I think Southgate is developing a different type of team. I'm not saying they're saints, they're young men with the same inclinations as other men they're age. However I get the impression there's a different mental approach going on. I think it's influence its creating a maturity in the players never seen before. I reckon even a Gascoigne character would grow up under Southgate.
You've got more social conscience in the team. N not just Rashford neither. I would hazard a bet that no England player has or will be caught drink driving or cheating on their partner while part of the England setup including between competitions and qualifying. I might be wrong but this team does seem different to me.
Unfortunately money took over the game a generation or more ago. I'd have preferred things to be a better than the days footballers were poorly paid but not like it is now. A happy mid ground where they're comfortable for life at the end of career but not a wealthy as now. However there's an c argument that the top earners in other fields are also overpaid. City gamblers for example. Plus top flight footballers are very highly trained is just not as easily recognised as heart surgeon or as widely valuable as heart surgeon for example.
As long as they pay their taxes they can earn as much as they want. Not coming out of my pocket unlike the wages of thelying cheating scumbags who call themselves politicians these days.
Football is just an entertainment business though. Where should the money then go? To the club directors? To the shareholders? It's the players that the fans either go to the grounds to watch or pay stupid amounts to watch on TV (or both) - the players are the 'movie stars'. I do get a bit lost though as to the mentality of supporters when the gate prices go up and up just to pay the inflated players' prices, wages and signing on fees. One of the only industries I know where the 'mug punter' is expected to fund out of control costs.
It's also weird in as much as you can't even guarantee watching a 'good' game. £60+ to watch 90 minutes of dross in many cases - so even though it's an entertainment business, the clubs rely on stupid levels of club loyalty by the fans - as the big clubs now don't necessarily play to win, but play first and foremost to not lose. That also seems to be Southgate's philosophy - shame really, with the quality level of midfielders and strikers England currently have. BUT - had England gone all out to win, would they now be in a final? Who knows.
Danny Blanchflower's '...The great fallacy is that the
game is first and last about winning. It is nothing of the kind. The
game is about glory, it is about doing things in style and with a
flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to
die of boredom....' to me is the way, butthe business side means most EPL clubs can't afford that philosophy.
Imagine if George Clooney constantly trotted out naff films - would anyone want to watch still?
It's coming home.... (What does that mean?)... I hope it doesn't have to quarantine...
I have enjoyed watching the matches but the reaction to winning a sem-final has been ridiculous. Almost nothing else on BBC Breakfast this morning. The reality is that they haven't won anything yet.
I have enjoyed watching the matches but the reaction to winning a sem-final has been ridiculous. Almost nothing else on BBC Breakfast this morning. The reality is that they haven't won anything yet.
and if they do, they'll bang on about it for the next 50 odd years like 1966. The only thing England does worse than losing, is winning.
Not all the money raised by people kicking around an inflated bladder goes to the footballer. Due to Rashfords prominence as a footballer he's triggered a fundraising of £20m for fairshare charity. That and his personal donations (I read somewhere that he gave away over half of this £17m earnings to charities) put him at the top of this year's Sunday Times giving list, the youngest to top it.
I wouldn't worry they'll lose to Italy and it'll be over soon enough. Then you can moan about people getting behind the British Olympic and paralympic team. There will always be something or there would be no need for this thread series!!!
It's interesting the way some feel strongly others have the opposite view. I guess most are in the middle, only giving an opinion when pushed to it by sporting event or independence plebiscite.
Posts
You've got more social conscience in the team. N not just Rashford neither. I would hazard a bet that no England player has or will be caught drink driving or cheating on their partner while part of the England setup including between competitions and qualifying. I might be wrong but this team does seem different to me.
Unfortunately money took over the game a generation or more ago. I'd have preferred things to be a better than the days footballers were poorly paid but not like it is now. A happy mid ground where they're comfortable for life at the end of career but not a wealthy as now. However there's an c argument that the top earners in other fields are also overpaid. City gamblers for example. Plus top flight footballers are very highly trained is just not as easily recognised as heart surgeon or as widely valuable as heart surgeon for example.
https://www.thefa.com/news/2021/mar/08/game-on-funding-20210308
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
The only thing England does worse than losing, is winning.
https://www.civilsociety.co.uk/news/marcus-rashford-tops-sunday-times-giving-list.html