Worst Ever England Team ?

[MickC 1,825]

The Premier League is the best League in the World but at the expense of the National side, far too many Foreigners in the clubs at the top. Jmo

[Mister Gain 1,764]

 

 

 

 

I'm an old man now, and proudly remember the '66 team. Just sitting here watching England v Norway, and although I follow football , I don't recognise a lot of the England team; is this REALLY the best we've got ?

 

I am one of those who saw (on TV) our greatest footballing achievement in 1966, at the age of 12. Certainly had an impact on my football, only trouble was that I assumed we would be doing that every 4 years World Cup Willie was not a disease

 

Little did I know it then, but our national footballing performances would gradually falter to the degree it has today, just my opinion. I am glad that I was part of that era, as I feel it was the best English football played in my lifetime without doubt, and I certainly cannot see us achieving anything near that standard in the near future. To be honest, I couldn't even watch the whole of the first half last night. The excitement I used to feel when watching the national team, especially live at Wembley, is well and truly gone. I watched hardly any of this years world cup, as soon as they started diving about, or a blatant wrong refereeing decision, that was my lot. In fact not only did I cancel the Sports channel, I cancelled the whole Sky package. Maybe I'm just a cantakerous old fart nowadays

 

Younger lads on here will be thinking 'silly old b*stard reminiscing, living in the past', that's as may be, but it gives me the chance to compare. It's a different game altogether now. If someone didn't get up from a tackle, it meant that they were actually hurt, they didn't roll around trying to get players sent off, the diving wasn't there. I think players now generally have more ability, I just can't abide the cheating that goes with todays game.

 

Although I was a football supporter, I was not a supporter of a particular team. In my early years I would watch Charlton as it cost the least with regard to travelling, and occasionally get down to The Den where it was a totally different atmosphere. Occasional foray over to Upton Park to watch a different class of football with a good atmosphere, again it was all dependant on funds. Same with Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and QPR. Used to love watching midweek matches under the lights.

Later, with my shiftwork, this arrangement suited me well, even managed to migrate north to Roker Park

 

Enough of 'young boys in the park, jumpers for goalposts'

 

Anyway, after the Switzerland qualifier, whatever the outcome, Roy should get back to basics and organise a friendly against Iceland, and if we do OK, move on to German opposition, maybe Lidl or Aldi.

 

 

Not to be over cynical....but you dont sound like a true fan of football to me.......nobody likes how the game has gone in terms of cheating/money etc......but in terms of pure football and watching the worlds elite players in front of our eyes every week.....has there ever been a better time to be an English fan of football ?

 

Id say the average true and unbiased football fan has gained far more than he has lost.

 

 

Unfortunately yes, I have to agree with you, but have to say that it has been a gradual decline in my enthusiasm. Even up to my late 40's, I would go to great lengths to watch it, be it live or on the box. If it clashed with my shiftwork, I used to try to change shifts, and if I couldn't change shifts I used to book an annual leave day. Even used to throw the occasional sickie, but now I can take it or leave it.

 

 

Do you think that has anything to do with the amount of football thats now on telly ?..................Lets face it when we was young had you or i been told that on Wednesday night theres going to be a live game on involving the worlds greatest player.......we would of thrown a sickie or done whatever it took to be beside a tv.....personally id of jacked the job in full stop to get an opportunity to watch Pele play an entire game live ......................yet now we shrug it off with a " i,ll watch it next time " attitude ?

 

Does too much of a good thing decrease the hunger maybe ?

 

 

No, don't think it equates to the telly in our early years, there was always match of the day on saturday nights, and star soccer on the sunday. Very rarely did you get a midweek match in the european cup or the european cup winners cup, but when they were on I would make sure I watched them.

Yep, miles more football on TV nowadays than there used to be, unfortunately it shows more of the cheating and diving which is now in our game. As I said, I think the skill level is better than it was in the 60's and 70's, no doubt, but those same players showing the skill are the same ones who are cheating, and I don't like to see it, just my opinion.

Although I had enthusiasm, and would loved to have seen Pele live, or any other living legend, a few of which I did see, I couldn't have thrown my job for it. To me it was enough to see him weaving his magic on a TV set... and what magic it was.

I could list loads of players through the ages that I have lived through who were superb footballers, as no doubt you can, and a great many of them being world class, but I'm afraid that in the last 15 years or so I don't think we have the talent to compete internationally. Same as you, I believe it to be due to the amount of foreign players in our teams.

Maybe the fact that I didn't affiliate myself to one club in my early years has something to do with my current outlook on english football, I don't know. I did however get to see some of the better clubs by visiting the many London grounds, coincidentally some of the greatest players of their eras.

England has had some world class players since 1966, but have not had a good enough world class team, again, just my opinion. Is it down to the managers? maybe, but a lot of these managers have proved themselves in europe time and again, so it has to be down to our players coming through. No doubt some of our players are current capable, but seldom do they show it.

