It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

Can only hope he takes Gerrard's advice.

No G/B you're missing the point like so many others, again football is a "Team" game and whilst individual talent/ability is important it's more about "how" the game is played then the quality of the individuals playing it.

Smalling had a poor game I thought, along with a few other below par performances. Apart from Townend and 1 from Gerrard I don't recall many shots at the oppositions goal, their keeper didn't have much to do at all.
I think there is some merit in what G/B says.
2517

Too many foreign players??? England '74, '76, '78, '80?

Watched the Portugal v Sweden games (7:45 PM KO) switching to England for 15 minutes at the break and full time; it would help if the England players moved when they don't have the ball. Cahill looked poor v Chile, and Cole still seems to think pace will make up for his positioning - he's getting slower.

There aren't many home players playing abroad, but the number of foreign players playing here (Premier League) is a high %age in many teams.

How many home managers manage foreign teams?
How many foreign managers manage home teams?
2517

"Too many foreign players??? England '74, '76, '78, '80?"... Indeed Kid, indeed.

2517GEORGE,

Did the group of the same, mostly failing managers help?

23 man squad, say a pool of 30 English players required; who are able to retain the ball under pressure, know who they are going to pass to before they receive the ball - having had a choice of 2 or more because the players without the ball make themselves available, press in an organised way, and so on. The number of foreigners isn't stopping that.

Cheers,
KidA

It's quite amazing just how much money some of these footballers are making for being rubbish at their profession. I guess part of the problem is idiots like myself who get bored with all the rubbish on BBC television and subscribe to Sky Sports.

I couldn't possibly comment -):

LOL - that's not like you Stan.:-)

There's always an exception to the rule DB -):

One or two of you've mentioned 74, 76, 78, 80, but just because England did'nt get through to the finals Scotland. N Ireland, R O Ireland did which contained players who played in the English leagues.

I did have the pleasure of seeing England win the world cup in 1966....

Duplicate post

Yes, they did get through GB, but then what happened? As for England's solitary win in 66' remember the home team usually was the winner in those days if they had a half decent team which they did under Alf Ramsey.

Yep but after 1966 we had some trully world class players. During 1966 they said we had 4 world class players, Banks, Wilson, Moore, and Charlton (arguably the best in the world 1966 to 1969/70)but people forget we also had Jimmy Greaves and Id say he was the 5th world class player.

That world cup win boosted English football, every team had at least 2 class players, even the botom clubs like say Wolves, remember that Ernie Hunt.....Willie Carr freekick.

In fact you could argue that we were the best football team to walk the earth.

People the World over say the 1970 Brazil team were the best ever, BUT remember this they just beat us 1-0 and if you watch the game again and I have done many times, we were very and i mean very unlucky to lose that match having had 5 clear attempts on goal to Brazils 3.

The late Geoff Astle WBA missed an absolute sitter.

!970s and early 1980s football here in this country was top class skilfull and good to watch.

Later hooligans messed it up for this country.

grannyboy - "I did have the pleasure of seeing England win the world cup in 1966...."


I'm sure a few of us can say that - but I doubt my children or even my grandchildren will ever have such memories..

I think this discussion only illustrates the inherent problem that we have in this Country at Club and International level and that is that Individual ability is "secondary" to the way "we" play the game as a "team".

You may recall the term "Total Football"... Thats what successful teams play in Europe (and have done for some time), but we don't... and thats the problem.

Watch German club Football and you will see what I mean, 5.30 this Saturday Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. BT Sport 1 / BT Sport 1 HD. for instance.

skinny - at least if it ever happens again our children will be able to watch it in colour :O)

Stan.......'Total Football' if I remember rightly that started with ajax and Holland. Gary lineker went over to find what their secret was and did a coaching video.

Later that year? in the Euros we played Holland and stuffed them 4-2 in the Euros quarter final.

Terry Venables was the manager.

Total football didnt win then, and I doubt it will do now against teams that fight for each other.

Remember Denmark off the beach and Greece when they won the Euros.

G/F, Yes Ajax in the 70's, That Holland game was mealy a one off as player power was over the top in those days with the Dutch National side.

That Denmark win was just brilliant, as you say they were a very late inclusion in the competition, I would argue that Denmark's style and whole Culture was again more akin to Total Football that I'm banging on about.

... By the way, you also fight when playing Total Football.