Skinner & Baddiel sang the popular ditty (at the time) Footballs Coming Home over THIRTY years ago.
So why hasn’t it? the dust has settled on another underwhelming performance at a major tournament for England who are now turning into a Scotlandesque type of outfit.
I wonder how long it’ll be before we start getting to be a 2nd or 3rd pot seeding at the lavish FIFA/UEFA draws?
The Premier League whose “charter” on its formation was to help Team England to prosper is in some circles regarded as the best league in the world.
So consequently by the same token some of the world’s best players are participating in it, with me so far?
A total of 110 players at the time were contracted to Barclays Premier League clubs were named in the final 23-man squads of the 32 competing nations, the EPL by far and away the leader supplier of any league on the planet.
Two forwards spring to mind as they basically knocked Roy Hodgeson’s team out of Brazil 14, Luis Suarez & Mario Balotelli both ex-Premier League players who didn’t do too badly.
Yes Mario was over in Italy with Milan but you get my drift, all this hullabaloo about foreigners ruining the national squad but are they?
The foreigners who pull on a EPL shirt play well in international tournaments so why can’t the 3Lions play like they do for their clubs or even up their game as well ?
Those English players who are actually in the first team squads are the best at their club, foreigner or no foreigner and they are playing with and against the best week in week out.
So are the home grown players not good enough, skill wise or more to the point attitude wise?
The Barcleys Premier League doesn’t seem to be stifling the foreigners as German, Argentinian, Belgium, French, and Dutch players did pretty well in the competition.
Plus surprise package Costa Rica had one in their ranks.
To counter the argument Spain had 7 in their squad and it was a massive disappointment to them to go home early but they have had a few good years beforehand !
In essence you can’t blame it all on the foreigners for the dearth of home grown talent, we have had golden generation upon golden generation all spectacularly failing time after time.
Surely at one time or another they need to take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror as you can’t lie to your own reflection.
Arsenal
Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere (both England), Olivier Giroud, Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna (all France), Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil, Lukas Podolski (all Germany), Santi Cazorla (Spain), Johan Djourou (Switzerland), Joel Campbell (Costa Rica), Chu Young Park (South Korea)
Aston Villa
Ron Vlaar (Netherlands), Brad Guzan (United States)
Chelsea
Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku (all Belgium), David Luiz, Oscar,Ramires, Willian (all Brazil), Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon), Gary Cahill, Frank Lampard (both England), Andre Schurrle (Germany), John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, Kenneth Omeruo(all Nigeria), Cesar Azpilicueta, Fernando Torres (both Spain), Christian Atsu (Ghana)
Crystal Palace
Mile Jedinak (Australia)
Everton
Kevin Mirallas (Belgium), Leighton Baines, Ross Barkley, Phil Jagielka (all England),Tim Howard (United States)
Hull City
Nikica Jelavic (Croatia), Maynor Figueroa (Honduras)
Leicester City
Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)
Liverpool
Simon Mignolet (Belgium), Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson, Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Rickie Lambert (all England), Mamadou Sakho (France), Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Luis Suarez, Sebastian Coates (both Uruguay), Pepe Reina (Spain)
Manchester City
Sergio Aguero, Martin Demichelis, Pablo Zabaleta (all Argentina), Vincent Kompany(Belgium), Edin Dzeko (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Fernandinho (Brazil), Joe Hart, James Milner (both England), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), David Silva (Spain)
Manchester United
Marouane Fellaini, Adnan Januzaj (both Belgium), Antonio Valencia (Ecuador), Phil Jones, Wayne Rooney, Chris Smalling, Danny Welbeck (all England), Patrice Evra(France), Shinji Kagawa (Japan), Javier Hernandez (Mexico), Robin van Persie(Netherlands), Nani (Portugal), David de Gea, Juan Mata (both Spain)
Newcastle United
Mathieu Debuchy, Moussa Sissoko (both France), Cheick Tiote (Ivory Coast), Tim Krul(Netherlands), Shola Ameobi (Nigeria)
Queens Park Rangers
Suk Young-Yun (South Korea), Loic Remy (France), Stephane Mbia (Cameroon), Julio Cesar (Brazil)
Southampton
Dejan Lovren (Croatia), Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw (both England), Maya Yoshida(Japan), Gaston Ramirez (Uruguay), Morgan Schneiderlin (France)
Stoke City
Asmir Begovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Wilson Palacios (Honduras), Peter Odemwingie(Nigeria), Geoff Cameron (United States)
Sunderland
Jozy Altidore (United States)
Swansea City
Wilfried Bony (Ivory Coast), Michel Vorm, Jonathan de Guzman (both Netherlands), Sung Yueng-Ki (South Korea)
Tottenham Hotspur
Nabil Bentaleb (Algeria), Nacer Chadli, Mousa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen (all Belgium),Paulinho (Brazil), Hugo Lloris (France), Benoit Assou-Ekotto (Cameroon)
West Bromwich Albion
Ben Foster (England), Diego Lugano (Uruguay)
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