What's Really wrong with English Football?

[tommers]

But the game in England is definitely more rough, and thus the fear of injury, combined with the fear of ridicule by your teamates is not going to help is it?

We need to encourage the skilled players to play, and thus we need to protect them surely.

Other players might indeed survive in the Prem, but at what cost to injury? Even Drogba, a tank for Chelsea is injured, and many players come here for a season only to scarper again for fear of injury...

I think you're in the right area (altho I'm having trouble thinking of many players who have left the premiership due to fear of injury) but I think it's more to do with the speed of the game here. When Tevez came over he said that the speed with which he was closed down really surprised him, he got the ball, turned and somebody was sliding in on him.

And, like I say, there are plenty of skilful "ball players" in the Premiership, just not many in the England team.

 

[Gmart]

Arjen Robben of Chelsea fame. Great player but it soon became obvious that all you needed to do was to go in hard on him and he would suddenly stop being such a threat.

I would like to see the 'go in hard' bit punished with a yellow card.

Then again I would like to see extended ref reports , based on TV pictures, to inform each ref about which players tend to dive. If the players know that they are going to get into trouble for it, then they will think twice about doing it in front of the cameras...

 

[tommers]

I would like to see the 'go in hard' bit punished with a yellow card.

it is.

 

[Gmart]

It isn't, otherwise Robben would have been protected and would have carried on playing here.

Otherwise it wouldn't be common knowledge that the Refs in the Prem allow more rough play than their counterparts in the rest of Europe.

 

[tommers]

It isn't, otherwise Robben would have been protected and would have carried on playing here.

Otherwise it wouldn't be common knowledge that the Refs in the Prem allow more rough play than their counterparts in the rest of Europe.

I thought Robben left cos he fell out with Mourinho?

It may be common knowledge that refs here allow more than in the rest of Europe but the question is, how does that affect "skilful players" and also is a lack of skilful players "what's really wrong with English football"?

You're saying that there are less skilful English players because the game is more physical here than elsewhere. I'm not convinced by that.

 

[ZAMB]

I thought Robben left cos he fell out with Mourinho?

Robben left because Chelsea wouldn't renegotiate his contract AFAIR.

On the home internationals question - when they were first suggested some jerkoff on the radio said - 'Of course, England will win'. I don't see why we should take part in a little ego-boosting exercise for the English.
I think the FA are against it just in case they don't win .......... perhaps they remember who won the last time in Windsor Park???

 

[Streathamite]

what's wrong with britsh football? simple;
1) lousy, under-resourced youth and schoolboy development and spotting
2)technically inferior coaching at every level.
3) too much money chasing too mediocre a talent pool at the top ( I mean, darren bent costing spurs the same thierry henry cost barca, honestly!)

 

[Gmart]

Found myself talking about this topic again on another thread so thought I would post on a more relevant thread:

theres plenty of decent centre backs coming through at all times and a fair few midfielders as well, we aren't good at producing strikers at the moment though, or flair midfielders.


I think no telent is harsh, the u21's proved that thers good people coming through over the summer and i suspect the u19's will be doing the same over the next couple of weeks.


dave

So who is the most skillful English player in your view? Most of the best players I can think of would be foreign (Messi, Arshavin etc) and I struggle to think of ANY English players coming thru who have anything like that level of skill - indeed English players in general are at best high energy or good hassling skills, good defensively and organisationally but ease on the ball and being able to keep the ball seem to be alien concepts - one of the sobering aspects of the Man U defeat in the CL final was watching Barcelona stroke the ball around and keep possession.

And even with the recent success for England under Capello - I would suggest that internationally this is what trips us up in every competition I have ever watched England compete in...

 

[Gmart]

Joe Cole anyone?

Is that it on the skill front?

If so, we in a right pickle when it comes to the best teams...

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Um, Rooney...

Wilshere looks class...

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

And let's look at recent tourneys:

2002 - won by most workmanlike brazil team in living memory
2004 - won by VERY VERY workmanlike greece team
2006 - won by tedious italian team while teams like argentina crashed out in the quarters.
2008 - rare instance of best team winning

England need organisation, losing the fear, good passing, they don't need the new maradonna to come out of nowhere.

Capello has started to give us these things.

Things are never as great as the tabloids tend to conclude after a couple of good results, but they aren't as bad as some tend to jump into thinking either

 

[Gmart]

Wilshere looks class...

Good call that - found clip on youtube - great assist and wonder goal...

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

I think we've got a good chance next year, especially in a climate which will be very much like ours in autumn, when our players often hit their peak.

 

[Danny Rose]

Well, having read the whole thread.. the FA, the players, the arrogance.. the media, the managers, the lack of, the youngster, spoilt..
Well, get out and see some of the youngster play, full 90 minute, full on, and working as a team. From local clubs, to under 21s with league clubs, the extent of the involvement by league clubs at all levels in the local community, with local schools, it might not get a lot of press but it is happening.
Then the FA come alnog and tell everyone they must have certificates before they can become recognised ... watch MOTD and see the number of goals being scored from very similar moves and the pass aross the goal mouth....

But, it does not work at international level... The FA dictate how it should be played... Ok on a Saturday afternoon but .. so predictable. Youknow where the people are going to and the pattern of passing, Watch the national teams, France, Italy....watch the fitnes levels, the skills.. we're sadly lacking.

The kick and run, great...but.

As someone involved in youth football, I'd have to say that you're spot on. I can't describe how many times I've seen genuinely talented young central midfielders, for instance, overlooked for some "hard running/hard tackling sub-Lampard/Gerrard type player. No club scout ever seems to want to take a gamble on an unpredictable player, and just plays it safe, scouting hard working players with a modicum of skill that play the game in the same old predictable way.