England haven't played like a TEAM since 1998. What's our identity been since then?

Nothing! No-one since Hoddle has got us playing REAL football: instead, ever since, we've just been this constant collection of technically inept, tactically maladroit individuals.

Even the 5-1 in Munich was a freak, a one-off, based on pace and counter-attacking. It wasn't a sign of any fundamental shift at all. About the only time since '98 I've truly been proud of England at a major tournament? Argentina '02: tactically, we were so good we played like a South American team.

And of course the competition in football's far greater. But of the European nations where the game is biggest, Germany, Spain, Italy and France have all won a major trophy (or two) since 1994; Holland and Portugal have both reached finals and multiple semi-finals.

England? We're the odd ones out: alone in splendid isolation. Remember when Spain were gleefully referred to as the "great under-achievers" by the media? It's all gone rather quiet from them over recent years for some strange reason...

One major final reached in our entire history - when we were at home, with so many things in our favour that much of the world thinks we cheated? Our record is pathetic - and since law changes designed to suit those sides who keep the ball and focus on technique, technique and more technique, it's been slowly getting worse too.

Posted By: thebigfeller, Feb 7, 02:45:23