Taylor blames English 'arrogance'

Graham Taylor claims England will never crack it at international level in his lifetime.

The former England manager believes the problems facing the national side go so deep that it will be many years before they are solved.

Taylor, in Johannesburg for the Soccerex conference, said: "Don't tell me it's all about managers, it has been going on for years and years.

"Why do people expect England to get to the finals or win these major tournaments.

"We won the World Cup once when it was at home, we made the semi-finals once in 1990, the semi-finals of the European Championships in 1968, and in 1996 when it was also at home.

"We have no record over the years of success but we really hate facing up to the truth.

"Unless we face up to it, that state of affairs will continue.

"I don't think I will live long enough to see our country crack it at international level - and oh how depressing is that?

"We have an arrogance about ourselves and because of that we have made some enemies."

Taylor said he had personal experience of the problems facing grass-roots football, with an over-emphasis on winning and not enough attention to technique.

He added: "I read about the FA saying they need to look at English football root and branch, and we have to go a long, long way down - right to the grass-roots - to look at what's happening.

"I went to see my 10-year-old grandson playing football and it was on a full-size pitch, and I really didn't want to watch it. We should not be allowing 10-year-old boys to be playing on a full-sized pitch."

Taylor said more attention to be given to improving those players who were at a slightly-lower level than "great".

He said: "There will only be so many great players so what we have to come to terms with is providing for an improving that group of players who are just below being great, using targeted development and coaching to move them up."