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highthief · 11-24-2007, 12:56 PM

Today a alot of the England players who played against sides who fielded no members in the team that fell to Croatia received choruses of boos from the crowds at places like Derby (where Lampard and SWP were given the treatment) and Newcastle (where Gerrard heard the boos) - it was funny to see all three of those players turn it against the home fans and score and assist on various goals in winning causes for their teams.

Personally, I think the players care about playing for their country and play to win whenever they are on the pitch.

Making noises about "the players are overpaid and don't care" is inadequate. French players and Italian players make ridiculous sums of money too - yet they were in the World Cup final last year.

And even though MacLaren is a tactical idiot, its not all down to him either.

Fact is that English football has a problem that is much deeper. It begins with parents berating their 9 year olds for giving the ball away during a school match. It continues with coaches who lack technique and skill themselves who continue to teach outdated styles of play. It goes on at a more senior level where straight up big, classic centre forwards are forever picked over smaller players with more finesse and skill. It is tied up in a cultural fear of losing that over-rides the glory of winning.

Among the England fans themselves there is a ridiculous bias against teams like the Under-21s and Under-19s and the Olympics, as if these are unimportant competitions. Guess what? You develop winners over the course of time, they do not appear fully matured at age 27 and pop up to win major tournaments. Do you think it is a coincidence that teams that are successful at these tournaments - Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and Italy - happen to dominate the senior tournaments as well? They learn about winning tournaments not at 9 or 11 or 12 (where the emphasis needs to be on skills) but at 18, 20 and 21 - where confidence and swagger are built and fear is vanquished. The average England fan's ennui concerning the junior championships boggles the mind when we haven't won fuck all in 40 years.

11-24-2007, 12:56 PM	#21 (permalink)
highthief Junkie Location: Ontario, Canada	Today a alot of the England players who played against sides who fielded no members in the team that fell to Croatia received choruses of boos from the crowds at places like Derby (where Lampard and SWP were given the treatment) and Newcastle (where Gerrard heard the boos) - it was funny to see all three of those players turn it against the home fans and score and assist on various goals in winning causes for their teams. Personally, I think the players care about playing for their country and play to win whenever they are on the pitch. Making noises about "the players are overpaid and don't care" is inadequate. French players and Italian players make ridiculous sums of money too - yet they were in the World Cup final last year. And even though MacLaren is a tactical idiot, its not all down to him either. Fact is that English football has a problem that is much deeper. It begins with parents berating their 9 year olds for giving the ball away during a school match. It continues with coaches who lack technique and skill themselves who continue to teach outdated styles of play. It goes on at a more senior level where straight up big, classic centre forwards are forever picked over smaller players with more finesse and skill. It is tied up in a cultural fear of losing that over-rides the glory of winning. Among the England fans themselves there is a ridiculous bias against teams like the Under-21s and Under-19s and the Olympics, as if these are unimportant competitions. Guess what? You develop winners over the course of time, they do not appear fully matured at age 27 and pop up to win major tournaments. Do you think it is a coincidence that teams that are successful at these tournaments - Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and Italy - happen to dominate the senior tournaments as well? They learn about winning tournaments not at 9 or 11 or 12 (where the emphasis needs to be on skills) but at 18, 20 and 21 - where confidence and swagger are built and fear is vanquished. The average England fan's ennui concerning the junior championships boggles the mind when we haven't won fuck all in 40 years. __________________ Si vis pacem parabellum.