but do the likes of Gerrard, Carragher, Scholes, Rooney, Ferdinand ever look out of place in the Champions league?
We always seem to have great under 21 team with great prospects (as do Boro) but why don't they make the step up? Because it is easier to spend a few million on the finished article from abroad.
The only possible way ahead is a maximum quota of foreign players, but this would surely contravene with employment laws.
Fair play to Boro for giving young English lads a chance and I pray that this eventually becomes the norm along with different attitudes in junior football.
Then and only then can we become a force on the world stage. The process may just become fruitful for the finals on home soil in 2018.
We said it for long enough but now the whole of England can finally see it.
Boro won the Carling Cup and reached the UEFA final IN SPITE OF Maclaren and not BECAUSE of him.
Is there any job in England now this idiot can get? I can only think of 1 chairman stupid enough to employ him.
As for England - like AV I dont care.
An interesting statistic from last week's the Times: in the most recent round of Champions League fixtures 12 Englishmen took part. Compare that with 53 Brazilians and 11 from the Ivory Coast. That sums up England for me - down amongst the 3rd world nations.
At the end of the Group fixtures we finished level on points with the mighty Israel! Nuff said.
People should not blame "too many foreigners" for Englands dismal recent showings as there were hardly any Johnny Foreigners playing football in this country in the 70's when England were equally as useless for qualifying for competitions as they are now.
We have to remember how smug and overjoyed McClaren was when he got the England job - at our expense.
What did we achieve that season? What have we achieved since then? Nothing.
He's had his fun, now he's paying the price for it.
But it runs deeper than that, of course. England's elimination - not to mention Scotland's and Northern Ireland's - encapsulates a lot of what is wrong with modern football.
There was a time when the international job of any country really was the best post you can hope for.
Now the game has become a money-driven marketing bonanza, with all the best managers lured to Premiership clubs.
How are England supposed to redevelop and improve if they can't find a good managerial candidate that will stick with them in the long term?
More importantly, will Scotland build on their successful qualifying campaign? They lost one good manager to Rangers and they may lose another to Birmingham.
And would Norn Iron had qualified had Sanchez still been in charge? (Guess we'll never know, Mr. Al Fayed.)
It's not fair or right. But it's life.
McClaren should never have been made England manger (even though as a Boro supporter I'm glad he was).
He doesn't have the leadership qualities required to inspire players, his football is too conservative and he isn't a risk taker. He also makes poor decisions, Carson in Goal for example.
That said McClaren is not the reason England failed to qualify. We didn't qualify because the players aren't good enough, we were thoroughly outplayed twice by Croatia, a team from a country which is tiny compared to England, wher I imagine the football infra-structure is a pale imitation of what we have in England.
But facilities don't make talented footballers, our footballers can't control the ball, aren't comfortable with it at their feet and therefore don't take responsibility when the chips are down. The English premiership players are over paid, over rated and have over inflated egos.
Until we fundamentally change how we coach young footballers in England we will continue to under achieve at international level.
In the meantime we need a manager who can get a team to achieve beyond its individual abilities - my vote goes to O'Neil, but as AV points out Boro are far more important.
On Saturday I would like to see Arca and Rocky in midfield (foreigners who are comfortable on the ball) assuming they are fit. Woodie and Huth at centre back (again if huth is fit) and Mido and Tuncay up front.
One final question for Ian Gill, were you on Radio 5 live this morning? Someone called Ian who was a Boro supporter was commenting on the demise of Mr. McClaren thought it may be you.
Finally I hear McClaren gets a £2.5 million pay off and is off to Barbados on holiday, I thought the trick was to reward success not failure.
There is no evidence to support the Premier League is affecting our international team.
Yes the influx of foreign stars is worrying but if the English kids are good enough they will play. Wenger champions this but this great manager truly dosnt see the same mentallity in our youth players as he sees in foreign stars.
where in england can you find cesc fabregas, adebayor, toure? There are no players in england never has there been of this quality so it should be our kids learning from these players and adapting to better themselves.
