From : Michael Salmon
Date : Mon, Jun 28, 2010
Subject : England stars in a bubble since 2005 at least
Dear Myles,
As a Northern Irishman, I watched England\’s annihilation with a degree of neutrality but, being an Arsenal fan, I have a soft spot for the English national side.However, that said, their arrogance and self-importance is not new to me.
In 2005, an English team managed by Sven came to Belfast to play a World Cup qualifier. The FA had booked out the entire 5-star Culloden hotel for England\’s visit. Friends told me that the team refused to sign autographs for fans and staff alike. They had entered their bubble.
The media, in particular the BBC, had been so disparaging to Northern Ireland that many bars chose to watch RTE (Republic of Ireland TV) coverage instead. Our facilities, our staff, our players and our stadium were mocked. Some of our squad were not even full-time professionals.
Strolling around the pitch like strutting peacocks didn\’t seem to work that night, as Northern Ireland was hungrier, more passionate and more committed than our English counterparts. For all their comfort, status and preparations, England were soundly beaten 1-0 by a team comprised mostly of lower league professionals and semi-professionals.
That was 5 years ago. What\’s changed? What has this team learned? How have they progressed, how have they developed? What players have they introduced to improve the squad?
The team that night was: Robinson, Young, Ferdinand, Carragher, Ashley Cole, Lampard (Hargreaves 80), Beckham, Gerrard (Defoe 75), Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole 54), Owen, Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Upson, Kirkland, Neville, Bent.
More than a few familiar names? That team did not deliver in 2005 and the same players are not delivering in 2010. A good team is made up of complementary attributes, a balance of resources, harmony, skill, focus, motivation and commitment.
The current regime mollycoddles the players, removes responsibilities from their shoulders and places them in such comfortable surroundings that motivation must be difficult to muster.
Where is the drive, where is the incentive, where is the motivation? Perhaps a flight by Easyjet, a few nights at the Travel Inn might help focus the mind? It\’s good enough for employees of the company I work at and we can be effective. Maybe bursting the bubble would place the players back in touch with the population so that they can realise what the World Cup means to everyday people. So that they can rediscover motivation and a willingness to work hard. So that they can sign an autograph of a fan who has saved for 2 years to make a trip to South Africa and spent 6 months\’ salary on a trip of a lifetime.
Preparations and the England team bubble do not account for the overall failure of the England team. Collective unintelligence, tactical ineptitude and lack of technical ability can explain the lack of trophies (as Myles has written about many times) but what cannot be forgiven is lack of motivation and commitment – traditionally very English attributes.
England, it is time to burst the bubble.