A life lesson from the old Yugoslavia

I missed the England game last night because I was busy organising my socks into pairs. I find this slightly more stimulating. Yes, if Yugoslavia still had a team they would be world beaters but then again so would the Austro-Hungarian's!

I find all the consternating quite unbelievable. I mean the writings have been on the wall. Look at the last 8 of the Champions League, watch how Manchester United are running away with the Premier League with probably the most average and workmanlike side to ever win the title since Leeds in 1992.

The top sides pockets are full of cash and long-term debt and their academies are full of African and Latin American's. A young English manager or coach hasn't got a cat in hells chance of a top job and our best young players can't get a game.

I like Roy Hodgson and I'm convinced that he will do the very best with the resources available but until St George's Park begins to change the way the game is played at youth level - and let's really hope that is the case - the National team will continue to disappoint. Young players need to play more competitive games, the odd Development match or Friendly is not enough.

I was so disappointed watching the West Ham v Man Utd game recently. Sure, it was only a snapshot of one game, one night, but these young men were just going through the motions before they jumped in their 4x4's with their over-sized headphones on.

Natural talent will only get players so far and treated like little princes playing in meaningless matches or sitting on the bench being paid a shed-load of money is not enough. Technically they are not developed and any hunger they may have had chasing a professional contract is squeezed out of them.

Montenegro is the size of Sheffield and Rotherham combined yet they had a hunger and technical ability that the Home Nations can only purr over. It wasn't an embarrassment, it was a lesson.