Good win tonight, good to see the country at least restore some pride in wake of the shambolic incidents in recent weeks. But rest all of the instability in the backroom behind, what are England's main issues on the field? For me I think there are 2 main issues why England won't be near any Championships now for some time unless things change.
1. Too many average players. I look in that England team now and think where are the quality players? Don't get me wrong, in terms of individuals and even as a team, England do still have one of the top sides in the world really, but how good actually are they? Are we as fans and pundits majorly overhyping them? Should England really be aiming to win tournaments? Ok, we have to have ambition, but for me as an England fan, I'm content to sit for QF finishes, that's a decent return.
But back to the main point, like I said England do have good players, but they are just too average. We have some good players who are really shining for their clubs. Kane, Alli, Sterling, Henderson and Lallana (when fit) are the stand out 5 for me from this season. Then we also have quality like Sturridge who might not always play/perform for his club consistently, but still has that quality. But for them 5/6 players there is also another group who are just average and nothing more. The likes of Cahill, Walcott, Hart, Lingard based on tonight's performance because his end product was very poor and even Rooney now and anymore names that need throwing into that hat as well. For the players we have that are good, there are also too many average players that cost us in games. Don't get me wrong, they are all still good players, but they are average.
2. We don't have that match winner, or a world class player. I think this can be the difference at International football. Take a look at teams like Poland and Sweden for example. They are both dangerous sides for most opposition. Obviously it's a team sport but you can only pick our their one talisman, Lewandowski and Ibrahimovic. These 2 alone make playing against Poland and Sweden frightening opposition because you know if they get one chance, they will deliver and that can be the difference. Obviously, both of them 2 sides do still have good players in and around their squads, but the majority of players that Poland and Sweden have aren't as good as the England players, even the average one's. But Lewandowski and Ibrahimovic are head and shoulders above the rest in their squads and even England's players. So they automatically know they have someone to rely on if they need something and them 2 will produce for them which is why both sides are awkward teams to play against. Do England have that? For me, no.
Some of you may argue Rooney. But this is the debate, is Rooney world class? For me, he's not. He was superb at United a few years back, but now he has become one of the average one's. Rooney is a Man United and England legend because of his goalscoring record, but he isn't world class and now he is average. I think this is because he doesn't have a best position anymore. He certainly still has quality, but there is just someone better in each position, but he's a hard player to leave out. Rooney is a good striker up front, but for me isn't as clinical as the likes of Sturridge, Kane or Vardy. He is also a good midfielder, but isn't as good as players like Henderson in central midfield or even Lallana in attacking midfield because he isn't as creative. So he is hard to leave out, but there are better players in them positions. And one day, whichever England manager has the ballacks to finally drop Rooney, it will create uproar.
Thanks for reading, apologies for the longevity.
What are England's problems?
posted on 9/10/16
comment by Genius_AppleCart_Space_Dude_Featuring_Zorak (Doom merchant) (U19099)
posted 36 minutes ago
To be honest I dont think England fans expectations,me included,are that high.
I just want to see some entertaining attacking football and ,we have at the very least, got players who can deliver in that regard.
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And in some games, they show that.
posted on 9/10/16
comment by Micky Madlips (U1250)
posted 3 hours, 12 minutes ago
172. Posted by Sandy on
3 hours ago
Is it me or do they general public think they know more than the coaches and managers who earn a living from football?
Hilarious. If the experts believe that Rooney warrants a place (and most of them do), who are we to argue.
They understand the game better than we do, otherwise anyone of you would be England manager heavens forbid
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Sandy defending Rooney
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Yeah, I saw that as well
posted on 9/10/16
Rooney.
posted on 9/10/16
Because England are just sh111t
posted on 9/10/16
1) Every team has average players. England actually have more good players than most of the top national teams.
2) This is a problem though.
posted on 9/10/16
Getting excited over beating mediocre teams never turning up for the big ones.
posted on 9/10/16
Comment Deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 9/10/16
One final in 60+ years of internationals. And even that was on home soil.
Clearly the problems are much deeper than the PL, players being overpaid or any of the rest of it.
1. The game needs investment at junior level.
2. Kids need to taught to play not just hoof.
3. The media need to back off.
4. Need to pick and stick with a good manager - regardless of nationality.
5. Play people who are in form and not just big names.
And finally regard getting to the QFs as a success.
posted on 10/10/16
I don't think we solutions just pick players on form. Some players his form for clubs but don't do it for country and then there are those who play well for country than their teams (look at Welbeck and Kane for England, the former performs better for country than his team, while the latter is the opposite. Also Milan Baros, remember him? Rubbish for club, legend for country).
We need to choose a team and style and stick with it, with some changes here and there but nothing wholesale. Tottenham have the most players (Walker, Rose, Dier, Dele and Kane) in the current England starting 11, so we should adopt similar style to them. Get in the other players who play in a similar system to fill in the gaps, with tweaks were needed. Of course it's easy to say all this. Putting it into practise is much harder.
posted on 11/10/16
^^ I agree with that.
We have to start at a base. Get a good, experienced spine running through the team and build around them. Some could say for experience, Rooney has to play, but not necessarily.
Hart being the obvious keeper. Smalling the CB. Henderson in CM and Kane up top. Even if it's not filled with total experience, that is still a good spine to build from. They are all good players regardless of what recent form says. For me, they are probably the best we have in all 4 positions right now.
Then we add in a few more players from there, the obvious one's like Alli, Walker, Rose etc. The one's that put a good shift in for the national side. Then, we use a system from the best players the country have. With the majority coming from Spurs and Henderson from Liverpool who all have similar pressing styles, it's obvious to get the best out of them players, we need someone to play with that system. Then we fill in the gaps with the players who are best suited to that system. Like Lallane is the perfect fit in AM in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Then we need another CB, possibly Stones who can play with the ball and then just 2 wide men who will have the energy to press and we fit our system around that.
I also think England has been heavily damaged with the loss of experience in the last 5 years. We have lost the likes of Ferdinand, Terry, Lampard, Gerrard etc all in the last 5 years or so since they retired. That's a vast amount of experience lost there which I think has played a major factor in England's downfall in the last few years.