A theory: is playing for England simply too boring?

Bear with me on this one. I'm not suggesting it is THE answer, but that it might in some way be partly responsible for England's lack of cohesion, of teak-toughness, of motivation, of desire and above all success.

I did a bit of research today and worked out that the game against Algeria was (I believe) the 50th competitive fixture England have played since losing to Brazil in the quarter-finals of the 2002 World Cup.

Our relative success in those games is not really the issue, however - if you're asking - we've won 34 of those 50 games, drawing eight and losing eight (two on penalties). Not bad, not great, not particularly significant either way.

However, what could be significant is the opposition we have played in those 50 games. And then maybe it is worth considering how often England players are genuinely pushed to the limit at this level. My theory is that competitive games for England are invariably against far weaker opposition and that the steel that players and teams develop by testing themselves against the very best has never really developed in ths particular generation. At least not in a white shirt anyway.

So (and be prepared for some scrolling) here are England's 50 opponents since that listless exit in Japan, beginning with the most recent:

Algeria
USA
Belarus
Ukraine
Croatia
Andorra
Kazakhstan
Ukraine
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Croatia
Andorra
Croatia
Russia
Estonia
Russia
Israel
Estonia
Andorra
Israel
Croatia
Macedonia
Macedonia
Andorra
Portugal
Ecuador
Sweden
Trinidad And Tobago
Paraguay
Poland
Austria
Northern Ireland
Wales
Azerbaijan
Northern Ireland
Azerbaijan
Wales
Poland
Austria
Portugal
Croatia
Switzerland
France
Turkey
Liechtenstein
Macedonia
Slovakia
Turkey
Liechtenstein
Macedonia
Slovakia

Portugal obviously pop up a couple of times and France once. You could say that the Croatia vintage of 2007 were decent, but after that....? Not exactly the stuff of dreams, not exactly games to quicken the pulse, the stuff of boyhood dreams etc.

Yes, of course these teams have often caused us problems; we certainly haven't slain all before us. But it strikes me that the lot of an England players is a fairly samey one these days. Weaker opposition, a hiding to nothing and very little to stir the loins.

Does that excuse England for playing so poorly? Obviously not entirely. I only suggest it is one part of this bewildering conundrum. But when Wayne Rooney said a few years back that winning the Champions League would be more important to him, the context in which he made those comments can be understood.

Not only does he enjoy the undiluted love and familiarity of his club and supporters, he also gets to 'pit his wits' against the best a far greater proportion of the time compared to when he plays for England. Playing for England is run of the mill, playing for England dulls the senses, it doesn't enliven them. it is not, frankly an enrishing experience for a motivated and highly skilled professional.

Another list. Excluding France who I've already mentioned, here are the other nations considered the 'elite' and when we last played them in a competitive fixture:

Brazil 2002
Argentina 2002
Germany 2001
Italy 1997
Spain 1996
Holland 1996

Between eight and 14 (14!!) years ago. Ok, granted: it is most often because of our own failings that we haven't gone far enough to play them, but it says something that such a high propotion of our competitive fixtures are so humdrum, so mundane. And it is not as if we haven't actually gone as far, if not further, than some of these teams in recent tournaments.

These players simply do not know what it is like to take on the very best in an England shirt. They don't have that memory wired in to them. They simply know the same international routine month after month after month. Fixture after fixture generating no charge of electricity, no thrill. They may be patriotic, love their country, be desperate to do well. But frankly pulling on the england shirt is not the professional challenge it should be. And then, when real pressure mounts, it is too late. There's nothing in the bank to pull them through.

Playing for England is boring.

Posted By: The Judge, Jun 20, 00:02:13