british and irish footballers are shit

[RaM]

Really??

Admittedly I've only seen highlights and a Champs League game when he came on off the bench and played decently. Suppose his effectiveness can only be judged from full matches though.

Does he play better for Ireland than Celtic?

[REB]

not really no,,
he,s a nice player but would never be good enough for a real top team

[RaM]

Would you have taken Duff when he was younger?

He was a brilliant player, especially at the 2002 World Cup. Hopefully when he returns from this injury he can find some form again.

[REB]

duff was a fine player but like swp he took the chelsea rubble when it was reported that man u and liverpool both wanted him,,
but he's one of these guys who plays for a month and is then out for four months,, and to be honest he didnt improve like he should have so no i wouldnt want him at arsenal,,
only irish players i have time for are shay given and richard dunne

[RaM]

Yeah Given is class.

Only reason Duff didn't improve is because he played for Mourinho. Its like trying to grow grass on concrete!!

[Magic Hat]

One of the big problems is the English media.No one will tell the truth that English players are not good enough.Sky sports are forever telling us what world class players Rooney,Gerrard,Owen,Beckham and the vastly overated Lampard are.To be world class you have to prove yourself at the highest level against quality.Owen was found out at Real Madrid and how many teams were queuing up to sign him when they sold him.

Like Lampard with 3 goals in four games including against France in Euro 2004? Owen got 13 goals despite being left on the bench in a club rife with internal problems. Beckham was a huge hit in Spain and his performances for England in the big comps has been overlooked, he may not be world class but he is very good player.

Yes the players are overatted, we do have a very few class players but they are very few and mostly defensive. The only ones I would rate going forward are Beckham and Owen

Every England player should have LOSER tatooed on their foreheads.

including Crouch? Including Beckham who set up a goal in every single game he played? Including the defenders that contributed to the best defensive record in the Euro's before the Croatia game. Owen he scored enough goals to keep us in it? The squad players like Barry, Heskey, Campbell who played a decent part in the attempt?

[donaldo]

Magic Hat

These players are so good thats why England are out of Euro 2008. Its 41 years since England reached a major final.Until people realise the players are not good enough things will never change.Whoever the manager is.Lampard and Gerrard are not world class

Ask yourself why Arsene doesn"t play more English players?

[26may1989]

Magic Hat

These players are so good thats why England are out of Euro 2008. Its 41 years since England reached a major final.Until people realise the players are not good enough things will never change.Whoever the manager is.Lampard and Gerrard are not world class

Ask yourself why Arsene doesn"t play more English players?

Too simplistic, Donaldo. As Magic says, many England players are overrated but their qualities should not be overlooked. Beckham, Owen, Rooney, Gerrard, Ferdinand, Terry, Cashley and perhaps even Fat Frank are all good players. Most of them are utter twats as people, and have an overinflated sense of their own abilities, I know, but they can certainly play football.

It's true the players are not as good as they should be, and there is a residual, general problem with English football where technique is still not fostered sufficiently. But there are other problems: the manic depressive up-then-down style of the media, the relentlessly negative and aggressive approach of diehard England fans (look at the Scots and the Northern Irish for examples of how to support a team properly), and until this week a really poor coach, more interested in picking players for political reasons and pleasing the media than picking the best players (e.g., ignoring David James for two years, when he's clearly been the best English keeper).

There are cultural problems too, with English players just not pushing themselves and developing themselves in ways that players from many rival countries are. On that topic, I quite like this, from Gareth Southgate: "We are not as good as we thought we were; people talk about a golden generation of players but I don't think that is necessarily the case. Part of the problem is that we haven't got lots of English players playing regularly in the Premier League. Other countries, like France, export players to other leagues where they get exposed to different styles of football but unless they play in the Champions League ours do not. Because the money is in England we don't export people and it blocks the flow of young English players coming through." I.e., our players are too easily distracted by the money of the Premiership and forget about wanting to excel as players.

[26may1989]

only irish players i have time for are shay given and richard dunne

Richard Dunne??? Clogger!

When he's playing in green, you must like having Robbie Keane in the side. Quality striker. Shame about his choice of employer though.

I quite like Kevin Doyle too. Not a top quality player but he's got ability.

[RaM]

I do like Keane when he's in an Irish shirt.

Doyle's a decent player too.

[REB]

dont like keane,, he's a bluffer

and richard dunne has got better with age,, and its him who makes micah ricards look good

[Cus Geezer]

Magic Hat

These players are so good thats why England are out of Euro 2008. Its 41 years since England reached a major final

Well were Holland were shit because they failed to get to the 2002 World Cup and have won the same number of trophies in that 41 year period?

Spain produce no decent players either despite never winning a World Cup?

[Magic Hat]

Donaldo, the we have very few world class players slipped past you didn't it?