U21 EUROS

[Cocacolajojo1]

Tell me about it - it's not like they were playing at home.

Haha

[Nickyboy]

Feel a little bit sorry for Pearce. The FA don't allow him to pick his best players and the second rate player's he is allowed to pick are so egotistical they believe they are too good for that level.

He should fuck it off and get himself a job in the championship. He's a good honest bloke (with obvious managerial short comings) who is on a hiding to nothing with the U21 and he can't be much worse than some of the absolute charlatans that are in club management.

[Goaters 103]

Spain should win this with a cigar on.

As for England, Stuart Pearce as manager? Jordan Henderson captain? "Puts head in hands"

I believe my original point from a week ago remains valid.

[Bianchi on Ice]

Spain should win this with a cigar on.

As for England, Stuart Pearce as manager? Jordan Henderson captain? "Puts head in hands"

I believe my original point from a week ago remains valid.

True.
What I would say though is that attention given to the tournament in the last 6-8 years is simply to fall in line with skys desire to show as much football as possible, especially internationals, as they have yet to get their grubby mits on the world cup or european championships. when I was a lad the under 21s werent bothered with, because anyone any good didnt play for them for long, and thats the same all round not just here. So in essence the real issues surrounding the way we develop our young players, you would think, would be emphasised by the intense media glare and criticism. Unfortunately neither the looking for scapegoats or wringing of hands is going to alter the fact that if I, as a manager, have the choice to pay 8million quid for an english player who cannot trap a bag of cement or 4 mill for a foreign player with the technique to hit the ground running I know what id do. The premier league, for all its faults, does not owe english players a living, but the FA are ultimately the ones who can shape the future so we can one day see an Isco rather than a henderson. As ive said before, if proper steps were taken to put in place solid coaching infastructures instead of looking at isolated tournament successes (1990& 96) and burying heads in the sand thinking everything is ok we wouldnt be going round in circles.