by Royal Rother »
13 Jun 2011 16:11
It's hardly a shock that some English football watchers are completely unable to produce a constructive suggestion on what could be done to avoid the ritual humiliation we experience as a nation at every major tournament.
There are good reasons why England have not reached a Championship final in 45 years - I think we should explore the Whys and Wherefores in great detail, not just bury our heads in the sand.
It's just the natural order of things. Spain, France and germany et al are better than us - just accept it, eh? Sorry, but that thinking will leave us exactly where we are now. Why is it that club and national sides with hardly a 6 footer amongst them are much better than us? Oh, it's just a coincidence, a generational fluke - all these great players came through at the same time.... So they'll be crap again in a few years time, right?
I am not presenting any theories as FACT, just suggesting from what I've seen, heard and read that the policies and criteria for advancement of school age footballers in England may well be totally flawed because they generally only take account of the need / desire to win the NEXT game. Not the one in 6 months, a year, 2 or 5 years time. That lack of vision that is a mindset established over decades that we seem incapable of breaking free from.
It's a shame that some supporters' thinking also seems constricted by that approach.