Quote Originally Posted by MaxPeck View Post
I think our players do underperform. The pressure thing is the media being twats - I'm not sure how much pressure is put on players from other countries by their own media - are they really as savage as our press? But a manager like Redknapp (and El Tel and Robson) is the kind to be able to help players deal with that shit.

I'm not sure our record in knockouts is 'horrendous' compared to most other countries. We've got to semis under English managers - while we might have screwed up at the last, I would not say it was horrendous. Robson (English) and Venables (English) lost in semi-finals on penalties to the eventual winners. While that was painful for English supporters, that is hardly horrendous. Under Erikson, when we got knocked out, it was because we played uninspired shit - he was no motivator. There were stories coming out of the England camp after the defeat against Brazil about Erikson's half-time talk which apparently was a non-entity. I think 'arry would do better than that. He does know how to talk to English players - GHELs if you like - and that motivational leadership is what I think has been missing from our performances in tournament finals. I've thought that for years - decades - and have never approved of having non-English managers for an English team. Teams are supposed to represent their countries and the manager is part of that team. Once we water down the idea by having non-English components, then we are heading away from the idea of internationals.
A list of teams England have beaten in knockout ties since 1990 in the Euros and World Cup:

1990: Belgium (aet), Cameroon (aet)

1992: N/A (didn't win a game in the group stages)

1994: didn't qualify.

1996: Spain (on pelanties)

1998: N/A (went out to Argentina on pelanties in the last 16).

2000: Went out in the group stages.

2002: Denmark.

2004: N/A (went out to Portugal on pelanties in the QF's)

2006: Ecuador.

2008: didn't qualify

2010: N/A (went out to Germany in the last 16).

I don't think the nationality of the manager is going to make a huge amount of difference, unless, unless the next manager is prepared to say to those that have failed time and again, their time is up. Passion isn't going to get you that far, it doesn't in the Champions League, it won't in the international tournaments. Also, 'Arry had admitted he doesn't particularly have much time for tactics rs- that's just not an approach that can work against much higher quality opponents in international tournaments. For example Maradona is as passionate as it gets and is absolutely beloved in Argentina but he didn't have a clue internationally. No team ever wins the major tournaments anymore unless they have a coach that has a tactical brain and players with heightened technique; in English coaches and players, that has generally been lacking.

It's probably a consquence of the Premier League that it has become this way, the necessity of trying to play at 100mph doesn't allow technique to be the most important facet developed in English players (historically anyway). And that is why I say the next manager/coach needs to bring in a totally new side of the players that do have technical ability, otherwise this cycle of international dissapointment is bound to continue. Germany decided to start again after 2000 with a new approach and granted they haven't won anything yet but they are bearing the fruits of that change now, it should've been done years ago with England when it became clear the same old, same old was nowhere near enough.

And the press in Italy, Spain and Brazil is as savage as anywhere. In Italy probably even moreso than England.