Let's turn the clock back a couple of years and recall England’s bid to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
Our national team was breezing through the qualifying stage and Fabio Capello was hailed as the greatest manager ever to set foot on planet Earth.
The so-called ‘golden generation’ of players had finally blossomed. The World Cup trophy was finally heading for Blighty after an absence of 44 years.
So what happened when ‘mighty’ England finally made it to South Africa? Wayne the Wonderful turned into Wayne the Drain, Capello wasn’t fit to manage a pub side and the golden generation was home before the postcards.
We should have learned our lessons by now but we haven’t.
Last Friday, England beat a Bulgarian team which would have struggled against the Blind School, and once again we are in cuckoo land.
Capello has learned from his mistakes in South Africa, Wayne the Drain’s hair transplant has worked wonders and the ‘golden generation’ has been replaced by the ‘new generation’ – a set of young players, who in international terms are still wet behind the ears.
And the hysterical adulation pouring out from the pages of our national papers has only just started.
On Tuesday night, England entertain Wales at Wembley in a Euro 2012 qualifier – the equivalent of United versus Oldham at Old Trafford.
England will win at a canter. Wayne and his transplant will score a hat-trick, the new generation will morph into the new golden generation and the European Championship trophy will be ours for the taking.
For all I know that daft prediction might actually come true. But I couldn’t give a monkey’s one way or the other.
I’m fed up with England and I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that the majority of football supporters in this country feel exactly the same way.
Our national side is no longer the number one priority of this country’s football fans. In fact, it’s not even the number two priority. What the fans want to watch is first Premier League football and second the Champions League.
It’s 23 days since the new Premier League season started yet the clubs in the top flight have completed only three matches.
Why? Because already there has been a 10-day breaks for international matches. And I haven’t spoken to one football fan who isn’t brassed off about that fixture madness.
It’s a bit like going to watch a blockbuster film at the cinema and after 10 minutes the film stops to make way for adverts.
Let me put these questions to the fans of the two Manchester clubs which are going to dominate the Premier League this season.
I’ll start first with the regulars from the Theatre of Dreams. Which game gave you the most satisfaction? England’s victory over Bulgaria or your team’s jaw dropping demolition of Arsenal in the Premier League? Don’t bother, I already know the answer.
Now a similar question to my fellow Blue Mooners. What excited you more, England against Bulgaria or our team’s mauling of Spurs at White Hart Lane? Once again, it’s another no-brainer.
The truth is that domestic football at the highest level has overtaken international football in terms of interest and excitement for the vast majority of English fans.
Of course the interest in our national side would be rekindled if Capello’s team return from Poland and Ukraine next summer with the European trophy.
But you and I know that’s not going to happen. We will qualify because we always do. But Wayne and his pals will only need to take a toothbrush and comb to Poland because they will be back before you know it.
And then we can all get back to watching what we really want to see – the Reds and the Blues winning.
What is your view on England? Have your say.
No-one cares about England football
September 05, 2011
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What a load of tosh, as a red of 40 odd years standing/sitting, I have never bothered with the England thing, i just see them as another London Club, but many of my blue friends support England and used to laugh at me for my opinions. Now it appears because City are finally in the Champions League and have spent £700m buying a team and may have a chance of teh premiership, England doesn't matter anymore, a massive change of tune from the mooners, me I have never changed my view but than again I don't chase glory, just support my local team.
The awful truth is that England's stodgy performances over so many seasons , means that their games can't raise enthusiasm in many supporters , and the fixtures are just an inconvenience to the PL performances.
I personally expect very little entertainment from international games, and am only concerned that the players return to the club uninjured and ready for more interesting fixtures which do interest me.
I happily pay to watch City and look forward to their games, whereas I would not pay to watch the England team, and the outcome is of little concern.
Capello has managed to make the England team so bad to watch imo , and how the hell his contract was renewed after the abysmal WC performances is totally beyond me. The FA have a hell of a lot to answer for in many areas.
Hincey, our sage and savant, you have your long boney finger on the pulse of Mancunian football once again. I agree with your premise and offer some additional points. The forgotten farce of the competition to choose the site of the "National stadium" still rankles. Remember, how Wembley didn't meet the deadline so it was extended. The first Wembley design just had to have the iconic twin towers but after the stadium had been awarded they mysteriously disappeared. To get to the point, the 3 years that England played around the regions were when the team and the country were at their closest. Having all home games at sixty quid a ticket Wembley make it a London team somehow.
Add to that the appalling lack of urgency, endeavour and obvious lack of pleasure shown by all who pull the shirt on and it is a second rate spectacle compared to the PL. In fact the big four PL teams (OK 5 with Arsenal) would possibly rank somewhere in the third to tenth places in the FIFA country rankings. City vs. that lot or Chelsea Liverpool would only be matched by Brazil Argentina or Germany Holland. England Bulgaria or Wales is a bit like the 3rd round of the FA Cup in comparison.
