Now you didn’t book that flight did you?
Austria and Switzerland Euro 2008 will undoubtedly be a poorer tournament for the lack of English supporters who usually outnumber most other countries by a considerable margin. The bar owners in those countries will most surely be cancelling their orders for their new Mercedes and wiping away a little tear. Perhaps the street cleaners may allow themselves a little smile.
So at RTG we are left once again pondering the whys and the wherefores and where we go from here. The usual bullshit will be spouted and frankly we’re too depressed to even bother getting annoyed about it. Safe to say already we’ve heard, “Oh David Beckham should have been on from the start”[Desperate]. “What if John Terry had been fit?” [Pointless]. “Stupid Rio for getting himself suspended”. [Scapegoat]. You can fill in the rest of the “if only” crap should you so wish. [Injuries][Pitch][Yadda…Yadda…Yadda].
Now we have a chance to put something right. England has the richest league in the World. It has the best players from around the World. Arguably it is the most exciting in the World if somewhat lacking in true competition. The English supporters are surely the keenest in the World and the resources available to the FA are second to none. In England we also have a massive desire to do well which is why we get so upset when we fail to reach our potential.
The time for talking about “passion” and picking managers and players based on how hard they can stick their fist in the air is over. Now is the time for a radical rethink about how we develop players and to build for a long-term future. It is time to start using our brains at all levels of the game. Sadly this approach has never been in abundance in English football. It was clear last night that when things started to go wrong we had neither the intelligence nor ability to work out how to put it right. This is especially true after Crouch’s equaliser when the only surprise was that it took 12 minutes for Croatia to go back in front.
Austria and Switzerland Euro 2008 will undoubtedly be a poorer tournament for the lack of English supporters who usually outnumber most other countries by a considerable margin. The bar owners in those countries will most surely be cancelling their orders for their new Mercedes and wiping away a little tear. Perhaps the street cleaners may allow themselves a little smile.
So at RTG we are left once again pondering the whys and the wherefores and where we go from here. The usual bullshit will be spouted and frankly we’re too depressed to even bother getting annoyed about it. Safe to say already we’ve heard, “Oh David Beckham should have been on from the start”[Desperate]. “What if John Terry had been fit?” [Pointless]. “Stupid Rio for getting himself suspended”. [Scapegoat]. You can fill in the rest of the “if only” crap should you so wish. [Injuries][Pitch][Yadda…Yadda…Yadda].
Now we have a chance to put something right. England has the richest league in the World. It has the best players from around the World. Arguably it is the most exciting in the World if somewhat lacking in true competition. The English supporters are surely the keenest in the World and the resources available to the FA are second to none. In England we also have a massive desire to do well which is why we get so upset when we fail to reach our potential.
The time for talking about “passion” and picking managers and players based on how hard they can stick their fist in the air is over. Now is the time for a radical rethink about how we develop players and to build for a long-term future. It is time to start using our brains at all levels of the game. Sadly this approach has never been in abundance in English football. It was clear last night that when things started to go wrong we had neither the intelligence nor ability to work out how to put it right. This is especially true after Crouch’s equaliser when the only surprise was that it took 12 minutes for Croatia to go back in front.
Being optimistic, we have all the ingredients in this country to put things right. Being pessimistic, and given that we have had these ingredients for years, we are still searching desperately to find the recipe for success. However, the spectre of Brian Barwick flying around Europe trying to cajole people into the “impossible job” does not inspire confidence. Let’s at least hope that he improves his neck wear! Time and time again, over the last 40 years, it has been shown that the FA is not structured or organised for success. Until this is done, expect many more days like today in the next 40 years.
Reclaim the Game - The Week's Events
- A step in the right direction? Possibly. Wayne Rooney is studying for GCSE's in English and Maths. It will not only make him comfortably one of the most educated English players but with such a large bank balance it has a modicum of common sense about it.
- In order to help pay for the New Wembley, the FA staged an NFL football game. How ironic that one of the most damaged areas of the pitch played a crucial part in Croatia's first goal. It was announced just a few days beforehand that the FA were going to re-lay the pitch at a cost of £100K next month. A month too late perhaps.
- How delighted RTG was this week to be granted the opportunity on Sky Sports to watch highlights from the North London Golf Classic - featuring both memorable and highly forgettable former Arsenal and Spurs players pitched against each other on the fairways. This is yet more ridiculous over exposure of football, and all that goes on around it. RTG has always believed in a dedicated football channel run by the FA for supporters so Sky subscribers don't have to subsidise this type of crap.
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