france v. england; reaction

by Nick Wills

I completely agree with your report. There is no excuse for England's miserable display except that Capello is simply repeating the wretched strategy that has demoralized our international football i.e. playing one striker. It must have gladdened the hearts of McClaren and Venables to see it!

We know Capello's reputation for pragmatic (i.e. negative and boring) football. Results are everything to Capello and the FA (who are mainly concerned with making money by qualifying for the big competitions) - well, Capello fell at the second hurdle to a French team that didn't need to impress anyone (and didn't, apart from the very talented Ribery). Capello couldn't even find a proper role for Rooney who is world class.

The root of the problem is deciding the way that English footballers should play. We are so scared of losing that we are scared of winning. People complain about our lack of passing skills - of course, because passing skills are acquired through attacking football. Think Barcelona! Negative=slow!

Witness that appalling display by our defence losing to Russia.
The following are just some who will never make future top class English internationals i.e. players capable of winning through to the semi-finals of the World Cup or winning the European - Downing, Crouch, Wright-Phillips, Beckham (who shouldn't have played against France), Brown, Owen (who has sadly lost his pace).
Will someone please tell Downing that there have only been two players in the last 55 years of international soccer who could get away with being totally one footed? He is no Puskas. He is no Gento. He is Jeff Astle.

Work on your game, lads! Lennon MUST learn how to cross a ball - we need him!

I heard John Motson on the radio say that we could never return to the days of two wingers - sorry, why not? Are we forever doomed to see full backs lumbering forward (Brown passing Beckham repeatedly!)and delivering terrible crosses while leaving the defence wide open? We used to think Don Revie was a
'pragmatic' manager at Leeds but with Gray, Jones, Clark, Giles and Lorimer up front?- well, happy days!