English Football and other Nations in the UK

[Snake]

How about bringing this back in the summer of 2008?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Home_Championship

[YF Dan]

Could England really rake the humiliation of finishing third? Because, on the evidence of this qualifying campaign, that's where they are, way behind Scotland, and a bit behind Norn Iron. I doubt England would have got a draw in Germany either, so you could argue they're worse than Wales too.

--

I haven't had the slightest interest in England since the 1990 World Cup. At least then they were honest pros earning a decent but realistic living, and had some talent.

Now they're a despicable bunch of useless fuckwits, hailed as the &quotGolden Generation&quot by Sky who need to make them out to be the best in the world to justify charging £40 a month to watch them hoof the ball aimlessly like conference players. The salaries they earn are disgusting.

The sooner people realise England's exit isn't the manager's fault, but the system's, the better for football in this country. This shameful campaign could be a good thing. Maybe as a nation we might stop and think about whether supporting clubs who frtter 100k a week on these tossers is the way to go. (Ray Houghton was on £800 a week at Oxford in the top division, plus bonuses. When Liverpool signed him, he got double. Good wages then, but sensible.

With all the money in the game, real investment could be made on making English football good again.

At the moment, I have never felt more proud of the Scottishness in my blood. The SPL is full of young, Scottish players, earning sensible money, playing with hunger and appetite, and the national team is reaping the rewards. There's a lesson there. I doubt Sky and he greedy tossers and the Premiershit will let it be learned.

[theox]

Could England really rake the humiliation of finishing third? Because, on the evidence of this qualifying campaign, that's where they are, way behind Scotland, and a bit behind Norn Iron. I doubt England would have got a draw in Germany either, so you could argue they're worse than Wales too.

--

I haven't had the slightest interest in England since the 1990 World Cup. At least then they were honest pros earning a decent but realistic living, and had some talent.

Now they're a despicable bunch of useless fuckwits, hailed as the &quotGolden Generation&quot by Sky who need to make them out to be the best in the world to justify charging £40 a month to watch them hoof the ball aimlessly like conference players. The salaries they earn are disgusting.

The sooner people realise England's exit isn't the manager's fault, but the system's, the better for football in this country. This shameful campaign could be a good thing. Maybe as a nation we might stop and think about whether supporting clubs who frtter 100k a week on these tossers is the way to go. (Ray Houghton was on £800 a week at Oxford in the top division, plus bonuses. When Liverpool signed him, he got double. Good wages then, but sensible.

With all the money in the game, real investment could be made on making English football good again.

At the moment, I have never felt more proud of the Scottishness in my blood. The SPL is full of young, Scottish players, earning sensible money, playing with hunger and appetite, and the national team is reaping the rewards. There's a lesson there. I doubt Sky and he greedy tossers and the Premiershit will let it be learned.

I was pretty much in full agreement with you there until you started getting excited about Scotland!

[Ascension Ox]

Could England really rake the humiliation of finishing third? Because, on the evidence of this qualifying campaign, that's where they are, way behind Scotland, and a bit behind Norn Iron. I doubt England would have got a draw in Germany either, so you could argue they're worse than Wales too.

--

I haven't had the slightest interest in England since the 1990 World Cup. At least then they were honest pros earning a decent but realistic living, and had some talent.

Now they're a despicable bunch of useless fuckwits, hailed as the &quotGolden Generation&quot by Sky who need to make them out to be the best in the world to justify charging £40 a month to watch them hoof the ball aimlessly like conference players. The salaries they earn are disgusting.

The sooner people realise England's exit isn't the manager's fault, but the system's, the better for football in this country. This shameful campaign could be a good thing. Maybe as a nation we might stop and think about whether supporting clubs who frtter 100k a week on these tossers is the way to go. (Ray Houghton was on £800 a week at Oxford in the top division, plus bonuses. When Liverpool signed him, he got double. Good wages then, but sensible.

With all the money in the game, real investment could be made on making English football good again.

At the moment, I have never felt more proud of the Scottishness in my blood. The SPL is full of young, Scottish players, earning sensible money, playing with hunger and appetite, and the national team is reaping the rewards. There's a lesson there. I doubt Sky and he greedy tossers and the Premiershit will let it be learned.

I don't believe you. Any football supporter in this country will be interested in the fortunes of our national team, however poorly they are organised or however overpaid they are.

The game reminded me so much of some of OUFC's recent disasters. Lots of similarities to the Exeter play off defeat I felt. We were so easily tactically outsmarted last night it was embarrassing. They passed and moved so smoothly.

The last 10 minutes when the ball was being smashed up repetitively to poor old Crouchy was like a return to the Stone Age.

Bridge, Gerrard, Lampard and Carson were totally appalling.

