Three Lions In The Bin

So, farewell England.

I've resisted writing about the World Cup on this here blog, as I know a fair few of you good people reading have little or no interest in the beautiful game. But as a follower, I want to write few notes for posterity prior to what (I believe) will be out a massive outpouring of grief, rage and excuses in the wake of this 4-1 thrashing.

First of all, I'd like to offer a huge "fuck off" to the Daily Star for their headline on Thursday: "Job Done...Now For The Hun!" I mean, really, whichever sub-editor wrote that, I hope you spend hours in the shower, scrubbing bleach onto your skin and whimpering "The dirt! It won't come off!" right until you're working away to the bone. Not even my grandfather, who actually spent a bit of time fighting the German nation in 1944-45, referred to them as "the Hun".

Quite why anyone thought a narrow 1-0 win over a nation with a population about the same as Greater Manchester meant beating Germany was a reasonable shout seems beyond me, but hey, hindsight can be a cruel mistress.

In the wake of this, it seems likely to me that Fabio Cappello will soon jump or be pushed and an English replacement will be chosen, most likely Roy Hodgson or Harry Redknapp. This, we will be told, will mean the "passion" will be put back into the team by someone who knows what the England team means to the nation.

Yet I ask, is passion really the answer? Did the German team run around like lunatics? Or did they show cohesion, teamwork and calmness to put four goals past a hapless defence? Their team may not possess many world-class talents, but being organised and having each player know their role can work wonders.

I've always been of the belief that the source of the problem with England's national team goes back to how we coach from the earliest age. Speaking from personal experience, I was often lumped at centre-half, on the basis I was a good foot taller than anyone else my age. Now, it didn't matter I wasn't the best tackler and a useless header, I was the guy to cancel out the other teams "big lad", who would be playing centre forward. The few times I did find myself with the ball at my feet, I was under orders to "hoof it forward".

When I got older, I learnt that in Europe, they tend to do things different. There's less emphasis on getting kids playing full-size games as soon as possible. More on getting players to learn to use the ball with skill. Perhaps this is why the Netherlands, population 16 million, produces way more quality players than England, population nearly three times more.

Back when England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championships, I remember seeing Trevor Brooking bleat on about a "root and branch" investigation of how football was organised and ran in this country. I laughed then, and for good reason: nothing will change as long as the status quo continues to make piles of cash from the Premiership. The media will bay for blood and they'll get it - but until they point the finger of blame where it's deserved, England will continue to be shown up by the very best (or even just the above average) on the world stage.