Why is it France, Germany, Italy and Portugal are better?

[adrian29uk]

Is it the climate?
Is it their diet?
Is it their attitude?
Is it the style of play?

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

france rule is something like....each league team can have 20 players over 23 and foreign....the rest have to be under 21 and french. i believe thats what the rule is...or something very similar

 

[Nemesis]

They don't have an 'old boy' network running their games.

They don't have a bunch of Northern Monkeys in charge.

They don't have The Sun.

They don't panic.

 

[Tesco in Disguise]

really? i'd not heard that. still, no surprise, eh?

 

[RonnieO'Sullivan]

technically better? taught a more european style of football? realise u dont have to pla at 100mph all the time?

 

[Pavilionaire]

Nemesis - what he said.

You can also add to that the fact they have world class players who stay fit. We have no one in the class of Henry, Ronaldo, Pirlo, Ballack who play consistently well for their country.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I think its basically skill level and being confident on the ball.

foreign players, and we see this in the premiership ( and to a certain degree with us) seem to be comfortable on the ball and have time.......


Ours tend to treat the ball like a hand grenade....although the crowd can be the cause of that demanding fast attacking football.

when we do try to play the slow continental style of game, the crowd gets restless.

 

[DJ Leon]

No need for anaylsis if you ask me. They have better players than us at the moment. These things are cyclical.

 

[RonnieO'Sullivan]

I think its basically skill level and being confident on the ball.

foreign players, and we see this in the premiership ( and to a certain degree with us) seem to be comfortable on the ball and have time.......


Ours tend to treat the ball like a hand grenade....although the crowd can be the cause of that demanding fast attacking football.

when we do try to play the slow continental style of game, the crowd gets restless.

totally agree, were expected to play 100mph football and just power through teams and expect them to not handle the pace...

dont seem to remember a lightening quick Croatia player... technical precise clinical football the european style and alot better to watch in my view than 100mph stuff and seemingly more effective...

 

[NMH]

They aren't run by The FA, who are absolutely useless to anyone.

 

[Nemesis]

No need for anaylsis if you ask me. They have better players than us at the moment. These things are cyclical.

And the length of this cycle for English football? Currently at 41 years and still cycling only now with a broken chain.

 

[DJ Leon]

And the length of this cycle for English football? Currently at 41 years and still cycling only now with a broken chain.

If we had won against Germany in 90 or 96 (we were one shot or an outstretched leg from Gazza away from doing so) we probably would have won a tournament. So the difference between us actually winning something in our living mememory is perhaps luck.

At the moment though, we just don't have the players. Simple as.

 

[nwgull]

No need for anaylsis if you ask me. They have better players than us at the moment. These things are cyclical.

true, Portugal were second rate until Euro 2000 and I think I'm right in saying that France failed to qualify for both the 1990 and 1994 world cups before winning it on home turf.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

All the national teams mentioned are a class above us. We're about as good as a team like Sweden, on our day. Sad but true.

The fans critisized us for "only" getting to the quarters and losing narrowly but that's about our level.

 

[RonnieO'Sullivan]

All the national teams mentioned are a class above us. We're about as good as a team like Sweden, on our day. Sad but true.

The fans critisized us for "only" getting to the quarters and losing narrowly but that's about our level.

well said Daniel

 

[beorhthelm]

iirc French used to be shit. In responce to failing to make one of the world cup finals, they implemented a nationaly controlled youth academy and development system to bring players through. I understand Germany and Italy have similar setups. That appears to be what we lack, relying on clubs to develop youth, only starting when they hit mid to late teens.

Portugal is no better than us, nor Spain or Holland.

 

[zefarelly]

sounds about spot on . . . also they teach their kids about skill and ball control etc before throwing them onto a pitch rather than screaming at them from the touchlines whilst insisting they run like frightened gazelle aimlessly trying to get somewhere near the ball.

They don't have an 'old boy' network running their games.

They don't have a bunch of Northern Monkeys in charge.

They don't have The Sun.

They don't panic.

 

[RonnieO'Sullivan]

iirc French used to be shit. In responce to failing to make one of the world cup finals, they implemented a nationaly controlled youth academy and development system to bring players through. I understand Germany and Italy have similar setups. That appears to be what we lack, relying on clubs to develop youth, only starting when they hit mid to late teens.

Portugal is no better than us, nor Spain or Holland.

Portugal Spain and Holland are better than us technically, talent wise and basically in all areas! wake up and smell the coffee

 

[Icy Gull]

Pretty sure they rely more on ball skills and technical ability in their kids teams rather than playing competitive games from an early age with apopletic parents screaming at them to get stuck in and living their lives through their children. This leaves the little time to hone skills and instead instills the get stuck in mentality where the big boys will do well at the expense of the little ones until they reach a decent level?

 

[Stinky Kat]

Their managers are not so stupid as to think a rooky keeper and a new formation will work against the strongest team in the group