The International Football Thread

[Special Juan 27,103]

Ben Gibson facing his own goal when the ball comes over, 1-0 Italy and now 2-0 in 2 minutes.

[LDN Blue 7,903]

Come on England ffs!

[zolayes 14,489]

game over ,, not really a shock

[LDN Blue 7,903]

It's incredible really how broken English football is. Horrible if you're a young player trying to make it here, there's simply no environment for these kids to make the steps up from u19 to u21 to seniors.

Anyway, the usual rhetoric and excuses will come out and nothing will progress. We're lucky the PL can still attract foreign stars, albeit at a declining rate.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

RLC for Ings please. 4-3-3.

[Viper22 2,418]

Lol the England youth team taking after their senior counterparts in as much as they're being a pathetic group of losers.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

Lol the England youth team taking after their senior counterparts in as much as they're being a pathetic group of losers.

And having a shit manager who leaves his best players on the bench?

[Thendo 1,088]

GET IN! Sweden through to the semi finals in the u-21 european championship. Who would have thought that with the group we were in? Amazing fighting spirit!

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

It's incredible really how broken English football is. Horrible if you're a young player trying to make it here, there's simply no environment for these kids to make the steps up from u19 to u21 to seniors.

Anyway, the usual rhetoric and excuses will come out and nothing will progress. We're lucky the PL can still attract foreign stars, albeit at a declining rate.

Excellent post.

[Iggy Doonican 4,186]

The last England 21 coaches Pearce and now Southgate very moderate careers as coach/manager. Yet the F.A. decide they should be in charge of England's best young players why?. Surely it's jobs for the boys and they get these jobs simply because there ex England internationals. They keep saying there should be a root and branch clear out at the F.A. well they can start by making the next England 21's coach a young and up and coming coach like Karl Robinson. Not some failed old has been. I bet someone like David Platt will be the next coach the English F.A are so backward looking it's unreal.

[zolayes 14,489]

GET IN! Sweden through to the semi finals in the u-21 european championship. Who would have thought that with the group we were in? Amazing fighting spirit!

its all down to size the biggest and richest countries get through ........ Sweden Denmark and Portugal

[Special Juan 27,103]

Southgate said "We are progressing and moving in the right direction"

[LDN Blue 7,903]

The last England 21 coaches Pearce and now Southgate very moderate careers as coach/manager. Yet the F.A. decide they should be in charge of England's best young players why?. Surely it's jobs for the boys and they get these jobs simply because there ex England internationals. They keep saying there should be a root and branch clear out at the F.A. well they can start by making the next England 21's coach a young and up and coming coach like Karl Robinson. Not some failed old has been. I bet someone like David Platt will be the next coach the English F.A are so backward looking it's unreal.

Absolutely.

What's shocking is one of the excuses was that Sterling & co weren't playing. But hell look at that Italy team, they didn't have a single 'senior' player who was part of Italy's XI in their u21s and still made easy work of England.

They have to stop, imo, paying these kids so much!! There are 16-19 year olds making more money, in a week, than most people will ever make in a year! How exactly is that meant to keep them motivated? You see Sterling rejecting a £100,000/year contract and think how can anyone offer so much money to a kid?

[Duppy Conqueror 1,451]

the FA should change the rules so that there should be something like 4 English players in every team. it won`t stop the cream of Europe and World football coming but it will stop teams like us filling too many squad spots with average players that merely stunt the growth of young English players coming through. it should be something that should happen all over Europe but we should do it ourselves if UEFA aren`t willing. If I recall correctly the Italian FA used to do it.

most of England`s pool of talent at the senior level come from teams outside of trophy winning caliber teams..and in the U19 and U21 ranks those who play at bigger clubs haven`t played many 1st team games with their parent club. results behind the senior team don`t matter so much to me but the development of them.

[Thendo 1,088]

Sweden through to the final! Who would have guessed that at the start of the tournament? Incredible!

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

How do the other leagues incentivise youth development so much?

[iseah100 5,612]

Day 365. #NoEraPenal

[Jase 43,479]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11095/9898553/danny-blind-takes-over-as-netherlands-coach-as-guus-hiddink-quits

Hiddink resigns as Dutch boss.

Danny Blind - Daley Blind's father - is taking over.