How does the England National Side become great again?

Ant · October 18, 2012

Our Golden Generation has gone, Gazza, Shearer, Adams, Gerrard, Lampard, Rooney and Owen. Hugely gifted players at one point probably all recognized as the best in the land. Yes I know that they all didn't play in the same side, but from the 90's onwards we've been blessed in this country at having produced some incredible talent, wasted in the national side.

Sadly I can't envisage anytime soon a bunch of players from this country emerging to challenge the best, the new St Georges Park will do very little to provide us with the sort of success Spain, Italy and Germany have had in recent years. Though it is a step in the right direction, about having to create an ethos around the side to push forward and develop. Looking at the Spanish national side composed mainly of Barca and Madrid players, the ethos of the Spanish National Side isn't a Spanish National Side way of playing, it's something harnessed and developed over time at club level and imported into the national side.

The England set up in the past has been mainly made up of Liverpool and Manchester United players, though now especially under Hodgson and Capello we've had players coming from different clubs, Bent at Villa, Hendo (when he was at Sunderland) Baines and Jagielka at Everton. We're a national side where the talent is fantastic, though the way we come together is often mixed and is simply not on the level of the sides we should be rivaling.

Such as the intensity and global appeal and fan-bases of the the teams at the highest level of English football, the national side isn't a priority. Though in some respects isn't it the duty of our clubs at grassroots level to provide and harness the talent to not only be the best in their club, their city, but also at national level as well. Though La Masia takes kids from all over the world, the talent they have produced for the national side has meant that they have come as successful as they have done. Without Barca, IMO Spain wouldn't have won the 3 titles they have done recently.

A lot of it is down to the players of course, at some level you expect players to gell and work together, though that isn't always possible. When conflicting styles exist across a large cross section of our clubs that isn't always possible. The Spanish side as we all know are composed mainly of 2 clubs, only Llorente, Capdevilla, David Villa (Valencia days), and Silva have to memory played a roll in the national side and have not come from Barca or Madrid.

England can only become successful once more when English talent is harnessed at a level where the style of football is similar, and they play at the highest level week in week out. Without the investment from clubs such as ourselves to implement a style of play consistent across all levels.

I don't envisage a scenario where we can have a truly magnicent national side once more. St Georges Park, or no St Georges Park.

Swan Red · October 18, 2012

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