England. 4th in the World.

[MK Shrimper]

Would we? We played two of them in the last couple of months and neither could beat us.

Spain and Germany are light-years ahead of everyone else. Then there are a bunch of mediocre sides with mixed records and weak points in each of their teams. We're in that pack, it's just that we don't see the others very often to assume that they're better than they are.

I didn't see the France match but 0-0 draw aside Italy battered us - did we register more than 1 shot on goal? As a very rough and real estimate, I'd say we're about 15th in the world and sadly we won't win anything for many generations, or at least until the Premiershite is brought to task and limits the amount of foreigners in their squad and the FA is totally restructured.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Brazil looked pretty good when I saw them the other week, Neymar was awesome to watch!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I (we) would love for England to truly be the 4th best team in the world but it isn't correct; statistics and lies!
The Prem is the best league in the world and when the clubs in it take their responsibility and play with at least 6 home country players in each 11 then we might be great again. However that is a likely to happen any time soon as Fossetts Farm is to get started. Is foreign ownership and sales of oversees tv rights and shirts parts of the problem?

Eh? By what measure? Best kick-off times in order to capture both Asian and US markets? Best hyped?

Anyway, England aren't the 4th best team in the world - they are the 3rd best.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Eh? By what measure? Best kick-off times in order to capture both Asian and US markets? Best hyped?

Because Sky Sports said so!

 

[Beefy]

I didn't see the France match but 0-0 draw aside Italy battered us - did we register more than 1 shot on goal? As a very rough and real estimate, I'd say we're about 15th in the world and sadly we won't win anything for many generations, or at least until the Premiershite is brought to task and limits the amount of foreigners in their squad and the FA is totally restructured.

For all of Italy's possession they couldn't score against us in 120 minutes. So it really doesn't matter how much they "battered us". Under Capello and Hodgson England are an extremely efficient team who are very difficult to break down hence why we've got the third best set of results in World football - which is all the rankings are there to show.

Every one of those sides you mentioned have just as many flaws as England do.

 

[Grayson]

Brazil and Argentina were both awful in the Copa America last summer, performing worse than England did in Euro 2012.

It's far too easy to claim these sides are better than us but, until they prove it with results, we will continue to rank above them. For all of their supposed superstars, Brazil and Argentina have been poor for a few years now.

 

[Jam_Man]

I (we) would love for England to truly be the 4th best team in the world but it isn't correct; statistics and lies!
The Prem is the best league in the world and when the clubs in it take their responsibility and play with at least 6 home country players in each 11 then we might be great again. However that is a likely to happen any time soon as Fossetts Farm is to get started. Is foreign ownership and sales of oversees tv rights and shirts parts of the problem?

Take those foreign players out and it wont be the best league in the world. Its always been a double edged sword. The league improves due to the foreigners and English players improve by playing with them. Yet less English players play at the highest level.

For all of Italy's possession they couldn't score against us in 120 minutes. So it really doesn't matter how much they "battered us". Under Capello and Hodgson England are an extremely efficient team who are very difficult to break down hence why we've got the third best set of results in World football - which is all the rankings are there to show.

Every one of those sides you mentioned have just as many flaws as England do.

If there was a league with Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Germany, France and Italy in it I wouldnt be confident we would finish 4th.
Being hard to beat is one thing but if you cant beat the top sides its hard to say you are one of them.
The rankings are what they are though.

 

[Beefy]

Of course you wouldn't be confident. You're English and are therefore naturally programmed to be pessimistic and to believe that if we're not the best in the World then we're the Worst. We're neither. Other than Spain & Germany, everyone else is as crap as we are.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

An interesting question Yorkshire Blue; although Sky have their opinion I have come to mine by judging how often english sides have made the last 4 in euro cpmpetitions, how many pay to watch at the turnstiles and also on their tv subscriptions: also I have considered the other European leagues and placed the prem over Italian league on attendances, lack of corruption, European success. Spanish league is great but too much centered on the big two and that has a detrimental effect, french league is now overpowered by PSG's wealth & has not won anything much in a few years. The German league is strong and has several top top clubs and good attendance but has not had the same euro competition success as it had 10yrs ago; also its non German audiences are limited. Outside of Europe the south American leagues are exiting/vibrant etc but not global and limited in their audiences; in a lesser way I rate the same for US/Aus/Japan leagues.
Your points on hype and kick off times are SO true and are not going to help our league in the long term on quality but do put money in chairmen's pockets.
England 3rd best? In my very biased opinion we are top! and The Blues are the best club in the world; no matter what results and competitive status may suggest.

 

[Jam_Man]

Of course you wouldn't be confident. You're English and are therefore naturally programmed to be pessimistic and to believe that if we're not the best in the World then we're the Worst. We're neither. Other than Spain & Germany, everyone else is as crap as we are.

