![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
England's Failures
Jun. 27th, 2010 08:50 pmThere were only four players on the pitch, in England shirts, who were worthy to wear them. David James, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard. In my opinion, this is because James and Rooney would play the game for free, and because Lampard and Gerrard love the limelight so much that they wanted the TV time regardless of anything else. I don't care what someone's reasons are for giving everything they have for their country, I just care that they do. I admire the German players who did so, and all the other players in this World Cup who have done so.
But for the other England players, I have nothing but contempt. Even 10 years ago, pride and their wallets pulled them in the same direction - the World Cup remained the ultimate stage, and improved the worth and transfer values of the players who shone on it. Now, with all the intra-national football that gets played in Europe, and the concentration of the very best players at the very best clubs, it seems to have become more of a risk. Why play at full tilt, and risk injury, for the relatively paltry sums one can earn as an England player?
It's not hard to suspect the same problems lie at the root of the failure of the two other Western European 'titans', Italy and France, to perform. This is going to be a better World Cup without them. Sadly, it's also going to be a better World Cup without England.
But for the other England players, I have nothing but contempt. Even 10 years ago, pride and their wallets pulled them in the same direction - the World Cup remained the ultimate stage, and improved the worth and transfer values of the players who shone on it. Now, with all the intra-national football that gets played in Europe, and the concentration of the very best players at the very best clubs, it seems to have become more of a risk. Why play at full tilt, and risk injury, for the relatively paltry sums one can earn as an England player?
It's not hard to suspect the same problems lie at the root of the failure of the two other Western European 'titans', Italy and France, to perform. This is going to be a better World Cup without them. Sadly, it's also going to be a better World Cup without England.
