Premiership footballers (a.k.a. overpaid f**king c**ts) piss me off immensely.
David Beckham left out of England squad Page 3
I just want some footballers to be good enough to win a world cup.
I am sick of all these players from all around the world, falling on their arses & grizzling like babies. Awwwww he took my leg out, I want the ball.
Ohhhhh he punched me in the heel, I want the ball.
Then up they get & run around with no limp. Football is turning into a pussy's game. Incidently, you dont get it in womens footer. 
Quote: Frankie Rage @ February 1, 2008, 3:16 AMIf we are going to win the World Cup we need to think like winners, that means every game.
Sorry to disappoint you, but winning a World cup isn't a collaborative effort between us (the fans) and the England players. 
England won't win anything because the players simply don't give a crap. We like to romanticise and think that the players dream about putting on the shirt and lifting the trophy. They don't. They're overpaid buffoons who will still get their money, win lose or draw (Actually, do players even get paid for international games?? That might explain why they never put any effort in).
Why do you think every year in the FA cup, there's small teams from the lower leagues turning over the big boys? Because they want it more. It's as simple as that.
I'm sure that most of the England players are actually celebrating the fact that they're not playing in the Euro 2008 this summer. They're just gonna be laying on a beach instead, looking like this: 
Fact is is that the pampered stars have it too easy now and emerging football nations still haven't but they've got the desire. That's why the gap has closed and why I can't see us winning anything for at least a generation.
We have the richest league in the world so all our money is going to overseas stars and owners and to foreign clubs in inflated transfer fees. Not enough is supporting the English game.
Quote: Tuumble @ February 1, 2008, 2:00 PMemerging football nations still haven't but they've got the desire.
Not only do they have the desire, but they can kick the ball with either foot! A basic but vital skill that eludes English football players. 
Quote: Eat_My_Shirts @ February 1, 2008, 1:49 PMSorry to disappoint you, but winning a World cup isn't a collaborative effort between us (the fans) and the England players.
England won't win anything because the players simply don't give a crap. We like to romanticise and think that the players dream about putting on the shirt and lifting the trophy. They don't. They're overpaid buffoons who will still get their money, win lose or draw (Actually, do players even get paid for international games?? That might explain why they never put any effort in).
Why do you think every year in the FA cup, there's small teams from the lower leagues turning over the big boys? Because they want it more. It's as simple as that.
I'm sure that most of the England players are actually celebrating the fact that they're not playing in the Euro 2008 this summer. They're just gonna be laying on a beach instead, looking like this:
Yeah, you're right about the F.A. Cup. The only Club trophies today's players give a shit about are the Premiership and the Champions' League. When I first started watching footie as a little kid, the F.A. Cup still had a special quality. I was particularly fond of the competition back then, as my team, Everton, got to 4 finals in 6 seasons (unfortunately, we only won 1 of them, and, even worse, we lost 2 of those finals to Liverpool, a.k.a. "The Red Shite"!).
Oh....dear....I'm going to stay out of this discussion because my job is working in football and I wholly disagree with nearly everything being said.
Quote: catskillz @ February 1, 2008, 2:18 PMYeah, you're right about the F.A. Cup. The only Club trophies today's players give a shit about are the Premiership and the Champions' League. When I first started watching footie as a little kid, the F.A. Cup still had a special quality. I was particularly fond of the competition back then, as my team, Everton, got to 4 finals in 6 seasons (unfortunately, we only won 1 of them, and, even worse, we lost 2 of those finals to Liverpool, a.k.a. "The Red Shite"!).
I remember when the coca-cola league cup used to have a special quality! And that wasn't even that long ago. Look at it now, it's just used by premiership clubs to give their reserve side a run out.
Although Everton took it quite seriously this year. 
I stopped watching domestic football a couple of years ago when the diving started to become a integral part of the game (with so much money at stake on every game you can't blame them for trying, but it does spoil the game)
International football I still love though - come on 
!
Appointing another foreigner into the manager's position really, really annoys me though. Even if he could speak English it'd still be terrible. I mean, international matches should be one country .v. another, and that includes the coaching team. Next thing we know they'll be allowing 'one foreigner on the pitch each', and then before long that'll be relaxed and the England team will consist of French players in gloves.
Still, I suppose that has its advantages - at least it'd mean we then didn't have to look at Rooney's ugly mug anymore.
p.s. Ashley - if you're not interested in Cheryl can I have her?
Quote: Eat_My_Shirts @ February 1, 2008, 2:30 PMI remember when the coca-cola league cup used to have a special quality! And that wasn't even that long ago. Look at it now, it's just used by premiership clubs to give their reserve side a run out.
Isn't that a good thing though? If the big clubs didn't have games like those to give their youngsters the chance to play and get experience, then we won't have any "new talent" coming through...one of the major complaints about English football. The big clubs won't risk their young'uns much in the league because there is too much at stake.
Without these opportunities, you'll see huge talents wasted and stuck playing lower league football because they never got the chance. On rare occasions will young English players who don't get the chance to make an impact still make it in the Premiership (e.g. Bentley and Pennant at Arsenal).
