vsI believe there are a number of reasons for this, the recent abject failure of the national side at major tournament's, the lack of any creativity from those players on the field, the lack of encouragement from club managers to their players playing in these games, the way the press in this country assume we are going to win EVERY SINGLE tournament we enter and the fact that to be honest there is a new generation of fans that just don't care enough about the national team. Put all this into a mix and you have the current state of football at International level in this country.
It wasn't always like this, when I was a kid growing up, international fixtures were something to look forward to. The home nations competition and the regular games against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meant something to me, a young England supporter. There were the odd crushing win, one of my first ever games at Wembley was the 8-0 win against Turkey, but most of the games were competitive games that you could get your teeth into.
The fact that there was so little live football on TV, if you wanted to see the stars of the day you went to a game, perhaps added to the experience of seeing players playing for their country. We didn't win any tournaments back then, but I seemed to enjoy the International games more than now. I don't mind players losing, or being beaten by the better side, but there seems to a be a real mental block at International level. Whether that comes from the players or because of the coaching side of it only they know the answer to that.
When I started watching football the FA controlled the game at National and International level, no one pulled out of games unless they were genuinely injured, it just wasn't done. There seemed to be a great pride in playing for your country, don't get me wrong I guarantee that pulling on that National shirt for your country still means a hell of lot more to the players than I genuinely believe we give them credit for, but when you have players like Danny Drinkwater pulling out of games because he hasn't played enough football this season you then start to question the attitude of some of the players at that level.
Do we expect too much from them? I think we do. Most Premier League teams now have an influx of foreign players, some of the best in the world ply their trade here, but there is also an influx of mediocre players that are stifling the talent of the young British players coming through. The Premier league is no longer affiliated to the FA so they aren't under their control and they are not obligated to listen to them when it comes to setting rules and making sure that we have a strong National side. Do I blame them? Not really they have a brand to protect and they do a very good job of it.
However this situation has been to the total detriment to the National side. Its going to take a generation to change this attitude, a culture change were managers are not afraid that they are going to get the sack every 4 games, were they can build teams from within and give youth players a chance, the ideal utopia situation but I don't think people really want it to change. If you ask the average fan what would they prefer, their club side winning a trophy or their national side winning a European Championship or the World Cup I guarantee 80% will say their club side. Its instant glory, bragging rights and telling your mates that you've won something and they haven't.
For me though some of my best memories are around the 1990 World Cup, 18, pissed, running across Gants Hill roundabout with my mum and dad's bed sheet with a huge St Georges cross painted on it surrounded by mates who supported all different teams. Or Euro 96 and Gazza's goal running around the pub and then going to see Madness at Finsbury Park and the concert being delayed because Suggs had lost his voice shouting at the game. That's the International games I want to see now. Pure unbridled passion (It probably helped we were utter shite at this time as well so England was a release).
So how do we change this? Its not as straight forward as you may think, so many different factors have to be put together and mainly owners need too give their managers time! They wont because there's too much money in the game now, but put that aside for a moment because this is what I would do.
We have a generation of young English talent at U17 through to U21 who have won World Cups and European Trophy's this past few years and they MUST be given the chance to fulfil that potential. No more cheap forgein imports, play the players in the youth teams so as they can develop. Look at how Harry Winks has come on in the past few months, Harry Kane was allowed to develop at Spurs, Dele was a £5 million gamble as well. Poch saw something in them and gave them a chance!.
The Premier League have to introduce rules meaning that ALL clubs must field at least 5 home grown players that have come through their ranks that are of eligible to play for ENGLAND. You can have your Sanchez's, your Hazards, your Eriksen's but you MUST balance that with English talent as well. What's the point of a youth academy if you don't use it? One day these mega rich owners will move onto other sports and the legacy they leave behind will be how the clubs are developed once they are gone. No youth players? No chance.
Stop stifling the natural talent out of the youth players by making them scared to express themselves. Encourage them to express themselves within the right environment, allow them to make mistakes and stop over coaching them! How many times do we see a young English talent that excites us nowadays? We see foreign players come over here able to beat a man and take a player on and yet the coaching in this country is so far behind at International level its a joke. Gareth Southgate is a nice bloke but he's a failed club manager and shouldn't be anywhere near the national side. Go for the BEST coach, whoever that maybe, but allow them to develop their style of play. Don't constrict them with stupid rules and procedures. Also bring young English coaches on board and give them a chance at the highest levels of the game, not just the clubs battling relegation. The clubs are mostly owned by forgein owners and they are reluctant to hire English managers. This needs to change.
The press need to lay off the national side and stop hyping everyone expectations every time a tournament comes around. It sells papers I get that, but people are far more savvy about what they read and believe, there are some excellent sports journalists out there, Henry Winter is a personal favourite of mine, Andy Dunn also, so stop saying what you think people want to hear and actually start telling it like it is. It heaps too much pressure on the players and they then cannot perform at the required level. Don't believe me? Look at an England player playing for England then watch him play for his club and tell me he doesn't perform better because there is less pressure at his club. I get they are paid fortunes and people say they should be able to handle the pressure, but the size of the pay packet has nothing to do with your mental ability to handle pressure when it comes to playing football.
The fans need to be realistic as well. Yes us, there I've said it. Firstly West Ham fans, you didn't win the World Cup in 1966 so stop going on about it, its embarrassing, I get its bragging rights but it was 51 years ago now. Lets move on. We aren't anywhere near the best side in the World and we wont be unless things change so just accept it and try and get behind the players. Yes its hard watching us lose to Iceland and just beating Wales but we don't HAVE THE PLAYERS!!!. Until things change at Premier League level things will never change at National level. So relax a little and stop thinking like a little Englander that we have a god forsaken right to beat a country because we pay our players more than they do. The spirit of countries like Wales, Iceland and both of the Ireland's shows what type of bond you can develop with your players when you aren't slagging them of all the time. Lets try it, you never know we may like it?
Its not fool proof, of course its not, why would the Premier League want to imply rules that may affect how they market their product? Why would a manager who has to win all the time take a chance on youth? Well at least our manger does. Can you imagine how bad we would be without some of our players in that England side? Do you enjoy the bragging rights it brings to see how many players are in the England side? I know I do.
If we don't harness and develop these young players that have won things at International level, if we don't actually give them a chance to play in the Premier League than we can even forget about qualifying for tournaments in the future. It will be criminal not to give youth a chance. I'm glad I'm a Spurs fan, I'm proud of all the players that play for our country, but I'm more proud of the fact that we now have a manager who wants to develop the youth talent at our club. It makes those players
far more loyal when they come through the ranks, the club means something to them, the history of the place, the fans supporting them, its makes it easier for us to attach ourselves to them and watch them grow and become part of our history. It excites us!.
One day I hope to see a successful England side at International level, I don't mean getting to a Semi and losing on penalties, been there done that. I mean actually win something. I believe we can do it, but not the way the game is structured at the moment. If it doesn't change, we will end up with a generation of fans that will never know what its like to be overcome with joy and pride at what its like to see YOUR NATIONAL team win something. Is that what we really want? To waste the talent we have been blessed with? This would be unforgivable, almost bordering on criminal. It cannot be allowed to happen.
Club vs Country? It shouldn't even have to be a choice.
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