Why do England teams lack success in major tournaments?

England teams have struggled in major football tournaments in recent years and with fans feeling disappointed in their team’s performances, it raises the question of where this lack of success is coming from.

The England men’s team have performed as well as expected in the European Championship qualifying matches, winning all of their six games so far in what was considered an easy group. The teams in their group are Switzerland, Slovenia, Estonia, Lithuania and San Marino, providing little challenge to an England team who was always going to qualify for the finals.

It is not the qualifiers where England struggle however, as they usually qualify with relative ease, winning their groups in qualifying for the European Championships in 2012 and the World Cups in 2010 and 2014. There is evidently something lacking in the finals of the tournaments because England have struggled to beat the teams they would usually be expected to.

With the England under-21 team currently playing in the European Championships, a similar pattern is beginning to emerge. The team won nine of their ten qualifying games, drawing the other, offering high hopes to the England fans who want their country to win some major tournaments. The under-21s have drawn a tough group in the finals, playing Portugal, Sweden and Italy, and having already lost to Portugal they narrowly beat Sweden 1-0 with a late strike to save the team’s blushes.

So what is it with England teams and disappointing tournaments recently? One reason could be the psychological aspect of competing in a major tournament as a lot of our footballers; particularly the young players find it daunting to play against the big teams around the world.

When a number of young players are pushed through to the first team they may start to feel the pressure and with a number of young talents breaking into the England team such as Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane, it is no wonder why they may be affected psychologically.

England’s senior team performed well in the group stages of the European Championships in 2012, but lost to Italy on penalties in the quarter-finals. The recent World Cup in Brazil was one of England’s most inadequate performances in a tournament for many years, finishing bottom of their group with only one point after drawing with Costa Rica, following losses to both Italy and Uruguay.

Maybe England simply cannot cope with the expectation on their shoulders, as they are expected to beat teams such as Costa Rica. The World Cup last year saw a number of teams perform better than expected, Costa Rica, Colombia and Chile to name a few. These teams are able to play without the restriction of expectation, as they are able to play without the fear of disappointing their nation, unlike England who are always under pressure.

With the dominance of European teams and the rise of successful South American teams in recent years, it is easy to see why English players may enter a tournament with a lack of confidence and the feeling that the team isn’t going to progress very far. Spain dominated football for a couple of years, before Germany began to execute the performances which have made them so successful for decades, leading to them winning the World Cup last year.

Successful national teams such as Spain, Germany, Brazil and Italy have all constructed an identity over the years and England have received criticism for not adopting a similar style. This constant comparison to other teams is something which can add to the psychological disadvantage on the heads of the England players and instead of trying to play like another team England need to develop their own identity, playing with their own flair and technique.

A lack of home grown players in the Premier League has also affected the England squad selection. There is a lack of young English talent breaking through the ranks in the top English sides because the best players all come from abroad.  Recent names like Luis Suarez, Diego Costa, Alexis Sanchez and Sergio Aguero have all demonstrated a different class in the Premier League and while foreign players continue to perform, there are very little opportunities for English players to establish themselves in a team and perform well internationally.

One final possible reason for England’s lack of success in major tournaments could be the increase in money in club football. The Premier League is full of high earners with huge transfer price tags and there is a lack of loyalty from some players as the money is overwhelming their passion.

An international call up should be earned, not guaranteed, and players should wear the shirt of their country with pride, rather than simply considering it as just another shirt that is worn. With young English players being given high price tags, such as Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling having £40-50 million labels hanging over their heads, it could easily allow them to think they are better than they actually are leading to high demands in wages and jumping from club to club depending where the money is.

Stories such as Jamie Vardy and Charlie Austin recently earning international call-ups are what fans like to see, as the rise from non-league football to the international stage means they’ll work harder because it’s an opportunity that may never present itself again. These players will want to know that they have been rewarded for their efforts and it will be a confidence boost to young players in the lower leagues as it shows hard work pays off.

England’s lack of passion and intensity in the major tournaments could be due to this, as the squad selection is so consistent that some players will feel no extra effort is required because their place in the team is almost a certainty.

The European Championships in France next year will be a great chance to put this right and hopefully there will be more of an effort from England to end this run of frustrating tournament exits.