Can you see 11 English players passing and moving like Arsenal do? No you cant because that isnt the way we play and never will do unless our mentallity changes.
We need to get these kids passing the ball from a very early age and understanding how and when to find space to recieve a pass.
our acadamies are faultering due to foreign kids coming across due to the way in which clubs can get youngsters. this is affecting the national game not the stars in the premiership. A limit on foreign kids in our academies should be in place not a ban on 1st team players.
First off...Happy Thanksgiving!
Av, I agree with the first part of your blog. I think I'll enjoy Euro 2008 more without us in it. We were the most boring team in Germany in 2006. Not qualifying will hurt in the short run, but the whole set up needs a good shake-up, and last night's result should lead to that.
I feel bad for McClaren. He was clearly out of his depth. But hey, at least he didn't resign, so he can get a nice pay-off. I wish I was so bad at my job that I was fired and given a nice Golden Handshake.
Let's hope that the FA hires the right person this time. Personally, I'd like to see the special one...just so we can listen to his comments. I also think that without a meddling Russian owner, he'll be able to forge the kind of Churchillian team spirit that TB talked about.
The biggest mistake with the FA is that they refuse to embrace change.
The manager may change but the hierarchy and back room staff stays the same. The staff are set in their ways and until there is a total change from top to bottom, the same failings will continue.
Worryingly this sounds a bit like the Boro.
But as others have said, money runs the game and the FA are like FIFA and just want to make as much money as possible from their brand.
If this was not the case the pitch would not have resembled one from Prissick Base on a muddy Sunday in January.
There are far too many noses in the trough at the FA, but I can not see how this will change as any investigations or enquiries are always chaired by some chinless wonder with his FA tie and blazer on.
Nigel
I cannot tell a lie. If the comments were sensible and rational then it might have been me... if they were inane ramblings then it was definitely me.
No, sorry it was not my good self, may be an imposter. You never know what that John Powls gets up to.
As to the £2.5m MacMoses gets as a pay off I just hope that when we got paid by the FA that the deal wasnt on a sale or return basis.
I am even more worried that trading standards go knocking on Gibson's door because selling McClaren to the FA as a manager clearly fails the fitness for purpose criteria under the sale of goods act.
Another excellant article AV, you are really excelling yourself, and some very good postings. I find all of this a great help in keeping me up to date with the current issues.
One question from a posting by Jiffy.....53 Brazlians in the last round of the Champions League,..are restrictions on non EU players less in other countries, or do they all have Portuguese passports??
**AV writes: The restrictions are far less strict in some other EU countries but yes, a lot do have Portuguese passports too.
I don't think it is too much to expect to qualify for a finals. Winning the thing is too much though. It wasn't a very tough group apart from Croatia.
Doesn't help having a duff manager out of his depth.
Pedro
As AV said there are less strict rulings in other countries which is one of the reasons for Arsenals links with the Belgian side to groom players from the African sub continent. It may also be the reason why ManU had a link with Antwerp (I think that was the club)
Good article, AV.
The trouble with this country is not that we don't produce enough technically gifted players, it is that they are not discovered. I used to play with several good young players when I was at school; how many made it to be professional? None!
Not because they weren't good enough, just that no-body gave them a chance. Clubs can't be bothered doing any real scouting and when they do (or at least they did in the past) they want a big, strong player who is good at the rough stuff and in the air, but is technically lacking.
I've seen plenty of technically good rough diamonds get ignored, just because either the clubs couldn't be bothered going to see them, or they were seen as not fit for purpose.
I remember when Ruud Gullit was manager of Newcastle, he adopted a very simple but excellent idea used in Holland and applied it to NUFC.
He asked any lad within a certain age range, if they thought they were good enough to potentially play professional football, to attend an open day set up by the club. People under the employ of NUFC would watch these kids and assess them. They would try to pick out the players who they thought they would like to invite back for further assessments. Why can't we do that?
