What are England's problems?

How the hell does this continue to go on?

Every two-four years we find ourselves being pulverised by media and fan debate over this hopeless football team. Every serious and well constructed opinion on the future of the national game is seemingly dismissed at hand by the men who CAN make a difference, the Football Association. But, as us Liverpool fans know, this is a pathetic money driven and money obsessed organisation who laughably pay the national football team manager extortionate wages to deliver sweet f**k all. The size of the wages being paid out to England manager’s past and present, is indicative of the moronic sensibilities that infest HQ at Wembley. In their minds, only one man can make a difference, the England manager.

Now don’t think for one moment that I am undermining the role of the England manager and that the position is meaningless in the grander scheme of other ill things. Getting the right national team manager in is an important building block in the construction of an excellent football team that can leave a lasting legacy on the national game.  It is the manager’s job to implement an identity within the national team, something England have not had for years and years.  That manager, as we’ve seen this week (and as we saw during 6 miserable months in the second half of 2010) clearly is NOT Roy Hodgson.

But where does that identity come from? Well, for starters the FA could look no further than Merseyside and Liverpool FC in particular. Here we’ve got a young British manager who’s instinctively knows the setup of the English game having learnt his trade at all levels in the country. Here we’ve got a young British manager who has got Liverpool playing some of the most exhilarating and progressive football seen in a long time who incorporated within that play a plentiful supply of Englishman (and a Welshman) who contribute to such football. Why not use Liverpool as a template in the same way that the Dutch used the Ajax team of the late 60s or the way the Spaniards used the Barcelona side of the past few years? But of course, is that likely to happen? The FA ignored the play Liverpool exhibited in the 70s and 80s when we were winning trophy after trophy – why would they take notice of Liverpool now?

A lack of a wider identity and the lack of a manager who has the guts or the know how to say ‘this is how it will be’ is just a part of the wider problem as there continues to be a massive infrastructure problem.  The need to proliferate the numbers of top grade UEFA coaches in England is well documented but still falls on deaf ears. That said the coaching system in place right now still relies on strictness and inflexibility refusing to allow players to express themselves and develop intuition and their maturity. In turn I’m sure that leads to a football culture in England that reflects the cerebral qualities of an ITV2 documentary.

In contrast you look at World Cup winning nations of the past, the likes of Spain, Italy and France, and they are jammed pack of mature, deep, intelligent and thoughtful individuals – players who have clearly been given the chance in their youth to think for themselves rather than being told to stick to a strict and rigid training regime (this ‘strict and rigid regime’ is not an attempt to instil attractive football, but rather long ball, functional and aimless play), offering no chance for a young player to blossom. Laurent Blanc, Didier Deschamps, Andrea Pirlo, Xavi Hernandez – they read and played like a footballing Mensa. Two of those, Blanc, Deschamps, have gone on to become excellent managers in their own right. Such cranial ineptness has infested the managerial sphere, where the likes of Sam Allardyce, Tony Pulis and Steve Bruce are praised for their remedial, insipid and inexpressive style of football. But of course, these guys do ‘outstanding’ jobs for doing unremarkable feats as keeping average teams in the top tier so in that respect we should praise them. And yet, the three of them have done nothing to merit even a footnote in the annals of English footballing history. Perhaps if the FA, the English media and even the English fans would stop rewarding such mediocrity, take a step back and approach the development of the national team in a holistic and definite manner then England could have a starting point in eradicating their joke status on the world stage and actually become decent.

I think in this instance FMS the FA simply have the wrong man in charge.

Sometimes England's players have been over hyped and over rated but I really think Hodge picked a very exciting young squad this time and in the hands of a proper coach they could have done quite well.

The FA seem to want to put down a blueprint for the future but strangely appoint a dinosour of a coach to try and implement it.

I think in this instance FMS the FA simply have the wrong man in charge.

Sometimes England's players have been over hyped and over rated but I really think Hodge picked a very exciting young squad this time and in the hands of a proper coach they could have done quite well.

The FA seem to want to put down a blueprint for the future but strangely appoint a dinosour of a coach to try and implement it.

I would say this England squad ranks only second to the falsely titled Golden Generation that emerged in the late 90s but it's important that, on this occasion, it isn't squandered. They've already squandered the first opportunity at this World Cup. There seems to be no suggestion that the FA will dare go down the correct route as evidenced by the majority of managerial appointments they've made in the last 30 years and further emphasised by Greg Dyke's ridiculous guarantee to Roy Hodgson.

