England fans: let off steam here

When failure comes we look for answers. If England don't qualify, it can be one of three things: either the opposition is too good, a possibility which can probably be fairly easily discounted, or the manager isn't good enough, which, in truth has a lot of credence. Steve McClaren did make a number of major mistakes. But the third element are the players, and whether they are talented and/or committed enough.

The issue of commitment, passion, motivation and the rest of the convenient metaphysical intangibles that people trot out is, frankly, silly. Such debates seem to be very popular in England but, in fact, are pointless: these qualities can't be measured. You either believe players have them or you don't. But, if you don't, you also have a difficult time explaining why these very same players seem to excel in club competitions.

The issue of quality, on the other hand, is a different one. The oft-repeated mantra is that this is the Greatest Generation of England players in history. This may well be true, and, in fact, between 2002 and 2006 (under the reviled Sven-Goran Eriksson) they achieved the best results of any England side, ever. But that doesn't mean that, on a global stage, they are necessarily better or better-suited to international football than those from other countries.

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English football has to be better than this; and, when it is not, the man in charge knows what to expect

Martin Samuel

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BACKGROUND

• McClaren sacked as England coach

• Dismissal is no compensation for England fans

• Jitters destroy England’s composure

• Turnip or terrific? Fans give answer to McClaren

BACKGROUND

• How England rated

• If O’Neill says no, will the FA call Klinsmann?

• Terry defends man in charge

• Why England will be sorely missed in finals

BACKGROUND

• Let’s not just blame the team, blame the Americans too

• Good riddance to fear factors

• Echoes of Bogota as Croatia official is accused of shoplifting

• Seven deadly sins

BACKGROUND

• McClaren: the buck stops with me

• Analysis: Gabriele Marcotti

• 'Not even prepared to get his hair wet!' - the fans' verdict

• Barwick: McClaren had to go

BACKGROUND

• England's qualifying horrors

Multimedia

• England fans: let off steam here

• How the drama unfolded

• Is McClaren a scapegoat?

Multimedia

• What you should do next summer

The England side which lost to Croatia was missing six bona fide starters: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Ashley Cole, Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen. Any side without six regulars is bound to suffer. Especially when those six, despite having an average age of 26, boast a combined 380 caps. Contrast this with the replacements, who had a mere 151 caps, with nearly half coming from Sol Campbell.

But perhaps there is a broader issue of quality here. Look at those six replacements individually and you find that they simply don't play much football at the highest level. Campbell and Joleon Lescott are regulars at Portsmouth and Everton, which are basically mid-table clubs. Campbell was released on a free transfer by Arsenal, Lescott was passed over not just by the big four, but by other free-spending clubs like Newcastle and Tottenham. Wright-Philips, at 26, is supposed to be in the prime of his career, yet, despite not having had any major injuries, has started just over a third of Chelsea's league matches since moving there two-and-a-half years ago. Wayne Bridge, also at Chelsea, is even more of a reserve player, having made just two Premiership starts this season. Which, incidentally, is the same number of Premier League games that Peter Crouch has started at Liverpool. If these guys don't play regularly for big Premiership clubs, shouldn't we perhaps wonder just how good they are in absolute terms?

Then there is the curious case of Micah Richards. Nineteen years old and a right back (at least for England), he supposedly is worth £20 million in the transfer market. Leaving aside that anyone who would pay £20m for a right back probably ought to be lobotomized, he is a prime example of the hype that can envelop young English players. Richards is an outstanding athlete and a good footballer. He is also very raw, a man who is still, clearly, learning the game and a guy who plays a different position at club level than he does for his country. And yet he has been raised on a pedestal and turned into some kind of defensive juggernaut while still a teenager.

Here's a little game you can play at home. We'll call it "Reality Check". Look at the club you support, the one you know best. And then ask yourself how many of your club's foreigners would get into an England 23-man World Cup squad. The brutal truth is that, most likely, even if you support a mid-table team, you'll come up with an uncomfortably high number. Which only goes to show that talent is a relative term. Yes, England are very talented. But the gap between them and other countries is nowhere near as large as the hype machine would suggest.