Back to basics

IHAVE been involved in football for many years and followed the national team throughout that time. The 70s were a complete write-off with us failing to qualify for two World Cups (74 and 78) while fortunes improved in the 80s.

The 90s were the nearly years – World Cup semi-finalists in 1990 and European Championship semi-finalists in 1996, losing both times to Germany on spot-kicks.

England's most successful managers since Sir Alf Ramsey have arguably been Ron Greenwood, Bobby Robson and Terry Venables, who came through our FA coaching scheme.

It is important to remember we had a strong coaching culture within the professional game.

English managers were competing in Europe and winning UEFA competitions regularly. Brian Clough, Bob Paisley, Keith Burkinshaw, Bobby Robson and Tony Barton won eight trophies between them.

This summer we have again seen a number of high-profile and traditional English clubs appoint foreign managers.

We have to get back to basics and return our coaching scheme to where it should rightly be, thus creating that culture so rich in our game.

We need English managers who are prepared to learn the trade and do what the likes of Jack Charlton and Bobby Robson did - they would travel three times a week and coach the Oxford University team whilst still playing!

The reason behind this was their love and enthusiasm, and the desire to be great coaches.

In today's game, many ex-players turn up on a coaching course just to get the licence.

This is something else that has gone, the words ‘coaching badge’. They should learn the trade practically as opposed to just turning up on a course to qualify and pass.

The national team has to get back to picking a proper ‘team’ rather than just the best players - teams with soldiers and artists or the hay-makers and the play- makers’ mentality.

Like Alf Ramsey once said to Jack Charlton: “I don't pick the best players, I pick the best team.”

We also need a master of the trade running our coaching scheme. In the past, there was a