Today’s papers are full of the argument between clubs and national football sides. The debate of which the player owes allegiance to has raged for years and there are arguments for both taking priority. The idea of pride playing for your country only now seems to count when the games are important, qualification games to tournaments and other such high profile games that will enhance their reputation and consequently their wage demands.
However this does seem to be a somewhat purely English problem, with the withdrawal of Gerrard, Lampard, Terry and many other first team regulars it seems that the drive and desire is not there any more and the pride once found in putting on a national shirt has gone. The half hearted attempt to sing the national anthem, stumbling over the few words they can remember and trying to work out which grunt is which from Wayne Rooney leaves a lot to be desired. I will never forget Lawrence Dallaglio actually physically crying when roaring the national anthem before captaining England to the Rugby World Cup. Perhaps this is what the footballers need, not history lessons or lectures from supposed pundits, but put them in a room with a 20 stone rich boy screaming the national anthem at them over and over again.
Germany captain Michael Ballack today told the Mail that he was amazed how rubbish the England team have performed recently and with the players they have they should be making the finals of every major tournament. However perhaps this issue of nation versus club arises here also, the supposed golden generation that went to the World Cup in 2006 were built up as the best chance we had had since Italia 90 and yet again we flopped. Is it that the players are too scared of burning themselves out in the run up to the new season or is it the absence of the drive to see their country at the top of the game as well as their club.
However is this even really a question of national pride, when you look around perhaps it is a question of respect. Drogba’s throwing a coin at the Burnley crowd, Carragher throwing a phone at the Everton fans and, going back a bit, Cantana attacking a Crystal Palace fan. Perhaps it is more that the players think that they can do what they like when they like and they don’t like the idea that they have to report for international duty if they do not think it’s worth their time.
At the dawn of Capello’s era everyone rejoiced in finding a gaffa that wasn’t going to take the regular withdrawals that come around every time there is a friendly, lo and behold what has he done about it. ‘Demanding’ that Steven Gerrard reports to training just to be told as soon as the England doctor sees him, that he is unfit to play. Wow Mr Capello well done I assume this is the sort of managerial genius won you the Serie A title with a very average Roma side. Furthermore why just Gerrard, I think a police style line up is the best way, make them all jog on the spot, jump in the air (but make sure Terry keeps his’ elbows down for once) and then dive on the floor as Gerrard, Lampard and Terry are all very apt at doing.
Admittedly the clubs pay the wages, they provide the livelihoods and they are the ones that will suffer when players get injured however, you can not be a professional footballer and just pick the games you play in, they will all be desperate to play come the World Cup qualifiers and be clambering on to the plane to Kazakhstan however against the old enemy Germany none of them seem bothered, depressing to see how times change. Still I reckon Dallaglio would make a pretty tasty centre back, a 6 foot 4 20 stone lump of muscle screaming god save the queen and blubbing down his brocken nose would certainly put me off lets just hope Mr Ballack thinks the same.
