Calling all England "Armchair Managers"!

[Grahameo]

Now that the dust has actually settled from England’s departure from Euro 2012, we start to pick up all the pieces and proceed as a nation to pick the bones yet again of exactly what went wrong and what went right!
Everyone has an opinion and I really do mean, everyone!
So calling all England “armchair managers” out there... What would you do?

A lot has been already said via the media, pundits and so called “experts” about the way England play and that they should follow the way Spain do it by pretty passing. Or even Germany with precise cutting balls and now these pundits are calling for the tenacious Italian approach with one key player pulling the strings....
Wait a minute though, aren’t we England?


It seems to me that everyone you meet want us to play a completely different and alien way to what we do?
That’s all well and good as long as you have a group of true “World Class” players who have an extensive knowledge of European football tactics while playing in different league's under their belts... But we don’t do we?

It became apparent to me many, many years ago that England and English club teams always play completely different when it comes to playing against a foreign team. Be it international duty or even champions league, we change our style to suit the needs of the opposition... Yes, I know that is tactics.... But!

Why do we need to do it that way?

A lot has also been said about the English Premier League being the “Best in the World” blah, blah!
For a very good reason. The fast pace, the aggression, determination, the punishment very quickly if a mistake or a stray pass is made etc.

So we have a group of English players who play this style very well indeed week in, week out and they compete against the best that the world of football has to offer in the shape of world class foreign imports into our league. Often it takes at least a season for these foreign players to “adjust” to our style of play.... Until then, they are ran circles round....


Are we starting to see a picture here yet at what I am getting at?

So.... If we have the players capable of beating these apparent world class players’ weeks in, week out, why can’t we do it on an international stage...
I don’t know about you guys but it seems pretty obvious to me!

We simply don’t play Premiership style play and pace in European or international games.

I mean, come on.... It’s like asking an electrician to do a bit plumbing instead... He has certainly seen the plumber on the building site doing his pipe work and pretty much know what he does but can he do the job just as well?
So why the hell do we insist on changing the style of play that our players are used to and make them play the “Spanish”or "German" way?

Do you actually see Del Bosque turn round to the Spanish team with its mainly Barcelona core and say
”look guys, we are playing England so I want you to play the ball long, fast pace and get the boot in when you can”?

No... Of course not, he makes them play to their strengths only, not their weakness.

So why do all these experts, pundits and reporters insist on trying to make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear... we are what we are, let’s start playing on OUR strengths....
A penny to a pinch of poop I bet Ashley Cole bombing down at full pace down the wing would terrify 99% of all right backs....
“But we need the ball back to do that” I hear you all cry out...
Well, stats show that in the “Prem” even the most influential players often only get a maximum of 50 seconds on the ball during a game.
Besides that.... Swansea (a good team IMO) had a lot of possession last season, a lot more than 90% of the teams they played.... Did they finish in the top 4? No... That is how effective the premiership style of play is against pretty passing teams when it is executed properly.

There is only one team in the premiership that pretty much plays the same way regardless if it’s a champion’s league team or not.

Yep you guessed it.

Manchester United (no I am not a fan)... But that’s my case in point. Sir Alex is the most successful manager in Europe and at home and for a damn good reason... Granted though, on many occasions when it comes to semi finals and finals of the champion’s league he seems to lose the plot now and then, bottles it and tries to out play the likes of Barcelona with a completely alien tactic and style... But 99% of the time, he sticks to what he knows.

I personally think we have the right man for the job in Roy... At least he is English; he has premiership, European and international experience!
Give him time and maybe, just maybe it might just click that what I have been saying all these years may just come to fruition, here is hoping anyway!

Why dont our media call a Spade a spade?
Why do these pundits praise a player like Steven Gerrard or Rooney one week for a moment of magic in the "Prem" then to slate them for pulling on the England shirt and under perform in it?

have they become bad players overnight?
No.... Of course not... they are simply "electrician's" asked to fill in for the "plumbers" at the moment
I think we should give them the job exactly the way they know how to do and the positions and style they are completely comfortable playing... They prove it works every week!
Your thoughts and comments are more than welcome

[moto748]

Swansea did very well in the Premiership last season. If anything, I think they prove that a passing game can be successful, even if you haven't got a team of Iniestas. Which they certainly haven't.

It doesn't matter what style of football you want to play; you can't maintain any sustained pressure on the opposition unless you are able to keep the ball, and that is something England have done worse, arguably, than modest sides like Denmark and Croatia. We should forget about Spain, anyway; England will never have the players with the technique to play like that. Germany are a better model, as they play, roughly, in an 'English' style. But better, of course.

I've got no real complaints about Hodgson; I think he's probably the right man now, for the players England have. And we have a much poorer side now than in the days of Shearer, Lineker, and Gascoigne. And we used to moan about them! England did just about what most people reckoned they would in this competition; get past the group stage, but no further.

The worst thing is, there isn't an abundance of talent coming through. There's really only Wiltshere who looks a international class prospect on the horizon.

[milowokie]

I think what Cappello said about Rooney is right,

well his point was right, just made in a bad way.

