I often think that if I wasn’t English, I probably wouldn’t like the England football team. It’s not the team itself that’s the problem, although I sometimes find them a bit boring to watch, it’s more the attitude of many of the fans as well as the media. I should probably have called this post “The problem with English football fans and the media” but that would have looked a bit wordy.

We are out of the World Cup after two games. That sounds bad on paper. But in reality, we lost narrowly to two sides ranked higher than us. We were underdogs against Italy and very narrow favourites against Uruguay. We lost both games but probably deserved a point from each. If we’d been comprehensively thrashed both games then I would have been worried. People are using words such as “inept” and “embarrassing.” Embarrassing is Itay in 2010, who failed to win a game in a group including Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand, finishing bottom. Neither of those teams qualified this year, Paraguay and Slovakia didn’t even come close. Embarrassing is France’s very public implosion in the same year. Not to mention their not scoring a single goal in 2002. England really have done as a lot of people would have expected. Had we been the unseeded European team in Group F instead of Bosnia for instance, we’d probably be needing a win against Iran to secure qualification. If Belgium had been in our group instead of us, I think they would quite likely have been in the same position we find ourselves in. Also, had our fixtures fallen differently, we could be fresh from a win against Costa Rica with a must win game against Italy or Uruguay to come.
People point to the fact that Costa Rica beat Uruguay and Italy as reason for us to be embarrassed. I disagree with this. Uruguay were without the talismanic Suarez against them, and Italy were badly effected by the heat in Recife. I got the impression they almost didn’t want to be there. And there was an element of complacency from both sides in my opinion. Both sides brought their A game against England. I would still expect us to beat Costa Rica. They got two good results, deservedly so but they’re not some kind of world beaters. We are capable of beating them.

During the Algeria V South Korea game, people on my twitter feed were commenting in Algeria’s attacking football saying “why don’t England play like this!” Well for a start Algeria were playing South Korea, rather than Uruguay or Italy. Secondly, I thought we did play positively but small margins cost us. We were going for the win at 1-1 against Uruguay and maybe that worked against us as holding out for a draw and killing the game off would have suited us more than Uruguay. Though in hindsight of Italy’s loss to Costa Rica, had we drawn we would have had to rely on Italy not beating Uruguay.

Then there’s the constant comments about “passion” and “spirit.” When exactly have our players not showed passion? Just because they don’t show visible displays of emotion like Stuart Pearce after his penalty at Euro 96 doesn’t mean they don’t care. The same people who go on about passion drool over how laid back Pirlo is. “Barely breaks sweat! Look how effortless he is!”

The constant slating and self deprecating humour by fans and media alike doesn’t really help. Things like “Germany have Klose on the bench and we have Lambert.” I doubt Costa Rica fans were going “Uruguay have Cavani and we have Joel Campbell”, they were probably being positive and thinking “OK we’re underdogs but we can have these! Let’s show everyone what we’re about!” Bryan Ruiz had a poor season with Fulham but I bet Costa Rica fans didn’t start a petition for him to be dropped like we did with Cleverley. When an English player comes into bad form, why do we not encourage him instead of making him a figure of ridicule?
I recall in 2006 when Sven Goran-Eriksson was recorded making ill advised comments that he thought were off record to someone he thought was a Sheikh. They weren’t off record; the Sheikh was an undercover journalist and the comments were published in the News of the World. Yes, Sven shouldn’t have made the comments but what was the need to entrap him like that just before a World Cup. Surely they knew it would be detrimental to his or England’s preparations?

You have people saying we should have taken Ashley Cole, but he barely played for Chelsea last season. He’d have been short of match fitness. As for John Terry, whose absence many bemoaned, I think despite his leadership qualities, his lack of pace would have been badly exposed. In any case, the squad Roy Hodgson picked was one most agreed with, as for the line ups, aside from Rooney playing on the wing against Italy.
As I’m writing this, the line up against Costa Rica has been released, and as expected there has been many changes. Foster, Jones, Cahill, Smalling, Shaw, Milner, Lampard, Wilshere, Barkley, Lallana and Sturridge are the 11 picked to start. Already I’m seeing people slagging off the line up, despite wanting Hodgson to give the fringe players a chance. I think the line up is more than capable of beating Costa Rica, a good blend of youth and experience. Jones is probably a better centre back than right back, but he kept Franck Ribery quiet exceptionally when Bayern visited Old Trafford in April so he’s more than capable of playing in that position. Smalling gets a lot of unfaie criticism because he’s often played at right back rather than his preferred centre back position. He struggles at right back which makes people think he’s a bad player when he really isn’t.

Then there’s the club vs country debate. Really there shouldn’t be one. The two are not mutually exclusive. When England are playing I want them to win, when Cheltenham are playing I want them to win. Fans will often let club bias get in the way of their opinions of players. Man United fans will try and make Gerrard a scapegoat, while Liverpool fans will try and do the same with Rooney.
I’ve never really understood the need English football fans have for a scapegoat. It happens at club level as well as international. Fans of a club decide a player isn’t good enough and get on his back at every opportunity. He misses a chance “he’s useless! Get him off! Why is he in the team!” the fan’s favourite misses a chance “oh nevermind, unlucky.” It’s almost as though they need someone to complain about.

It’s disappointing to go out early but unlike in 2010 I think there are promising signs. We’ve got youngsters like Sterling, Barkley, Stones, Flanagan, Shaw and Ward-Prowse with plenty of potential to fulfill. Then players such as Sturridge, Henderson and Wilshere yet to reach their peak. Then Jones and Smalling who I mentioned earlier, Jones in particular has the quality in my opinion to be England’s first choice centre back. Him along with Cahill in 2016? Wouldn’t mind that at all. And who knows, maybe Andy Carroll could have a revival in form in the next two years and become a valuable spearhead. He’s still only 24,

We haven’t been dismal, we haven’t embarrassed ourselves, we’ve been at the wrong end of the result in two tight games that could have gone either way. There is no need to panic. I don’t know about you but I’m filled with hope for Euro 2016.