However, we are all being a bit one eyed about the future. The U21s have produced very good results recently with a settled group of players and there are promising signs further down the age ranges. We need to get calm intellligence back into our game and less emphasis on chasing the dollar. There should have been a national training centre in place years ago.

I was reminded this morning that the FA Premiership was set up in 1991 with the express intention of making sure England were at the 'apex' of the international game. Hasn't worked out that way has it?

[Operation Boarhunt]

I'm sure I read somewhere a couple of weeks back that the FA had considered what to do next summer should England not qualify for the Euros, a tour of North America was mentioned as the likely choice, if not a tour of the Far East.

[DLT]

I sit with Dan on this.

The 'England' team has been of no interest for me for years. I am delighted we haven't qualified. We can have a summer off now from the press building up our non existant chances of success and then slaying the coaching staff for not delivering.

Somewhere along the line we have to draw a line in the sand and wipe out a campaign by dropping all the 'established' players and blooding youngsters and giving them a chance to gel.

There was no merit on the last five or six international performances to pick either Lampard or Gerrard in front of Barry and Hargreaves. We seem to resort to 'celebrity' status rather than form.

From my limited viewing and reading of the premiershit it is clear that Green has been the inform English goalie, that Matt Taylor is miles in front of Joe Cole as a left sided midfielder and Kevin Davies will do a 'Darren Bent' more effectively than Darren will.

I am finally coming round to the need for a quota system for English players in each premiershit squad. We all know the money men running that league will never accept it. Wish the FA had the balls to say to the Premiershit 'if you don't introduce a quota we will only select players from the Football league in future'.


Some one on the radio summed up the core of the problem by saying why do we insist on Under 11's playing on full size pitches with full size goals, all we end up with is the biggest and strongest coming through rather than the most skilful.

And why the f*** is Brian Barwick selecting the new manager? Get Arsene Wenger , Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson to sit down and set the parameters and the suggest a candidate. If they have nominated the manager they might support him more.

[Pe├▒a Oxford United]

They might, but their clubs would not.

[Hog]

Could England really rake the humiliation of finishing third? Because, on the evidence of this qualifying campaign, that's where they are, way behind Scotland, and a bit behind Norn Iron. I doubt England would have got a draw in Germany either, so you could argue they're worse than Wales too.

--

I haven't had the slightest interest in England since the 1990 World Cup. At least then they were honest pros earning a decent but realistic living, and had some talent.

Now they're a despicable bunch of useless fuckwits, hailed as the &quotGolden Generation&quot by Sky who need to make them out to be the best in the world to justify charging £40 a month to watch them hoof the ball aimlessly like conference players. The salaries they earn are disgusting.

The sooner people realise England's exit isn't the manager's fault, but the system's, the better for football in this country. This shameful campaign could be a good thing. Maybe as a nation we might stop and think about whether supporting clubs who frtter 100k a week on these tossers is the way to go. (Ray Houghton was on £800 a week at Oxford in the top division, plus bonuses. When Liverpool signed him, he got double. Good wages then, but sensible.

With all the money in the game, real investment could be made on making English football good again.

At the moment, I have never felt more proud of the Scottishness in my blood. The SPL is full of young, Scottish players, earning sensible money, playing with hunger and appetite, and the national team is reaping the rewards. There's a lesson there. I doubt Sky and he greedy tossers and the Premiershit will let it be learned.

I was pretty much in full agreement with you there until you started getting excited about Scotland!

For someone who hasn't had the slightest interest in England since 1990 that's a heck of a rant Dan! Good job you don't care! But I agree with every word, except for the desperate straw-clutching with Scotland!

Totally agree with DLT that Barwick || Co shouldn't choose the successor and should consult some real experts but what are the chances of that?

Who the heck is going to take the job and how much money will they demand? I expect there will be a big clamour for the Special One but his big problem will be he won't be able to buy players in but will have to work with what he's got (insert Dans description here).

It's definitely time to limit the number of foreign players in the Premiersh!t but I realise employment laws are a problem: can we get round them by saying the clubs can sign as many foreign players as they like but they can only play, say 4, on the pitch at any time. That way the clubs can sign 'em and pay 'em if they want to but not use too many at once.

[Ancient Colin]

I don't believe you. Any football supporter in this country will be interested in the fortunes of our national team, however poorly they are organised or however overpaid they are.

Well, other than those who are &quotin this country&quot who don't happen to be English, of course!

[Ascension Ox]

I sit with Dan on this.

The 'England' team has been of no interest for me for years. I am delighted we haven't qualified. We can have a summer off now from the press building up our non existant chances of success and then slaying the coaching staff for not delivering.

Somewhere along the line we have to draw a line in the sand and wipe out a campaign by dropping all the 'established' players and blooding youngsters and giving them a chance to gel.