Awful FA, awful manager, awful backroom staff and one of the worst defences it has ever seen combined with a useless fat tosser called Rooney and a player in Welbeck who makes Carlton Palmer look good.

Awful FA, awful manager, awful backroom staff and one of the worst defences it has ever seen combined with a useless fat tosser called Rooney and a player in Welbeck who makes Carlton Palmer look good.

I second this!

Didn't think they'd get out the group, over-expectation seem to rule the roost.  Hodgson doesn't engender hope, the FA are a joke, on many levels.  One of the worst of these, for me, is what they charge for their accredited coaching courses, in comparison to the rest of UEFA affiliated countries.  Of course the general overrating of England players doesn't help.

Didn't think they'd get out the group, over-expectation seem to rule the roost.  Hodgson doesn't engender hope, the FA are a joke, on many levels.  One of the worst of these, for me, is what they charge for their accredited coaching courses, in comparison to the rest of UEFA affiliated countries.  Of course the general overrating of England players doesn't help.

I hear that complaint A LOT - 'It costs too much'. A fair excuse but unforgivable from the FA's point of view who, rather than subsidise grassroots coaching, would spend extortionately on the England manager's wages and white elephants in the form of new Wembley and St George's Park.

I hear that complaint A LOT - 'It costs too much'. A fair excuse but unforgivable from the FA's point of view who, rather than subsidise grassroots coaching, would rather spend extortionately on the England manager's wages and white elephants in the form of new Wembley and St George's Park.

Made all the worse when the FA bleat about the lack of grassroots coaches, as in their recent discussion papers on the subject.

Made all the worse when the FA bleat about the lack of grassroots coaches, as in their recent discussion papers on the subject.

It's an appalling joke the FA Commission. The excuses spewed out by Danny Mills with regards to England's failings on 5 Live was laughable. He blamed the continuing decline of English footballers banging on about how there's only about 35% (or something close to that) playing their trade in the top division yet still ignorant of the fact that when England had 60%+ players in the top division in 1993 they failed to f**king qualify for the World Cup! Pathetic!

Hodgson STAYS! FA chief Dyke says England boss will remain until 2016

 


 

Starts with Roy, ends in Hodgson.

I don't necessarily blame Hodgson for England's failure (again) at this level.  Let's face it many more highly regarded England managers before him have ended up with fairly similar outcomes.

But you have to wonder whose CV and videos of team styles were actually looked at when he was appointed.  Look at the top sides in the country and they generally mostly play a style of football that is alien to Hodgson, so it is hardly surprising that he is unable to get the best out of the players in the squad.  Most players in the squad come from teams that play attractive, passing and attacking football - but this is not Hodgson's way.

It surely rests on the shoulders of those who decided that he was the best man for the job, that his footballing blueprint was the way forward for England with the talents that are available.  Apart from his ill fated time at our helm, I have no particular problem with Hodgson as a manager - I don't think he is the worst manager around by a long way, he has normally (with the obvious exceptions) got the job done with what was available, but I would not want to watch his team play every week. 

One thing his time with us surely proved though, is that he is not the man for a big job, with big expectations - and the FA take full responsibility for this.  He is hardly likely to say that he doesn't think he can do the job when offered it - who would.  Most quarters gave us stick when he was sacked by us, the people that now surely realise why he was sacked and that if England want to move forward he needs to be sacked again.

I watch Uruguay play and I see a team with a plan to win. Not great football but they have style and they stick to it. Same with Italy, always play the same. Brazil on the other hand are not playing like Brazil and it shows. England unfortunately have no identity. They do not play calm possession based football well. English should play a high tempo game and force the opposition to make it open. If the opposition clam up, then sling it in the box. I don't think England play like they should and the reason for this is the FA. They control the football and they are not football men (or women). They are establishment stooges. England should have gone for Harry Redknapp over Roy Hodgson. I mean Redknapp is not ideal but Hodgson is nothing. Why on earth would any team with aspirations choose Roy Hodgson?

start at the bottom and work you way up

start at the bottom and work you way up

I watched Roy when Suarez scored no.2  and he looked like a concussed mole who had been exposed to a spotlight whilst suffering an extreme case of appendicitis. I am in awe of the FA.

