FOOTBALL, a casual observation.

The national team was rubbish back in the days when the top flight was filled with British Isles pllayers. World football has moved on while we have stagnated and pay average players ridiculous sums before they've achieved anything in the game.

Rubbish? 1966? 1990? 1996? After that the Premier League filled with foreign nationals.

Rubbish? 1966? 1990? 1996? After that the Premier League filled with foreign nationals.

What about 74 and 78 and 94 when we didn't even qualify?

Sorry but what did we win in 1990 and 1996 again????

What about 74 and 78 and 94 when we didn't even qualify?

Then I'd better not bring 1950 -in Brazil- into it then, with Stanley Matthews, Tom Finney and Billy Wright etc.

As a Rugby fan I don't watch hardly any football, but sitting down with a bacon butty this morning, football was on the box when I turned it on so I watched some of it.

 

Here are my observations of the so called beautiful game. It is no longer English, it seems to be filled to bursting with foreign players and indeed foreign managers. Surely this must impact on the National team by reducing the number of players the English manager has to choose from. If the top division had say for instance 300 players to choose from, BUT due to foreign players this was reduced down to 100, it must impact on the managers choice of players. So, taking that as fact would it be possible to limit the numbers of non English players on the pitch to say two per side as a maximum, giving the prospective England team players more of a chance to show their skills.

 

Angel1.

Is this the England rugby team full of "English" players from Fiji etc?

Is this the England rugby team full of "English" players from Fiji etc?

Here you are, to gain entry to a National RU team.

"There are three ways a player qualifies to represent a country: through his or her birth, that of parents or grandparents, or residency which requires someone to live in their adopted nation for three successive years."

Angel1.

Here you are, to gain entry to a National RU team.

 

"There are three ways a player qualifies to represent a country: through his or her birth, that of parents or grandparents, or residency which requires someone to live in their adopted nation for three successive years."

 

Angel1.

A full three years? Wow!!!!

Sorry but what did we win in 1990 and 1996 again????

Went out on penalties. Unlucky really, the England squads for those tournaments were good. Same with France 98. France 98 was the last realistic crack of the whip we've had in a tournament in my opinion. England have been dire overall ever since.

Went out on penalties. Unlucky really, the England squads for those tournaments were good. Same with France 98. France 98 was the last realistic crack of the whip we've had in a tournament in my opinion. England have been dire overall ever since.

The Euro 96 demolition of the Netherlands was one of the best, if not the best, England performances I've ever seen.

Add to that Gazza's goal against Scotland

I don't really watch England much these days, too poor

The Euro 96 demolition of the Netherlands was one of the best, if not the best, England performances I've ever seen.

2001's game against Germany was pretty impressive too.

The England team with Robson as the manager had seriously,seriously good players in it. I'm talking World Class or very close to it.

Peter Beardsly for me was the best - awesome skills,energy and creative ability.

John Barnes - awesome left foot and pace.

Chris Waddle - ball skills with that amazing body serve.

Paul Gasgoyne - ridiculous amount of skill,with power and pace thrown in.

Those were the four standout players in the team for me.

The others six outfield players - Bryan Robson,Gary Lineker.Stuart Pearce,Paul Parker,Mark Wright and Terry Butcher were not quite World Class but a damn sight better than today's lot!

That was the team that played Germany off the park in a 1-1 draw.

The best and classiest England team I've ever seen by far.

The Euro 96 demolition of the Netherlands was one of the best, if not the best, England performances I've ever seen.

Add to that Gazza's goal against Scotland

 

I don't really watch England much these days, too poor

Not just me then

Are we looking at through rose coloured glasses? I certainly cant remember england turning over decent opposition in a major tournament since.

Two decent sides https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=1996/matches/round=227/match=52487/postmatch/lineups/index.html