There was no merit on the last five or six international performances to pick either Lampard or Gerrard in front of Barry and Hargreaves. We seem to resort to 'celebrity' status rather than form.

From my limited viewing and reading of the premiershit it is clear that Green has been the inform English goalie, that Matt Taylor is miles in front of Joe Cole as a left sided midfielder and Kevin Davies will do a 'Darren Bent' more effectively than Darren will.

I am finally coming round to the need for a quota system for English players in each premiershit squad. We all know the money men running that league will never accept it. Wish the FA had the balls to say to the Premiershit 'if you don't introduce a quota we will only select players from the Football league in future'.


Some one on the radio summed up the core of the problem by saying why do we insist on Under 11's playing on full size pitches with full size goals, all we end up with is the biggest and strongest coming through rather than the most skilful.

And why the f*** is Brian Barwick selecting the new manager? Get Arsene Wenger , Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson to sit down and set the parameters and the suggest a candidate. If they have nominated the manager they might support him more.

How can you be 'delighted ' we haven't qualified? Mind boggling. Its our national team ffs.

Barwick and his colleagues are as much to blame as McLaren.

I agree with what you say about Green and Davies though. Joe Cole is better than Taylor.

[Ascension Ox]

I don't believe you. Any football supporter in this country will be interested in the fortunes of our national team, however poorly they are organised or however overpaid they are.

Well, other than those who are &quotin this country&quot who don't happen to be English, of course!

Do you have an Italian passport then Col? Last time I heard you had a well-modulated but undoubtedly Oxfordshire accent.

[Ancient Colin]

Do you have an Italian passport then Col? Last time I heard you had a well-modulated but undoubtedly Oxfordshire accent.

No, I'm as English as they come, I fear (although I'm entitled to both an Italian and an Irish passport). But it allows me to have a portfolio of international sports teams to suit the occasion!

[theox]

I sit with Dan on this.

The 'England' team has been of no interest for me for years. I am delighted we haven't qualified. We can have a summer off now from the press building up our non existant chances of success and then slaying the coaching staff for not delivering.

Somewhere along the line we have to draw a line in the sand and wipe out a campaign by dropping all the 'established' players and blooding youngsters and giving them a chance to gel.

There was no merit on the last five or six international performances to pick either Lampard or Gerrard in front of Barry and Hargreaves. We seem to resort to 'celebrity' status rather than form.

From my limited viewing and reading of the premiershit it is clear that Green has been the inform English goalie, that Matt Taylor is miles in front of Joe Cole as a left sided midfielder and Kevin Davies will do a 'Darren Bent' more effectively than Darren will.

I am finally coming round to the need for a quota system for English players in each premiershit squad. We all know the money men running that league will never accept it. Wish the FA had the balls to say to the Premiershit 'if you don't introduce a quota we will only select players from the Football league in future'.


Some one on the radio summed up the core of the problem by saying why do we insist on Under 11's playing on full size pitches with full size goals, all we end up with is the biggest and strongest coming through rather than the most skilful.

And why the f*** is Brian Barwick selecting the new manager? Get Arsene Wenger , Rafa Benitez and Alex Ferguson to sit down and set the parameters and the suggest a candidate. If they have nominated the manager they might support him more.

How can you be 'delighted ' we haven't qualified? Mind boggling. Its our national team ffs.

Barwick and his colleagues are as much to blame as McLaren.

I agree with what you say about Green and Davies though. Joe Cole is better than Taylor.

I too could not give a stuff that 'we' haven't qualified. For too long, the national team has been filled with overpaid work-shy shirkers who play for teams who have about as much respect for us as they do the person who clips their toenails once a week!

I support all English teams expect this one. There is no longer a pride and passion amongst those who pull on the Three Lions. Players are too often picked on undeserved reputations rather than recent performances.

The last time i was remotely gutted about England losing was circa 1992. Fact.

Club before country everytime. I am emotionally attached to OUFC in a way I cant explain but England games I now watch as a neutral and often with amusement, particularly when one of our 'superstars' is shown up by an 'inferior' player/team who has the audacity to be playing with pride and interest.

[Matt D]

Its our national team ffs.

who are you speaking for here?

i couldn't say i have no interest - i sometimes watch england play. but i will enjoy euro 2008 just as much without england there - if not more, as we might actually get some vaguely objective coverage of the tournament.

[Ascension Ox]

Do you have an Italian passport then Col? Last time I heard you had a well-modulated but undoubtedly Oxfordshire accent.

No, I'm as English as they come, I fear (although I'm entitled to both an Italian and an Irish passport). But it allows me to have a portfolio of international sports teams to suit the occasion!

Best not to be 'English' for the next 10 years then...