I watched Roy when Suarez scored no.2  and he looked like a concussed mole who had been exposed to a spotlight whilst suffering an extreme case of appendicitis. I am in awe of the FA.

Didn't Roy say Luis couldn't be classed as a world class player until he did it at the world cup. any thoughts now ROy

Hodgson is the problem.

Said all along we'd be lucky to finish 5th in our group.

Start at the top and work your way down, how the F**k is a yard dog like Danny Mills and people like Trevor Brooking and Howard Wilkinson involved in anything to do with the FA.

Nothing's changed in 40 years. In this country professional football is all about making money, F**k all else. The clubs are rolling in money, the media is on it 24/7, the ex-players are all in the tent and won't say a word, the sponsors are taking over the stadiums and turning it into another branch of "corporate entertainment".

When Germany failed years ago they started from scratch but that will never happen here. With all the money in the game there should be top-class facilities from grass roots up but poor administrators and equally poor coaching gets the national side to where it is now.

Start at the top and work your way down, how the F**k is a yard dog like Danny Mills

I'd love to know how Danny Mills got that job.

The strangest decision I've seen in a while.

I'd love to know how Danny Mills got that job.

The strangest decision I've seen in a while.

Can only imagine it's because he's a little bit more coherent than Rio Ferdinand!!

Start at the top and work your way down, how the f**k is a yard dog like Danny Mills and people like Trevor Brooking and Howard Wilkinson involved in anything to do with the FA.

Nothing's changed in 40 years. In this country professional football is all about making money, f**k all else. The clubs are rolling in money, the media is on it 24/7, the ex-players are all in the tent and won't say a word, the sponsors are taking over the stadiums and turning it into another branch of "corporate entertainment".

When Germany failed years ago they started from scratch but that will never happen here. With all the money in the game there should be top-class facilities from grass roots up but poor administrators and equally poor coaching gets the national side to where it is now.

This is an organisation who persisted with the ideas of Charles Hughes for decades (right up until the 90s), a man who believed that you only needed 5 passes to score a goal and thus an emphasis on banal long ball football. A man so backwards and so enshrined within his Little Englander mentality that he even believed the Brazil team of 1970 would score more if they played less passes.

The FA conducts itself exactly like a gentleman's club - no place for young revolutionaries, they must keep to who they know - the haggard, grey dinosaur. It's no wonder Hodgson is the manager. The FA is a piss poor Dad's Army tribute act. I can almost picture the likes of Bernstein, Dyke, Brooking and Hodgson skulking around a forest in army gear accompanied by the words 'You have been watching...'

I think in this instance FMS the FA simply have the wrong man in charge.

Sometimes England's players have been over hyped and over rated but I really think Hodge picked a very exciting young squad this time and in the hands of a proper coach they could have done quite well.

The FA seem to want to put down a blueprint for the future but strangely appoint a dinosour of a coach to try and implement it.

Agree totally Si. 

I've been saying since the squad was announced that we have a really talented, creative, young and exciting group of players around at the moment but Roy just hasn't got a clue how to get the best out of them.

He doesn't know how to pick a balanced team, instead he chooses the media darlings so he doesn't get any negative press, asks them to do a job that doesn't utilise their strengths, then wonders why they look sh*t when they play.

I hope his negative sh*t, verbal and/or playing style doesn't damage their confidence.

This is an organisation who persisted with the ideas of Charles Hughes for decades (right up until the 90s), a man who believed that you only needed 5 passes to score a goal and thus an emphasis on banal long ball football. A man so backwards and so enshrined within his Little Englander mentality that he even believed the Brazil team of 1970 would score more if they played less passes.

The FA conducts itself exactly like a gentleman's club - no place for young revolutionaries, they must keep to who they know - the haggard, grey dinosaur. It's no wonder Hodgson is the manager. The FA is a piss poor Dad's Army tribute act. I can almost picture the likes of Bernstein, Dyke, Brooking and Hodgson skulking around a forest in army gear accompanied by the words 'You have been watching...'

Excellent point and it's like nothing has changed, I remember being bollocked in junior school for attempting to pass the ball from kick-off rather than launch it forward. That was the the mentality of the coaching from school level upwards - just hoof the f**ker!

It's the grey suits that want F***ing off first, as you say the FA needs younger blood in all positions that are more in tune with the modern game (that includes the manager too!)

This is a post from the BBC Comments Page.

I can not agree more.

