couldn’t give a shit. I’m more interested in Joe Hart joining Torino.
Of course I am interested in the England Football team it gives me an excuse to moan like fuck and shout and scream at the TV, about the useless fucking twats that the manager has put in the team, because they are employed by (not playing for) a big club. and that the manager is a bloody useless FA lackey who will only do what they want.
Plus If they win I can be an Englishman abroad flying the flag for Blighty.
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Once players are picked on merit and NOT because they play for a “big” club (or even when they’ve hardly played eg Jack Wheelchair this summer) or are favourites of the media eg most of the rest of the current squad - then I might take an interest.
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I’ve had more fun of late supporting our womens’ hockey team.
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I think I’ve insulated myself against the pain of disappointment by giving less of a shit.
If it hurts when you bang your head against the wall, most of us non-masochists stop.
So whilst I still care, I really don’t get emotionally involved anymore.
This change of attitude happened first with friendlies under Ericsson, I think. We’d make 6 changes and it became leas of a competitive match. Then I realised I was watching England without expecting a 100 percent performance from the players for Harry and St George.
Once it was clear that they could play and not give 100 percent, it became easier for me to watch and not give 100 percent.
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The South Africa World Cup was the last straw for me.
There’s only so many years you can listen to people talking about golden generations and what a great chance we have before you realise that it’s all nonesense.
We are simply not good enough, so I have zero expectations.
At the moment we are so far away from being good enough that it’s laughable for anyone to suggest we might win something.
So I’m with Bletch on this, if the players don’t give a shit, don’t expect me to.
No more flags or shirts for me, no more putting on Three Lions before kick off to get into the spirit of it, no more impressions of Pearce taking his penalty when we score, my love affair with England is over.
The last embers were rekindled briefly when Rickie made it, but the fire has gone out, pissed on again and again by Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney, Milner, Terry, Ferdinand, and now Sterling and Kane.
At this point some bright-eyed naive youngsters will shake their heads and call me all kinds of things, but they might notice that I look a bit smug…
That’s because I have experience on my side, and I know they will suffer approx five World Cups of crushing disappointment before they catch up and admit that the players don’t care like they do - and that we are just not good enough.
It’s sad,but true.
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What I find sad is I look at that squad and think is that really the best we got? Then I think a bit more and come to the conclusion that it probably is.
Once upon a time, you had to be the best in the country / world to earn mega money. Yes the footballers were well paid but not enough to set them and the next two generations up for life. Now we have shite journeymen earning more that million pounds a year. They have become too comfortable and in my opinion lost that desire and hunger they had when they were growing up on a council estate playing football as a kid.
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Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Southampton), Joe Hart (Manchester City), Tom Heaton (Burnley).
Defenders: Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).
Midfielders: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur), Michail Antonio (West Ham United), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).
Strikers: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City).
I echo CB’s sentiments above, is that all we have to offer??
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The acid test is how many of our players would get into the German, Spanish or Brazilian teams?
The Rooney of 2005 might make the bench.
The Luke Shaw and Nathaniel Clyne of 2018 perhaps?
Alli, if he can control his temper?
Dier if he develops?
But no one would today.
We are irrelevant in world football.
And when you see Chris Smalling’s name there it just makes you laugh - with shame.
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The fact that Allardyce won’t pick Barkley but is happy to investigate whether or not Steven N’zonzi can represent England might be a new nadir for me.
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2 words :- Jordan Henderson
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Here was a chance for the new manager to make his mark and start as he means to go on. As soon as I heard that Wayne Rooney had been named captain that said it all. 
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Yep… Rooney remains, and hearing Alladeechee stumble his way uneloquently through more cliches than a load of cunts at a cliche convention, was so depressing… in 2000 the Germans were shit, playing style that was outdated never going to win them anything again… so they decided on a style and then coached young players in that style and already by 2006, they were getting back to semi’s… England have been shit since about 1971… and have just gone about things in exactly the same way ever since and FatSam seems happy to continue in that vein… but hey, we einvented teh fucking game so no one can teach us a thing…
Too many diamond earings, club obsessed Premier-The-greatest-league-in-the-world-bollocks to care about the national side in beyond the cliched platitudes… winning is more than about passion,its about cohesion, style and collective responibilty.
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Bollocks!
Forget cohesion, tactics, fitness and all that technical skills crap,winning is all about having belief, getting the rub of the green, backing yourself, and wanting it more in the final third.
According to MotD every week.
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Probably the saddest thing about England.
Why does he want to keep punishing the country?
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So Rooney is staying until 2018 and quoted as saying:
“Come Russia I feel that will be the time to say goodbye to international football”
I think that’s a formal goodbye to another tournament then…
He should do the honourable thing and fall on his balls - or whatever the football equivalent of a sword is…
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I thought Rooney used his sword on grannies?
I now have a picture in my head that I don’t want there - spud face being chewed off by a toothless old bint. Not sure whether that says something about me for thinking it or you for mentioning it
i like this report on why Hart is joining Torino
The bit I really like is where the correspondent is explaining how Torino used to be good but are now pretty shit/average BUT their new manager has some new signings and they’re hoping for European qualification. Nice to see Hart get to play at last seasons 12th placed team with greats like Iago Falque, the new hope for Torino.