FT: ENGLAND 0 - 0 SCOTLAND.

[The Lone Gunman]

Years ago to be picked for England it meant that you were the best player, or one of them, in your club side, many of them now are bit part players with the foreign imports the main actors.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Wales rather than England?

[splott parker]

Are you sure you're not thinking of Wales rather than England?

That’s always been the way with us, always, but not with England. How many in their squad are their club’s best players?

[The Lone Gunman]

That’s always been the way with us, always, but not with England. How many in their squad are their club’s best players?

Almost all of them are their club's best players in their positions, which is why most of them are so highly-rated.

Five of England's starting eleven last night started in the recent Champions League final. Meanwhile, the Premier League's top scorer started up front.

This season, five of the top eight goal scorers in the Premier League were English. However, only two of those five are with the current England squad and one of those wasn't used last night.

Whatever you think of them or however you want the to fare, there can be no doubt whatsoever that England have a very talented squad this time around. Sadly for them, it looks like their manager's ultra-cautious approach is going to cost them once more.

[splott parker]

Almost all of them are their club's best players in their positions, which is why most of them are so highly-rated.

Five of England's starting eleven last night started in the recent Champions League final.

.

That’s more or less my point, in the recent all ‘English’ European Cup Final only 7 out of the 22 who started that final were English, out of the 24 subs, 2 were English. In the ‘68 final 7 of the 11 Man Utd starters were English as was their one sub. In ‘77, 9 of Liverpool’s starters were English while all 5 subs were too. At the top, top level the imports have diluted the flow of English talent.

[The Lone Gunman]

At the top, top level the imports have diluted the flow of English talent.

That might have been relevant in the past, but the current England squad undoubtedly contains some of the very best talent in the top flight regardless of their nationality.

Your first post on the subject started: "Years ago to be picked for England it meant that you were the best player, or one of them, in your club side."

I don't think the situation is any different now.

[splott parker]

That might have been relevant in the past, but the current England squad undoubtedly contains some of the very best talent in the top flight regardless of their nationality.

Your first post on the subject started: "Years ago to be picked for England it meant that you were the best player, or one of them, in your club side."

I don't think the situation is any different now.

It was relevant in the past, that’s why I started with the words ‘Years ago’. Yes, they’ve got some talented players but there aren’t many who are their club’s star turn. 7 out of 22 wasn’t an impressive total in the Chelsea/Man City final. I s’pose I’m posing the age old question, has the Premier League’s riches and ability to lure the world’s top talent been detrimental to the English National side? Has the pool of talent become shallower? Or, perhaps some would argue, it’s improved it, as the few who play regular for the top teams must be exceptional to live with such company. England are yet to show evidence of any continued improvement though, relatively easy passage to the World Cup semis apart, where a hard working Croatian side did for them.

[The Lone Gunman]

It was relevant in the past, that’s why I started with the words ‘Years ago’. Yes, they’ve got some talented players but there aren’t many who are their club’s star turn.

A quarter of a century ago, the England team that beat Scotland 2-0 in Euro 96 was:

Seaman, Neville, Adams, Southgate, Pearce, Ince, Anderton, McManaman, Gascoigne, Sheringham, Shearer.

Would you say many of those were their clubs' star turns at the time?