201. tintoy
10 HOURS AGO
I think the malaise goes deeper than football; it reflects our culture and state of society, what we have become as a nation - flaccid in our thinking, lazy, arrogant and obsessed with instant gratification.
How silly do the players now look on billboards and adverts?
The worship of money has made them and us swollen with self-importance and self-regard. Creative, Zen thinking demanded now.

The problem we have in this country is we still believe we rule the world, we are still living off past glories, and by that I mean WWII.

The England Football Team has won 1 trophy in it's history, thats one more than The Isle on Man.

We (the country) feel we are a big team, we're not, we are a small team, we do well to qualify, we make up the numbers that's all, we are the garden peas to the rump steak.

As I am typing this Iran are giving Argentina a real run for their money, (abet Argentina have no money Link ). Iran with no stars, are playing with passion and as a team, something England are incapable of.

I don't even want to get into bashing individual players because realistically, we know these players can do it.

We see them week in week out trotting out for Man U, Liverpool, Arsenal, Soton, Everton and Chelsea playing at a high level in the Prem league and Europe. We know its in them! Theres a fine line between victory and defeat.

The main thing that makes a difference is THE MANAGER. Using players in the right systems that plays to their strengths, having an actual philosophy and ability to Motivate them is key.

Look at the difference a Manager had at Man United. Title winners to 7th.

We had this same uninspiring, void of ideas manager at Liverpool. We had all the pundits tell us 'he's a good man' 'he needs more time'. But the performances were dire. Luckily LFC had higher standards and fans saw that it was going no where.

Fast Forward and now we have a young guy who at least has fresh ideas and a new philosophy and instructs the players as such. We dont know how this will turn out but he has at least told us what hes working towards and we can have faith, even in defeats we can see what its trying to be accomplished.

England fans like Liverpool were, are being manipulated to stick with Hodgson.

IMO no matter who he picks he wont get it right. He barely inspires fans, let alone players.

All these pundits defending Hodgson trying to shape fan opinions are a farce.

This is a post from the BBC Comments Page.

I can not agree more.

The problem we have in this country is we still believe we rule the world, we are still living off past glories, and by that I mean WWII.

The England Football Team has won 1 trophy in it's history, thats one more than The Isle on Man.

We (the country) feel we are a big team, we're not, we are a small team, we do well to qualify, we make up the numbers that's all, we are the garden peas to the rump steak.

As I am typing this Iran are giving Argentina a real run for their money, (abet Argentina have no money Link ). Iran with no stars, are playing with passion and as a team, something England are incapable of.

I totally agree. Although I don't believe that (I say we as a Scot/Brit) the British people think we still rule the world, I do believe the identity and spirit problem in English football reflects a wider crisis of identity that has happened in England and the rest of the UK post world war II. In the late 19th and early 20th century there seemed to be an inherent belief that it was the British and England in particular was the best at everything, hence the reason why England never entered the World Cup in 1930, 1934 or 1938. Maybe this idea that everything should come on a plate for England or in this case the FA at the ring of a bell still rings true, best represented by Dave Richards comments a couple of years ago when he said UEFA and FIFA had 'stolen the game from England'. I seriously doubt the FA have done much to curb such 'institutional arrogance', to quote Henry Winter. The FA remains this ancient relic who, alongside the filthy rich Premier League machine, continues to do more harm to the national game than good.

I totally agree. Although I don't believe that (I say we as a Scot/Brit) the British people think we still rule the world, I do believe the identity and spirit problem in English football reflects a wider crisis of identity that has happened in England and the rest of the UK post world war II. In the late 19th and early 20th century there seemed to be an inherent belief that it was the British and England in particular was the best at everything, hence the reason why England never entered the World Cup in 1930, 1934 or 1938. Maybe this idea that everything should come on a plate for England or in this case the FA at the ring of a bell still rings true, best represented by Dave Richards comments a couple of years ago when he said UEFA and FIFA had 'stolen the game from England'. I seriously doubt the FA have done much to curb such 'institutional arrogance', to quote Henry Winter. The FA remains this ancient relic who, alongside the filthy rich Premier League machine, continues to do more harm to the national game than good.

I don't think it is a British thing, I've been to Wales, and Scotland recently, and it's an English issue IMHO.

I can not see it ever changing, is embedded in our culture.

Agree on the above post.

