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'We are being conned'
Craig Johnston told Sky Sports News he is furious that the FA are holding an inquiry into their own failings.
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Comments (38)
Peter Barrow (Arsenal fan) says...
Can Alan Shearer manage England? With his international experience, if he was German, Dutch or Italian, who understand fluent football and fluid movement you would say yes. Look at the way Germany have had ex players (Beckenbauer, Voghts & Klinsman) become the assistant mngr and then take over from the current manager after a world cup campaign. (Not unlike the Ryder cup Captain) The opportunity to have created the ex player dynasty could have started with Hoddle and a younger ex player, like Lineker The problem is, so few of our ex & current players have played abroad and experienced the vastly more professional coaching and man management. How can players, professional athletes like the Spurs and England keeper, be considered so overweight by a new continental manager? Why don't English clubs train the same number of hours as foreign clubs? Is it because too many ex british players are within the coaching set ups of clubs and finishing at 12.30 is far better than finishing at 3.30? Enough time to go horseracing perhaps German clubs physically train in the morning, then skills train in the afternoon. Why don't British managed clubs? Mclaren should have gone for picking Sammy Lee and Ray Clemence on his caoching team. Did Clemence bother to consider the weather forecast and instruct the groundstaff to wet the surface in front of one of the practice goals to remind Carson of what would face him on Wednesday? No and this is the typical lack of professionalism that runs through English football
Posted 15:29 25th November 2007
Echie Roberts (Liverpool fan) says...
You might be surprised to learn that many Scots like me feel for you English when your team does badly. We like the rivalry between our countries. One problem we both share is a politically correct world that does not encourage excellence, it encourages dumbing down and rewards playing safe. Nobody ever won anything worthwhile by praising mediocrity. While I agree with many of the things said by others above, for the long term benefit of the national teams and the country, how about sorting out the school system which encourages the production of losers?
Posted 15:22 25th November 2007
Peter Mitchell (Middlesbrough fan) says...
I completely agree, McLaren is sacked for incompetance and failure and paid off! If I was sacked for the same reason I''d get a bad reference and escorted out of the building. Surely the English FA should also be held accountable for the same failings, and the failure to build up grass roots level. As a kid I used to find a bit of grass to play on, if none available then kicking a ball against a wall would suffice. We have time to build up for South Africa, let''s start now, lets build up a young team that can work together with a manager who is committed and experienced. Sorry, but Alan Shearer next England manager? Please not, no offence Alan you may have the badges but what about the experience of management. Then again does that really matter? By the way Craig, your old club Boro could do with your passion and advice, fancy a job? Mr Gibson take note.
Posted 11:59 25th November 2007
Eamon Russell (Everton fan) says...
First job get a good manager in. Plse Jose come and save us! Heads need to roll at the FA. If a player is not doing the buisness he gets dropped , a manager will get the sack. What bout the FA? Thy are not doing there job. I think we do all know what needs to be done. More english players in the prem. Better coaching methods, more work with the ball. Sunday leauge is to pressured for kids theys should be having fun. The likes of brazil are so good on the ball cos they dont stop messing about with with it. We should do 90% ball work and it will become more natural. Ronald said he learnt more messing with his mates when he was young than anything. The fans have said from the start that steve mac was not the right man. Now if we knew this why didnt the FA???? I could have told them that from the start. I would love to just see a real football person i charge at the FA instead of suits!!!
Posted 22:21 24th November 2007
Richard Godley (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
My opinion on where English football goes from here may be a radical one, but I do believe with the fact that no home nations have qualified for this years euros, let alone looking like being able to win the competition, it may be time to scrap the home nations teams and form the British FA. Back in the 70s and 80s when England failed to qualify, you normally had another one of the home nations in the tournament. The last time we had 2 in a tournament was 98...effectively 10 years ago. Together, Britain would be a collective team capable of winning the world cup.
Posted 21:46 24th November 2007
Andy Burke (Chelsea fan) says...
Why can't we stop putting business men in charge of the FA. Adam Crozier didn't do a bad job, but he's not a football person. Nor is Barwick. What we have is a financially sound organisation who are not capable , as Craig so eloquently and passionately put it, of delivering to the grass roots of the sport.We need business common sense but we need people who understand our current youth issues. Arsenal have a squad most weeks that dont have any english players. Yet they are the best team and play the best football. Surely this is pointing out the obvious. Put a winner in charge!!
Posted 21:43 24th November 2007
Pete Ennis (Manchester United fan) says...
