Move this forward to the national team or the Premiership, and it's the same, kick and rush, we have it, you have it, we have it.  The football in Spain or italy or Brazil is based on skill.  If you've grown up on the beach playing football in barefeet, or on rough cobbled streets then you can play football anywhere.  Players like Elano, or hate to say it, Christiano Ronaldo, can control a football anywhere.  Who is possibly our most skillful player?  SWP maybe?  Whenever he has the ball he never seems to have it under control, and although his pace makes him look skillful, he loses the ball far too easily because his control isn't as good as say Elano's.  Elano always has the ball under control.

Croatia.  Even their defenders have control of the ball.  Our defenders hoof it into row Z.  If you can control the ball in one, you always have time to think where to go next.  Some of our players it takes three touches just to control it.

Rooney.  I know he never played last night, but his control if you watch him is terrible.  I know he scores some great goals, but half of the time his control really lets him down.  If he was Brazilian he would be classed as another Doriva, a Brazilian who plays like a donkey..and he's supposed to be our best player.

Until the English game wakes up and realises that you need skill to be able to play football as well as brawn, then we will be nowhere.  We may qualify for future tournaments, but we have no chance of winning anything until the game starts again at kids level, and changes a lifetimes philosophy of bad football.

Just a few thoughts.  

Someone get a message through to Captain Snort
That they better start assembling the boys from the fort.
And keep Mrs. Honeyman right out of sight,
'Cos there's gonna be riot down in Trumpton Tonight.