I needed a couple of days and a few reads to compile this.

You can’t help but feel sorry for the team, once world champions (they say “only once”, I say “that’s a mean feat, just ask Holland”) and now in shambles. Not participating in EURO 2008 is such a disappointment considering where they are amongst the top teams in the world.

I’ve read people pointing the finger at mostly McClaren, some to the players themselves, some to the untimely injuries, some to the influx of foreigners in the league. In fact, it could be said that everything could be blamed for it.

Let’s face it – it’s not a tempting job. A club manager has his players almost every week, he could talk to them, understand their demands, console them and such. Sven is a wonderful club coach, and I never had any doubt he could do what he has now done at Man City, a club looking to be falling into the abyss until he came (okay, along with Thaksin’s millions, fine). Yet, his time as England coach is percieved as a failure (I disagree but that argument should be better left alone for the time being), after several “early exits” from major tournaments.

That was because Sven, and McClaren after that, only had their players in that handful of days, culminating in the summer when most of them are already knackered after a long hard domestic season. There was no continuity.

On the other hand, look at the players who they have picked – most of them were playing for English clubs. This no-English-exports problem has been around since the start of the 90’s. How come countries with their own top leagues like Spain, Italy, France and Germany could export their players well? Are English players that rubbish? Or are they too dismayed by going abroad?

The times of Waddle, Hoddle, Ince and Gazza have gone. It actually enlightens me when an English player moves abroad. Look at Owen’s Real record, everybody says he never gets a game but I don’t think he was unhappy there. His other Real teammates then, Becks couldn’t move anywhere else in England after his rift with Sir Alex, and Woodgate was still loved by the Real fans even in his horror debut.

Fact is, we need English players to be back in demand. We need English coaches to be in demand too; it wasn’t that long ago when you have the likes of Roy Hodgson managing top teams. I am pretty sure that most Premier League matches do not exactly clash with La Liga or Serie A games, and it does have quite a following in those countries as well.

Lampard needs to move to Barca, if he’s ever going to want to improve. A swap deal with any of Barca’s squad players could be ideal for Chelsea – look at how Belletti’s doing.

You see, probably there’s so few English talent being showcased in the Premier League right now. The youth systems of teams like Man U and Boro are there but you need your Crewes and Southamptons, you need top English teams’ coaches wanting them to play for them and then it will work.

That has an effect in the current England side too. For a team that has always produced quality centre-backs and central midfielders, the pairing against Croatia last time out, Campbell and Lescott, weren’t even 3rd choice. When too few English players are playing for their clubs, the national team is at a loss on playing the bare bones when they get injured. Tell you what, I wouldn’t be sure England would be in this if Neville, Ferdinand, Terry and Ashley Cole was fit… no, actually I’m certain England would be safe.

See where I’m heading (this has been such a long-winded article…)? England would need to produce good young players and let them go. England would need to export their managers and let them buy English players for their team too.

We need a new Sir Bobby Robson-like. A new Becks. England would need to seek high and low to find such a talent, though. But it’s well worth it, in order not to taste this current calamity they’re experiencing.

After all, it’s just the European Championships! Look at who the holders are, the winners at 2004. Geez, that team has only 1 in 625 chance of winning at the start? Surely you jest. Shows you how serious the top international teams take of this tournament eh?