30 or 40 years ago, if anyone had told me I would become disillusioned with english football inasmuch as I would not be arsed to even watch it, I'd have told them they were stark raving bonkers, yet here I am, disillusioned and frustrated with it.

I would absolutely love for my national side to start achieving, playing good football again, but I fear it won't happen in my lifetime. I don't pretend to know the answer to it, maybe it is the lack of academies and it maybe far easier for money laden clubs to gain instant notoriety by buying up overpriced foreign players. Who knows?

[gnasher16 31,602]

 

 

 

No, don't think it equates to the telly in our early years, there was always match of the day on saturday nights, and star soccer on the sunday. Very rarely did you get a midweek match in the european cup or the european cup winners cup, but when they were on I would make sure I watched them.

Yep, miles more football on TV nowadays than there used to be, unfortunately it shows more of the cheating and diving which is now in our game. As I said, I think the skill level is better than it was in the 60's and 70's, no doubt, but those same players showing the skill are the same ones who are cheating, and I don't like to see it, just my opinion.

Although I had enthusiasm, and would loved to have seen Pele live, or any other living legend, a few of which I did see, I couldn't have thrown my job for it. To me it was enough to see him weaving his magic on a TV set... and what magic it was.

I could list loads of players through the ages that I have lived through who were superb footballers, as no doubt you can, and a great many of them being world class, but I'm afraid that in the last 15 years or so I don't think we have the talent to compete internationally. Same as you, I believe it to be due to the amount of foreign players in our teams.

Maybe the fact that I didn't affiliate myself to one club in my early years has something to do with my current outlook on english football, I don't know. I did however get to see some of the better clubs by visiting the many London grounds, coincidentally some of the greatest players of their eras.

England has had some world class players since 1966, but have not had a good enough world class team, again, just my opinion. Is it down to the managers? maybe, but a lot of these managers have proved themselves in europe time and again, so it has to be down to our players coming through. No doubt some of our players are current capable, but seldom do they show it.

30 or 40 years ago, if anyone had told me I would become disillusioned with english football inasmuch as I would not be arsed to even watch it, I'd have told them they were stark raving bonkers, yet here I am, disillusioned and frustrated with it.

I would absolutely love for my national side to start achieving, playing good football again, but I fear it won't happen in my lifetime. I don't pretend to know the answer to it, maybe it is the lack of academies and it maybe far easier for money laden clubs to gain instant notoriety by buying up overpriced foreign players. Who knows?

 

Yep i can see all that..................all apart from not affilliating yourself to a club as a youngun i dont get that ............I follow club and country with as much vigour and enthusiasm as i did as a youngster but id be a liar if i said it didnt get me down at times.........but after all said and done you just follow your heart until your hearts not in it anymore i understand that......................i just havent reached that point yet

[CBdogsA1 420]

 

 

 

All that stuff about scottish player as well makes you think lol

 

Our players can do it at club level just not international...........Scottish players cant do it for either

 

 

Is this because the English clubs that can 'do it' are mainly full of foreign players 'helping' the English lads. I do agree they there should be a limit to how many overseas players a team has, but money talks.

 

All this comparing Scottish and English football is nonsense. Population/facilities/people in the sport and money makes it a no brainer. Re-wind a few decades when the money wasn't all about football and things were a bit different. Plenty of top English clubs had a backbone of Scottish players. Celtic, Rangers (old co ), Aberdeen and Dundee UTD were well respected in Europe.

 

I would love to see all reserve teams only fielding home grown talent with a strictly no foreigner rule.

 

 

Of course the foreign players in the English leagues has hurt our international side.....only a fool would deny that as the logic of it stands to reason.

 

I struggle to understand your theory that the money involved in the game stops the next Dalglish/Souness/Law coming through...if players are not there money cant find them.

 

Your last line i completely agree.

 

 

What I was trying to say is the money is drawing youth from elsewhere who are receiving the best of the best in training and the home grown lads are having to go to the teams a lot further down the pecking order, therefor not getting the chance to blossom and show their full potential. At 14/15 they are just beginning to show good potential and need proper training etc to bring the best out of them. If they don't get a chance at a big club because there is no room, they will go elsewhere to get going and depending on their mentality ( seeing clubs buying in all the time ) they may never rise to the challenge and just get stuck in a rutt.

If you have a well bred litter of lurchers and feed half on the best of the best and half on Dr Johns there will be a difference in them when they are maturity as the ones on Dr Johns will not reach their potential.

[gnasher16 31,602]

Yep thats a fair point......i tend to believe that ultimtately a sportsman gets what he deserves and very rarely does money or anything else stop the cream rising to the top....so for the very highest level of player ( Gazza/Beckham/Shearer in our case.... Dalglish/Souness/Law in your case ) they will get there regardless...........but as for the average pro i make you right,and the numbers seem to back that up.

Edited September 5, 2014 by gnasher16