England are out of the World Cup ( just in case you didn’t know!).   Part of me is glad – couldn’t stand the tension of watching the schoolboy football – part of me is very disappointed cos I can remember jumping on the sofa with my dad back in 1966 when we won.   Would have been nice to have done a bit of sofa jumping again!

However, even though we think it’s all over – and it is – the England football debate rumbles on.  So what went wrong? Why didn’t the golden boys in the squad fulfil their potential? Well, I just used the word ‘boys’ and I think that’s part of the problem – there’s something very naive about their attitude.  More detail on attitude in another blog, but meantime I need to get the money thing off my chest!

Instead of the squad releasing a song before a tournament, I think the bosses of the Football Association should release one now.  They should sing along to the Beatles hit  Can’t Buy Me Love.   (You know the Beatles, those world-acclaimed musicians who did what they did and made the rest of us proud they’re British).  All the FA bosses need to do is to substitute the word ‘love’ and sing ‘attitude’ instead.    For all the ridiculous amounts of money they’ve thrown at the team, it hasn’t bought them what they want, ie a great attitude amongst the players .

I can’t make a judgement because I’ve never spoken personally to an England player, so I’m only going on what I observe (and what the media tell me – not always a good idea!).   They just don’t seem to be passionate about the fact that they’re playing for England, they don’t seem to understand the concept of team – in fact, there’s a lot that they don’t understand.  Someone grown-up needs to help them realise what a good attitude is, and the fact that money can’t buy one.

So, come on FA people, time to cut the wages and start singing Beatles songs at training sessions.  Perhaps you need to start with HELP?  Anyone got any other ideas?

PS If you know an England player, I’d love to talk to them.  David Beckham would be top of my list – tell him I can be free whenever it suits him J