We are too lazy, it seems, at must football clubs, to go and find the talent out there. There IS plenty of it if only the clubs take the trouble to look. Boro seem to have taken more time and effort to find good young players in this region and it is paying off.
I think that the Boro should create stronger links with schools in the area. They should try to encourage the kids to take an interest in the Boro from a young age and send a coach to the school occasionally to give them some expert training. At the same time, the coach could identify some potentially good players.
The schools are very unprofessional in this country when it comes to giving training to kids at school. The government are quick to bask in the glory of a British sporting success story when it comes along (which they played no part in), but put little effort into creating success in the future.
Look at schools in America. They take sport very seriously and have first class facilities. Look at the quality of sports people they produce! We really need to get our act together at all levels.
**AV writes: To be fair Boro do have very good links with the local schools. They not only go out to do coaching courses for the younger age groups but they also invite the older kids to sessions at the Eston centre tied in with visits to the match. My boy's class is going to Arsenal.
Whether that discovers any good 'uns that have escaped the attentions of the local junior football clubs and the academy I don't know but it is good PR.
That is one area that it is hard to criticise the club on.
AV
When I read your response to Mick and you said your son was going to Arsenal the thoughts ran as follows.
Arsenal? Why is AV's lad visiting Arsenal? Traitor? Pointless cos AV's lad is English. Bugger, you fool Gilly, he means the Arsenal match!
On that topic I heard a line of thought that ran along the lines that Wenger was great, David Dein brought Wenger to Arsenal, David Dein brought Sven to England, David Dein tried to bring Scolari to England, David Dein had great input into the English game therefore should be involved in the search for a new England Manager.
Oddly they never made the link that the Gunners were as much benefit to the England team as a chocolate tea pot to fire fighting.
Is it true AV that Gareth Southgate has ruled himself out of the running for the England job, stating that he could never see himself being able to walk away from Middlesbrough.
Coincidently, given the injury situation at the club, those are precisely the words used by most of Boro’s recent signings.
Personally, I think GS has too much experience for this part-time job and would be wasted holding an umbrella on the touchline.
**AV writes: I've ruled myself out too. It's the latest craze.
Rumour has it that David Platt has been offered the England managers job.
He is however refusing to leave Coronation Street.
MaClaren has already got a job as a PR rep for an umbrella company.
Come on Boro give us 3 points against Villa.
Stolen from an article I read, but it sums up the problem with the old farts at the FA.....
"So the FA have announced a “root and branch� review of the whole England set-up.
"How they would leave no stone unturned to discover just where English football was going wrong.
"The trouble now is the FA are having to play second fiddle to clubs, their millionaire chairman and Premier League executives who represent them and, generally, tell the FA what to do.
"The result? Countless cut-price foreign players in the game while their own academies are deemed less and less important.
"The main casualty, naturally, is the England team. Which is not what it said in the Blueprint for the Future of Football, published in June 1991 following the establishment of the Premier League.
"That claimed the England team should be at the apex of the footballing pyramid and that everything would be done to ensure its best chance of success.
"Interestingly, it conceded that the England team had been undermined by conflict with the Football League. Sixteen years on and nothing has changed. In fact, it’s considerably worse.
"What chance have England got when “Sir� Dave Richards, said yesterday the decay had started at school level and had nothing to do with the influx of foreigners.
"It was, of course, all the fault of the system.
“Why do you keep having a go at the Premiership?� he asked, “It’s the best league in the world, it’s got the best stars. Everyone says there are not enough quality English players but that’s conjecture. If you look round the clubs, there’s a substantial amount of players to pick from.�
"For his information, of the 220 players who started the last Premier League weekend only 77 were English. “Sir� Dave, who has spent too long in the executive suite, is obviously one of the main problems facing English football. "
I never thought I would support Croatia against England, but I did and loved every second of it.
I could'nt really care less about England, it's just the Boro for me, so watching him squirm under that umbrella gave me a grin as big as Macs.
