English national team in decline

**Dodge** · 05/09/2007, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by Risteard

Ahead of who?
Duff?
Keane?
Doyle?
I'd probably throw Shane Long on before Heskey.

Must admit that I don't have a clue about Lescott.

I'd have HesKey ahead of Doyle certainly. Duff's finished IMO

**Lionel Ritchie** · 05/09/2007, 1:06 PM

I don't accept they are "in decline". They have consistently been over-hyped and for once we don't have Andy Gray, Sky Sports and the Premiership era to blame for it as it was going on long before then.

That's not to say they are a "bad" team. They're obviously a decent team with some fine individual talents playing for them over the years. But have they under-achieved the way that say some of The Netherlands sides or Spanish sides have? My guess is no.

Oh ...and another thing -that kind of applies to us as well as all our players are reared in "their" system. The style of play in these islands -which is still faster and more physical than elsewhere -really doesn't strike me as conducive to winning any tournament played out over three weeks in June. it might be that if the intenational competition finals were played out like a CL or rugbys six nations that it help them that bit more. maybe, maybe not.