I awoke this morning overwhelmed by a familiar feeling of impending doom, thus igniting painful memories of a childhood flooded with extinguished dreams. For if England lose to Croatia – who have already qualified –tomorrow & subsequently fail to reach Euro 08, it will be the 2nd time in 13 years a nation of supposedly considerable football clout has been unable to qualify for a major tournament. Of course after Russia’s dramatic late defeat in Tel Aviv, England only need a draw at Wembley & should join a Croatian team, seemingly having nothing to play for, in the finals. But, despite qualification being in our own hands, I remain extremely pessimistic about the state of English football, deeply concerned by the lack of quality in our national team & continue to be uninspired by players this country seems to be producing. If we do qualify for Switzerland – I don’t fancy our chances.

England will go into the game without Rooney & Owen, & wont find it easy against a characteristically skilful & gifted Croatia. With memories of Rotterdam weighing heavy on the mind, it’s an all too familiar story & one, which, no matter what the outcome, will leave question marks hanging ominously over, not only the ability of the manager & the reasoning behind his appointment; but also, the calibre of players he’s had at his disposal.

On that fateful night in the Netherlands, I blamed Ronald Koeman, but most directed their anger at a hapless manager who ultimately paid the price defeat & duly sacked. In hindsight, those incredulous shortcomings marked the end of an era for me & death of a certain type of player, which hitherto had been commonplace in English football. My heroes of ‘86’ & ‘90’ were all but retired at this stage & were being replaced by such players of the Carlton Palmer, David Batty & Andy Sinton mould. It was the birth of a school of thought in this country that skill didn’t win you matches & flair, thereby, was no longer deemed necessary. At first this change in approach & a new ethos to ‘win at all costs’ worked perfectly & nearly paid immediate dividends in ‘Euro 96’ when football ‘almost’ came home. But this initial success was short lived & arguably we’ve not come anywhere near these standards since. If Taylor’s failings suggested an increasing vulnerability, then McClaren’s latest struggle indicates that once more we stand culpable of becoming victims of our own infallibility. And like Taylor, McClaren cannot be held fully accountable.

We’ve had enough of big strong centre backs & complete(?) midfielders, we need players with genuine skill & artistry, who can not only entertain but turn matches in a heartbeat with one moment of brilliance. It’s time for a shift in company policy & time we faced up to the reality that this so called golden generation are not so golden after all. As when you look at it – what the fuck have they won?

Thinking back to the joys of ‘Italia 90’ I drool with envy over both England & Ireland’s line-ups & the creativity we used to take for granted. Both teams possessed a wealth of talent & experience, oozing flair & fecundity. As a result both teams made it out alive from the group of death; with Jackie’s men ‘giving it a lash’ & partying their way to a creditable quarter-final, & Bobby Robson’s England a whisker away from reaching the final, after bowing out to West Germany on pens in the semis. But this didn’t tell the whole story. Gazza & England’s entertaining style captured the hearts of the world & had a nation – seemingly tired of a sport destroyed by hooliganism – sobbing to the Nessun Dorma & proudly ‘Singing For England’ once again. In 1990 fans sang loudly, wholeheartedly & it meant everything to us.

Today, players for some reason aren’t the same. No dribblers, no magic, no nothing, just static. In 1990, Lineker aside – who incidentally had other uses – players had the skill to turn & win us important matches. Whether it was a Waddle shuffle, a Beardsley shimmy or Gasciogne just being ‘Gazza’, those moments were worth 20 of a well-drilled Beckham set-piece, an over-rehearsed Joe Cole step-over or even for that matter, homo-erotically marvelling at the physic of a Micah Richards. And that’s not me by the way! Plus, players used to have personality. Despite Gerrard, Rooney & Terry displaying plenty of character on the pitch, off it, it’s another story. Their over-used media trained clichés & the laboriously annoying “erms” of Rooney are enough to turn even the most hardened supporter off the ‘beautiful’ game. Then there’s 2 Cole’s, Rio, Lamps & Gary Neville – enough said really. How I long for a Gazza “I’m off to get me suit Measured” rant, one more ‘stop-look-listen’ Keegan commercial, or even another Johnny Barnes Rap to awaken me from my ‘It’s a matter of life & death’ dull & deep slumber.      

Obviously it’s important that we win matches as success brings about much pride & happiness, but the need to be entertained is every bit just as important.

Although Lennon, Pennant, Wright-Phillips & most promisingly Ashley Young, all provide a glimmer of hope, our game is desperately in need of the artistry & invention made famous by the flare wearing mavericks of the late 60’s & 70’s. Pioneers such as Matthews, Finney & Law paved the way inspiring the likes of Best, Bowles, Osgood, Hudson & Marsh - who were to light up English football like never before. To watch these men perform was mesmerising & enchanting. And there has been no finer sight in football since, than George Best in full flight; rhythmically smooth & perfectly formed, all natural & flowing, like poetry in motion. My father used to say, “football isn’t what it used to be” & in many ways it certainly is not, but it’s his “money has ruined the game” chestnut that echoes more poignantly through my mind.

This ‘Golden Generation’ tag is a load of old poppycock & England’s struggle to qualify supports this very notion. They might be more disciplined, extremely richer, & even a lot fitter, but in no way are they in the same class as their forefathers & this will continue to be the case unless English football makes massive changes & attempts to get to the root of the problem. Although modern players possess many admirable qualities, which complemented by the sublime skills of ‘foreigners’ has brought English club football much success in recent years, flair has to be added to the equation. If only English players could emulate the skills they see each day in training. But this, in reality, is easier said than done & the missing ingredient has to be developed much earlier in a young footballer’s education.

Now many might think I’m being very cynical, so I’ll go & annoy those people more by suggesting it’s a bit like this with music. Many aspire to be famous, whether they’re manufactured or not & have little regard for producing something raw, unique & innovative. Bob Dylan even branded modern music as sounding atrocious with “no definition, no nothing” & that Cd’s have failed to capture an authentic sound. Lee Mavers from The La’s said something similar & if you compare a live version of his classic “feelin’” to it’s album track equivalent, then I think you’ll appreciate what he means.

I got chatting to this Cork man the other day who was heavily involved in the organising of an U-21 match between England & Ireland about a month ago. England brushed aside a much younger & inexperienced Irish team 3-0 & this bloke saw it as a clear indication of how the ‘foreign invasion’ in the Premier League is affecting Irish football. In the 80’s & 90’s young Irish players littered England’s top-flight first teams, yet in this game only one was a member of a Premier League squad & he couldn’t even get a game at a heavily Irish-favoured Sunderland. Now, in many he’s right of course, but it’s almost as bad for us English. Despite this victory, I fail to get too excited about the prospects of Noble, Milner & Lita. In my opinion the English league is over saturated with far too many foreigner’s who are inadvertently stifling the development of English & Irish players; who aren’t cost effective & who sadly no longer appear to be a requisite for success.

Both are in need of new infrastructure & possibly a new catalyst if past glories are to return. Ireland – who have some useful youngsters – are in desperate need of a man with the knowledge & experience of a Giles or a Brady with the youthful enthusiasm & man-management skills of say, Paul Jewell. If the latter took the job then there’s a chance with some support he could be a huge success. Whether he favours a return to club management, only Paul knows, but in my eyes it’s a win-win situation for him. England on the other hand will probably qualify, McClaren keep his job & things continue much in the same vein, meaning my anxieties will be fully justified.