England Failings Highlight 'Pool's Achievement

Overpaid. Devoid of passion. Scared of hard work. No guts. No belief. No respect.

You would never see the above being written about the Seasiders following their rise to the Premier League, but you are certainly seeing it written and said about the England team who are currently doing their best to ensure that they produce their worst World Cup campaign since the 1950s.

The draw with the US was somewhat acceptable, but the horrific (and I do not use that word lightly) 0-0 draw with Algeria perfectly illustrated all that is wrong with English football at the very highest level. Sir Alf must be turning in his grave.

England now need a win against Slovenia on Wednesday to escape their group, a situation that they never should have found themselves in.

But whilst some of the world's greatest footballers - Rooney, Gerrard, Lampard and Heskey - toil away in South Africa, one team back at home are reaping the rewards for being the opposite of England and demonstrating passion, not being afraid of putting the hard work in, having the belief that they can achieve the very best possible, but also having respect for those that enable them to pull on the shirt. That team is of course the Seasiders.

So whilst the press say that England are bored in their five star hotel and need a break, a night out, just remember that they're there to do a job - win the World Cup, and they're certainly being paid enough to do it!

None of the other nations are complaining about being bored, it's just that England's players don't know that they're born.

Thankfully our players aren't like that. Alright, so some of them might not be the greatest players to have ever graced the planet, but at least they care. At least they want to win enough that they're not afraid to show it. And that lack of fear, that belief and desire to do their absolute best has carried our club into the Premier League, an achievement only further highlighted by the failings of the national team. If our players, some of whom earn less in an entire year than the likes of Wayne Rooney earn in a week, are capable of showing some endeavour, then why can't the 23 currently in South Africa?

We're lucky to have such great players, and in Ian Holloway we've got a manager who in my mind is tailor-made for the England job, but yet, at the moment, you get the sense that the England job would be a backwards step from Bloomfield Road, and you'd certainly not wish the twats in the England dressing room right now on Ollie.

Indeed, in my mind, the England shirt has been devalued that much from what it used to mean, that you wouldn't even suggest that Fabio Capello replace some of his squad with the likes of Brett Ormerod or Gary Taylor-Fletcher. They deserve better than that.

But then again, we as a nation deserve better than that.

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