The toughest audience?

England vs. Hungary

Wembley Stadium / ITV

Wednesday 11 August 2010

The home of English football - and the bucketload of other unnecessary grandiose terms used to describe it - is a peculiar place indeed. Particularly now, when the national team is in the doldrums, most footballers don't seem to want to play for their country. Those that do seem sullen and envious of their task, understanding why fans would boo their shambolic performances at the World Cup but seemingly aggravated nonetheless. Rooney showed signs of this as he left the field tonight, ironically waving at the boo boys. The player who launched a tirade against the fans in South Africa failed to see the point again. Wembley Stadium is supposed to be the biggest stage of them all but it regularly plays host to pantomime and farce rather than footballing excellence.

Everybody has an opinion on who is at fault for England's persistent failings. Blame the players. Blame the coaches. Blame the FA. Blame the Premier League. Blame the foreigners. Blame the-goal-that-wasn't-given. Blame Sepp Blatter. Wherever you believe the problem lies, it's important to stress that England, for the best part of 50 years have been far from one of the top teams. By current standings they sit 7th in the world rankings. How could anyone justify a ranking any higher than that?

Despite the negativity surrounding the game, on the commute home tonight, I saw a lot of families on the train on the way up to Wembley. Adrian Chiles tried to suggest the kids in attendance at the game were being punished for something by being made to watch the national team. I would hope this isn't the case, partly because I wouldn't want Chiles to be right but also because there should be no shame in young people enjoying seeing their football idols in action. If Capello makes true on his promise to rejuvenate the England team by bringing in new faces, younger players then it's a good sign they will have some support from a less jaded and seasoned set of supporters. Maybe in time they'll learn the downsides of being an England supporter but perhaps they'll bring an infectious new enthusiasm.

Throughout the Hungary game, the players were booed by the home fans. Some people critique those who boo their own team but reacting against your national team can't be compared to your club side. Your support for your national team is an accident of birth - how patriotic you choose to be as a result is a personal choice. Surely fans are well within their rights to be vocal and express disapproval? Tickets for the friendly against Hungary were reduced to between £20 and £40 - generosity knows no bounds. If good money has been spent on attending a match, whether at club or international level, fans react as they see fit and if they choose to boo to express their resentment, then so be it.

So we go back to the question of blame. It's a fairly obvious answer - blame the media. It is an argument used before but it holds true. Immediately following England's hard-fought win over Hungary, the ITV pundits were talking up the performance. It was average at best, it was a friendly so no shock there. The England team is in a state of flux - Capello is sure to go for a blend of experienced players and fresh faces during the Euro 2012 qualifiers so the transition will be gradual rather than radical. Ultimately, the personnel changes will not matter until the psyche of the team and the perceptions of the nation can be improved. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is negativity. Players can feed off the energy of the crowd as any performer can be influenced by the atmosphere created by their audience.

The press has a part to play in influencing the fans - generally, humans are an impressionable bunch. If we are told of "divisions" in the camp because of John Terry or Steven Gerrard scandal (and I use that term loosely) then we are likely to believe them. Overexposure to a footballer's private life is intrusive and irrelevant to a man's ability to kick a ball around. The contradictory messages delivered to the general public are bizarre - on the front pages of a newspaper we'll read of scandals, in-fighting and revolt but on the back pages commentators will detail the strengths of the side and make a strong case for successes and good results. Obviously, sex sells and scandals in every part of public life - sport, music, politics - are popular news items.

If the national football team is ever to be taken seriously again, the players have got to do their part to live more moral existences and the papers should try to begin and respect privacy and boundaries. The likelihood of either of these happening is very slim so we may well be stuck with a less than satisfactory England team for some time to come.