The England Fallacy
Friday, June 25, 2010 at 12:21AM There is a fallacy about the England national team based on, well, I'm not sure exactly. History I guess. The Empire, Rule Britannia, Wembley, 1966, England invented the game yadda yadda blah blah. Yet we have a tradition of being shit during the big tournaments, stumbling through and then managing in a majestic, plucky performance or two with it all finally ending in tears. But what heroes we had in defeat, right? And in amongst it, the media go loopy and the fans go into meltdown.
We live on hope, the hope that our players will all hit their potential collective best and result in winning the World Cup. How many times has that happened? Forget 66. Please. Since then we have done nothing more than live off the back of hope, citing the past as though we were deserving of more simply because of the name we carried. There is nothing wrong with this. As long as you know and understand that hope is not always enough.
It's ironic. Mainly because as a Spurs fan I wear my heart on my sleeve and have - throughout my life - wanted to see us achieve great things. This means that you tend to be a little bit over-excitable. Dreaming a little too much and too hard because you're not satisfied with just existing - you want your existence to be defined by glory. It's not being arrogant or delusional if you want something that badly. Nothing wrong at all in wanting success. And as long as you retain an air of realism with your expectations, you can saviour moments of progression and truly embrace those pockets of glory when they finally do come along. I get slated for it as a Lilywhite, yet the entire nation waves St George above their heads and no one bats an eyelid when it seems the mood of the nation is simply: we can win it (translated: we have to win it).
Regarding Spurs, it's an exact parallel to what it means to support England. The potential is there. Perhaps not exact, because England have the best players available to them (whereas Spurs splash millions on wannabes). But it's mostly botched up because of lack of belief/management and sometimes over-confidence and mis-placed confidence. Not building the team around certain players and failing to drop others for the good of the collective. And then there's the expectation. Expectations that weigh down on the fragile mental state we seem to be blessed with. We buckle. We fall. We fail. England are the perpetual wannabes. We are Spurs, stuck back in the sixites. Again, nothing wrong with looking behind us for inspiration, but once more, it's not enough.
We - everyone - fans, the media, pundits, the players; we all seem to be lost in the idea that we are world beaters rather than actually achieve something that would suggest we can be. Lesser teams have attained those giddy heights through effort and then belief that comes from overcoming diversity. Spurs kept knocking at the door, and we've finally made that step forwards, and it feels fantastic (be it we only finished 4th, but that was the step required to move onwards for us at this stage of our progression - a stage we've stood staring at for a decade +). England can play better, we do have a habit of turning up when facing our 'foes'. When perhaps we are considered the underdogs. As long as it doesn't end with penalties.
England's next step would be to not fail where we've failed before.
It's best to lower your standards. Don't expect too much. Until the the era of egos is over and a true cleansing occurs through the squad and set-up. Sorry, I'm dreaming again.
Fact is, we've never quite got our head around transitioning top club players and using them just as effectively at national level compared to their club form. Ridiculous isn't it? When we have got it right, the reason we've failed to achieve greatness is because, well, we're not great. No shame in that. We try our best, we're just not the best at that given moment. And maybe don't quite have the requirements other nations possesses in abundance that allows them to fight/muddle/luck it through. Footballing DNA can't be changed. It would seem.
England are the very definition of inconsistency. Brilliant one day, complete turd the next. Let's end the pretence that it's anything different and then act shocked and dismayed when we fail to turn up, baying for blood. Let's simply enjoy the moments when we do turn up and support them unconditionally (if you care for country in the same fashion as you do for club). And even though the truth might hurt or make you uncomfortably or simply not surprise you in the least, there's no reason not to wave those flags and wear your heart on your sleeve.
Hope, dreams. It's all good.
The agony makes the ecstasy so much sweeter.
Reader Comments (16)
You are such a romantic. Great read. Hoping England are great to watch on Sunday.
Let go of 66? No chance. We might be big billy bollocks as a nation, but as a footballing nation we've never been one of the big boys, not on the international scene. Club football yes, but like you said, we hardly ever get it right for country. Don't think the belief has ever been there in the players and deep down the newspapers and fans know it too. Nobody admits it. I know we do but as a nation we don't.
Good read. And don't forget in 66 England only got into the finals because they were the host nation. Home advantage and a goal that no mater how many times we watch it has never crossed the line means that England have never proven to be good enough.
Its so hard to listen to the arrogance of the English commentators, pundits, supporters and players as they look down their noses at other nations who show greater heart and commitment for their country. Players who work for the good of the team rather than their own personal gain.
You bunch of lord haw haws. Nothing else matters except we all get behind ENGLAND now!!!
