In November 2007, England lost 3–2 in a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Croatia at Wembley and failed to qualify.
It was a dreary, rainy night, a night when Steve McClaren, the then England manager, was vilified as “the idiot with the umbrella”.
McClaren’s opposite number was Slaven Bilic, and he didn’t hold back when it came to talking about England after the game.
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“Wake up. You didn’t lose the game because of tactics. I admire your team, but we’re just a better team,” he said.
“I read in the papers that no Croatian would be a regular in the England national team. It’s ridiculous, wake up.”
If ever a night summed up England’s misplaced arrogance, it was that one.
English exceptionalism is not a new disease and is not limited only to football, but it is one of the main reasons why they fail again and again in the most important tournaments.
They are lucky to still be in the Euros, thanks to a moment of genius from Jude Bellingham yesterday with just seconds left on the clock.
Then, early in extra time, Harry Kane (who has been in a bad mood this tournament) put England in front, but that can’t hide the poverty of what happened for almost the entire match.
England—supposedly the favorites for the Euros—couldn’t even find a way to get a shot on goal, let alone score a goal.
There was no sign of improvement from the poor performance they showed in their previous match against Slovenia. If anything, England were even worse this time.
Switzerland will have followed last night’s match closely. Do you think they are afraid of facing England?
Not at all, they will feel that this is a great opportunity to reach the semi-finals of the European Championship.
Will this victory take the pressure off England? It could, it could push them. Although I wouldn’t put the mortgage on it.
A big problem is that the team is prepared to accommodate Kane, who looks extremely tired. Does Gareth Southgate have the courage to drop his captain?
What do you think?
Southgate continues to show he is a consistent manager, consistent in making baffling decisions.
He brought on Cole Palmer too late and then took him out of position.
I must point out that Declan Rice was above mediocrity. He was brilliant throughout.
However, most of the English players were not up to the task. They played as if they were afraid of making a mistake.
They were completely unrecognizable from the players we see week after week at their clubs.
Players tend to bite their tongues during their careers and only open up in interviews and autobiographies after hanging up their boots.
And over the decades, it’s surprising how many former England players have ended up admitting that they didn’t enjoy playing for their national team. Why?
Is it down to the media in England, who have often been toxic in the way they cover the team? I think the whole ‘football is coming home’ nonsense has never helped the players.
There are unrealistic expectations placed on players’ shoulders when they put on the shirt, but does anyone think there is no pressure put on players from Italy, Germany, Spain or France?
Over the years we have heard stories of English players obsessed with the ratings they will get out of 10 in the newspapers.
But let’s look at L’Equipe in France: they often harshly criticize players in their rankings, sometimes awarding a point or two.
Bild in Germany and Marca in Spain can be as hard on their players as any English newspaper.
For me, what sets England apart is that so many coaches make the same mistake. Time and time again, English coaches choose the best 11 players available, rather than choosing the best team.
The two who stood out for not doing so were Alf Ramsey (who won the World Cup) and Bobby Robson, who came within a penalty shoot-out of the final.
Most other managers would have chosen Jimmy Greaves over Liverpool’s Roger Hunt, but Hunt’s work ethic and willingness to selflessly bribe was what Ramsay felt was needed to complement Geoff Hurst. He was proved right.
Robson sacrificed a midfielder so he could play as a libero in the 1990 World Cup. Few would have made that decision, but it was the right one.
In Germany, at this Euro, what Southgate has been doing is disconcerting.
Phil Foden and Bellingham are great talents, but they are both effectively number 10s. Southgate thought you could play two 10s. You can’t.
He also opted for what nerds now call a double pivot of Rice and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Alexander-Arnold can make magnificent passes, but he is not even a second cousin of a midfielder. It was an experiment doomed to failure.
England are in the quarter-finals of the European Championship and are likely to make it to the final due to the lopsided draw, but it is hard to imagine them lifting the trophy.
What everyone in that camp has is a shared experience of the strange world that English footballers and their coaching staff inhabit.
Their last friendly before the Euros was a defeat to Iceland. Southgate and his players were booed off the pitch.
The draw in their final group stage match against Slovenia ensured that England remained top. Their reward was being booed again by their own fans.
Kane spoke last week about how the criticism was affecting the players. He didn’t even have to tell us that. You can tell from the fearful way he plays England that they are plagued with insecurities.
The bottom line, though, is that one essential truth in football will never change. The team is what matters most. You can’t just pick 11 people and hope they’ll somehow fit together.
England got away with it against Slovakia, but they can’t rely on luck indefinitely. I wouldn’t be surprised if Switzerland kicked them out.
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