Watching England has been painful for decades. I recall watching us in World Cup qualifiers back in the eighties, usually abroad, when only the agility of Peter Shilton kept us in many a game.
The weight of expectation seems to stifle our players. Confidence disappears, passes go astray and usually talented and expressive club players lose their way. Such is the pressure. The only tournament that was enjoyable to watch was euro 96. The shackles came off and we actually got results from playing without fear. Why? Many reasons. The FA structure, the press, the fans and the influence of the premier league all have a part to play.
We seem to produce powerful, talented and intelligent youth players. Something happens in their late teens and early twenties that destroys some of those qualities. I hope the new FA centre and change in approach from Hodgson will address this, but I’m not holding my breath.
If football in England were to adopt coaching methods used in other sports, such as rugby, cycling etc we might see some long term change. It won’t though.