The only way to get us properly performing is to do what Germany did 12 years ago.
We have to start afresh, be brave and play the youngsters and let them learn.
Have to basically state that it's ok if we don't qualify for the euros and start a whole new era and approach.
We have to bin about 10 players from the current squad and aim for the next World Cup.

I don't think it is a British thing, I've been to Wales, and Scotland recently, and it's an English issue IMHO.

I can not see it ever changing, is embedded in our culture.

I agree that the ill thoughts of how they used to rule the world is a predominantly English problem, but collectively I believethere is something of an identity problem across the whole of Britain, highlighted here in Scotland by the independence referendum campaign.

That's another thing though as is Scottish football....Christ you think England's got problems!

I agree that the ill thoughts of how they used to rule the world is a predominantly English problem, but collectively I believethere is something of an identity problem across the whole of Britain, highlighted here in Scotland by the independence referendum campaign.

That's another thing though as is Scottish football....Christ you think England's got problems!

The vote will be interesting, either way I think there will be tears before bedtime.

Just been the BBC report where that have said England's problems are far deeper than his one man.

 I totally disagree and although other areas need looking at getting rid of Hodge would go along way to sorting you lot out.

The problem? The National side is run by corrupt, money taking, prawn sandwich eating fuckwits who put what they want before the teams best interests. What that culminates in is a useless and quite frankly embarrassing manager at the helm because they ask him to jump and he says how high and he is English. Any manager that wasn't a 100% yes man or English would have been gone on the back of a media witch hunt after going out at the first round of a World Cup and I have no doubt about that.

The whole damn thing is fu**ed up and bar our players being gutted, I really couldn't give a F**k that we are out. There's quite a few that deserve no more than they got.

Ask any fans of the Top 10 clubs in England if they'd take Hodgson as their next manager? What do you think the answer would be?

If this was a foreign manager would they be telling us to stick with him?

So why is this man in charge of England?

Another example of his incompetence is that he was adamant to the press that the formation he plays isn't a 4-2-3-1 but a 4-4-1-1

So you're telling me that he went into the Italy game with Rooney and Welbeck as wingers!

How is this possible? This man is incredible lololol

I sort of feel bad for him because he'll stay longer and it will just get ugly when we do poorly in the Euros

Our problems are we keep hiring managers that aren't upto it. Rooney on the left? Barkley on the bench? We lack massive quality in defense. We have a league system ignoring talent coming through our youth systems. Doubt we'll win anything in 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024... if we sort something out now we might have a chance in 2026.

1. Average manager using outdated tactics

2. For all the talk about young gifted players - how many in that squad have regular experience of European football, and success at that level.

3. Inter-club rivalry exceptionally strong in the England squad - very hard to foster a 'team spirit' when this happens - due primarily to point 4.

4. Not enough players play abroad and in different leagues.  22/23 play in the Premier League which..

5. .. is seen as a great 'product' but perhaps not the high standard we believe.  European results bear that out.  Officiating is generally poor and probably contributes more to 'freak results' and 'excitement' than anything else.

6. Majority of England's football fans care little about national side.  LFC, MUFC, Chelsea etc fans see international football as a distraction and cheer when players are substituted off/don't get injured.

One thing this World Cup has put to bed is the old bollocks about 'footballers playing too much'.   Our lot have only really had Premier League games - the Man City player involved is the keeper who also had a spell out his own team.  The introduction of a 'winter break' would have no effect whatsoever on England's fortunes.

1. Average manager using outdated tactics

2. For all the talk about young gifted players - how many in that squad have regular experience of European football, and success at that level.

3. Inter-club rivalry exceptionally strong in the England squad - very hard to foster a 'team spirit' when this happens - due primarily to point 4.

4. Not enough players play abroad and in different leagues.  22/23 play in the Premier League which..

5. .. is seen as a great 'product' but perhaps not the high standard we believe.  European results bear that out.  Officiating is generally poor and probably contributes more to 'freak results' and 'excitement' than anything else.

6. Majority of England's football fans care little about national side.  LFC, MUFC, Chelsea etc fans see international football as a distraction and cheer when players are substituted off/don't get injured.

One thing this World Cup has put to bed is the old bollocks about 'footballers playing too much'.   Our lot have only really had Premier League games - the Man City player involved is the keeper who also had a spell out his own team.  The introduction of a 'winter break' would have no effect whatsoever on England's fortunes.

