Have England always been overated.

[gaz1959]

We had home advantage in 1996 and that imo was the best team we have produced for some time. I think we all expected to win it, myself included, but we again hadn't the confidence or ability with the spot kicks.
That is probably the most gutted i have been with England.

My team is Swindon, therefor I am used to disappointment

[Acido]

Here we are again, slagging off England Fc!!.
Yes I know, and as a fan myself I cant tell you how many times that they've also let me down in tournaments. But I still stick with them and still will always support them, because they are MY national team.
Is that wrong eh lads, or even ridiculous to want to do that these days ?.

[Cambusman]

Has the expectancy continually put pressure on the team?

I am 64, i was 11 when we won the World Cup, i watched it in Austria of all places, half the hotel were English the other half German so it was a good atmosphere in the tV lounge.
But that is the only trophy we have won and the only final we have been in.That is very poor for a country that invented the game.Even Greece have won the Euros.
In my time following football England have only had a handful of what i would call truly world class players, and three were in that World Cup winning side. Banks, Moore and Charlton. We have hardly had any since, maybe Bryan Robson.
We have had a lot of pretenders, Like Gascgoine, Rooney and now Kane, but true world class players do it against the worlds best when it matters, not in friendlies or against the likes of Jamaica, Saudi Arabia and Montenegro.
Even before my time when we had the likes of Finney, Mathews, Wright, and Lofthouse, we never won anything and even the USA beat us. Hungary wiped the floor with us, 6 at Wembley and 7 in Budapest and they weren't good enough to win anything.
Small countries like Holland and Belgium have produced many world class players so population doesn't come into it.
Do our players, the media and us the fans think we are better than we really are?

Good post, mate. Yes england have been overrated for many years - a rather inexplicable expectation to win I'd say from about WC 86 though to about WC 2006. After that it seemed to kinda sink in england werent that good and certainly didnt measure up to the bigger countries (Germany France, Spain, Portugal, Brazil, Argentina, Italy). Thankfully expectation seemed to be more realistic the past few years. I do worry though, that after the Russia WC run (where england didnt really beat anyone of note) a big bag of bravado and expectation is on the march again and people are talking about 2020 Euros.

Give me realism any day mate. Not pie in the sky, carried away nonsense - it only humiliates england in the end after all.

cheers

[alfinyalcabo]

It's a bit like asking is Scotland underrated? Are they phook they are Phookin awful..

Cheers

[Tricky1966]

I was tempted to comment on this England thing but as a Republic of Ireland fan i as before would be tarred and feathered.
So my diplomatic answer is "up Harry Kane's army"
Ps i lost interest in England when the corrupt FA forced El Tel out after Euro 96.

[Tricky1966]

It's a bit like asking is Scotland underrated? Are they phook they are Phookin awful..

Cheers

And Alf's usual words of wisdom bless him.
Keeps ya post count up aye Alf Ha Ha

[gaz1959]

I was tempted to comment on this England thing but as a Republic of Ireland fan i as before would be tarred and feathered.
So my diplomatic answer is "up Harry Kane's army"
Ps i lost interest in England when the corrupt FA forced El Tel out after Euro 96.

I wonder if the demise of elboyo was down to Lard Sugirl?

[Cambusman]

It's a bit like asking is Scotland underrated? Are they phook they are Phookin awful..

Cheers

Well I must say, that's a surprise seeing scotland being brought into it

Maybe therein lies the problem

[Tricky1966]

I wonder if the demise of elboyo was down to Lard Sugirl?

Mr Sugar is a wrinkly old beetroot.

[alfinyalcabo]

Well I must say, that's a surprise seeing scotland being brought into it

Maybe therein lies the problem

You are right Cambus, I really shouldn't mention Scotland and football in the same breath..