'Obsession with winning domestic titles has hindered our international chances'
Saturday 6 September 2014 04:33, UK
After his defensive comments to journalists it's obvious Roy Hodgson is frustrated with being questioned.
But, frankly, the England fans are frustrated by what was, as Roy knows full well, an underwhelming performance against a very ordinary Norway side on Wednesday night.
I was watching the game in Portugal and for the first 15 minutes of the second half I was embarrassed; we looked so inept and had to rely on Joe Hart to keep us in it.
So Hodgson has to understand that criticism comes with the territory; performances are going to be questioned and people were right to question this performance - but he is right as well.
It is going to take time for Jack Wilshere, Jordan Henderson, John Stones and others to bed in to the side and play as well as they have been domestically in the Premier League.
I know what you're all thinking and that's that these players aren't good enough - well, that's what we've got and the people who are really to blame for that are you and me.
It was eye-catching that in the Germany versus Argentina friendly on Wednesday, five of the six goal scorers play in the Premier League, while the France goal against Spain was scored by a Premier League striker in Loic Remy.
In this country we put club success above national success and that's why our national team is struggling.
Manchester United fans would not be willing to accept two or three seasons of mediocrity so that they could give James Wilson and Will Keane a chance up front, they want Radamel Falcao.
They wouldn't have Nick Powell in midfield ahead of Angel di Maria, either, because they want to see their side challenging for their title.
Manchester City fans want to see Eliaquim Mangala or Pablo Zabaleta playing, they don't want to see Micah Richards in their defence and consequently he's moved on, while Scott Sinclair has been effectively left to rot.
Chelsea, meanwhile, loan out Nathaniel Chalobah, Ryan Bertrand, Josh McEachran and Patrick Bamford as they're not willing to take a chance on not making Champions League football by throwing in English kids who might make the grade if they were given the chance on a more regular basis.
If somebody said to me: 'take your pick, Hartlepool winning League Two or England winning the World Cup?', I'd pick Hartlepool winning League Two every day of the week.
But I'm of the same view.
If somebody said to me: 'Take your pick, Hartlepool winning League Two or England winning the World Cup?', I'd pick Hartlepool winning League Two every day of the week and, unfortunately, this is not something I see changing any time soon.
We hear all the headlines about how much money the Premier League has spent in this transfer window and how sensational it is.
But the down side of it is that most of it has been spent bringing foreign players in to this country, rather than bringing players up through the leagues,or unearthing some potential English dynamite who may need to be nurtured and get regular first-team action.
Instead, it's big-name, continental talent, which is great for the spectacle of the Premier League, but is not going to do Roy and the England team any favours.
I fear and share his frustrations but Roy is going to have to live with it because it's not going to change.
That's what we've got, we have got to be patient, we have to give these players a chance, but that doesn't mean to say we can't air our frustrations if it's not going well.
Things will look better and a lot brighter when Ross Barkley, Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw are all fit again as they're proof we've still got some decent kids - but the pool is pretty thin on the ground.
Everyone looks at our European Qualifying Group and says it's an absolute gimme, but one thing we've learned for sure is at the moment, with the stage of development that the team is at, no game is a given for us at the moment.
I don't want to be too gloomy but I just think that's the reality of the situation.
I'm putting the spotlight on Cambridge United for their 5-0 win over Carlisle, which sadly cost Graham Kavanagh his job.
Cambridge are back in the Football League and the fact it's only taken them a handful of games to get a win as emphatic as that is absolutely brilliant.
I think they and fellow promotees Luton will be comfortable this season, but it's just unfortunate that things tapered off for Kavanagh at Carlisle as the team went on a fantastic run when he was appointed.