Interesting and thought provoking article i dont have the knowledge that so many previous comentators seem to have so i cant comment on its accuracy but the gyst of it seems to be we should blame the state of the english national team on grassroot issues and the fa's failure to fianace this,i agree this is something the fa should take up as a major priority but to imply the eng tema lack overall talent is just plain stupid as all can see, these are arguably some of the best players in the world, but as a team they are awful, nothing to do with grassroots just the lack of a good strong manager to bring that talent together to gel, the media also have to take abit of criticism, this constant we're the best we'rethe worst flip of the coin mentality does nothing for any international teams morale. On the whole i think we need a good experienced manger to can handle the media pressure and the fa pressure, no more yes men!!! A guy that thinks for himself really, we have the talent we just need to bring it together into a team, and anyone who mentions the players saleries and the lifestyle seem to forget the italians arent exacly sort of cash, neither are the likes of kaka or any top foreigner who plays in the english prem they seem to do just fine at intl level so whats the real probelm, i surmise an over hyped english team by the rpess and weak mangers who are esentially yes men to the english fa ( by the way i rank yes men as any managerwho would play a player irregardless of form because hes a big name and might factor in gater reciets,sponsorship etc just to be clear) Cheers Pete
Posted 20:14 24th November 2007
Geoff Leech (Blackburn Rovers fan) says...
Four times now I have passed comment on this site on how inept the england team have been under Steve Maclaren. Not once have I had one printed. Before they kicked a ball in the match on Wednesday it was a well known fact that there was no leadership. Most of the pundits on TV are yes men and seem reluctant to give an honest opinion, for fear of not being popular,everything is beautiful. If I could see it coming a mile off,why couldn't they? after all it's supposed to be their profession now. Are they gagged and only allowed to tell us what the majority want to hear? The england team seem to consist of players that used to be good and good ones, not good ones and inform players. To get us out of this mess we need someone who doesn't follow the flock and believes in their own ability.
Posted 20:05 24th November 2007
Andrew Gibson (Newcastle United fan) says...
johnston is completely has hit it bang on the nose. In regards both the grass roots side of things and the total mismanagement of the FA. After speaking to a number of people now I think the other night along with the campaign in general has been the final straw for most. People really shouldn't be prepared to put up with the blatant ignorance and under achievement by the national team and FA. Personally I think MaClaren should have never been given the job in the first place, simply a yes man to the FA. In my opinion the FA should only be managed and run by people who have played or worked very closely within game at the top level. The people who run it now and previously are uniformed and not fit to make judgement with what basic knowledge they have of the game. This runs from the top all the way down into local regional leagues. OLD, OUT OF DATE & MISGUIDED!!! How do we make our voices heard, stop going to games? Boycott the games until something is done, and done thoroughly, professionally and in the best interests of the game.
Posted 19:49 24th November 2007
Coach Kab (Liverpool fan) says...
Let's address a key issue in English football. It is a multi-cultural sport. So the game cannot be played with the same pride and passion idealogy of the past (often reffered to as British Bulldog spirit). It has never won us anything at international level for 40+ years. Instead, we should be pushing for players at all levels with flair on the ball. We should be encouraging youth to dribble and display tricks in games. Never mind the idea of kicking to a target on a brick wall, we should use the methods of freestyle football to create world class play. Players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Messi, Robinho, Quaresma, Kaka, and Riquelme should be upheld as models of how to play the game. In England we have had players like John Barnes, Chris Waddle, Glen Hoddle, Matt Le Tissuer, Paul Gasgoigne, Steve Coppell, Laurie Cunningham, Stan Collymore, Steve McManaman, Cyrille Regis, Mark Chamberlain, Vince Hillaire, Stan Bowles, Rodney Marsh, Frank Worthington, Andy Cole, Robbie Fowler, Ian Wright, and the like all mis-used, under-used, ignored, or never given a solid run at international level. So much flair, speed and/or dribbling ability wasted. We have become the laughing stock of world football because of the ignorance of managers like Greenwood, Robson, Taylor, Venables, Hoddle, Eriksson and now McClaren in not selecting players with skill and flair in their fear of losing. From '74 to '08, in all tournaments we have failed, even when we reached the semis, we under performed because 3-4 great players were left out in favour of some workhorse who achieved nothing. The 2 best managers in the world are Wenger and Rijkaard because of the way they encourage their teams to play (not just the results). We need a manager like that to lead England. The one available would be Jurgen KLINNSMANN. He has the courage, vision, style and confidence to make England a winner with flair, and build a team of diverse style.
Posted 19:29 24th November 2007
Dave Larder (Arsenal fan) says...
Why didn't Gerrard play for England, like he played for Liverpool today? Obviously there is a culture of caring only for themselves and their clubs, and not for England.
Posted 17:50 24th November 2007
Phil Williams (Everton fan) says...
