The Illusion that is English football

[Darkhorse]

Had it put to me a few years ago that English football - whilst entertaining - is overvalued and just isn't that good. That England (and English teams) only know how to play checkers whilst other European nations play chess. I tend to realise this now and agree. The EPL is funded, marketed and broadcasted extremely extremely well, but put plainly the football just isnt that strong and does not hold up. England's best 11 couldn't even beat Iceland. Only 3 english teams since the turn of the millennium have won the champions league - and they are still gifted with 4 champions league spots - which is the most. The likes of Leicester won the league: which speaks volumes. And collectively the average salaries in the EPL are double that of everywhere else.

I used to think English football was the pinnacle because - mostly - a lot of people said it was so my naive self duly agreed. This was coupled with the sheer accessibility of content and coverage so I became brainwashed into thinking England was at the top of the tree - because thats all I saw and heard. When in fact upon personal analysis its really not... the EPL recruits players because of money and money alone - not because of product. I'm posting this in an effort to provoke thought, and I ask you to think for yourself and cast aside momentarily all club and national allegiances... Is English football really the best? or is this a notion that we have been lead to believe

 

[TheFinnFan]

Still Premier League is the best (most competitive and most entertaining) league in the world. No contest.

 

[Whistlin' Dixie]

Nothing'll change; not while the players are being told they're de best in de werllld, getting paid beyond the riches of croesus at 18, and having agents do mundane jobs for general everyday stuff like choosing their new walk-in fridge-freezers on their behalf, ffs.

Was only 35-40 years ago the players were on the same train home as the fans. 15-20 years before that, me arl fella was out drinking with half of them...Nowadays, they think they're something else - but most of them can't even spell their names these days.

Then there's the management, it ain't management - not when the team's selected by a few so-called experts in the press or on the telly.

But worst of all is the wholly incompetent, and inherently corrupt FA. A bunch of london centric, money-grubbing, doddering arl gets with little or no experience in the game, but who have zero idea on how to make things better except their bank balances.

So balls to the national set-up, balls to the national stadium (And the FA's insistence they play there) and balls to the national anthem and that bleedin' band.

And balls to the gullible gets who spunk fortunes following them.



Rant over.

 

[dublinbluenose]

England havent had a decent coach since Bobby Robson. You dont need to have the best XI players in the world, just a bloody good coach.

 

[sageyefc]

English football is crap, it's just marketed really well.

 

[Neiler]

Its a multi layered problem lads there is no doubt England have as good players as anyone but the following is the problem:

- No identity: England have spent the past 20 years trying to be other footballing nations, France, Spain, Germany, putting in place technical strategies, centres of excellence etc. They are trying to play the game in a non English way. You are what you are, high tempo, agression, assert your self. England now have no footballingidentity they are mixture of trying to be the best everyone esle and lost their national footballing identity. Look at Wales, ROI and NI - they have played according to their footballing culture a Irish/Uk identity and been more successful then England. England should play like England.

- Seeding: England havnt played a top tier nation in competitive football in about years, they get a simple qualification group and a straight forward group, they sppend years never testing themselves but winning simple games, they dont develop or have a competitive edge as a result, thus they stay bang average and have very little competitive expierence to adversity, when they come up against hey dont have the skills as a team to over come it. NI, Wales, ROI all beat top nations to qualify, they know how to do it when your back is up against the wall, England dont have a clue.

- The media; in relation to above, getting through a handy qualifcation unbeaten isnt an achievement, but yet the hype builds, players like Sterling, Ali, Kane etc get bigged up more then their talent deserves, the hype builds and the players cant deal with the pressure. England should accept they have no World class players and are bang average, then they should work on being a team. Thats what Iceland did.

- The Premier League: Again over hyped, its not the best league in the world, it has the best players and is the most entertaining and exciting. But if your looking at the best technicaly developed league, most tacticaly strong league, best league at developing or coaching players its not the PL, in pure fottballing terms it doesnt have the best quality of games.

 

[deipnosophist]

money ----> hubris ----> nemesis

 

[degsy]

Had it put to me a few years ago that English football - whilst entertaining - is overvalued and just isn't that good. That England (and English teams) only know how to play checkers whilst other European nations play chess. I tend to realise this now and agree. The EPL is funded, marketed and broadcasted extremely extremely well, but put plainly the football just isnt that strong and does not hold up. England's best 11 couldn't even beat Iceland. Only 3 english teams since the turn of the millennium have won the champions league - and they are still gifted with 4 champions league spots - which is the most. The likes of Leicester won the league: which speaks volumes. And collectively the average salaries in the EPL are double that of everywhere else.

I used to think English football was the pinnacle because - mostly - a lot of people said it was so my naive self duly agreed. This was coupled with the sheer accessibility of content and coverage so I became brainwashed into thinking England was at the top of the tree - because thats all I saw and heard. When in fact upon personal analysis its really not... the EPL recruits players because of money and money alone - not because of product. I'm posting this in an effort to provoke thought, and I ask you to think for yourself and cast aside momentarily all club and national allegiances... Is English football really the best? or is this a notion that we have been lead to believe

It's not the best technical football, but it might be exciting...sometimes and its well marketed - half the battle.

