Media - be prepared...

What people fail to understand is that it was never going to be Macca for England as the English public have never really got Steve McManaman.

Surely some would say that he is a natural replacement for treasured and loved Becks but NO... of course he is not... Why not?

My opinion is that the English as a nation of football watchers are extremly insular and I would be suprised if any of them could tell you the plights of Steve McManaman, Owen Haregreaves or the forgotten man Vinnie Samways this season...

For instance the only reason Macca has ever been given any credit by the English media was when he did well in Europe... I mean how easy it was for him... all he had to do was be man of the match and score a blinder in the final of the CL final...

and there was him playing outstandingly well in the league... what a waste of time Steve...

This year is slightly different... he is not getting in the side anymore... not all his fault... I mean he was in the side then got injured and since then Solari has been superb...

but it is only slightly different now in the sense that maybe he should not start the games... he certainly should be in the squad.
Bear in mind the fact that Real Madrid's midfield is better than Englands here please!

Ah buggrit... whats the point!

Macca has done very well for Real, its true, but then, who wouldn't. They've got at least two top quality ball winners doing the hard work, plus Zidane and Figo, so he doesn't exactly have to put himself about much. Thats the beauty of a talented 5 man midfield. However, for England, when push has come to shoove and he's really been needed to do some hard work, how many times have you ever seen him covering, when it was required. Very rarely. He gets the ball, and he's skillful on it, but he runs himself into a corner, or runs at one too many people and gets tackled because he doesn't release quickly enough, or often, he just doesn't get there at all. He reminds me of Barnes. He needs a lot of people doing the hard work around him, before he's really capable of shinning. Thats why he doesn't get credit, because although he is a very good club player in the right conditions, he has shown in the last 2 or 3 years that he's just not an international.

Why do people always just forget Euro 96 as if it never happened...

Then there was the last WC... he scored then got injured not really his fault.

The fact is that Macca has never been fully backed by the English media... he can not get away with working hard (which he does do btw... his fitness is his main attribute).

Also surely in a midfield where he is competing with the likes of Savio, Munitis, Figo, Zidane, Helguera, Makalele, Flavio and Solari is not a good thing when you consider how hard it is just to get 20 minutes a match.

Also he needs the players around... why was the philosiphy of the Liverpool team pass the ball to Macca under Evans... yes we won nothing but that was defence... our attack was the best in the league...

If given his chance he would have shone like he did in Euro 96... the problem though is that at international level he was scrutinised way too much

Why do people always just forget Euro 96 as if it never happened...

Click to expand...

Why not? Euro 96's was a long time ago, it was infact "6 years ago".

Macca was 24 years old and was full of energy, he had a lot to achieve at Liverpool and for England.

Now Macca is 30 years old, seems to have no energy when putting on an England shirts, plays poor and can't get into the Real Madrid team.

Forget that shit that Real Madrid's midfield is better than England's. Ok it is, but that is not an excuse for Macca. If he doesn't start for Real, then why should he start for England?

Steve Mcmanaman is just another player in a list of many English midfielders. He has a big reputation, but hasn't that always plagued England teams of the past? Playing players that have a reputation but cannot pay well.

He is capable of great things, but he has complacency written all over his face.

What a pile of ****!

How can you say that 6 years ago is not relevent in football and totally therefore disminish the point that I was making.

When given time in the team Macca was excellent... in fact one of the players of the tournament... so what happened then!

Hoddle came in and dropped him when he was in the best club form in his life after being installed as captain!!

You talk about complacency as if it is accepted but how can it be when you obviously say it with no backing... the fact is the man is a big game player whose has come up time and time again in big games...

He has never let any of his teams down and never will because he is so not compacent.

He works hard, gets back and his passing is one of the most under-rated in the game... look at how many times he will give the ball away in a game...

So please don't just conform to the image that Macca was all hype and no product... he has never been given the opportunity since Euro 96...

Need I remind you it took Becks 20 odd caps for England and the captaincy until he fulfilled his potential