As one who is heavily involved in coaching I am frustrated at a certification system that doeslitle to attract ex-players into coaching. Sessions are being ran by far too many who have no philosophy or deep rooted feel for the standards required to compete at the top. In general club scouts are pushing forward mediocre talent and clogging up a system which should only reward excellence and endeavour. I am sick of 14 year olds who claim they have nothing to learn because a scout had them at a lower league Academy for six months. Take only the cream and stop teenage ego's getting in the way of the hunger kids need to learn and develop. The truth is lots of money is being spent on kids but, in my view, this is not the same thing as development of future internationals. Quality before quantity.
Posted 13:53 24th November 2007
Ian White (Middlesbrough fan) says...
Can anyone tell me how the FA gets their funding? Is it purely revenue from England matches? I propose a boycott of future English fixtures (both at the grounds and in the pubs) until this fiasco improves, the amount of money being paid out to failures is disgraceful. I think I'm right in saying the Czech manager who took his side to the Euro 2004 semis was on 70k per year... need I say any more?
Posted 13:44 24th November 2007
Das Pittarides (Arsenal fan) says...
It's a shame it takes an 'outsider' to express the sentiments Craig has. The players, McClaren and the FA have jumped on the 'we are disappointed for the fans and nation' bandwagon because it's the politically correct thing to say but, other than McClaren who has been sacked, the players and the FA feel they can get away with what in footballing terms is tantamount murder! The suits at the FA behave like a bunch of despots, securing thier fiefdom at the cost of the nation's sport. If they really, genuinely cared about the the demise of the national team, they should all do the honourable thing and quit. Sadly they are all have it too cushy to do that!
Posted 15:08 23rd November 2007
Harry Boulton says...
Absolutely 100% correct. The guy speaks an amaznig amount of sense and is really honest while he's doing it. An amazing amount of humility and passion from someone who isn't even English. If Brian Barwick had this much sense and vision then we'd be booking our tickets for Austria and Switzerland now. As it is he's going to pay himself to conduct an enquiry into his own organisation, and then give himself a bonus when he's done, all the while, nothing will change...
Posted 15:08 23rd November 2007
Gopal Srinivas (Arsenal fan) says...
Mr.Johnston , You are absolutely correct... The entire FA board should be sacked and an independent inquiry launched to determine the reasons for the present poor state of ENGLISH sport...and a new board set up with personnel who really are interested in ensuring UK is a good sports country In fact the same problem is persistent in all sports , esp. Footbal , Cricket , Tennis and olympic sports to name a few.. The sooner the independent sports body is established will be the day god for UK sports
Posted 15:07 23rd November 2007
David Smith (Liverpool fan) says...
I fully agree with what Craig Johnston is saying and unlike many who have decided to jump on the band wagon when we fail at major tournaments and hopelessly look for excuses, craig has been voicing his concerns for a long time about our grass roots coaching without getting the credit he deserves. trevor brooking head of coaching development??? are you joking!!! if people like craig can see the obvious faults why can't the people who are supposed to be ruling the game also see these faults??? i think gerard houllier the ex liverpool manager should be involved in the 'new england set up' look at what he did for french football?? set up academies in all area of the country training the best young talent and surprise surprise it produced world cup winners like thierrry henry and trezeguet???
Posted 14:59 23rd November 2007
Vinny Essai (Tottenham Hotspur fan) says...
I agree withi him 100%. Not only that, but the players on wednesday didnt even show any pride. Forget rubbish manager we had with rubbish team selection, what about the players!!! They dont care, the fans are being conned of their money and faith. Get a team who cares. Only Beckham shows the pride the rest should be ashamed. Im still angry, they all messed UP!!! Get Mourinho, he'll sort these prideless players.
Posted 14:53 23rd November 2007
Matt Smith (Arsenal fan) says...
100% agree. Who else can make such glaring errors and and have no-one to answer to? There needs to be an independent review of all things FA.
Posted 14:52 23rd November 2007
Alex Moir says...
The FA have been getting things disastrously wrong for years now and they are still there, no one has been sacked, they seem to have impunity. Why are they still there to make the same mistakes time and again. For example, they gave Eriksson a huge pay rise BEFORE the world cup (which was absolutely ridiculous), and when the world cup campaign inevitably failed woefully they had to pay him millions in compensation to get rid of him. So when they hire McClaren they don't give him a two year contract to see how he performs at the European Championships, they give this untried and untested manager a whopping 4 year contract so that after 2 years of inevitable failure the FA again has to pay out millions in compensation (money that could go to FA youth academies to nuture young english taleng for example). How do these guys at the FA still have their jobs? It makes you sick
Posted 14:52 23rd November 2007