England's neglected mavericks... Your view
To celebrate Matthew Le Tissier's 40th birthday, we've selected nine other flair players who were cruelly and crazily ignored by a succession of England managers.
You can read all about them here and then tell us whether there are any others who should have played more often for England? Or you might argue that some of the list didn't deserve any more caps, based on their off-field behaviour. Whatever your opinion, let us have it using the boxes below.
Great article. Flair is all too often looked at with suspicion rather than encouraged. Brazilian flair is celebrated. Why can't we? Our psyche has become overly bureaucratic to the detriment of the entrepreneurial spark needed to get things moving. It takes a brave manager to let a player with flair take over the show. But hey, life is a risk. We are too afraid of losing these days. Bring on the adventurers.
Posted by: BK | 27 February 2008 at 20:00
4-5-3? thats 12 players. football is a game of 11 a-side... looks like your not the special one haha
Posted by: Jay | 16 January 2008 at 19:34
Le tissier was overlooked for England. He was a match winner , and although sometimes looked lazy he was undoubtedly the most skilful player and passer of a ball the premiership has ever witnessed. Le God should have had a load more caps!!!!
Posted by: | 16 January 2008 at 16:15
With the exception of Hoddle and Le Tissier, none of the others were good enough and never produced the goods on the international stage. Perhaps they each deserved a dozen caps and a few more opportunities to shine as they were all undeniably quality players for their respective clubs.
You also have to look at the players who kept them out of the team.
For a long time now the England team has failed to deliver, and I think that there are a number of reasons why:
The players have been not quite good enough or not played quite well enough on the day.
High national expectations heap untold pressure on the players.
Poor coaching and lack of imagination.
Poor managerial decisions.
Bad luck.
Poor refereeing decisions.
The current squad contains around 15 TOP internationals and collectively they are undoubtably good enough to win something, but being good enough and actually winning something takes a lot more.
THOUGHT: Should England develop their own NEW style of playing, a new formation or tactics. We invented the game after all, so we should be leading the game with others following our lead.
We have the players to make a 4:5:3 system work, where the 2 extra players float between midfield and attack, and with 2 defenders pushing on when we have possesion we effectively have 2:5:3 when attacking and 4:5:1 when defending.
COME ON ENGLAND...
Posted by: Steve H | 14 January 2008 at 18:40
Were England so blessed with strikers that Andy Cole, who was knocking in 30 goals in a season for MAN UTD, could be so overlooked?
Posted by: Robin | 14 January 2008 at 12:57