To sum up,Brian Barwick is the unsackable Walrus in charge of this financial pyramid of steaming dung.
Hire 'the special one' and see how he handles the poisoned chalice of media hatred with a weakened squad and no class keeper!
So there is no mistake, this is not me backing Mac, as playing 4-5-1 at home is red rag to the other team.Check out my previous post before the match. [7 down on the previous topic]. Told you so!
If I see Rockenback in space within 40yards of Carson's goal I will only be yelling one thing , SHOOT!
Dear Bernie Slaven ,
Unfortunately the Croatia goals are a lot like one's scored against us this season.
All the other clubs have seen Swartz as we saw Carson for England and that is why they are shooting from all over the place and guess what , they are scoring.
I am sick of being in 'Goal of the month' 5 times every month for the wrong reasons.Nice try at papering over the cracks...
Looking forward to the match then as everyone should be shooting once they get in the opposition half.
My son and I have discussed Euro 2008 and will be supporting Tuncay and Turkey.
Ian - So there are two Ian's supporting Boro , we're bigger than I thought!! You'll be pleased to know the gentleman in question was articulate and coherent.
I read Bernie's recommendation that we shoot on site tomorrow and test Carson, sounds like a good plan, that said shooting at goal when you get the chance seems an obvious tactic for a footballer to me!
"I never thought I would support Croatia against England, but I did and loved every second of it."
No doubt that feeble minded traitors such as yourself will just stand aside when this country is invaded and let other people to do the "things that need to be done" whilst you cower away in your dark cellar.
People like you make me sick!
Watching the hapless and hopeless England struggle with strange concepts like passing to people in your own side and marking the other teams players has provided an at times entertaining interlude to the business at hand.
Amusing as it was to observe Mac under his umberalla keeping his hair dry we now face our own struggle to get some points.
England wont be going to Euro 2008 and Mac will be getting a big pay off, lets hope we wont be getting a big pay off to miss out on the party next August.
Elswhere Boat has talked about a new start for the club and players. They must show more passion then we saw Wednesday night, as Bernie says we must work their keeper sorry though we feel for him.
It looks as though we wont have a full strength side out against Villa so must do our level best to get a good result to set us up for a tricky trip to Reading.
Think SG has missed out on a trick here. Jinky is back so why not say in public he is definantly starting. Otherwise what was the point in him coming back.
Downing wasnt even in the 16 for wednesday and jinky scored against Portugal and Pearce is loving his pace and ability. Lets start giving some of our lads public backing rather than keeping cards close to his chest.
Villa are a good side and we need to be on our toes because they have frightening pace and we all know they like coming here.
Team as follows:
Shwarzer
Young
Pogatetz
Wheater
Woodgate
Johnson
Cattermole
Boateng
Oneill
Alliadiere
Tuncay
comments please.
Matty j, It is a good job you were not in the pub I was in supporting Croatia as an Englishman against our own team although I hear the hospital rice pudding is great .
Does that mean you will be yelling for villa then?
Your attitude stinks!
I know this was an Englnd/McClaren Blog subject, but it's over with now, so if you don't mind I'll concentrate on matters in hand at the Riverside.
And straightaway, up steps Mr Southgate with his vain attempt to put some spin onto tomorrow's game against our annual nemesis Villa. "Foot in mouth" syndrome I think Ian calls it. Why oh why do our players and management keep up this useless drivel, because every time they do it spells disaster.
Of course we need the win, so why state the obvious, and if they've nowt else to say, then say nowt and get on with the job in hand.
Boateng was also on about this "new start", well let's hope so because there is only one way to go from the bottom of your performance chart if we wish to stay in this league.
But for both of them to put so much emphasis on two struggling draws is beyond me.
Nigel
Articulate and coherent? So it couldnt have been me.
Unlike Matty j I was supporting England.
Even so I couldnt help mixing some hearty guffaws and despairing complaints at what took place, the alternative was a darkened room and a bottle of Malt Whisky. At the end of the match I had to admit the better, sorry, the only team won.
