Strands #248 “Strumming Right...
Quizzes & Puzzles25 mins ago
I know what the problem is with England.
I know what the problem is with England. The problem is not the team – it’s the pundits who keep on telling the public that England is a force in world football. That is a myth. The reality is that they are not.
The public believe the pundits when they go on and on about how superb England is and the expectation increases exponentially. Then, when they get knocked out or even fail to reach the knockout stages there is shock and horror on the faces of the pundits at the end of the game as they wallow in disbelief that England are once more on their way home! They create a false impression that England deserve to win every tournament that they enter – and when they don’t they can’t understand why.
England are not a force in world football, they have failed to qualify for three world cups – not what you’d expect from a major force.
One of my colleagues told me this morning that Shearer said, last night, that England were the fifth best team in the world – how can that be? England have gone out of the competition at the stage that reflects their standing in world football. They are not even fifth in Europe on that basis. What about the south American sides, the African sides etc? Yet how many people have gone to work today thinking that Shearer’s comment is an accurate statement?
The pundits cause immense damage and unfortunately it does have an impact on English fans, fans of other nations and neutrals.
Away from football for the moment – prior to the last Rugby World Cup, the usual pundits, Guscott and co. were in the studio discussing who England would be meeting in the final – this is before the tournament had started! Some would say that this is arrogance and it puts people off when pundits are assuming that their team have already won a tournament before it starts and then it’s an inquest as to why they didn’t.
I’ve heard players from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, NZ and Australia all saying ‘as long as we beat England….etc.’ Dallaglio said on TV once that Wales could lose every game in a six nations and then beat England and consider it to be a successful season. If this is true, why is it that everyone wants to beat England? It’s not because they are a good scalp to get because they are a great side it’s because of the arrogance of the people who honestly believe that they are and want to ram it down everyone else’s throats.
That’s what’s wrong with England.
The public believe the pundits when they go on and on about how superb England is and the expectation increases exponentially. Then, when they get knocked out or even fail to reach the knockout stages there is shock and horror on the faces of the pundits at the end of the game as they wallow in disbelief that England are once more on their way home! They create a false impression that England deserve to win every tournament that they enter – and when they don’t they can’t understand why.
England are not a force in world football, they have failed to qualify for three world cups – not what you’d expect from a major force.
One of my colleagues told me this morning that Shearer said, last night, that England were the fifth best team in the world – how can that be? England have gone out of the competition at the stage that reflects their standing in world football. They are not even fifth in Europe on that basis. What about the south American sides, the African sides etc? Yet how many people have gone to work today thinking that Shearer’s comment is an accurate statement?
The pundits cause immense damage and unfortunately it does have an impact on English fans, fans of other nations and neutrals.
Away from football for the moment – prior to the last Rugby World Cup, the usual pundits, Guscott and co. were in the studio discussing who England would be meeting in the final – this is before the tournament had started! Some would say that this is arrogance and it puts people off when pundits are assuming that their team have already won a tournament before it starts and then it’s an inquest as to why they didn’t.
I’ve heard players from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, NZ and Australia all saying ‘as long as we beat England….etc.’ Dallaglio said on TV once that Wales could lose every game in a six nations and then beat England and consider it to be a successful season. If this is true, why is it that everyone wants to beat England? It’s not because they are a good scalp to get because they are a great side it’s because of the arrogance of the people who honestly believe that they are and want to ram it down everyone else’s throats.
That’s what’s wrong with England.
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With England playing defenceless football there is no hope. We are far too unskillful to stroke the ball around. You can see now why many wanterd Harry Redknapp to take the England job as he can get the best skills from the players and would never resort to negative football.
Maybe its NOT too late to change and admit they have chosen the wrong manager.
Maybe its NOT too late to change and admit they have chosen the wrong manager.
-- answer removed --
>>>England were the fifth best team in the world – how can that be?
FIFA have a very complex process for working out World rankings, you can see the league here:
http://
p.s. Note Netherlands are ranked 4th and they did not get a single point in there group !!
The rankings are worked out based on every match you play. They compare where you are in the rankings and where the team you play are in the rankings and you get "points" based on the result (so you get more "points" for beating say Brazil than you would for beating Bolivia).
Remember we qualified top of our group wining 5 and drawing 3, giving us lots of ranking "points", and in our Euro 2012 group we won 2 and drew 1, again decent ranking points.
In fact it could be argued we just drew 0-0 with Italy so hardly disgraced.
So in our last twelve Euro 2012 games (8 qualifying, 3 group stage and last nigths match) we are unbeaten (except the last game on only penalties).
That is not a bad record and stands up against most teams except the very best like Germany or Spain.
FIFA have a very complex process for working out World rankings, you can see the league here:
http://
p.s. Note Netherlands are ranked 4th and they did not get a single point in there group !!
