First off l want to say the England team and management have done a great job getting us to this stage of the World Cup.
Is the eutrophic reaction too much? Well if you can’t enjoy these type of moments what is the point of supporting a football team. We have had enough hellish situations to surely allow ourselves some maybe over the top celebrations as getting to the semi finals of a World Cup is just one of those joyous, but rare experience.
Now expectations are we have a great chance to get to the final. One reason seem to be this easy draw explanation. However, the teams we play are no mugs. Croatia are also on the verge of making history for their nation. They must be on such an amazing high after two penalty victories in both rounds.
England too must be on a high after such a competent performance against Sweden. Normally our encounters are tense one goal margin type games or draws.
With all that said l think of the two semi finals we have had before against German teams. Those shoot outs will forever be in our memories. Yet we had two amazing teams. One with a Gazza genius at his peak in ‘90 and who was short of physical attributes from 6 years before but could still have moments of genuine brilliance like against Scotland.
In 1990, the team line up for semi final was Peter Shilton (GK), Paul Parker (RB), Des Walker, Mark Wright (Sweeper), Terry Butcher (CB), Stuart Pearce (LB), David Platt (MID), Chris Waddle (RM), Paul Gascoigne (MID), Peter Beardsley (LM) and Gary Lineker (ST).
In 1996, the team line up for semi final was was David Seaman (GK), Pearce (CB), Southgate (CB), Tony Adams (CB), Darren Anderton (RWB), Steve Macmannan (LWB), David Platt (CM), Paul Gascoigne (CM), Paul Ince (CM), Teddy Sheringham (CF) and Alan Shearer (ST).
Now this is our first semi final appearance in 28 years. And yet when l see the experience and skill set of the above two teams and then look at our current first choice 11 I think the task of reaching only our second World Cup final might be beyond us especially when teams as good as above struggled to make that break through.
We currently have players who are in and out of their teams back home. Stones for Man City and Lingard for Man Utd. We have a GK who has only just established himself in the Premier League. We have a number of Spurs players who are achieving their club champions league status in the Premier League but can’t win a trophy currently. Now we expected their first trophy in their careers to be a World Cup.
The England players are now seemingly favourites to win a World Cup semi final against Croatia players that play for Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, Monaco etc....who are use to big games and big occasions. People say Croatia haven’t played well. Nor did Real Madrid in the champions league rounds this year. Yet somehow these teams & players know how to win.
Basically, this achievement so far for England is pretty fantastic considering what players Southgate has at his disposal. Yet given the Croatians have more world class players currently and have players who have the know how & experiences to win tournament football then I am not sure why they aren’t favourites.
I think we are all being swept away with optimism that it is our time. That because we been on the wrong end of results in big games before that it will finally mean football is coming home. However, l think we have to be realistic given the players who currently wearing that England shirt and although we don’t want to suffer heart break once more this time l fear it will because of how neglected English younger players have been to the exposure of top flight premier league football at the expense of average foreign players.
The best players in the Premier League are currently Belgium and French. Thanks to English football we have helped developed these nations talent and brought them on the brink of being World Cup winners. Even Croatian players, like Modric have developed their game via English Football. Unfortunately though our English players are being pushed down the football pyramid ladder in order to play. Maybe the English players aren’t good enough but how will we know if they aren’t exposed to European club football on a regular basis for example. Then when any English player is decent their transfer price is mind boggling just because he is English. So clubs will continue to go for cheaper non English options.
They said English football needed a winter break. And yet Premier based French and Belgium players don’t looked fatigued.
We been making excuses for years for our failure. Now we have had some success l worry that we will think there is nothing wrong with the English game. Especially as if the trend of English players playing top flight football continues then the pool of players becomes even smaller than it is now.
If we go out on Wednesday night, as I suspect we might, l just hope we actually do learn something from this experience so we aren’t waiting another 28 years to reach a semi final.
Is the eutrophic reaction too much? Well if you can’t enjoy these type of moments what is the point of supporting a football team. We have had enough hellish situations to surely allow ourselves some maybe over the top celebrations as getting to the semi finals of a World Cup is just one of those joyous, but rare experience.
Now expectations are we have a great chance to get to the final. One reason seem to be this easy draw explanation. However, the teams we play are no mugs. Croatia are also on the verge of making history for their nation. They must be on such an amazing high after two penalty victories in both rounds.
England too must be on a high after such a competent performance against Sweden. Normally our encounters are tense one goal margin type games or draws.
With all that said l think of the two semi finals we have had before against German teams. Those shoot outs will forever be in our memories. Yet we had two amazing teams. One with a Gazza genius at his peak in ‘90 and who was short of physical attributes from 6 years before but could still have moments of genuine brilliance like against Scotland.
In 1990, the team line up for semi final was Peter Shilton (GK), Paul Parker (RB), Des Walker, Mark Wright (Sweeper), Terry Butcher (CB), Stuart Pearce (LB), David Platt (MID), Chris Waddle (RM), Paul Gascoigne (MID), Peter Beardsley (LM) and Gary Lineker (ST).
In 1996, the team line up for semi final was was David Seaman (GK), Pearce (CB), Southgate (CB), Tony Adams (CB), Darren Anderton (RWB), Steve Macmannan (LWB), David Platt (CM), Paul Gascoigne (CM), Paul Ince (CM), Teddy Sheringham (CF) and Alan Shearer (ST).
Now this is our first semi final appearance in 28 years. And yet when l see the experience and skill set of the above two teams and then look at our current first choice 11 I think the task of reaching only our second World Cup final might be beyond us especially when teams as good as above struggled to make that break through.
We currently have players who are in and out of their teams back home. Stones for Man City and Lingard for Man Utd. We have a GK who has only just established himself in the Premier League. We have a number of Spurs players who are achieving their club champions league status in the Premier League but can’t win a trophy currently. Now we expected their first trophy in their careers to be a World Cup.
The England players are now seemingly favourites to win a World Cup semi final against Croatia players that play for Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter Milan, Monaco etc....who are use to big games and big occasions. People say Croatia haven’t played well. Nor did Real Madrid in the champions league rounds this year. Yet somehow these teams & players know how to win.
Basically, this achievement so far for England is pretty fantastic considering what players Southgate has at his disposal. Yet given the Croatians have more world class players currently and have players who have the know how & experiences to win tournament football then I am not sure why they aren’t favourites.
I think we are all being swept away with optimism that it is our time. That because we been on the wrong end of results in big games before that it will finally mean football is coming home. However, l think we have to be realistic given the players who currently wearing that England shirt and although we don’t want to suffer heart break once more this time l fear it will because of how neglected English younger players have been to the exposure of top flight premier league football at the expense of average foreign players.
The best players in the Premier League are currently Belgium and French. Thanks to English football we have helped developed these nations talent and brought them on the brink of being World Cup winners. Even Croatian players, like Modric have developed their game via English Football. Unfortunately though our English players are being pushed down the football pyramid ladder in order to play. Maybe the English players aren’t good enough but how will we know if they aren’t exposed to European club football on a regular basis for example. Then when any English player is decent their transfer price is mind boggling just because he is English. So clubs will continue to go for cheaper non English options.
They said English football needed a winter break. And yet Premier based French and Belgium players don’t looked fatigued.
We been making excuses for years for our failure. Now we have had some success l worry that we will think there is nothing wrong with the English game. Especially as if the trend of English players playing top flight football continues then the pool of players becomes even smaller than it is now.
If we go out on Wednesday night, as I suspect we might, l just hope we actually do learn something from this experience so we aren’t waiting another 28 years to reach a semi final.