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ENGLAND: A QUESTION OF QUALITY 23-10-07
Jeff Winter
The last week has been nothing short of a disaster for English or British sport - we use that title when it suits. The Scots showed that whilst they have the spirit they don't have the strength-in-depth and our rugby and motor racing heroes fell a little short.
Watching the Rugby I was intrigued. The great clamor for Video Refs might go a little quieter now after the replays proved to me that England had scored a try and yet still it was disallowed.
The Boro match - whilst not a national issue (it's actually far more important than that) - was even more frustrating. We played right into Chelsea's hands and if we had played with the same adventurous style seen at home so far this season we may have done better.
The blame on this occasion must lie with the Gaffer. I, along with many others, believe that he got the team selection and the tactics wrong.
Whenever things go wrong the boss usually caries the can, but is that fair all of the time?
Take for example the much maligned Steve McClaren. A couple of months ago the knives were out for him then just when it looked like he was starting to get things right it all went pear shaped.
Sixty minutes in against Russia and the headlines were being written. England had qualified and the media would soon be telling the world that we would win Euro 2008. Twenty minutes and one dodgy refereeing decision later and the whole picture had changed. He must go and will go unless Israel help us out.
But should McClaren go? And should every manager be sacked when a few results (or even just one) goes against them?
The England job is a poisoned chalice. The media toy with you, pick the teams, ridicule you and quite frankly why would anyone in their right mind want the job?
Manager after manager come and go and are frequently castigated for not turning a world class group of players into a Championship winning team.
Has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe it's not the coach that is the problem? Maybe our so called world class superstars are just not that good after all. Against Russia, where were Cole, Gerrard, Owen and Rooney (goal apart)?
The simple fact of the matter is that we are just not good enough. We pay multi million pound wages per annum to players who just cannot cut it on the World stage. Until we realize that, then regardless of who the coach is or whether or not the ref is useless, then we will never win anything.
Talking of not winning anything, Boro fans might like to give me a call this Saturday evening from 5.30 till 7pm on the Phone-in show that refuses to go away. 01642 616666.
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