Joey Barton has some pretty damning views about the state of the current England team.
Joey Barton, speaking at the Cheltenham Literary Festival, did not hold back when asked about his thoughts on the current England team.
The former England international was not shy to share his damning analysis of England’s failings, after the Three Lions continued their recent poor record in tournaments with an exit in the first knockout round.
“We could be here all day talking about this. I don’t think we actually want to win, deep down and that’s where the problem lies,” Barton said.
“We want to get to major tournaments and sign big sponsorship deals, but not actually win them. I don’t agree with many things England do, but surely if the main thing is trying to win, everything else comes after that and we don’t do that particularly well.”
Possibly the most pertinent thing about Barton’s vexation is that his views echo that of masses of England fans up and down the nation.
“We go to major tournaments and just seem to want to get home with reputations intact and until that is addressed I can’t see us winning anything.
He added: “There are less English players in our major teams and less English players in the Champions League, getting to the latter stages of the number one club competition so that also decreases your chances of doing well on the international stage. England are **** and we all know that.”
The only thing greater than the opprobrium delivered by the Rangers midfielder is the resonance and like-minded feeling felt by football fans, who have long felt that England’s squad have failed to reach their full potential during international competitions.
England have also suffered the embarrassment of seeing Sam Allardyce lasting the one game as manager after Roy Hodgson’s exit, with Gareth Southgate caretaker for the remaining games of the year.
And his comments will carry even greater weight given the Three Lions humiliating early Euro 2016 expulsion by the hands of minnows Iceland.
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