I have some sympathy with Matty J - I wasn't bothered in the slightest when England got knocked out.
1. Croatia where the best team by a mile.
2. Boro players and the players from other small clubs are not considered, they simply use them to fill in for friendlies when the Superstar 'World Class' players don't turn up.
For example the following deserve a place in the squad:
Stephen Warnock, Gary ONeil, Matthew Taylor, Steve Sidwell
3. Compare Southgate and the Boro's attitude to playing for England when he was coming to the end of his career to that of Carraghers and Liverpool's. The people who run England couldn't give two fandango's about the Boro !
4. I think the structure of the FA is a typical English setup just like the folks who run Tennis Wimbledon i.e. self serving, thick skinned, ruthless in their determination to hold on to power and talentless.
5. The whole Wembley experience irritates the hell out of me, it's crappy stadium in crappy part of London with crappy transport links, overpriced, corporate centric. It's always been a hellhole and always will be. The England team should play in the South/Midlands/North.
6. England matches should never be televised exclusively by Sky
I'd love England to do well but not at the expense of doing the right thing.
I laughed when I heard that Lescott, Defoe, Carson could possibly start and howled with derision when I heard tha Joe Cole was going play on the left and they were going to persevere with the Lampard+Gerrard partnership (an unhappy marriage if ever there was one).
If the England team did well it would only encourage them. Then the games would only be televised on Sky they would double the corporate seats! setup a 'B team' for Boro & Blackburn players!
England got what they deserved and wasn't Billic a breath of fresh air ?
I personally, was devastated by the England defeat and our failure to qualify. I, like a lot of people, was overjoyed when Mac left Boro, but more than disapointed that it was for the England job.
For me, being a Boro fan is the same as being an England fan, they both flatter to deceive, build you up to let you down.
Can't understand anybody English supporting Croatia, I work offshore and have to put up with the Scots who support everybody England plays, which is very sad.
Before I started work offshore, I always wanted Scotland/ Wales/ N.I. to do well, not now. The hatred they (not all, I might add) have for us is unreal.
All you England slaggers, get off the bandwagon and support your team, most of you probably only leave Teesside for 2 weeks in July to go to Salou. England is OUR team, don't be like everybody else on the planet and slag us off.
craig johnstons interview on sky sports is absolutely true to the core
Im sick of talking about England now and the thought of us not being in the finals next summer is making me sick. thats life tho and we have to pick ourselves up dust ourselves down and make wholesale changes across English football.
I have been saying on this blog for weeks that clubs are bringing in kids to acadamies and this is affecting our teams and not 1st team foreigners.
We need to support our academies and get kids back playing in the parks and schools. when was the last time any 1 seen a few kids kicking a ball round albert park?
Exactly, its not happening due to propaganda and health and safety laws.
FA need to get a grip and start putting money back into grass roots football. Get balls sent out or give clubs strips or open up areas where kids can play rather than closing them off for houses to be built on.
Its ok coming on here and saying this but who is actually bothered or is that the English mentallity?
David Morrison - my comment is you refer to Villa's 'frightening pace' yet you suggest Boateng in midfield why? If he got any slower he'd be in reverse.
I would suggest Jinky on the left with Downing inside him.
I would also like to see Huth at centre back , I think Wheater has been great this season but we have leaked too many goals and I would like to see how good Huth is.
I haven't declared myself unavailable for the England job, AV. I have no experience of managing a football team, but what the hell. I'm sure I could train some of the allegedly most gifted players on the planet to lump the ball up to the big centre forward all game, and I'm sure I could get them all to stay as far away from him as possible, so that knock-downs always go to the opposition.
And what about keepers, and defenders? Easy money, innit?! Who needs a ccoaching qualification when tactics are as naive as that?
Your article, as ever, was spot on on the desperate need to develop technical skills of English players. But there will always remain a big place in our football for "hard work, commitment, passion, fighting spirit determination, organisation," as Chris Gibson writes here (or as exemplified by Lee Cattermole).