It seems that the needs of England will now always come second to the needs of the Premier League.

[The_Abyss]

Limit Premier League squads to 2 overseas players and 1 home nation player. Same for Championship and lower leagues. Encourage more English players to play overseas again. Get youth players playing on smaller pitches rather than full size at age 11 - it will encourage smaller, more skilful less physical players to compete.

And don't expect any decent international results for 12 years. Then again, we haven't had any decent international results for the past 12 years anyway.

[milowokie]

and will really upset those who sponsor the big Premier League Clubs who don't get out of the league stages of the Champions League......

We'll end up with everyone playing a 3 o'clock on a Saturday because Sky can't make enough cash out of the English Premier League.

[The_Abyss]

Fine - there's too much money in the EPL anyway. It distorts everything. But if we back it to succeed then as the national team comes good then so will the English teams in the Premier League. If we're not prepared to make some sacrifices when implementing change then there's no point.

[milowokie]

The football fans may take the hit on a lack of short term success for long term gain,

the money men won't.

[GTA_Nigel]

If you want to really understand this, read "Why England Lose" and "The Anatomy of England", both fantastic books which show that the issues in English football go much, much deeper than any short term fix. They go right back to the fundamental philosophy of English football from the 19th century. And "Inverting the Pyramid" is also a great read if you want to understand how (and why) continental and Latin tactics developed differently to English tactics. Watch lower level English football and compare it to lower level European football and you will see that differences still go very, very deep.

We need fundamental changes to youth development, youth coaching and even the culture of football itself in England. The EPL isn't the problem, the issue is with the pool of talent and the type of skills that the lower leagues are producing (far fewer foreign players in the lower leagues). Some of the recent coaching changes could make a difference in the long term.

But I agree with Grahameo, in the short term we need to play to our strengths. Which means building on the entirely creditable performance we gave in Euro 2012 and developing a bit more fluidity. We will never beat Spain at the passing game but if we stop the rigidity of 4-4-2 always forcing us back to our own 18 yard line we may be able to build better performances.

Cheers,

Nigel

[CSR dog]

sky has ruined English footfall, too much money involved and greed has taken over. I will climb to the highest mountain and cheer the loudest when Sky eventually loses it license to broadcast, this guy says what every person on the planet has been saying for years.

FOOTBALL: Premier League to blame - Soccer - New Straits Times

[GTA_Nigel]

Can't agree that Sky has ruined English football, unless "English football" means standing on crappy terraces watching two sides clogging away at each other in the mud. Certainly there are issues with the financing and running of many clubs and the lure of the big money, but pretty much all popular sports are highly commercialized these days, football can't hide from that.

But the malaise with the English style of playing goes back far beyond the days of the EPL IMO.

Cheers,

Nigel

[CSR dog]

Originally Posted by GTA_Nigel

Can't agree that Sky has ruined English football, unless "English football" means standing on crappy terraces watching two sides clogging away at each other in the mud. Certainly there are issues with the financing and running of many clubs and the lure of the big money, but pretty much all popular sports are highly commercialized these days, football can't hide from that.

But the malaise with the English style of playing goes back far beyond the days of the EPL IMO.

Cheers,

Nigel

Sky pump so much money into the game the English clubs can buy any player in the world and also pay what wages they wish, owners of clubs also have that power but only really 4-5 clubs have mega wealthy owners.

this is how bad clubs are run, combined income from all premier clubs came to 2.3 billion - but had a collective loss of 361million!

If some of the income wasn't paid in grossly offensive wages but instead invested into a youth policy then in maybe 5-10 years we may see an england squad pick up a trophy.

17 of the 20 clubs actually pay more than 50% of their income just on wages, whilst there are 4 clubs that pay over 80%. Football surely can't be sustainable like this?

[GTA_Nigel]

Doh! Double post.

[FredDibnah]

Originally Posted by CSR dog

sky has ruined English footfall, too much money involved and greed has taken over. I will climb to the highest mountain and cheer the loudest when Sky eventually loses it license to broadcast, this guy says what every person on the planet has been saying for years.

FOOTBALL: Premier League to blame - Soccer - New Straits Times

Sky have been "ruining" English football since 1992.

England have been s**t since 1972....

The problem isn't Sky. The problem is that in England, from school onwards, we are still coaching, training and developing "footballers" at grass roots level as if it is 1966 and you can be successful with grit, determination, a good engine, and a dollop of some up and at 'em spirit.

[CSR dog]

Originally Posted by FredDibnah

Sky have been "ruining" English football since 1992.

England have been s**t since 1972....

The problem isn't Sky. The problem is that in England, from school onwards, we are still coaching, training and developing "footballers" at grass roots level as if it is 1966 and you can be successful with grit, determination, a good engine, and a dollop of some up and at 'em spirit.

Ah like Mr keegan, his only management tactic was to stand on the by line and thump his badge and shout 'come on lads, do it for england err Kevin maybe tactics would be a better option

IMHO Wenger would be the best England manager, he would bring in all the young boys and personally nurture them to how he would want them to perform.