If you believe the FA and certain groups of fans, we are currently in one of the most critical stages in the history of our national game. Failures at recent tournaments have left us, as a nation, increasingly frustrated at constant under-par performances in the big games. And with our performances of late, hopes for qualifying for Brazil hanging in the balance, (despite still being within our hands), and quality of players seemingly waning, some at FA HQ have got a little worried about what the future has in store for England.
I have extremely mixed views on this. On the one hand, I do believe that something can be done - though it always can be - to improve the quality and subsequent success of our national team. The only time I have been truly 'excited' for an England game in the last 7 years was when we played Italy last June, and by considering myself to be a massive football fan, that just cannot be right. As much as it pains me to admit, England bore me to death quite often.
On the other hand, however, our England team is subject to relentless pressure from our fans and the media to perform, when in reality, we may not be that great. This leads me to believe that this debate may not be a case of us getting worse as a national side, but more of a greater widespread realisation that we are just not that great of a football team - with the FA refusing to admit it (and rightly so).
The new FA chief executive, Greg Dyke's speech last week was almost a blatant attempt to blame the success and appeal of the Premier League on the England side's shortcomings at major tournaments. Now, that in itself is a fair argument, but there are certain flaws in it.
Firstly, the speech seems to have imploded the sense of disappointment of the England team from fans after the 0-0 draw in Ukraine. I don't think enough fans appreciate how difficult to get a win would've been there, and the criticism that followed was wholly undeserved in my eyes. It was boring, but who cares? It's a great result. I would've taken 0-0 at kick-off.
Dyke claimed that the influx of foreigners being imported into the Premier League had meant that promising, upcoming English players weren't playing regular football. But surely, if a player is good at football, he will get a chance eventually?
Take Arsenal's very own Jack Wilshere. When he was just 18, we had a midfield of Fabregas, Nasri and Song, and he broke into that and was out of this world. Ironically, it is arguable that the same kind of media attention and hype that surrounded Jack ever since has contributed to his recent 'dip' in performances in the same way as the England team.
Unfortunately for Jack, his long-term injury had given the media even more time to hype him up even more as 'England's saviour' when in reality, he may now not even be a dead-cert to start at Arsenal thanks to Ozil's arrival - but if he was good enough, he would.
That is, in a nutshell, the point I am trying to make here. The problem is not the foreigners. It is the English players. Face it, we're just not good enough. We haven't been since Sven left, really. You look at the squad he had at England; a young Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney etc. all taking centre stage. Who's challenged them seriously in that time? No-one.
So should we even be surprised that the majority of that squad is coming to the end of their careers and it is coinciding with the lowest confidence levels of the country in the last decade?
What we can and should do is get prospective England players playing internationally from an early age. It's worked for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sturridge and Barkley amongst others and they look set to become future regular internationals - and there's no reason why they can't be the ones to fire us to glory when they get into their prime.
To clarify, I don't think the future of the England team is as bleak as the FA are making out by needing to 'save' English football. I feel that the result of high expectations, 'easy' past qualifying campaigns and this year's struggle to do so, has led to us finally realising that we aren't the greatest team in the world, and it may be a while before we are. But the next crop of English players is ready to step forward in a bid to become heroes. We're not expecting them to, but here's to backing them all the way.
I have extremely mixed views on this. On the one hand, I do believe that something can be done - though it always can be - to improve the quality and subsequent success of our national team. The only time I have been truly 'excited' for an England game in the last 7 years was when we played Italy last June, and by considering myself to be a massive football fan, that just cannot be right. As much as it pains me to admit, England bore me to death quite often.
On the other hand, however, our England team is subject to relentless pressure from our fans and the media to perform, when in reality, we may not be that great. This leads me to believe that this debate may not be a case of us getting worse as a national side, but more of a greater widespread realisation that we are just not that great of a football team - with the FA refusing to admit it (and rightly so).
The new FA chief executive, Greg Dyke's speech last week was almost a blatant attempt to blame the success and appeal of the Premier League on the England side's shortcomings at major tournaments. Now, that in itself is a fair argument, but there are certain flaws in it.
Firstly, the speech seems to have imploded the sense of disappointment of the England team from fans after the 0-0 draw in Ukraine. I don't think enough fans appreciate how difficult to get a win would've been there, and the criticism that followed was wholly undeserved in my eyes. It was boring, but who cares? It's a great result. I would've taken 0-0 at kick-off.
Dyke claimed that the influx of foreigners being imported into the Premier League had meant that promising, upcoming English players weren't playing regular football. But surely, if a player is good at football, he will get a chance eventually?
Take Arsenal's very own Jack Wilshere. When he was just 18, we had a midfield of Fabregas, Nasri and Song, and he broke into that and was out of this world. Ironically, it is arguable that the same kind of media attention and hype that surrounded Jack ever since has contributed to his recent 'dip' in performances in the same way as the England team.
Unfortunately for Jack, his long-term injury had given the media even more time to hype him up even more as 'England's saviour' when in reality, he may now not even be a dead-cert to start at Arsenal thanks to Ozil's arrival - but if he was good enough, he would.
That is, in a nutshell, the point I am trying to make here. The problem is not the foreigners. It is the English players. Face it, we're just not good enough. We haven't been since Sven left, really. You look at the squad he had at England; a young Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney etc. all taking centre stage. Who's challenged them seriously in that time? No-one.
So should we even be surprised that the majority of that squad is coming to the end of their careers and it is coinciding with the lowest confidence levels of the country in the last decade?
What we can and should do is get prospective England players playing internationally from an early age. It's worked for Oxlade-Chamberlain, Sturridge and Barkley amongst others and they look set to become future regular internationals - and there's no reason why they can't be the ones to fire us to glory when they get into their prime.
To clarify, I don't think the future of the England team is as bleak as the FA are making out by needing to 'save' English football. I feel that the result of high expectations, 'easy' past qualifying campaigns and this year's struggle to do so, has led to us finally realising that we aren't the greatest team in the world, and it may be a while before we are. But the next crop of English players is ready to step forward in a bid to become heroes. We're not expecting them to, but here's to backing them all the way.
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