2 of 32

Write now Article Tools

England's football team has suffered from a combination of ludicrously high expectations and hugely arrogant attitudes over the last four decades. This damaging mixture is also underpinned by a systemic failure in coaching at all levels. England have so often flattered to deceive at major tournaments that it comes as no great surprise when we fail to reach the latter stages. Since the solitary World Cup victory in 1966 we have made progress to the semi-finals only twice, at Italia '90 and in Euro '96. Improvement will only come if everyone accepts the failings of the past 40 odd years and learns from them. Here is an ABC of which three aspects need to be addressed before anything can be achieved.

A) Attitude. Without a healthy, positive and strong attitude all the ability in the world will not bring any lasting success. England have had and do still have some outstanding individual players but too often their performances have been below the standard they reach regularly with their club sides. Every player has to show commitment to the cause and the team must develop the right mentality whereby they appreciate that not only is there no one individual who is more important than the team ethos, but also they have to work hard for each other especially when a game appears to be going against them.

B) Belief. Believing in oneself is a prerequisite of most international sportspeople, and providing this self belief is channeled in the right direction and does not turn into overconfidence it can make the difference between ordinary and the great. The great football teams have players who believe implicitly in their teammates. This belief builds into a deep-founded trust that provides an inner strength that can overcome most challenges and threats.

C) Coaching. The standard of coaching in England is pretty poor compared to most other leading football nations. It is an indictment of the entire coaching system that there are so few English-born managers at the top level of the Premier League and no real candidates to take on the job of managing England. Having experienced the Football Association's coaching at the entry level, I can confirm that the approach is unimaginative and hardly inspiring. A sense of "going through the motions" pervades the teaching of the aspiring coaches. A root and branch change of the entire coaching system is required to address the fundamental flaws of the English game.

The appointment of Fabio Capello does offer a semblance of hope that things will improve. in the short time he has been in charge he has brought a sense of discipline to the team which has instilled a much better attitude in the players and they have shown signs of the required belief in each other in recent games. Whilst Capello demands respect for his strength, he has the coaching ability to introduce an element of flexibility into the team's play which allows the opportunity to adapt to differing circumstances. Far too often in the past the only tactical response would be limited to a substitute being thrown on in desperation rather than altering the way the team is playing.

As Capello is making a positive difference at the apex of the game, that spirit of change must filter down throughout the game to the very roots to ensure that players are coached in the right way from an early age, and only then will England become a major force in international football.

Learn more about this author, Richard Foster.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to improve England's football team??
We want to hear your view. Write now!