The past week saw some fantastic action and results in Euro 2016. From the final group stage matches, the six goal thriller between Hungary and Portugal particularly sticks out, as does Iceland’s win over Austria and Ireland’s victory over an albeit significantly weakened Italian side.
In their next game, the gulf in class between The Boys in Green and their French opponents inevitably saw them waving “au revoir” to the tournament, but I received some consolation by earlier seeing Wales take a step further in the competition and later England being dumped out of it in style by the men from Iceland.
In fact it never ceases to amuse me how a significant portion of the English media and fans seem to think that they have some kind of a divine right to be winning World Cups and European Championships.
They are kidding themselves, just as they have been kidding themselves since the 1966 World Cup final that Geoff Hurst’s shot was actually over the line. Even after Roy Hodgson announced that he was quitting after what they perceived to be a humiliating defeat to Iceland (who in fact were the better team), the next bookies favourite for the job was none other than Gareth Southgate.
This ex-players managerial experience amounts to being sacked as manager of Middlesbrough and currently being manager of the England U21 team.
Other English names being touted included Garry Neville who was sacked in Spain earlier this year and was part of Hodgson’s England staff and Sam Allardyce and Alan Pardew, who have only managed average clubs.
Some are suggesting that they go back to Glen Hoddle who had his contract terminated from the job previously. Other favourites for the job include Mourinho and Wenger, but surely they would have more sense.
The only likelihood I anticipate is that whoever England appoints, it will be someone who will but maintain, what many pundits have labelled, their ‘pathetic standards’. Their losing mindset and fear of failure is psychological and over the generations has become firmly engrained in their players and international football culture. You don’t get rid of that in a hurry.
As someone who doesn’t want to see the English football team win any more tournaments, the maintenance of the status quo will suit me absolutely fine.