It's mainly these qualities, allied to the skills of their manager, that took Scotland to the brink of qualification.
And yes, I know that two technically vastly superior sides in France and Italy got there and Scotland didn't, but the point is that unlike England, they made the most of meagre resources, and built on the strengths of the side.
So yes, I do want to see England develop technical skills similar to Arsenal's and Croatia's (and credit to GS for giving that a go this season), but I don't ever want us to lose the passion. What I would have given for a bit more passion on Wednesday night.
And so to Boro. Whatever else GS does tomorrow, he simply must play Adam Johnson from the start!!
Come on Boro.
Back to England again....don't know if anybody saw Craig Johnston on Sky Sports News today really letting rip about the state of the English game?
It was riveting stuff, he got so passionate and hit nail after nail on head after head about the faultlines in the English game. Question: why have Boro never sought to make the most of this legend's expertise?
Everyone's agreed about the FA - what summed it up for me was an article I read in which it stated that Martin O'Neill had failed the interview for the England job in 2006 as his powerpoint presentation wasn't very impressive! Does that not lay bare the heart of the problem?
McLaren as we all know was a desperate choice made out of no logical basis whatsoever. When Mac was Eng No 2, I heard BBC reporter John Rawlings talking about the friendly against Spain when Rooney got subbed at half time as he was in danger of being sent off (remember)?
In that game the side wore black armbands in memory of the recently deceased Emlyn "Crazy Pig" Hughes and when subbed, Rooney ripped his off and flung it on the pitch. Rawlings revealed that he had it on very good authority that McLaren had ordered Rooney to apologise and Rooney told him to eff off! Not only that, Gary Neville then leaped to Rooney's defence and told Mclaren he had no right to demand such a thing of the player! (These claims were made publicly and never refuted.)
Talk about the tail wagging the dog! McLaren was holed beneath the waterline before he had started.
PS Don't forget England's lousy record in championships even if they had qualified - home before the postcards in 2000 and dumped out in the first big test in the 2002 World Cup & the 2004 quarters!
**AV writes: I'll put a link to the Johnston interview on the end of the blog piece for anyone who hasn't seen it.
Gareth are you looking over your shoulder?
Jewell had spoken to Giles, who is advising the Football Association of Ireland on the successor to Steve Staunton, but the former Wigan boss wants a return to the club game.
"I rang Johnny yesterday and said after certain consideration, I'm really flattered and decided not to be considered," Jewell said.
"John Delaney the chief executive (of the FAI) called me last night and I discussed it with him, but I'm beginning to miss the day-to-day involvement with the players on the training ground. That's what I'm looking for now, maybe in the future you never know.
"At the moment, as flattered as I was, it's best for me to get back into club football."
Score Draw some of what you say is right, I watched the game on the BBC
Come on Boro!
It's alright you saying you're not bothered about England, can you imagine what it's like for me right now living in Germany!
My 12 year old son had football training on Thursday and, under the showers, all his team mates were singing songs about England not being at Euro 2008.
It's true that England have a woeful record as far as winning tournaments is concerned, or even reaching semis. But our record in qualification is actually quite good.
You said yourself that we consistently reach the quarter-finals. Eriksson got us to 3 quarter-finals in a row.
We are entitled to expect them to qualify from that group. It's not true that Croatia have better players than us. If they were better they'd be playing for Manu, Liverpol etc. or even Milan, Madrid and so on.
In international terms they are mediocre players that play in mediocre teams or mediocre leagues. Just over a year ago they got knocked out of the world cup by Australia.
Bilic has done a good job getting them to play as a team in a system that they understand. And there lies our problem - McClaren.
We lost 3 games in that group and every one was because of McClaren's team selection and tactics. And that has nothing to do with hindsight. The majority said before the games that it was wrong, for example, to play 4-5-1 or to play 4 centre-backs across the back four.
