Massive over simple question. The players in England shirts have been at top academy teams since they were probably under 10. Out academy system must be the most well funded in the world. Why do Croatia look technically so much better ?
It's a decades old question. A cultural thing I think, the way players are trained as kids. Younger England teams have done brilliantly recently which suggests things have changed, imho I think by the time they are playing for Prem clubs their hunger has gone. (money money money)
When you look at the individual talent that has gone through the U21 team over the past decade it’s obvious something is culturally wrong. Especially when the u17 did so well.
I probably agree about money. I remember a radio commentator telling a story of travelling with Manchester Utd for a European game. Each player had 2 first class seats including some youth players. He asked them what they had done to deserve the seats ‘we’re Manchester Utd players’. Without a single first team game between them.
A different point but it is worth noting that some countries hold their U21s teams very high in results importance. Very few people in England would have registered the U21 euros (sadly). In Serbia and Croatia it is almost up there with the senior competition (I suspect partly because Serbia have achieved over the last decade)
while we love to beat ourselves up and to slag off Premiership[ academies, I would say we currently have the best potential group of youngish players in my lifetime. Henderson, Wan Bissaka, Stones, ??, Chilwell: Rice, Bellingham: Sterling, Foden, rashford: Kane/Calvert-Lewin - that's pretty good. Euros probably a year or two too soon, but next World Cup or especially euro 24 WC 26 could be interesting.
That said Fofana, a young lad doing great things at CB for Leicester who would almost certainly have got a full cap for England by now and may well have gone to full team Euro 21 apparently cant even get into Franc's U21 team. which is a bit scary.
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Massive over simple question. The players in England shirts have been at top academy teams since they were probably under 10. Out academy system must be the most well funded in the world. Why do Croatia look technically so much better ?
Justice
It's a decades old question. A cultural thing I think, the way players are trained as kids. Younger England teams have done brilliantly recently which suggests things have changed, imho I think by the time they are playing for Prem clubs their hunger has gone. (money money money)
When you look at the individual talent that has gone through the U21 team over the past decade it’s obvious something is culturally wrong. Especially when the u17 did so well.
I probably agree about money. I remember a radio commentator telling a story of travelling with Manchester Utd for a European game. Each player had 2 first class seats including some youth players. He asked them what they had done to deserve the seats ‘we’re Manchester Utd players’. Without a single first team game between them.
A different point but it is worth noting that some countries hold their U21s teams very high in results importance. Very few people in England would have registered the U21 euros (sadly). In Serbia and Croatia it is almost up there with the senior competition (I suspect partly because Serbia have achieved over the last decade)
while we love to beat ourselves up and to slag off Premiership[ academies, I would say we currently have the best potential group of youngish players in my lifetime. Henderson, Wan Bissaka, Stones, ??, Chilwell: Rice, Bellingham: Sterling, Foden, rashford: Kane/Calvert-Lewin - that's pretty good. Euros probably a year or two too soon, but next World Cup or especially euro 24 WC 26 could be interesting.
That said Fofana, a young lad doing great things at CB for Leicester who would almost certainly have got a full cap for England by now and may well have gone to full team Euro 21 apparently cant even get into Franc's U21 team. which is a bit scary.
Who is beating themselves up and slagging off academies?
Probably German fans, judging by tonight.
An extraordinary result
Justifying the renaming with with a big shaming