The Euros. How will England do?

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We are the Spurs of international football. Big side who won the title in the 60s but not much since. Expected to be in the top 10 in competitions, but barring the occasional run mostly flatter to deceive. Still seen as a scalp to take however.

That would make Harry Kane Harry Kane.

 

[Marked Ox]

Honestly, I have no idea why other countries would still consider us a big scalp but there you go.

Probably because the English leagues are watched the world over, the players are so well recognised and our club sides regular feature in the final stages of the CL. So not really the England team as such but rather English football.

 

[Sarge]

Probably because the English leagues are watched the world over, the players are so well recognised and our club sides regular feature in the final stages of the CL. So not really the England team as such but rather English football.

ah yes, that'll be those English PL clubs who's teams are brimming over with English players ?

 

[Marked Ox]

ah yes, that'll be those English PL clubs who's teams are brimming over with English players ?

Tbf, the CL final had 7 English players in the starting 22 players and all are in the England squad.

 

[SteMerritt]

Tbf, the CL final had 7 English players in the starting 22 players and all are in the England squad.

Aston Villa had 8 English players in their team on their own when they won the European Cup, football has changed so much since then. Didn't Celtic have 11 players who were all born within 30 miles of their ground when they won it?

 

[Marked Ox]

Aston Villa had 8 English players in their team on their own when they won the European Cup, football has changed so much since then. Didn't Celtic have 11 players who were all born within 30 miles of their ground when they won it?

The PL is a global league now.

 

[SteMerritt]

The PL is a global league now.

Yep, sure is. It went too far about 10 years ago, but my feeling is there are a lot more decent English players coming through now.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

No Real Madrid players in the Spain squad. The best two players in La Liga for years have been Argentinian and Portugese, with a very decent Croatian and a French striker being two fixtures over there. The best recent players in France have been a Brazillian, a Uruguayan and a Swede. Best player by far in Germany is Polish. It happens everywhere!

 

[Marked Ox]

Yep, sure is. It went too far about 10 years ago, but my feeling is there are a lot more decent English players coming through now.

Yes. The Academy structure is finally bearing some fruit for the national team. It is noticeable that PL teams are pushing through Academy players and I think this has partly happened due to a new generation of managers willing to commit to it such as Frank Lampard allowing Mason Mount and Reece James to establish themselves or Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool etc. Not all players will make the step but they are now being given chances.

 

[Foley]

No Real Madrid players in the Spain squad. The best two players in La Liga for years have been Argentinian and Portugese, with a very decent Croatian and a French striker being two fixtures over there. The best recent players in France have been a Brazillian, a Uruguayan and a Swede. Best player by far in Germany is Polish. It happens everywhere!

That is a real indictment of Madrid.
Maybe they ought to leave the Spanish league and join a European league.

 

[Foley]

Yes. The Academy structure is finally bearing some fruit for the national team. It is noticeable that PL teams are pushing through Academy players and I think this has partly happened due to a new generation of managers willing to commit to it such as Frank Lampard allowing Mason Mount and Reece James to establish themselves or Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs, Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool etc. Not all players will make the step but they are now being given chances.

Absolutely. Generally a really good thing except maybe in the case of Chelsea where until recently they seemed to use the system purely to make profit. Even they now as you say have brought Mount and James into the first team.

 

[PSGsupporter]

Dunno, I think the good in 60s might be spot on considering that was the last time we won anything.

You have to be lucky to be successful at international football, to get a good first eleven is not like club football, you could be undone by having a generation with class attacking players but very poor defenders or vice versa and no transfer market to do anything about it.

We will never be a dominant nation but it might all come together one time and we get to party and talk about it all the time to wind the bitter little celts we have to share this island with.

Dear me. As you know, we were here first, Welsh in the oldest living language on these islands.

 

[Marked Ox]

Dear me. As you know, we were here first, Welsh in the oldest living language on these islands.

You lost, get over it.

 

[PSGsupporter]

I thought you were just some rugby troll. What was the last United game you saw?

Watched some Joey Beechum Beauchamp on Youtube the other day.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Can’t see us winning it.
We are prime tournament pressure bottlers.
We have one or two really special games in us and unfortunately we also have a tripe one and plenty of players more than able to get a mad rush of blood and do something completely dumb.
We have had 50 years of these f**k ups but if we can Iron out those things, we could go further.

 

[PSGsupporter]

Can’t see us winning it.
We are prime tournament pressure bottlers.
We have one or two really special games in us and unfortunately we also have a tripe one and plenty of players more than able to get a mad rush of blood and do something completely dumb.
We have had 50 years of these f**k ups but if we can Iron out those things, we could go further.

i think fatigue and niggling injuries has been a factor over the years, but the main reason IMO is the squad has not been skilful enough. The most talented squad I've seen is the 1990 one, and you could have won it as you know.

 

[SteMerritt]

I'd argue the 2002 WC side was better than the 1990 one, without injuries to Beckham and Gerrard that side could have gone all the way. Should have as well, going out to a limp performance against Brazil and losing to a typically comical goal.

 

[PSGsupporter]

I'd argue the 2002 WC side was better than the 1990 one, without injuries to Beckham and Gerrard that side could have gone all the way. Should have as well, going out to a limp performance against Brazil and losing to a typically comical goal.

Beckham is the most overrated player in history, Owen had had his major hamstring injury by then. Heskey?

 

[SteMerritt]

Beckham is the most overrated player in history, Owen had had his major hamstring injury by then. Heskey?

Beckham isn't the most overrated player in history, that's just nonsense. Owen scored 6 in qualifying for 2002, then against Denmark and Brazil in the tournament (he went on to score loads in Euro 2004 as well). Heskey had a very similar England record to Beardsley.

England were pedestrian in 1990 for a lot of the games (as I've gone into previously).

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

I'd argue the 2002 WC side was better than the 1990 one, without injuries to Beckham and Gerrard that side could have gone all the way. Should have as well, going out to a limp performance against Brazil and losing to a typically comical goal.

I’d argue that the 1998 squad was better than 2002 though...