The England football team
frankie_ecap asked me to post my thoughts on how to improve the England football (soccer) team. Now, as a very new rugby coach with the sum total of one season coaching juniors I of course am extremely well qualified to do so! Actually, as far as I can see the England football team is so bad that I probably could improve it but I'm not going there.
Really the question frankie_ecap's request raised for me was "why bother"? I can see the point of international teams when that level of competition is the highest form of competition in a sport, as it is in rugby or cricket, or even when that kind of competition is the sport's major money raiser as it is, again, in rugby and cricket. Clearly that isn't the case in football. Manchester United or Real Madrid would beat the pants off just about any national side and, not coincidentally make far more money than any national side. The elite clubs will attract the best players and the best coaches and playing internationals is really not much more than an additional chore imposed by FIFA, just as playing in whatever the League Cup is called this year is of no consequence and best left to the Reserves.
Maybe it's time to ditch internationals in football.
Really the question frankie_ecap's request raised for me was "why bother"? I can see the point of international teams when that level of competition is the highest form of competition in a sport, as it is in rugby or cricket, or even when that kind of competition is the sport's major money raiser as it is, again, in rugby and cricket. Clearly that isn't the case in football. Manchester United or Real Madrid would beat the pants off just about any national side and, not coincidentally make far more money than any national side. The elite clubs will attract the best players and the best coaches and playing internationals is really not much more than an additional chore imposed by FIFA, just as playing in whatever the League Cup is called this year is of no consequence and best left to the Reserves.
Maybe it's time to ditch internationals in football.