English Football Is A Brat Factory: Manchester United and West Ham Prospects Row
IN the England Under-21 game against Lithuania, the Three Lions ran out 5-0 and that would’ve been something to celebrate. However, there’s something troubling – is English football little more than a brat factory, churning out vacuous, quick-tempered babies who can’t get along?
U21’s manager Gareth Southgate certainly hinted as much, saying that there’s poor relations between England’s talented young few.
Ravel Morrison and Wilfried Zaha got into it, toys out of the pram style, during the U21’s thrashing of Lithuania.
Morrison scored a brace, before being denied the chance of a hat-trick when Saido Berahino converted from the spot in the 76th minute. Ravel, incensed, took umbrage with Zaha who sided with Berahino. Moments later, Zaha confronted Morrison over his attitude, and the rest was ugly shoving and yapping.
Southgate said:
“We spoke about being a team before the game. We know the potential of the group of individuals. The key now is how we come together as a team and that will take time because there is a lot of focus on individuals. Sometimes there is pressure on individuals and one or two of those had a point to prove and did that very well. It’s my job to bring them together as a group, which is going to be a test as I can see.”
Nathan Redmond, who separated the pair, played it down:
“It was just a bit of a disagreement, nothing else. We got back in the changing rooms and we sorted it out.
“You get that with teams everywhere, there is just a bit more of spotlight on this incident because it was for England. We sorted it out behind the scenes. Rav’s a class player, sometimes he just has to move the ball a little bit quicker. Sometimes you do get a little bit frustrated with him, but you just have to let Rav be Rav because of the things he is capable of.”
Even in defending Ravel, Redmond couldn’t resist a vague jibe. It seems that the Young Lions are a short-tempered squad of careerists who don’t exactly fill England fans with hope for future internationals.
And is Southgate, a kitten of a man, able to iron these personalities out?
Have a look at the footage here.
Posted: 17th, October 2013 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