This season the league cup has given Danny Simpson at Man Utd, Jack Hobbs at Liverpool, Scott Sinclair at Chelsea, Hoyte and Walcott at Arsenal all the chance for more first team football (and those are just off the top of my head examples). Sounds like a good thing to me.
Quote: Mark @ February 1, 2008, 2:56 PMp.s. Ashley - if you're not interested in Cheryl can I have her?
I wouldn't like to think what you'd get up to.
(Pun not intended, but quite apt all the same.)
Quote: Eat_My_Shirts @ February 1, 2008, 1:49 PM(Actually, do players even get paid for international games?? That might explain why they never put any effort in).
I know pretty much nothing about football, but from comments I heard after the Russian game, I'm lead to believe that that is indeed the case. Either way, as you say, they do get paid obscene amounts of money, whether they win, lose or draw.
Pretty much represents (along with the Olympics) everything that is wrong with sport.
Quote: Charisma @ February 1, 2008, 2:30 PMOh....dear....I'm going to stay out of this discussion because my job is working in football and I wholly disagree with nearly everything being said.
If you work in the game put us right - it would be far better to have a view from those in the know
I commented about the League Cup, see above.
RE: England. To say that the players don't "give a crap" is obviously ridiculous, of course there is no bigger pride than to play for your country. When it is your job, you want to reach the highest level and international football is as high as it comes. A major problem for the England team is the media; the press is considerably more intense and demanding than in any other country (as noted by Sven, who has managed in several countries across Europe).
If a player plays really well, the media claim him to be "the greatest ever", and then when next game he is not as good, they slag him off...Frank Lampard is an example of that.
If a player plays poorly, e.g. Paul Robinson making a mistake, or a striker not scoring for a few games, the media will disect them and say they shouldn't be playing for their country.
These people are only human and the stresses put on them by the media and their expectations is only going to hinder their performance because they cannot focus psychologically. Of course, it is then the managers job to help maintain this focus (and this is where McLaren failed, in my opinion, not in his selection or tactics).
Of course, these are only my opinions and being a coach for a football league side does not make my opinions more correct than any of yours. But for anyone to state that they don't give a crap is wrong.
On the point of them being overpaid, which is what I think someone mentioned, they earn wages relative to their industry. If people keep putting money into football, they will keep being paid lots, as prices rise. If you work in the insurance industry and business is booming, you wouldn't expect your boss to turn around and say "yes, we're making lots of money, but you don't deserve any more". Whilst their wages are extortionate, we also forget that they are under intense pressure from millions of fans to perform.
Of course with that said, they do receive a heck of a lot of money, and people such as emergency services, teachers etc. people who provide a service to society certainly deserve to be paid more than they do.
Quote: Charisma @ February 1, 2008, 3:07 PMIsn't that a good thing though? If the big clubs didn't have games like those to give their youngsters the chance to play and get experience, then we won't have any "new talent" coming through...one of the major complaints about English football. The big clubs won't risk their young'uns much in the league because there is too much at stake.
Yea but that's assuming that the youngsters given the chance to play, are English. When Arsenal put out a side for the league cup, it's usually full of French and African kids. Anyway I'm not really of the belief that foreign players are driving the English players out. I just think most English players haven't been taught to play football properly from a young age. That's why they're inferior to foreigners.
They can let these players go out on loan to other clubs of course. Scott Sinclair who you mentioned, was on loan at Plymouth Argyle for quite a while. He did well there. Players who drop to the lower leagues shouldn't really blame anyone if they end up getting stuck there. If they're good enough they will end up back in the premier league. It's not something you gotta be born into. My local team, Barnet FC has produced a handful of players over the years who have ended up in the premiership at one point or another: Maik Taylor, Marlon King, Linvoy Primus, Dougie Freedman.
Quote: Eat_My_Shirts @ February 1, 2008, 4:04 PMI just think most English players haven't been taught to play football properly from a young age. That's why they're inferior to foreigners.
You would be spot on there. Brazil are commonly referred to as the best team in the world...if you look at their youth set-up, their kids are playing from the age of 3..as soon as they can kick a ball basically. In England, there is no league system until under 7's (and thats only just lowered in the last 5 or so years, as it used to be u/9's).
I was in charge of a youth academy a few years ago where we started coaching boys (and girls) from 3 years, in fact, I had one lad who was only 2 at the time he started. From these, I think there are 10-15 players who are now 8/9 years old and training in professional club set-ups. This is just proof that we need to start teaching youngsters from an earlier age.
Quote: Eat_My_Shirts @ February 1, 2008, 4:04 PMThey can let these players go out on loan to other clubs of course. Scott Sinclair who you mentioned, was on loan at Plymouth Argyle for quite a while. He did well there. Players who drop to the lower leagues shouldn't really blame anyone if they end up getting stuck there. If they're good enough they will end up back in the premier league. It's not something you gotta be born into. My local team, Barnet FC has produced a handful of players over the years who have ended up in the premiership at one point or another: Maik Taylor, Marlon King, Linvoy Primus, Dougie Freedman.
Obviously going out on loan is a good chance for first-team experience, but then you lose the world-class coaching and observations of world-class players that you get at the big clubs. I think Theo Walcott commented on that in the last week.
As for Linvoy Primus...what a legend!!