Just how good were “The Golden Generation”

[Toffee in Jandals]

On paper, the 2006 squad I think is the best England have had at a World Cup since 1990. Lampard, Gerrard, Terry, the two Cole's, Ferdinand, and Rooney all in their prime, Sol Campbell, Gary Neville, Beckham and Michael Owen past their peak at that tournament but still very good players.

That team should have gone a lot further than they should have, but were undermined by Rooney being half-fit, Michael Owen's injury during the tournament, and then of course Ronaldo's histrionics in getting Rooney sent off in the quarter-final.

Sven's insistence on playing Lampard and Gerrard in the same team was probably what damaged that "Golden Generation" the most. Paul Scholes was easily England's best passer and should have been a first pick in that era each and every time. Sadly, he was under-utilized or played out of position, and retired far too early in 2004. He should have been in that World Cup in 2006.

 

[marsh]

Not very good

 

[BlueStevie35]

The Golden Gen, went downhill when Sven left cos he couldn't keep his sticky wicket in his pants. McClaren had no control over the egos hence the Euro 08 qualifying bombout, Capello got to South Africa fairly easy but the Ferdinand injury on the eve and Green's howler in the opening game wrecked any tactical plan he had then got into a needless row with the FA over Terry in the run up to Euro 2012 meaning Hodgson had to come in at less than a months notice to name and gee up the squad but, despite good qualifying campaigns for the subsequent two tournaments, showed how out of his depth he actually was with two dumpster fire elliminations

 

[Ballymoney1]

If Rooney hadn't broken his foot in euro 04 they would have won it.

 

[twoblue]

They represented the state of football at the time. Ability wise we had a solid players. However, they were the first of the mega money footballers, known more as a celebrities then sportsman andso far removed from the real world it was unbelievable. I think most of the thought they were too good for England. They were also managed by mercenaries managers who did not care about the national side. It was never a mix for a sucessful team ethos

 

[Billy Dean]

If Rooney hadn't broken his foot in euro 04 they would have won it.

Or if Sven had brought on an attacking player to replace him instead of Phil Neville we may at least have beaten Portugal. I think the 2004 squad was our strongest for a while. Scholes was still there and Gerrard's ego hadn't got so big yet that he didn't mind playing a more defensive role than Lampard. We actually played good football through that tournamen IMO

 

[Papa Shango]

That team should have gone a lot further than they should have, but were undermined by Rooney being half-fit, Michael Owen's injury during the tournament, and then of course Ronaldo's histrionics in getting Rooney sent off in the quarter-final.

Yeah how dare Ronaldo make Rooney stamp on Carvalho's balls.

To this day I have never understood the blaming of Ronaldo for this.

 

[Ballymoney1]

Or if Sven had brought on an attacking player to replace him instead of Phil Neville we may at least have beaten Portugal. I think the 2004 squad was our strongest for a while. Scholes was still there and Gerrard's ego hadn't got so big yet that he didn't mind playing a more defensive role than Lampard. We actually played good football through that tournamen IMO

I think the 04 team was incredibly strong. Portugal only edged England in a shoot out. (Sol Campbell unlucky to have a good goal disallowed) They were the two strongest teams left on that tournament.

 

[paulbefc]

The failure to build the team around Paul Scholes, possibly the greatest midfielder England have had is one that makes me cringe every time I think of it.

He was the key to tournament success, for me. Even more than eradicating the wag culture and club tribalism. The reliance in midfield on Gerrard, an (admittedly world class in his day) self-absorbed egomaniac and Lampard, who was never close to "world class" meant they were unlikely to win major tournaments.

Scholes was precisely what England needed in the middle of the park the other night, for me. The encouraging thing about Southgate is I actually think he'd have had the stones to make room for Scholes had he had the 2004 squad to work with. I couldn't say that for any England manager of the last 20 years.

 

[Blues Harp]

aye the team that keeps the ball better usually finishes stronger, to win tournament football in the heat you need that metronome in midfield. Lads on here raving about henderson because he 'kept things ticking' against panama, he lost control of the middle against columbia and was made to look very very average last night

We have a lack of creativity in this side despite all the committment and running around .....where is our Modric? or Hazard? Pogba? All we have is Henderson, Alli, Lingard ? who were found out by Croatia when it actually mattered. as for the "golden generation" what did Gerrard and Lampard offer at international level? They were accomodated at the expense of players such as Scholes....he must have been fuming..

 

[Billy Dean]

The failure to build the team around Paul Scholes, possibly the greatest midfielder England have had is one that makes me cringe every time I think of it.

He was the key to tournament success, for me. Even more than eradicating the wag culture and club tribalism. The reliance in midfield on Gerrard, an (admittedly world class in his day) self-absorbed egomaniac and Lampard, who was never close to "world class" meant they were unlikely to win major tournaments.

Scholes was precisely what England needed in the middle of the park the other night, for me. The encouraging thing about Southgate is I actually think he'd have had the stones to make room for Scholes had he had the 2004 squad to work with. I couldn't say that for any England manager of the last 20 years.

The thing about Scholes though was that he had been poor for England from 2001-2003. It was actually 2004 that he regained his form when he was moved out to a more left-sided role.

Ultimately he threw his toys out the pram for being played in a different position. It was only for a few matches in a tournament. He could have still been a key figure for England if he wanted to but ultimately he didn't, which is fine if that's what he wanted.

 

[Billy Dean]

We have a lack of creativity in this side despite all the committment and running around .....where is our Modric? or Hazard? Pogba? All we have is Henderson, Alli, Lingard ? who were found out by Croatia when it actually mattered. as for the "golden generation" what did Gerrard and Lampard offer at international level? They were accomodated at the expense of players such as Scholes....he must have been fuming..

Hopefully there are players like that on the way from the youth setup: Sancho (who I think will be a global star), Foden, Mount, Sessegnon, Lookman, Hudson-Odoi etc. Hopefully the likes of Chalobah, Lewis Cook, Harry Winks will be able to displace Henderson form the side before the next Euros.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

The thing about Scholes though was that he had been poor for England from 2001-2003. It was actually 2004 that he regained his form when he was moved out to a more left-sided role.

Ultimately he threw his toys out the pram for being played in a different position. It was only for a few matches in a tournament. He could have still been a key figure for England if he wanted to but ultimately he didn't, which is fine if that's what he wanted.

True that mate, Scholes' quality speaks for itself but he had trouble replicating that with England. It wasn't like he was running things, he had loads of mediocre games IIRC.
He's also typical of that Utd side in that his mentality fell to bits once out of that environment. Says it all that he cried off in retirement and deferred to two far inferior players in Gerrard and Lampard.

 

[Billy Dean]

True that mate, Scholes' quality speaks for itself but he had trouble replicating that with England. It wasn't like he was running things, he had loads of mediocre games IIRC.
He's also typical of that Utd side in that his mentality fell to bits once out of that environment. Says it all that he cried off in retirement and deferred to two far inferior players in Gerrard and Lampard.

In the run up to that tournament Gerrard and Lampard we’re both tried in that more left-sided role and were gash there. He was the only one intelligent enough to make it work.

I reckon he just wasn’t that arsed about England and used that as an excuse to call it a day.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

In the run up to that tournament Gerrard and Lampard we’re both tried in that more left-sided role and were gash there. He was the only one intelligent enough to make it work.

I reckon he just wasn’t that arsed about England and used that as an excuse to call it a day.

Gerrard was 100 caps of gash tbh. Not just saying that, his schoolyard game worked in the prem but nowhere near the intelligence or discipline to run an international midfield.