We should just stick to a well balanced 4-4-2 and players playing in their usual positions. With the players that we have that will get us to the quarter-finals of most tournaments. And with a bit of luck...
I for one am happy to see mac sacked, if we had of scraped a draw at home to a nation of four million only formed fifteen years ago then we would have been stuck with him until next summer.
i remember a famous england rugby captain saying 'rugby was run by 50 old farts' how true he was. brian barwick's cronies were right to sack mac the next statement should have been for them all to resign then start afresh from top to bottom, the chances of this, about the same as turkeys voting for christmas!
was this not the same barwick who denied contact with scolari, then when he turned us down said mac was always his first choice.
i always remember ron greenwood getting the job instead of the great brian clough, so who will be the next 'yes man' to get the job?, hopefully someone who has the backbone to stand up and be counted and not be a nodding dog to brian barwick's and co.
as for the blame for the debacle we are in, apart from mac, barwick and co and the players, part of the blame must be put at the door of premier league managers such as alex ferguson who are often unco-operative when releasing players for international duties and of course the alan shearers, paul scholes, jamie carragers of this world who put there own needs before that of there countries... ..enough said.
This is nothing to do with England but do Boro have the some of the worst and stupidest fans in the world.
All they ever do is harp on about how rubbish Mac was for Boro but his record spoke for his self. I think it will only be in the next few years people realise how good he was for us as there is an almost certain chance we will never play in an european final again.
Fans just have way too much expectation of where we should be or doing. For a club our size we overachieved under Mac. Lets be honest we are no bigger than a Leicester or Sheff Wed.
As for England we are just over hyped as the league as Sky tell us every week there is a massive game when normally it turns out to be crap.
Scoredraw-our two world class players are "Rooney and ashley cole"???
Now, I agree with Rooney but Ashley Cole is often caught out and is too small. Michael Owen and Gerrard are top draw players, as are Terry and Woodgate. SWP is another I like. Now, with all those out injured, is it any wonder we lost.
Anywya, who cares. The Villains game is far more important to us reds.
i would play boateng just to give us that little bit more cover in midfield. Villa break realy quickly and we need some one to hold back.
Let Cattermole get forward and put pressure on barry making him hurry and starving the supply to their wide men. Let johnson and oneill tuck in when we havnt got the ball but get wide and up the pitch when we do have it.
Downing should be on the bench for me so its gunna be interesting to see what happens. Ill go for Tuncay to grab his 1st goal and boro to sneak it 1-0
With every day that goes by Ian's words about us having to do with what we've got ring truer and truer.
Now Gate 'reveals' that we have 'no idea' when Mido will be fit. I've got an idea - just before he is due to link up with the Egypt squad for the African Nations.
I've also got an idea when his next niggle after that will happen too. So let's just forget about him - and that includes in our game play.
No slinging ale-house passes up the pitch for the big fella to hold onto until everyone else catches up. We have to pass and play our way through midfield and win with craft. Not easy when the confidence and quality is low.
This afternoon - The Ides of Villa - and it's make or break in my view. Let's play like it is.
C'mon Boro!
So we are told we dont know when Mido will be back.
I am not going to say he doesnt want to play or has the wrong attitude. It does cast a poor light on bringing in unfit players and then playing them when they have niggles. It is also a warning for the coming transfer window, as I have stressed before ir is highly unlikely we will have anyone fit and bedded in before mid Feb when hopefully a fit Mido returns from duty with Egypt.
So the present squad have to get on with it. I guess (and that is what it is, not who I would play) todays team will have Cat and Boat anchoring midfield flanked by by O'Neill and Downing, Aliadiere up front and Tuncay alongside him. Jinky on the bench with Hutchinson and sone permuation of defenders depending who is fit.
I suspect that the back four will feature Young, Woodie, Pogo and Taylor. Wheats on the bench.
The danger with that team would be a lack of pace in midfield and defence. If Villa score first we will be chasing against a fast breaking team, we cannot afford to come out slowly.
I may have totally misread the team in which case I will look like a wally.