 

[Darkhorse]

Its a multi layered problem lads there is no doubt England have as good players as anyone but the following is the problem:

- No identity: England have spent the past 20 years trying to be other footballing nations, France, Spain, Germany, putting in place technical strategies, centres of excellence etc. They are trying to play the game in a non English way. You are what you are, high tempo, agression, assert your self. England now have no footballingidentity they are mixture of trying to be the best everyone esle and lost their national footballing identity. Look at Wales, ROI and NI - they have played according to their footballing culture a Irish/Uk identity and been more successful then England. England should play like England.

- Seeding: England havnt played a top tier nation in competitive football in about years, they get a simple qualification group and a straight forward group, they sppend years never testing themselves but winning simple games, they dont develop or have a competitive edge as a result, thus they stay bang average and have very little competitive expierence to adversity, when they come up against hey dont have the skills as a team to over come it. NI, Wales, ROI all beat top nations to qualify, they know how to do it when your back is up against the wall, England dont have a clue.

- The media; in relation to above, getting through a handy qualifcation unbeaten isnt an achievement, but yet the hype builds, players like Sterling, Ali, Kane etc get bigged up more then their talent deserves, the hype builds and the players cant deal with the pressure. England should accept they have no World class players and are bang average, then they should work on being a team. Thats what Iceland did.

- The Premier League: Again over hyped, its not the best league in the world, it has the best players and is the most entertaining and exciting. But if your looking at the best technicaly developed league, most tacticaly strong league, best league at developing or coaching players its not the PL, in pure fottballing terms it doesnt have the best quality of games.

Great input mate. I agree wholeheartedly. I've never thought about the 'identity' factor but it makes total sense. The England team, or all national teams for that matter, should adopt the style of its league. For England to play anything other than high tempo is ludacris

 

[Neiler]

Great input mate. I agree wholeheartedly. I've never thought about the 'identity' factor but it makes total sense. The England team, or all national teams for that matter, should adopt the style of its league. For England to play anything other than high tempo is ludacris

Its what really struck me last night, Iceland impossed their tempo on England and when England had the innitive they passed side wards at a slow tempo looking for an opening. Its such a tool that England dont utilise, they are trying to be a Germany, Spain, Italy or France. ROI had France on the rack for 70 mins with a high intesity game, Wales are through to quaters, NI have done fantastically given their population - even Iceland played as a Western European team should play. England dont play like England, their footballing identity is gone and footballing culture has been abandoned for something deemed sexier in a footballing sense.

 

[Mikey_Fitzgerald]

Considering we got beat by a team playing traditional style British Football while we pished about trying to play Tikki-Takka, I'd say English Football's biggest issue is that it's afraid to embrace it's strength's due to the perception that this is "bad" football

There is no such thing

There is football that works and football that doesn't

It's high time we went back to our roots and started doing what works again

 

[Brendan Janus]

We need some muddy pitches !!

 

[Rob17896]

Had it put to me a few years ago that English football - whilst entertaining - is overvalued and just isn't that good. That England (and English teams) only know how to play checkers whilst other European nations play chess. I tend to realise this now and agree. The EPL is funded, marketed and broadcasted extremely extremely well, but put plainly the football just isnt that strong and does not hold up. England's best 11 couldn't even beat Iceland. Only 3 english teams since the turn of the millennium have won the champions league - and they are still gifted with 4 champions league spots - which is the most. The likes of Leicester won the league: which speaks volumes. And collectively the average salaries in the EPL are double that of everywhere else.

I used to think English football was the pinnacle because - mostly - a lot of people said it was so my naive self duly agreed. This was coupled with the sheer accessibility of content and coverage so I became brainwashed into thinking England was at the top of the tree - because thats all I saw and heard. When in fact upon personal analysis its really not... the EPL recruits players because of money and money alone - not because of product. I'm posting this in an effort to provoke thought, and I ask you to think for yourself and cast aside momentarily all club and national allegiances... Is English football really the best? or is this a notion that we have been lead to believe

English football is no longer that. Our clubs are a mix of styles. English football used to be based on strong defending. In Europe our clubs were really good. Styles have changed but Iceland and Wales have shown that a 'grit' first attitude still has some traction. I think good defending is good to watch as well. Note Iceland did not waste time, spend hours pretending to be hurt or any of that continental rubbish. Enjoyed them and good luck to them.

 

[Darkhorse]

Still Premier League is the best (most competitive and most entertaining) league in the world. No contest.

Most competitive and entertaining? Yes. Strongest? No.

 

[Billy Dean]

Considering we got beat by a team playing traditional style British Football while we pished about trying to play Tikki-Takka, I'd say English Football's biggest issue is that it's afraid to embrace it's strength's due to the perception that this is "bad" football

There is no such thing

There is football that works and football that doesn't

It's high time we went back to our roots and started doing what works again

That football has never worked for England though mate. The strongest we've been since 66 was in 90 and 96 where we played 3-5-2, had technically good players and managers who knew what they were doing.