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Couldn't the same be said of the italian team?
When do they ever win the euro thing, anyhow?
commentators always seem to blather on about the team's tactical nous but, in the end, they always screw it up despite that.
They are shocked for two reasons:
1) England has been historically dominant in football, though less so in recent years.
2) Iceland's population is under 350,000, compared to 53 million or so in England.
Tiny countries like Iceland, or Ireland for that matter, are not supposed to beat England. When it does happen (and it does), it presents quite the shock. The timing of it is not helpful, since almost half of England is already shocked by Brexit.
never heard anybody describe the english football team as ever having been " dominant " , england have always struggled against every opponent in the finals themselves ( bar 1966 and that great performance against brazil in 1970 ), they have usually sailed through qualifiers
id rank them behind portugal in terms of all time performance in tournaments , they are not in the same stratosphere as germany , italy , france or spain
never heard anybody describe the english football team as ever having been " dominant " , england have always struggled against every opponent in the finals themselves ( bar 1966 and that great performance against brazil in 1970 ), they have usually sailed through qualifiers
id rank them behind portugal in terms of all time performance in tournaments , they are not in the same stratosphere as germany , italy , france or spain
Bobby Robson's management and team were decent enough, although England have never been a dominant force in international football but then again only a handful of countries have been really dominant forces.
Welcome to the reality of franchise sports. How do you expect any team today to play with the pride of nationality behind it when all they're on the pitch for is the payday at the end of the week?
Nowadays it's common practice to see a team made up of any number of foreign nationals who've been given lucrative contracts to entice them to come and "play" for some team or another. That's the single biggest thing that has ruined ALL team sports around the planet.
They're no longer sports, now they're only a business; the lowest common denominator there could possibly be. Who in their right mind would pour their heart and soul into a business they could very well not be a part of next season?
Couldn't the same be said of the italian team?
When do they ever win the euro thing, anyhow?
commentators always seem to blather on about the team's tactical nous but, in the end, they always screw it up despite that.
The Italians have won the Euro, as well as the WC many times. They're second only to Germany in terms of national team wins.
If you think that the media reacted badly, you should have seen and heard grown men sobbing in their beer in pubs all over England.
Unfortunately, most Englishmen think that their national soccer team has a God given right to demolish any other national team that has the temerity to run out on the same pitch as England.
It is gradually sinking in that England's players are $150,000 per week Prima donnas, who'd have difficulty overcoming a team of part-time fishermen.
In the wake of Iceland's victory on Monday, the Weather Bureau issued a flood warning for England, as the entire population of Scotland peed themselves laughing at England's discomfiture!
Unlike Americans, English people have a hard time accepting the fact that their soccer team is actually pretty weak.
Unlike Americans, English people have a hard time accepting the fact that their soccer team is actually pretty weak.
Oh.... I wouldn't call them weak. Pathetic - yes.
The England manager's job is the graveyard of reputations and careers. Where they will find someone who can raise these spoiled brats, and somehow, put some pride into them........ I just don't see where such a man could be found. I think even someone of the caliber of Alex Ferguson would struggle.
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