Even Villa look like going out to Lille.

[PSRB]

Again, there is a difference between the league and its top clubs. The PL may have far more financial clout overall than Spain, Germany, Italy, France, but in reality only City and United can compete with the financial muscle of Bayern, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG.

English teams won 2 of the 3 European trophies last season and 3 English sides have won the Champions League in the last 5 years, with two all English finals. It isn't as if we consistently fail.

Despite the leagues, the two legs and all the hoopla, these are still cup competitions that reward performance on the night. You shouldn't expect the best overall side to win each year.

And the fact that we play more games is probably a factor when it comes to the latter stages of these competitions.

In terms of international football, I think England have been performing pretty well for a few years now.

If only England had a decent manager. This squad should have won something.

[Peter]

If only England had a decent manager. This squad should have won something.

It is odd, because I don't pay much attention to England. They have performed pretty well in tournaments yet still Southgate is routinely derided as an idiot.

At the Euros they came as close to winning a tournament as you can. Pity the players bottled taking a penalty and left it to kids and subs.

[redgunamo]

It is odd, because I don't pay much attention to England. They have performed pretty well in tournaments yet still Southgate is routinely derided as an idiot.

At the Euros they came as close to winning a tournament as you can. Pity the players bottled taking a penalty and left it to kids and subs.

He's never been a popular choice though as many, with some justification, believe him to be an out-of-his-depth yes-man who ought to have no business leading such a great crop of players. Not even sure if actually winning the Euros would've helped; people would simply have demanded the World Cup on top as a bare minimum. (The kids taking penalties-thing was actually smart; they had no baggage).

Similar situation to Jogi Löw with Germany; they hardly left the tournament podium in a decade but his critics still felt he was a failure, that he should actually have won them all.

[Peter]

He's never been a popular choice though as many, with some justification, believe him to be an out-of-his-depth yes-man who ought to have no business leading such a great crop of players. Not even sure if actually winning the Euros would've helped; people would simply have demanded the World Cup on top as a bare minimum.

Similar situation to Jogi Löw with Germany; they hardly left the tournament podium in a decade but his critics still felt he was a failure, that he should actually have won them all.

I'm not sure what a good international manager looks like. It seems like a stupid and thankless job. You have no time with the players so you are really just picking a team and making a speech. Get stuck in, play for the badge, we can beat these etc

I think Venables was good at it because he had the ability to get simple ideas across to players quickly. But modern coaches, and their tactics, physical preparation etc.... it just isn't possible to recreate that.

[redgunamo]

I'm not sure what a good international manager looks like. It seems like a stupid and thankless job. You have no time with the players so you are really just picking a team and making a speech. Get stuck in, play for the badge, we can beat these etc

I think Venables was good at it because he had the ability to get simple ideas across to players quickly. But modern coaches, and their tactics, physical preparation etc.... it just isn't possible to recreate that.

Piece of piss, you'd think. Wear the blazer & tie, belt out the National Anthem and the job's a good 'un.

Today we simply have no footballistic ( ) identity that everybody buys into, unlike the Italians and the Germans, say. Or even the French. Our game has sadly been corrupted by foreigners for far too long and nowadays we don't know whether we are coming or going.

I blame Wenger, even though he WAS instrumental in delivering Brexit, as a small consolation.

[Peter]

Piece of piss, you'd think. Wear the blazer & tie, belt out the National Anthem and the job's a good 'un.

Today we simply have no footballistic ( ) identity that everybody buys into, unlike the Italians and the Germans, say. Or even the French. Our game has sadly been corrupted by foreigners for far too long and nowadays we don't know whether we are coming or going.

I blame Wenger, even though he WAS instrumental in delivering Brexit, as a small consolation.

We have a group of strong technical players now- saka, foden, grealish, bellingham, rashford etc. And a top class centre forward who wins a free kick every time someone glares at him.

We are not exactly blessed with the beat defenders but they are not bad. Shedding our football identity was well overdue.

[redgunamo]

We have a group of strong technical players now- saka, foden, grealish, bellingham, rashford etc. And a top class centre forward who wins a free kick every time someone glares at him.

We are not exactly blessed with the beat defenders but they are not bad. Shedding our football identity was well overdue.

That's the trouble, I'm afraid, that's what I mean; if international football isn't about identity then what IS it about.

[redgunamo]

If only England had a decent manager. This squad should have won something.

Trouble is, we've been saying that since the nineteen-seventies, with the honourable exception of El Tel.