Blog: England shambles

F…f…f…fourteen minutes away from qualification and we still blow it, writes Walsall blogger Mark Jones.

Never trust a manager called McCLaren. OK, so it was the legend that is John Lydon that first ushered those wide words, but they do seem to have a certain resonance today.

After the debacle of Wednesday's performance against Croatia, there's no question that Steve had to go but there's something about following England that really narks me more than anything else.

England being knocked out of Euro 08, I'll come to terms with.

In fact we can all enjoy the tournament now freed from the nervous anticipation of the inevitable penalty shoot out heartbreak.

(Too) highly paid Premiership posers turning in the kind of sub-standard, gutless performances for country that they'd never dare try and get away with in club colours (I shan't name and shame, let's just refer to them as Frank X and Stevie G).

Well it's the most maddening but harshest reality of the priorities prevalent in our modern game.

The bumbling incompetent men in suits at the F.A. (so named presumably because of the amount they know about the game), they deserve nothing but my contempt.

But they make themselves look stupid on a frighteningly regular basis and consequently don't need any help in being ridiculed.

John Motson? Sorry but no he's not a legend, just some anorak who lives in a world with its own built in 5 second time delay.

The whole country could see Olic was onside, we could all see the linesman had kept his flag down, all except one deluded commentator.

So while the rest of us knew we were in it up to our necks, Motty was still babbling on about the goal being 'allowed'.

No, what really winds me up more than anything is the same predictable old views that are being spouted by lazy journos and media pundits in just about everywhere you look at the moment.

I can guarantee that at some point in the next few days we will hear about (in no particular order):- the inferior technique of English players; too many foreigners (possibly along with that fact about how many Englishmen played on that first day of the Premiership) and of course the frightening list of potential successors for the white hot White Hotseat.

I didn't see a lot wrong with Beckham's technique when he set up the equaliser yesterday, or Joe Cole's when he crossed in the build up for the first goal.

I've never watched the likes of Rooney, Owen or Ferdinand and thought that they're lacking in the skill department either.

As for the foreigner question, take a look at the names already mentioned (plus John Terry, Ashley Cole and some of the new kids like Theo Walcott) and it's fair to say we've produced more than enough quality over the last decade to dispel that particular myth.

Mourinho's Chelsea and Sir Alex's Man United always have a backbone of good Englishmen and how many of those old First Division players were ever going to get anywhere near wearing the Three Lions anyway? (Well apart from when Graham Failure was in charge obviously).

As for the next manager, the not so dynamic duo of Sam 'Tribunal' Allardyce and Alan Curbishley have already been mentioned.

The fact that neither of them have got a track record to match even Steve Mac's in domestic football hasn't got as much of a mention though.

Martin O'Neill could do a good job possibly … or he could just as equally crack up and internally combust under the pressure.

Like 'outside bet' Steve Coppell did after about a week at Man City.

And, dear god, surely no-one is actually serious about Alan 'Charisma' Shearer taking over?

Mark my words, there's weeks and possibly months of this drivel ahead. Roll on South Africa 2010.

England fans, what do you think? Have your say below