England (Yes, Another Wrather Sounds Off!)

Is anyone else finding it more and more difficult to actually get excited about watching England games?

I had forgotten about it and was set to watch some "Frasier" DVD's until I spoke to my Dad on the phone at about 5pm and he said, casually "...I hope we get a good match tonight...."

Like the Cup Final, I used to get wound up for England games for days and days beforehand, even if the only way of "watching" them live was listening to Radio 2 commentary!

But last night was so lifeless. I really do not like the "new" Wembley, it looks bland, the atmosphere doesn't seem anything special and for TV, it seems that every second close up has the old corrugated iron garage door in the background. The PA announcer said the crowd was 86'000 odd, yet there was empty spaces all over the side exposed to the cameras and behind the goals-and you wonder why the capacity is said to be 90'000, when, as Motson said, its rarely that for segregation and safety reasons!

And the team, the team, won't anyone think of the children? Well, the young players anyway. A big up to Micah Richards, he looks utter utter class, and a cert for a first choice position at centre back soon, surely, especially as Ferdinand seems so bored, unmotivated, and clearly preferring Man Utd and the chance to play Sparta Prague in the Top 4'pions League.

But how the flying blue cheese did Dyer get his 30th odd cap? How? Has he done anything for England at all-no goals, a permanent place in the squad but no settled run or position. Hasn't his chance come and very definitely gone? The same might apply to Gareth Barry, added, it seems as an afterthought, he should have had his England chance 3-4 years ago at least, and not be a relative "new boy" now. And as for Alan Smith, well now COME ON!

We have no pattern of play. Yet at kick off, Lawrenson said something I agreed with, England should play at a high tempo and with pace and movement-as we do in the Premiership, "...the best league in the world..." (yea, right, La Liga anyone?). But no, long balls, no use of the midfield at all, Carrick virtually playing as a 3rd centre half, no-one capable of being creative and finding time and space, it was woeful, boring, unimaginative and in all honesty, embarassing. Its clear that, no matter what some of the players say, England isn't their "thing" and it showed last night, jsut as it showed McLaren is not fit to be the England Manager, I mean, SWP on the LEFT FFS, what was the point of that?

Germany were meant to be the dour footballing nation yet they positively sparkled with thought and imagination compared to us. Oh dear oh dear-haven't seen the papers yet, fear a slating, yet, what is most depressing is that all the journs who this morning will be running down the team, the players, the manager, and advocating change on an 1848 scale, will, if we scrape through to Euro 2008 make us the immediate favourites and expect nothing more than glorious success!

Posted By: Martin Peters, Aug 23, 11:07:41