What is the Problem With The England National Team?

As England departed these shores for South Africa a few weeks ago, there was much expectation that at long last, England may well bring the trophy home. Even so, that dream was destroyed in no uncertain terms by the old enemy Germany in Bloemfontein as England crashed out of the competition losing 4-1. How may well such an experienced team who qualified so effortlessly fail to perform? Not surprisingly, the English media has produced no shortage of scape goats and explanations for what was England’s worst defeat at a World Cup. There has been sufficient talk about the Italian manager, formations and more but the complications are a good deal more serious.

Since its formation in 1992, the Premiership has achieved fabulous success as a global brand. The price of this success has been felt by English football. Increased television revenue has pushed wages higher and higher. Therefore this has meant there has been a growing gulf among club and country. Clubs pay their footballers lots of money and are more and more reluctant to let their players play for their countries.

Consequently, players get hugely rewarded by Premiership clubs to the extent that success is recognised by getting rewarding contracts as an alternative to anything they accomplish on the pitch. Mediocre footballers who rarely turn out for their clubs are still millionaires and the instant these footballers put money ahead of playing matches at club level, there can be little doubt they do not have the mental strength or hunger to play international football.

Typically, there was always a regional reserve league which meant young players from smaller teams may well be guaranteed playing versus decent reserve sides from larger teams like Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. Having said that, in recent years, the Premiership has changed therefore they will only play versus other Premier League reserve clubs. This means that Championship reserve clubs no longer get to play versus EPL sides. For clubs like Ipswich Town, it means their reserve team now plays versus Stevenage rather than Spurs and this drop in standard in opposition certainly has a negative effect on the footballing education of young footballers.

With so much money at stake, everything is tailored for EPL survival. Teams spend large sums of money bringing in apparently superior foreign managers and players in a bid to keep their Premier League status. The ambition of promoted teams to the EPL extends no further than finished 4th bottom. The Premier League cash bonanza means that Premier League clubs can will offer you £1-2m for young footballers at lower league teams. The footballers are keen to move and secure their financial futures but it could also signal the stop of their careers. The young Crystal Palace star joined Tottenham but hardly made an appearance and was last heard of on loan at Brentford, a league lower than when he was at Crystal Palace. From a football viewpoint, Bostock would have been best served staying at Palace and learning the game. How many more young footballers careers are cut down like this pursuing the money rather than playing the game? It’s difficult to blame the young footballers for taking the money.

Addititionally there is the popular accusation that teams take part in too many games in England and increasingly more managers want a winter break. Even so, footballers don’t look to be tired the moment asked to fly off to the United States or Far East on pre-season tours. Or how about England’s friendly fixture next June away in Thailand?

There are too numerous ready made excuses for failure that footballers are ready to accept. They live a life well away from real life with their mansions, luxury cars and trophy wives. In basic terms, there is not enough hunger or desire.

The fixture in Thailand also shows another issue. In addition to the Premier League being an international brand name, so are the England team. Supporters want to watch the big EPL stars play for England and in friendlies like this, those stars will be expected, if not contracted, to turn out. All the same, it is not the case that the leading 11 footballers make the recommended team. Too plenty of players are in the team based on name rather than performances. Young players should be promoted into the senior squad sooner.

For the upcoming Euro 2012 campaign, England should dispense with the services of all players aged 30 or over. None of them have performed in South Africa so why should England persist with them. It would be more effective to promote younger players who may still be hungry for success. Nevertheless, while the worshiping of the Premier League remains, things are not going to improve anytime immediately.

Capital Futbol

What is the Problem With The England National Team?

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