Gareth - You are beginning to alienate me.
Scott Carson drops one clanger and you single him out for special attention indicating he may be their achilles heel. Thats what premiership managers have been saying about Schwarzer for YEARS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sort your own house out.
Mind you we nearly got Martin ONeil and he spent millions Harewood, Carew. Watch Zat Knight this afternoon - God only knows how he ever became a professional footballer.
to mr green bay packers who said:"All they ever do is harp on about how rubbish Mac was for Boro but his record spoke for his self. I think it will only be in the next few years people realise how good he was for us"
You are right, his record certainly did speak for itself. Let me see...five seasons in charge, four out of five seasons we had a major fight to avoid relegation. The best he managed was 14 legaue wins in a season!
Anyone care to remember 13 defeats in 19 away games & not scoring in ten consecutive away games in 2002-03? Or how about the dire runs of defeats and losses which were the morale-sapping hallmark of every season? The oh-so-familiar tactic of nicking a goal and then basically ten behind the ball and boot it anywhere? The insipid and irritatingly regular palsied tactics and performances?
Yes we have been to finals and semi-finals, even won a trophy, but what has that led to? McLaren believed his own publicity too much and based his reputation on two amazing fightbacks. Fans are slower to forget the turgid years outlined above, we know the reality.
3 goals in 8 matches and braggin about two hard fought draws is rubbish, Boro need a proven striker on jan the first !
The weakness of the attacking part our squad is now beyond a joke. At least Southgate tried something by putting Downing up front , I never saw that one coming . He is our leading goal scorer I suppose .
Fighting and creating good chances that don't go in is not gonna save us. I am sick of pointing out negatives and want us to beat a team or two some time soon. I feel bleeding exhausted!
Up the Boro [quick before we go down]
Gibbo , put the yak money into a top class striker please.
Wow AV - what a well written article into which you have brought home alot of "home truths".
Unlike you, I am as passionate about England as I am my beloved Boro - why? - because I want my son to see England win a World Cup in his lifetime just like I did in '66.
...and you are right that this is highly unlikely given the current set up at the most sanctimonious institute called the FA headed by a pseudo "Pope Barwick" and his Rose Spectacled followers.
Had this situation arisen in the real world of the private sector then His most Emminence Barwick would have been facing the chop - instead the next day he is jetting off to South Africa to represent the country at the World Cup Finals draw where "we" are demoted to a second seed - who is kidding who?
Alas back to Boro - does GS read this Blog - He should!
Here I go again - Wheats "THE NEW HICKTON", 0-3 vs Villa BUT the crowd and players did play their part in response to the club's plea to get behind the lads and GS. Most of the possession, outsung the Villa fans even at 0-3 down and battled until the end on all fronts.
Some boos at the end though, a lot of empty seats at he end (part timers) and a few calls on local radio for GS's head!
On the last point - GS to go - is this really the answer? SG has a lot of hard thinking to do - could we miss out on a potential messiah in TM at WBA? If we go down and they come up - TM won't come. How about Venables in again to help GS just like he did BR. ...and dare I say Steve Mac back in some sort of supporting role - I think not!
So many permutations and the only saving grace from today's results is that we are still out of the bottom three, partly, due to a brace from the Yak - how ironic!
Eddie
I was about to say the same thing (about the Yak). Perhaps he doesn't harbour that much ill feeling towards us after all.
But seriously, how many more let-offs can we get? Even after all of his let-offs, McClaren still couldn't take England to Euro '08.
The trouble with the FA is that it is the grip of the Brotherhood of Freemasons. Those people don't give a toss about the quality of the product (I'm talking from personal experience).
Do they, the FA, really care that England didn't qualify? Only because they've missed out on making more money. As long as they get their wedge, they don't care about anything else. That is most certainly part of the problem with the FA. The people who run it are not there for their love of the game. A change is needed.
**AV writes: I've edited quite a bit out of this - but it was because it was libelous rather than because I've got my trouser leg rolled up.