The rankings are worked out based on every match you play. They compare where you are in the rankings and where the team you play are in the rankings and you get "points" based on the result (so you get more "points" for beating say Brazil than you would for beating Bolivia).
Remember we qualified top of our group wining 5 and drawing 3, giving us lots of ranking "points", and in our Euro 2012 group we won 2 and drew 1, again decent ranking points.
In fact it could be argued we just drew 0-0 with Italy so hardly disgraced.
So in our last twelve Euro 2012 games (8 qualifying, 3 group stage and last nigths match) we are unbeaten (except the last game on only penalties).
That is not a bad record and stands up against most teams except the very best like Germany or Spain.
Do people really believe what "pundits" and the media tell them?
I don't,I use my own judgement..Why does everybody who isn't English believe that England fans think they'll win everything?..It's nonsense!
Not one person I spoke to before the Euro's thought we had a cat in hells chance.
Stop believing what the papers say.
I don't,I use my own judgement..Why does everybody who isn't English believe that England fans think they'll win everything?..It's nonsense!
Not one person I spoke to before the Euro's thought we had a cat in hells chance.
Stop believing what the papers say.
//I’ve heard players from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France, NZ and Australia all saying ‘as long as we beat England….etc.’ Dallaglio said on TV once that Wales could lose every game in a six nations and then beat England and consider it to be a successful season.//
Of course that's true. As a Welsh fan I would support Wales over England every time, but as Wales didn't qualify then I'll support the only UK team left - England.
Of course that's true. As a Welsh fan I would support Wales over England every time, but as Wales didn't qualify then I'll support the only UK team left - England.
Good points Daij. As a nation we are told that the Premiership is the best league in the world. And why?? because of the foreign players-NOT the home grown players that's for sure. Foreign players are exciting to watch but they are killing the national game. As for the 'myth' about 'Arry'-it isn't going to happen.
If I was an England fan I would worry for the following reason:
Two years ago England was convincingly beaten by Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup, and in the aftermath of that shocking defeat there was a lot of breast-beating and soul-searching about the Premier League, the fact that the national team is subservient to the EPL with its large contingent of foreign players etc, all very fair points.
Precisely nothing happened.
Two years later an England side are comprehensively outplayed by an ordinary-ish Italian side (tho' to their credit hanging on for a draw). There wasn't even the consolation of knowing that they'd lost to an outstanding young side and had a perfectly good goal ruled out.
But this time the post-defeat mood is more upbeat. Despite the fact that things have got steadily worse. It's great to be positive, but plainly (despite what the OP claims) expectations are now so low that this is taken as some sort of triumph.
On the other hand, England's fans have long since shed the woeful reputation as the pariahs of International football and are now among the most popular with host countries, They were certainly a big hit with the locals in Ukraine. That in itself is a victory - admittedly not the one everyone really wants, but it is quite a change and a great achievement.
Two years ago England was convincingly beaten by Germany in the last 16 of the World Cup, and in the aftermath of that shocking defeat there was a lot of breast-beating and soul-searching about the Premier League, the fact that the national team is subservient to the EPL with its large contingent of foreign players etc, all very fair points.
Precisely nothing happened.
Two years later an England side are comprehensively outplayed by an ordinary-ish Italian side (tho' to their credit hanging on for a draw). There wasn't even the consolation of knowing that they'd lost to an outstanding young side and had a perfectly good goal ruled out.
But this time the post-defeat mood is more upbeat. Despite the fact that things have got steadily worse. It's great to be positive, but plainly (despite what the OP claims) expectations are now so low that this is taken as some sort of triumph.
On the other hand, England's fans have long since shed the woeful reputation as the pariahs of International football and are now among the most popular with host countries, They were certainly a big hit with the locals in Ukraine. That in itself is a victory - admittedly not the one everyone really wants, but it is quite a change and a great achievement.
mightyWBA - reference your points about the media; I agree entirely, but anyone hoping for change will be sorely disappointed as it is in the media's interests to hype things up because it boosts sales/viewing figures, therefore things will stay the same. I'm not saying I agree with this, I don't, but the fact is that things will not change to reflect sensible approach to international tournaments.
good analysis, ichkeria. I don't think people believe pundits; they're more likely to come to conclusions after pub discussions. People were hoping England would win; I never came across anyone expecting it.
Rugby's different - far fewer countries play it, and England are somewhere round the top four, having won the world cup a few years ago. And though they were a bunch of wallies on and off the field at last year's RWC, they do seem to be improving.
But my observation is that they are bad at passing and retaining possession in both sports. They all kick too much.
Rugby's different - far fewer countries play it, and England are somewhere round the top four, having won the world cup a few years ago. And though they were a bunch of wallies on and off the field at last year's RWC, they do seem to be improving.
But my observation is that they are bad at passing and retaining possession in both sports. They all kick too much.
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