Are we a great footballing nation?

[Mungo_Jerry]

When a French journo asked this yesterday, Hodgson and Gerrard seemed to struggle with the answer.

We're one of the select few to have won a World Cup (albeit some time ago now), along with Spain, and to a lesser extent Italy, we've dominated the latter stages of the Champions League for the last decade, and despite being a small island nation we manage to (just about) sustain 92 professional clubs - I'd say we have as good a claim an anyone to call ourselves a great footballing nation.

What do others think?

 

[Notters]

If you're talking about the island, there are around 160 professional football clubs, with about 120 in England.

 

[grummitts gloves]

In terms of passion for the game, arguably the best top division in the world and the fact we sustain 92 clubs, then I would say yes, we are a great footballing nation.

Obviously we have massively under achieved on the international scene and I have seen nothing yet to suggest that is going to change in the near future. A slim glimmer of hope is the crop of young players coming through who will hopefully be at their peak by the next world cup. Problem is we need the right manager to take us forward and I'm not convinced Roy is the man to develop a young squad.

Having said that, hope we turn over the French tonight, but I reckon it'll be 1-1.

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Of course we are a great footballing nation. We dominated club competitions in late 70s and early 80s with our clubs winning the European Cup six years in succession. This season, even when our powers in European competition are on the wane, one of our clubs still wins the big one.

How many French clubs have won the European Cup?

That said, we have not done anywhere near as well as an international team. But that we are a great footballing nation, from Sunday football to the lower levels of the Football League to the top flight, is not in dispute.

 

[Simster]

Typical sneering question from a French journo looking for an opportunity to scoff at our delusions of grandeur.

We are basically Spain, pre-2008. Great club sides, with limited success as an international team.

 

[Icy Gull]

Typical sneering question from a French journo looking for an opportunity to scoff at our delusions of grandeur.

We are basically Spain, pre-2008. Great club sides, with limited success as an international team.

Except Spain were underachievers, whereas for the most part we just haven't been good enough.

Of course we are a great footballing nation, why else do the population of half the footballing world wander around in replica shirts of English clubs?

French club football is 2nd rate in comparison and we'll find out how good their country's football is tonight, ( probably too good for us I fear)

 

[Mackenzie]

Good club sides, but we are technically and tactically deficient at international level.

 

[Simster]

Except Spain were underachievers, whereas for the most part we just haven't been good enough.

Who says? It's all about trophies in the cabinet. Spain didn't even come close to the final when they hosted the WC in 1982. I think they had reached one Euro final before then. It was always conventional feeling that Spain couldn't win because they are a fragmented nation and national pride is simply not enough for their many regional-minded people, but the last four or five years have shown this to be complete nonsense.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Of course we are a great footballing nation. We dominated club competitions in late 70s and early 80s with our clubs winning the European Cup six years in succession. This season, even when our powers in European competition are on the wane, one of our clubs still wins the big one.

How many French clubs have won the European Cup?

That said, we have not done anywhere near as well as an international team. But that we are a great footballing nation, from Sunday football to the lower levels of the Football League to the top flight, is not in dispute.

All this plus we are ranked higher than France in the World FIFA ratings.

 

[Bald Gull]

Roy could have given a great Mike Bassett-esque answer...

Of course we are a great footballing nation. We invented the game - we are THE footballing nation. If it wasn't for England, you'd currently be playing in the Euro Boules Championships with approximately 3 people viewing it live and a further 5 watching on TV around the world.

 

[peterward]

Of course we are a great footballing nation. We dominated club competitions in late 70s and early 80s with our clubs winning the European Cup six years in succession. This season, even when our powers in European competition are on the wane, one of our clubs still wins the big one.

How many French clubs have won the European Cup?

That said, we have not done anywhere near as well as an international team. But that we are a great footballing nation, from Sunday football to the lower levels of the Football League to the top flight, is not in dispute.

always on the money GR.

Our world ranking around the 6th to 10th mark usually means we actually finish were we often should, around the quarters or ocassional semi. Its the unrealistic hype of the media that blows things out of proportion. We shouldnt expect to win. England winning a major would be like spurs/Liverpool winning the league based on rank. Not impossible but not likely.

 

[TheJasperCo]

The reason why we have the best, most successful leagues in the world is because so many foreign and international players want to join English clubs. We need to find English players that have all the talent to win a major int'l trophy.

 

[Scoffers]

We invented the game - we are THE footballing nation.

It's this bit that really winds up UEFA and FIFA - I am convinced we lost the WC bid partly due to others seeing us as arrogant and us acting like we are owed something more than anyone else.

The fact is we are a great footballing nation, but that doesn't give us the divine right to win anything (or even qualify!) , you have to earn it, and we have consistently failed to do that.

 

[Bald Gull]

It's this bit that really winds up UEFA and FIFA - I am convinced we lost the WC bid partly due to others seeing us as arrogant and us acting like we are owed something more than anyone else.

The fact is we are a great footballing nation, but that doesn't give us the divine right to win anything (or even qualify!) , you have to earn it, and we have consistently failed to do that.

100% agree with all of that. We certainly don't have a divine right to win/host tournaments etc. but we did invent the game and for some French journo to question whether we are great footballing nation is mildly ridiculous.

 

[Scoffers]

Agreed Bald, it's a classic wind up before the match, Wenger/Ferguson style

 

[ees complicated no?]

When a French journo asked this yesterday, Hodgson and Gerrard seemed to struggle with the answer.

We're one of the select few to have won a World Cup (albeit some time ago now), along with Spain, and to a lesser extent Italy, we've dominated the latter stages of the Champions League for the last decade, and despite being a small island nation we manage to (just about) sustain 92 professional clubs - I'd say we have as good a claim an anyone to call ourselves a great footballing nation.

What do others think?

With over half the squad full of foreigners.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Typical sneering question from a French journo looking for an opportunity to scoff at our delusions of grandeur.

We are basically Spain, pre-2008. Great club sides, with limited success as an international team.

The frustrating thing is there are the resources for the country to be an incredible international force. But, with too many forces pulling in opposite directions and no real desire for a long term strategy England are a long way from ever realsing this.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

100% agree with all of that. We certainly don't have a divine right to win/host tournaments etc. but we did invent the game and for some French journo to question whether we are great footballing nation is mildly ridiculous.

I would not get too upset...it's not as though The Sun has never done similar to other nations.

 

[Simster]

The frustrating thing is there are the resources for the country to be an incredible international force. But, with too many forces pulling in opposite directions and no real desire for a long term strategy England are a long way from ever realsing this.

Absolutely correct. With our resources, we should be somewhere between Germany and Holland/France in terms of success. Sadly, the top clubs are too greedy and the FA have done nothing to turn around the mess we are in at grass roots level.

 

[Silent Bob]

The frustrating thing is there are the resources for the country to be an incredible international force. But, with too many forces pulling in opposite directions and no real desire for a long term strategy England are a long way from ever realsing this.

Yes, we're not Spain pre success. We're England, forever.