Agree with pretty much everything you've said. In two months time we'll all be talking about the latest big money signing to the PL and how it will impact upon the season coming up while completely forgetting about these biennial farces from England. That doesn't necessarily mean some of us don't care about improving the national team because we are supporters of our clubs 24/7. The media, however, have an obsession over the PL to the point where the national state of the game gets very little column inches. One can't help but wonder how much better Phil McNulty (BBC hack) could spend his time than just consistently write features upon features of drivel on Manchester United like he has done the last few years. With all it's power and reach, it is the media's responsibility to act as a watchdog to tell club supporters of the wider state of the game and its implications for the national football team but they constantly fail to do that.

Coaching seems to be one of the issues, been a while since England had a good English coach for the national team or any of the clubs. And coaches advise the FA too, they influence policy and structure the organisation, or should anyway. You need visionaries. The big English clubs are better run than the English FA, from a technical standpoint.

Former England defender Danny Mills and ex-Crewe manager Dario Gradi have been named on the Football Association commission charged with improving the national team.
They join FA chairman Greg Dyke, former England manager Glenn Hoddle, Football League chairman Greg Clarke, FA vice-chairman Roger Burden, plus LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson and new PFA chairman Ritchie Humphreys.

So who's supposed to be the vissionary there? Doesn't the FA have like a technical director or DoF?

I actually think Michael Owen has a fair point when he says Gary Neville should take over the team, that is what England need, an exciting young manager who can grow with the team, in the same way as Low for Germany.

Doesn't the FA have like a technical director or DoF?

Isn't it Trevor Brooking and Howard Wilkinson?

Isn't it Trevor Brooking and Howard Wilkinson?

Is that a 'no' then Debs?

Isn't it Trevor Brooking and Howard Wilkinson?

Trevor Booking is director of football development, but apparently Dan Ashworth took the 10 years vacant technical director spot(left by Howard Wilkinson), although that position is now called director of elite development. Such clarity!

Is that a 'no' then Debs?

 

Trevor Booking is director of football development, but apparently Dan Ashworth took the 10 years vacant technical director spot(left by Howard Wilkinson), although that position is now called director of elite development. Such clarity!

Of course mate, I'd forgotten that Roy had appointed Dan just after he got the job. 

At least he's got the required coaching badges even though he's never actually coached at Club level, instead he's been responsible for running the Academy's at those powerhouses of elite football at Peterborough, Cambridge and West Brom.

And then we wonder why England are sh*t!!

Trevor Booking is director of football development, but apparently Dan Ashworth took the 10 years vacant technical director spot(left by Howard Wilkinson), although that position is now called director of elite development. Such clarity!

The fact Dan Ashworth wasn't involved in this FA Commission nonsense just gave further proof to the fact the FA couldn't care less about the progress of the game. Brooking is retiring from the FA. Probably the most meaningful thing he's done during the 10 years he's been in that role.

Oh and if you ever thought England were looking to progress, don't expect much as they've hired Aidy Boothroyd aka Aidy Hoofroyd into the England coaching setup at St George's Park. He's about as welcome to these young kids future prospects as ISIS is to Muslims in Britain.

2. For all the talk about young gifted players - how many in that squad have regular experience of European football, and success at that level.

Didn't seem like a problem for Costa Rica, Algeria, even the US team.

I think this is another point that ppl try to make, but there is no real evidence that it matters.

Holland have Kuyt, the Villa centre back a handful of other no-names and yet they can still do well.

Didn't seem like a problem for Costa Rica, Algeria, even the US team.

I think this is another point that ppl try to make, but there is no real evidence that it matters.

Holland have Kuyt, the Villa centre back a handful of other no-names and yet they can still do well.

Kuyt - a no name? A man who scored the winning penalty against Chelsea in the CL semi final. A man who scored a hattrick against Man Utd AND scored the winner against them in the dying seconds of the FA Cup. Yet he's a no name?

Kuyt - a no name? A man who scored the winning penalty against Chelsea in the CL semi final. A man who scored a hattrick against Man Utd AND scored the winner against them in the dying seconds of the FA Cup. Yet he's a no name?

I was referring to the statement that you need to be playing in european competition regularly to be good at international level.

Most english fans (and even many Liverpool fans) used to say Kuyt wasn't good enough. But thats besides the point

you missed the main point i was getting at

Which is this theory that you need to play in Europe regularly to put in a decent performance just doesn't ring true! There are a number of teams that don't but still put in passionate skilled performances in this world cup and many others.

