Just how good were “The Golden Generation”

KaiserEFC · July 12, 2018

Obviously more pertinent had we reached the final, but I fee there is still some good debate to be had on this topic.

The 2010 England World Cup squad included players such as Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Cole... well you get the picture. These players were all obviously well known and considered to be some of the best the country has ever produced. However, they embarrassed themselves time and time again on the international stage.

In light of our current squads achievement does anyone think we will see a shift in perception towards these players, and what did our current lot do right?

Frang · July 12, 2018

SH!TE

Bruce Wayne · July 12, 2018

killenefc said:
Obviously more pertinent had we reached the final, but I fee there is still some good debate to be had on this topic.

The 2010 England World Cup squad included players such as Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Cole... well you get the picture. These players were all obviously well known and considered to be some of the best the country has ever produced. However, they embarrassed themselves time and time again on the international stage.

In light of our current squads achievement does anyone think we will see a shift in perception towards these players, and what did our current lot do right?

Had they had the same draw this squad has enjoyed, they would have got to the semi-final as well. From 1998 to 2010, they lost to Argentina, Brazil, Portugal and Germany, all of whom you could make a strong case for being better than the Croatia side we lost to yesterday. It's a cup competition, so luck plays a huge part.

Baines' left foot · July 12, 2018

A bunch of pre-Madonna’s only interested in there own game!!!

Simon Buttle · July 12, 2018

killenefc said:
Obviously more pertinent had we reached the final, but I fee there is still some good debate to be had on this topic.

The 2010 England World Cup squad included players such as Rooney, Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Cole... well you get the picture. These players were all obviously well known and considered to be some of the best the country has ever produced. However, they embarrassed themselves time and time again on the international stage.

In light of our current squads achievement does anyone think we will see a shift in perception towards these players, and what did our current lot do right?

A bunch of over-hyped and over-rated media hungry muppets, more interested in being on the front pages than the back, and the one truely world class player that we had (Scholes) was wasted time and time again because we had to find space for all of them so they could keep their profiles up. I find that golden generation/WAG culture a highly embarrasing time in football.

KaiserEFC · July 12, 2018

Simon Buttle said:
A bunch of over-hyped and over-rated media hungry muppets, more interested in being on the front pages than the back, and the one truely world class player that we had (Scholes) was wasted time and time again because we had to find space for all of them so they could keep their profiles up. I find that golden generation/WAG culture a highly embarrasing time in football.

I think the testimony of some players claiming there was a Man United table, an Arsenal table and an “everybody else” table at meals speaks volumes. I think there was a lot of arrogance in those squads and absolutely no will for the players to work as a team.

-Rob- · July 12, 2018

The so called golden generation were the result of all the money that was starting to get pumped in to football. They were the beginning of the massively over paid 'better players' and it went to their heads very quickly and they believed the hype.

This current squad are also very highly paid but they're not seen as the elite, they're not above everyone else in the English game. I've never got the impression there is club rivalries within this squad and I think that has helped them massively with being more of a team that works together.

A lot of that is down to the fantastic management of Southgate. Who'd have thought it that Gareth Southgate would actually be taking so much praise for international football management? I still don't think he's taken as much praise as he deserves. He's been manager less than 2 years and he's turned around not just the fortunes of the England team but the whole philosophy of the way the FA is looking forward with international football.

banno · July 12, 2018

All very good PL players but on the World Stage always found wanting. The World Class label is used to easily and they were not. All out to shine individually rather than play as a team. They wanted to outdo each other such was there arragance

Walken · July 12, 2018

Think how much that side last night would have benefited from a deep lying scholes to control things, but apparently hendo had a great world cup because he kept things ticking over against panama

gianthogweed · July 12, 2018

All these players played with technically excellent foreign players for their club which made them look good also getting hyped up by the uk media doesn't help
Rooney in his prime was the only world class player this country has produced since Gazza

-Rob- · July 12, 2018

gianthogweed said:
Rooney in his prime was the only world class player this country has produced since Gazza

I'd add Beckham to that list. A lot of people overlook the football because of his lifestyle and his wife but he was the very best at the time at what he did and England haven't replaced him since.

Yarrgh · July 12, 2018

A smattering of those golden generation in their prime in the present team would be very interesting indeed. All a bit hypothetical though.

YoboCopter · July 12, 2018

Yarrgh said:
A smattering of those golden generation in their prime in the present team would be very interesting indeed. All a bit hypothetical though.

Imagine we had gerrard and scholes last night

Would of walked it

Bruce Wayne · July 12, 2018

-Rob- said:
The so called golden generation were the result of all the money that was starting to get pumped in to football. They were the beginning of the massively over paid 'better players' and it went to their heads very quickly and they believed the hype.

This current squad are also very highly paid but they're not seen as the elite, they're not above everyone else in the English game. I've never got the impression there is club rivalries within this squad and I think that has helped them massively with being more of a team that works together.

A lot of that is down to the fantastic management of Southgate. Who'd have thought it that Gareth Southgate would actually be taking so much praise for international football management? I still don't think he's taken as much praise as he deserves. He's been manager less than 2 years and he's turned around not just the fortunes of the England team but the whole philosophy of the way the FA is looking forward with international football.

That's bonkers. In the 12 year period of the 'golden generation', an English side got to the final of the CL 7 times, winning 4 trophies. We'd also regularly have teams in the semi-final stages. The last six years we've barely got teams to the semis, with just Liverpool making the final. The players may have been overhyped a bit, but they were a lot better than the current crop.