I certainly dont think we are the worst at all.

I think we are a good team in Europe which is proven by the fact we have qualified with ease the last two tournaments.

However beating the teams we do to get to a major tournament and then failing to beat the top teams when we get there to me shows were arent quite top 4 material either.

 

[Bluesmanager]

Squad for Itlay announced - I believe that aside from Carrick and Lampard there's not a soul in that squad over 25.

 

[Jam_Man]

Strange time for a friendly so soon after a major competition and before the season starts?

 

[Bluesmanager]

The international season's always been dodgy in terms of timing though. Believe there's a 2 week gap in domestic seasons in a few weeks for the first round of qualifying for the WC.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

An interesting question Yorkshire Blue; although Sky have their opinion I have come to mine by judging how often english sides have made the last 4 in euro cpmpetitions, how many pay to watch at the turnstiles and also on their tv subscriptions: also I have considered the other European leagues and placed the prem over Italian league on attendances, lack of corruption, European success. Spanish league is great but too much centered on the big two and that has a detrimental effect, french league is now overpowered by PSG's wealth & has not won anything much in a few years. The German league is strong and has several top top clubs and good attendance but has not had the same euro competition success as it had 10yrs ago; also its non German audiences are limited. Outside of Europe the south American leagues are exiting/vibrant etc but not global and limited in their audiences; in a lesser way I rate the same for US/Aus/Japan leagues.
Your points on hype and kick off times are SO true and are not going to help our league in the long term on quality but do put money in chairmen's pockets.
England 3rd best? In my very biased opinion we are top! and The Blues are the best club in the world; no matter what results and competitive status may suggest.

Winners of EPL: 5
Winners of La Liga in same time frame: 5

Teams to have finished in top 2 of EPL: 7
Teams to have finished top 2 la Liga same time frame: 8

Teams to have finished top 3 of EPL: 9
Teams to have finished top 3 of La Liga same time frame: 13

Champions League trophies
Spain - 6
England - 4

Europa League/UEFA Cup winnners
Spain - 5
England - 1

Or if you want to look it at in the last 10 years:

Winners of EPL: 4
Winners of La Liga: 3

Teams to have finished top 2: 5
Teams to have finished top 2: 5

Champions Leagues
Spain: 3
England 3

Europa League
Spain: 5 (3 teams)
England: 0

The best players in the world - Messi and Ronaldo, play in Spain. The best national team predominatinly play in Spain. The best players from the second best national team play in Spain.

The last two global superstars (Ronaldo and Becks) to play in England ended up moving to Spain
When Fabregras started getting good he moved to Spain

Obviously the totals look a bit better for the EPL since Man City's sheikhs opened up their chequebooks.

I'm struggling to recall the last time a player from the EPL lit up an international competition. Rooney in 2004 Euros? Owen in 98 before him, but he ended up moving to Spain!

 

[Swiss Tony]

Squad for Itlay announced - I believe that aside from Carrick and Lampard there's not a soul in that squad over 25.

Good,let the revolution begin.

 

[Bluesmanager]

Here here. Bet it won't last. The media'll pressure them into putting the old gits back in.

 

[Beefy]

The "old gits" who have been rested are our two best players (Rooney & Cole) and our two top performers from the Euros (Terry & Gerrard).

When they're not the best players in their positions then they shouldn't play. Until that happens, not picking them is cutting our nose off to spite our face.

 

[BLUEBLOOD]

Winners of EPL: 5
Winners of La Liga in same time frame: 5

Teams to have finished in top 2 of EPL: 7
Teams to have finished top 2 la Liga same time frame: 8

Teams to have finished top 3 of EPL: 9
Teams to have finished top 3 of La Liga same time frame: 13

Champions League trophies
Spain - 6
England - 4

Europa League/UEFA Cup winnners
Spain - 5
England - 1

Or if you want to look it at in the last 10 years:

Winners of EPL: 4
Winners of La Liga: 3

Teams to have finished top 2: 5
Teams to have finished top 2: 5

Champions Leagues
Spain: 3
England 3

Europa League
Spain: 5 (3 teams)
England: 0

The best players in the world - Messi and Ronaldo, play in Spain. The best national team predominatinly play in Spain. The best players from the second best national team play in Spain.

The last two global superstars (Ronaldo and Becks) to play in England ended up moving to Spain
When Fabregras started getting good he moved to Spain

Obviously the totals look a bit better for the EPL since Man City's sheikhs opened up their chequebooks.

I'm struggling to recall the last time a player from the EPL lit up an international competition. Rooney in 2004 Euros? Owen in 98 before him, but he ended up moving to Spain!

Steady on Matt, you'll have Barna sperming over you before long with stats like these