I was referring to the statement that you need to be playing in european competition regularly to be good at international level.

Most english fans (and even many Liverpool fans) used to say Kuyt wasn't good enough. But thats besides the point

you missed the main point i was getting at

Which is this theory that you need to play in Europe regularly to put in a decent performance just doesn't ring true! There are a number of teams that don't but still put in passionate skilled performances in this world cup and many others.

I wasn't referring to your main point. Just referring to your idea that Kuyt is a no name, which as his record showed at Liverpool, was clearly not the case.

Post Match

Hodgson: "I'm pleased we gave the fans something to cheer about with our performance. We outplayed them in midfield."

  i mean really...

I wasn't referring to your main point.

well if you focus on the wrong things thats up to u

Post Match

Hodgson: "I'm pleased we gave the fans something to cheer about with our performance. We outplayed them in midfield."

  i mean really...

It's pitiful really. And applauding the England fans at the end of the match - nice touch but there was something of a celebratory air about it on Roy's behalf. But I guess a point against Costa Rica (regardless of whether they've been good or bad - I just think they've taken advantage of a shocking standard of football in this group) is an achievement.

Listening to Chris Waddle on 5 Live. He seems to be the only one who gets it. I really feel sorry for him, especially sitting next to Danny Mills. You can feel Waddle restraining himself, trying not to spout sh*t against the FA Commission of which Danny Mills was bizarrely on the panel of. Danny Mills has the same capabilities of finding the solutions to English football's problems as f**king Mrs Mills...and she's dead.

well if you focus on the wrong things thats up to u

Don't say the wrong things then!

Greg Dyke, Trevor Brooking, Woy Hodgson & the media.

Arrie RedKnapp should have been appointed, simple.

Didn't seem like a problem for Costa Rica, Algeria, even the US team.

I did post a comprehensive list of reasons.  The likes of Costa Rica, Algeria and the US clearly make up for it in many of the other 6 reasons I listed such as 'team spirit'.

Phil Neville said England's problems are in attack and that Sturridge could have contributed a lot more....WHAT?!

Maybe look at the shambolic defending from Cahil and Jagielka first pal!

It is actually amazing how little, if any, criticism Hodgson has got for England's poor showing.

All I've heard is blaming coaching, grass roots, players, weather, and more or less everything but Roy Hodgson.

I did post a comprehensive list of reasons.  The likes of Costa Rica, Algeria and the US clearly make up for it in many of the other 6 reasons I listed such as 'team spirit'.

Who gets paid millions to create 'team spirit'?

Got nothing to do with playing in europe imo

It is actually amazing how little, if any, criticism Hodgson has got for England's poor showing.

All I've heard is blaming coaching, grass roots, players, weather, and more or less everything but Roy Hodgson.

The media protect Hodgson for england the same way they were protecting him when he was manager of us.

They even tried to create a 'Liverpool fans treated Hodgson poorly' narrative, but it died down eventually.

It is actually amazing how little, if any, criticism Hodgson has got for England's poor showing.

All I've heard is blaming coaching, grass roots, players, weather, and more or less everything but Roy Hodgson.

So true si and it's becoming even more stark the more you look at his influence. Just had a look at his England record. Cited from the BBC he has a win % rate of 48.4%, compared to his predecessor Capello's record of 66.7%.

Throughout qualifying for the World Cup his only away wins were recorded against Moldova and San Marino (the last away game he won in March 2013) - barely even semi pro teams.  His last meaningful victory was an opportunistic one against Ukraine in Euro 2012 (who had a goal that was over the line yet never given). The guy CANNOT win on the road which I suspect is the reason why pretty much all of England's friendlies have been played at Wembley in the past couple years he's been manager. Even though he was unsuccessful at the end of the day, at least Fabio wasn't scared of taking England on the road, and against formidable opposition as well. Hodgson would sh*t himself if he was told to play France at the Stade de France or Germany at the Olympiastadion.

Of course this shouldn't be anything new. I remember a stat that was thrown out to us Liverpool fans at the start of Hodgson's awful time with us. During his career at Blackburn, Fulham and then the first couple of months with us, Hodgson had won just 6 out of 66 away games played in the Premier League.

When you start stripping away the layers of this man's record, to say it is appalling is an understatement.

Who gets paid millions to create 'team spirit'?

Got nothing to do with playing in europe imo

Are you trying to troll me?