Euro 96' and England

Watching rewinds of the games it struck me,this was supposed to be the pinnacle of English football, but we only won 2 games in normal time, and one of those wins was against Scotland.

Suppose it was the cultural vibe at the time in England-New Labour, ,jobs, Oasis, rave parties, great music and everyones seemed to be happy.

And the weather was good.

In hindsight the England team was the first wave of celebrity footballers now look like a bunch of ponces plus Tony Adams/Stuart Pearce.  Adams was probably pissed.

The football also looks basic compared to todays game.  With a mix up of fast passing/kick and run/get it to Mcmanaman/Gazza and hope they do something.  Like watching a Championship game today.

Watched the Scotland match the other day and I am 100% certain Gazza was p*ssed in that game.

10 minutes ago, Tea Baggins said:

Watched the Scotland match the other day and I am 100% certain Gazza was p*ssed in that game.

So was whole Scotland team, or just plain shíte

1 hour ago, helmut_rooster said:

 

So was whole Scotland team, or just plain shíte

To be fair a midfield 3 of McCall, McAllister and Collins was pretty good.

1 hour ago, HIGHERSTATE said:

Watching rewinds of the games it struck me,this was supposed to be the pinnacle of English football, but we only won 2 games in normal time, and one of those wins was against Scotland.

 

Suppose it was the cultural vibe at the time in England-New Labour, ,jobs, Oasis, rave parties, great music and everyones seemed to be happy.

 

And the weather was good.

 

In hindsight the England team was the first wave of celebrity footballers now look like a bunch of ponces plus Tony Adams/Stuart Pearce.  Adams was probably pissed.

 

The football also looks basic compared to todays game.  With a mix up of fast passing/kick and run/get it to Mcmanaman/Gazza and hope they do something.  Like watching a Championship game today.

 

are you suggesting that the game has moved on in the last 25 years..... cos..... it probably has... I'd still pick Shearer though! 

5 minutes ago, Burnsie said:

are you suggesting that the game has moved on in the last 25 years..... cos..... it probably has... I'd still pick Shearer though! 

Yea thats what I was saying earlier...despite him coming across as a bit of a c@ck...he's a born winner, I'd hate to be around him after a defeat.

Shearer was such a good striker. Always been my all time footballing hero. Watched the games back to see if my mind was playing tricks on me and remembering him as being better than he was but no, he was class.

22 minutes ago, markg said:

Shearer was such a good striker. Always been my all time footballing hero. Watched the games back to see if my mind was playing tricks on me and remembering him as being better than he was but no, he was class.

Although prior to Euro 96 he'd gone through a dry spell in front of goal, over a year I think 

10 minutes ago, Burnsie said:

Although prior to Euro 96 he'd gone through a dry spell in front of goal, over a year I think 

After Euro 92 and the retirement of Lineker England increasingly relied on David Platt. He was the form player in the squad and often captained the side due to injuries and numerous changes during the Taylor era.

Gascoinges perennial injuries meant Platt was often the star playmaker and lead penalty taker. He dragged up the average England side of the early 90's often single-handedly and mixed with Shearers stuttering England career chipped in with crucial goals.

The 90's saw a glut of English talent up front that never translated to success. Fowler, Cole, LeTissier, Ferdinand, Wright...

Despite those, only Shearer was able to really stamp an international reputation.

38 minutes ago, Arthur Bach said:

 

After Euro 92 and the retirement of Lineker England increasingly relied on David Platt. He was the form player in the squad and often captained the side due to injuries and numerous changes during the Taylor era.

 

Gascoinges perennial injuries meant Platt was often the star playmaker and lead penalty taker. He dragged up the average England side of the early 90's often single-handedly and mixed with Shearers stuttering England career chipped in with crucial goals.

 

The 90's saw a glut of English talent up front that never translated to success. Fowler, Cole, LeTissier, Ferdinand, Wright...

 

Despite those, only Shearer was able to really stamp an international reputation.

I was only going in 96, but seem to remember Platt was a bit part player, which I found odd

watched a little of the scotland game. embarrassing how poor england looked. Sure when I watched it live we weren't that bad. I suppose you compare the style and quality against that time in football, just doesn't compare to football today.

28 minutes ago, Burnsie said:

I was only going in 96, but seem to remember Platt was a bit part player, which I found odd

Mark Wright, John Barnes and Peter Beardsley all staked a claim to be included in the Euro 96 squad.

Wright was a certainty but injured himself in an Engalnd warm up, Barnes played his last game for his country earlier in the year and I think age finally caught up with Beardsley.

That few moments for the goal against Scotland aside, I’d forgotten just how shiit Gazza was in Euro 96.

Listening to the Guardian football weekly podcast; they watched England V Netherlands again .

Thoughts were it wasn't the 'hammering '  that has become legend, more of a freak result.

Gascoigne,  bar that goal against Scotland,  was awful all tournament..overweight and unfit. 

Venables was building a team and a system for the 1998 world cup, but Hoddle came in after Venables quit and built his own team.

When you look at the 96 & 98 squads, it's amazing that there is only 2 years between them. 

Half of the players looked like veterans/casualties of the drinking culture that was carrying on from the 80s and was on it's way out.

Thank god for Wenger in that respect.

Gazza looked 3 stone too heavy and was struggling to keep up with the game.  That goal though, shows he could have been world class.