The way to start is going back to the days of two or three foreign players only allowed. Home talent is getting extinct.
Good article. The comparisons between Spurs and England are something I've long considered, e.g. England invent the game, Spurs invent the modern game (push and run); last serious success in the 60's; expectations; etc; etc. Well, Spurs took a major step forward this season, so here's hoping the similarities continue!
Time has past on the days when players would bleed for their country. Club is more important.
Ulsterman... Correct me if I'm wrong but England beat Germany by TWO goals in "66 so your so called goal that never was is irelevent.. Is there a reason for your dig at the England team? jealousy pehaps? When was the last time Ireland won the world cup?
Nice one spooky, my sentiments exactly.
I've never forgiven England for dropping Jimmy Greaves in '66 and for throwing Glen out, when he was obviously the best manager England had had for years.
However, I still scream at the telly when we miss passes and don't tackle and run round like a dervish when we score.
Up till now we've been 'expected' to reach the final.
Now we're the underdogs. Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Spain in the final.
The underdogs have nothing to lose, the time has come, Japan, South Korea, England.......
You guys and the Dutch are much alike , good players in big clubs ... A whole country going nuts about their football team , big words befor the start , preaching attacking football , big egos but ... Always coming up short
But i hope the passion for the game pays off for once !
ps we Belgians all hate the English because of a certain David Platt ... the biggest footballing trauma our national team ever had was the Platt goal in 90 ...
The description in that post............does it remind anyone of a team from years gone by.....??????????????
Until Arry took control, we were living on history gone by, ups and downs - brilliant then shit. Arry is slowly sorting us out, please capello dont leave because the FA only needs to look down Tottenham High rd to see their reflection in the mirror and a master who could sort it out for them once and for all................................if he dont go prison that it.
the fact is, normal, intelligent, reasonable people turn into dick-brained spunk-dragons when talking about England. England and Spurs are an accurate comparison, in that thinking england can win the world cup is akin to thinking spurs can win the PL. But whereas we can all kind of accept that spurs wont win the PL, and still support them and celebrate them, we cant seem to do the same with england. England national team fans tend to be like liverpool fans ie utterly embarrasing. We cant seem to accept that we are a mid level mediocre side who at best can reach the QFs, but will never properly trouble the elite. This doesnt make me support england any less. I'm juts realistic enough to know that QFs under sven was actually good achievements, when the rest of the country seemed to think it a shameful failure. I will cheer a draw and a decent performance V USA. I wont be bothered when we inevitably lose another penalty shoot out.
Yidango.....the goal that never was changed the game. England would never have scored the second if the first hadn't been given. It's not sour grapes just hard to listen to all the time. My we Northern Ireland has a smaller population than Birmingham yet we produce a team with a heart 10 times the size of England. Did we not stuff England the last time we played!!
Spurs have played for many years with that same mentality of we are nice footballers now let us have the ball and show you. With Harry bringing in some grit and commitment into the team we are now showing some real potential.
The sooner the season gets going the better.............
I have also often considered that Spurs and England are like kindred spirits. In a way I kind of hoped that Spurs finally breaking into the top 4 would somehow break the same hex that stops england getting beyond a tournament quarter-final.
There are a few points that people always dig up when England play badly and are repeated so much that people don't seem to actually question them anymore.
for example:
Our players are pampered over-paid divas. It's all money's fault - Oh really? So I suppose Lionel Messi earns thrupence and a packet of crisps to play for barcelona. The superb Spain side that won the Euros are to a man on at least 40,000 a week up to 100,000 or more. How come they aren't shit? Just because some plucky nation occassionally shows us up doesn't mean they appreciate playing for their country any more than our guys.
There are too many foreigners in the English league.
Whilst I agree with this to an extent as there is clearly not enough genuine competition for places, how many other countries could name two equally brilliant squads of 23, or even teams of 11?
The England squad is one of only two nations at the WC that only have players from their own domestic league. The other is Germany. Italy only have one player who plays outside of Serie A. The teams that are really doing the business in world football are Argentina, Brazil and Spain. They all have players plying their trade in Serie , The PL, Bundesliga and La Liga. If anything we need to be encouraging more English players to go and play abroad and get the experience of a different football culture and style of play. You really have to wonder what it is about English footballers that stops them doing this when we see french, german, spanish etc. teenagers heading to our league every year.
"we invented the game"- sorry lads ENGLAND DID NOT INVENT THE GAME... football of some shape, form or pigs bladder has been played historically in every bloody country across the globe for hundred of years - what the English did was codify it- put rules and manners on it and spread your version of the rules!... Thats it. Cricket Rugby & the Eton wall game are quintessentially ENGLISH- football is international and always has been.
That was the meant being made.