No, for sheer football skill, technique, power and passion the current PL is consistantly the best football played on the planet ever.
I have to agree with that Paul, and it pains me to do so.
For me though it's the lack of passion from the players themselves rather than the bloated exaggerations and expectations our media places on them. I watched the Scotland game and couldn't help but contrast the atmosphere, passion and, dare i say it, excitement to the dull, uninspiring England game.
To the England players chosen, playing for the national side is a chore, an unwanted distraction from their club duties, such is the pressure placed on them again by......... the national media.
I just don't think we'll ever see the likes of Lineker, Adams, Pearce, Seaman, Campbell, Butcher, Gazza et al, players who seemed to give a damn about playing for England.
And that's a real shame, that i'll never again feel the same excitement for England internationals. At least the Rugby's on....
Take internationals away from Wembley (except for qualifiers), reserve Wembley for Cup Finals and Internationals, take friendlies to the provinces, stop picking London based players because they play for London clubs (A.Smith, Cole, Terry, Lampard, Walcott) stop suddenly selecting inferior Yoonited players because they've got in Yoonited's team (Bailey, Duxbury, Pallister, P.Neville, Butt, Jones, Young etc) select players who perform when playing for club and country (Young, Royle, Clemence, Currie, MacDonald, T.Francis, Carragher, Carroll, Parker, Johnson, Bent) and we might, just might, get some passion on and off the field. And while we're at it, how about a manager qualified to do the job like Coppel, Curbishley or Hodgson, not some ponce with a cheque book and a big leather chair at one of Europe's top clubs. Alf Ramsey, Joe Mercer or Ron Greenwood anyone??
What do you expect?
1966 since we won anything, a succession of managers with the charisma of a brick wall, such as Graeme Taylor, McLaren (cant even remember his first name), Glenn Hoddle, foreign managers who can hardly speak English, never mind relate to "Englishness"
Competition with a thriving EPL that has become the best club league in the world
The development of a political culture that sees English patriotism merely as jingoism and a cardinal sin, verging on racism, although it is perfectly OK to be patriotic and Scottish, Welsh or Irish
I am just surprised that anyone attends England's matches or watches them on TV when they clash with Corrie
What your saying is bang on in my case.
Friday night i watched another channel and flicked over to keep in touch with the score.
I think the FA need to reignite the nation's intrest in the national team . IMO some games should be moved from wembley, may be friendlies, so fans from around the country have more of a chance to get to the games.
Never has been more important than City for me. Had this conversation years back with fellow Blues and other Club's fans, rather see the Club prosper than England, and it's not because I'm not patriotic.
But one thing that always has annoyed me is the apparent selection bias towards Club players who wear a certain colour of shirt, i.e. Red, .................it always used to be 'Nited, and Liverpool, now it's back to being just the Rags, as per usual we now have a new collection who are hardly out of nappies, and they are in there, World beaters the lot of 'em, (apparently).
Knowall of Stretford, what a silly individual you are, the accusations of you being hypocritical and arrogant like many more of your tribe are fully justified.
I have been long pondering what to buy a "United supporter" friend of mine for this Christmas, but I now have the answer, a new telly and armchair, yep you've got it, he never goes, only on free handouts from others from aquatntences in corporate areas, and thinks he knows it all not only about 'Nited and football in general, but he thinks he knows all City's business too, damned fool.
I used to love watching England play but I'll have to admit that all the praising and advertising and then the back stabbing has made me lose interest. I don't like how Terry got the captains armband back and I don't like the fact that, even though there are a few young players who are actually good at their position, the papers are still going on about Lampard and Gerrard. You know that once we are two up against Wales then they will slow the play down and just go through the motions until full time so they are fully fit for the main games at the weekend.
The England squad do need a lot more time together but the manager should be picking the team. not the PR people and advertisers, which has been the case for the last decade.
Rant over....
England will never be anywhere near as important to me as CIty and never have been.
City represent where I grew up and are more local to me. England play all their games in London and pick London players at the drop of a hat and yet overlook often better Northern players. For example if you are a decent player for Tottenham or West Ham you are for more likely to get an England game than if you play for Everton or City. A Spurs player only has to fart and the London press and England coach just can't wait to pick them.
Just another reason why, as much as I support England, they will never ever be anywhere near as important to me as our beloved Blues.
As a blue i would rather see City win a trophy than England to be honest, but i always want England to do well at any sport ,football, cricket etc.
Being a blue doesn`t stop me wanting my country to win everything.