[9], England's increasing tactical inferiority was highlighted on 25 November 1953, when Hungary came to Wembley. So, I am giving them what they want. [247], In the round of 16, England faced African champions Senegal. Consequently, upcoming friendlies against Italy and Denmark in March and Austria and Romania in June were cancelled, while UEFA Euro 2020 was unprecedentedly postponed by one year, to 2021. Italy's number-one penalty taker Jorginho had the opportunity to give Italy the win, but his effort was stopped by Pickford. England were poor against Poland and were largely outplayed. [61][62] A 41 loss to Denmark in a friendly, was followed by a humiliating 10 defeat by Northern Ireland in a World Cup qualifier, David Healy scoring the goal in the 73rd minute. 1961 Begins playing. Taylor managed Southend United, Dover Athletic, Gillingham and Leicester City. In May 1938, England toured Europe. [193][194] England, however, were beaten 21 by Spain at Wembley, resulting in England's first competitive home defeat since 2007. He will be greatly missed and perhaps now his work in management, viewed through the. A goal for Matthew Upson halved the deficit for England. However, these are not considered full internationals by FIFA because the Scotland teams were composed entirely of London-based Scottish players.[1]. The England manager job is one of the top jobs in international football but comes with high expectations from the FA, England players, the press and England fans. Two late first-half goals put England into control thanks to Jordan Henderson and Harry Kane before Saka added a third to ensure England's qualification for the next round. [222] In the second group stage match, England were frustrated in a 00 draw with Scotland at Wembley. [215] England finished third-place in the group behind Belgium and Denmark and failed to qualify for the Nations League finals. [68] Several possible successors were linked with the job; after a series of interviews that was criticised for its length, the Portugal national team manager Luiz Felipe Scolari was allegedly offered the job. Graham Taylor 1990 to 1993 P 38 W 18 D 13 L 7 F 62: A 32: Coaches: Terry Venables 1994 to 1996 . [19], In the First Division with Taylor as manager, Watford gained its highest-ever victory (80 against Sunderland)[7] as well as the "double" over Arsenal, an away win at Tottenham Hotspur, and home victories over Everton and Liverpool; this resulted in Watford finishing runners-up in the entire Football League. However, Taylor did make one consequential decision during his caretaker spell, by giving the position of team captain (which had remained vacant since Shearer's retirement) to Beckham. He saw his side lose 4-3 on penalties and the defeat saw his England career come to an. Poland went on to finish third in the World Cup the following summer. He saw his England team crash out of Euro 2000 after failing to get out of the group stage. England lost the third place play-off 21 to Italy in Bari, and so finished fourth. Ramsey's England team were nicknamed the "Wingless Wonders", a phrase coined by the press after Ramsey devised a new 4-3-3 system that relied on hard-running midfield players rather than natural wingers. However, England wasted several chanced to extend their lead. [76], Taylor first met Rita Cowling when he was thirteen,[77] and married her in 1965. [248] However, England were eliminated in the quarter-finals against world champions France. Gascoigne returned, but the Norwegians were confident. Cuthbert Ottaway (Oxford University), middle; Charles Chenery (Crystal Palace), middle; Charles Clegg (Sheffield), middle; Arnold Kirke-Smith (Oxford University), middle; J. Brockbank (Oxford University) right side; W. J. Maynard (1st Surrey Rifles) left side; J. F. Morris (Barnes Club) left side. [20] In the latter game, the Dutch defender Ronald Koeman escaped being sent off after fouling Platt to prevent Platt scoring a goal that would have put England in the lead. [38][39] After half-time, Sweden changed their personnel and formation, and dominated the second half, scoring twice to win 21 and eliminating England. Keegan managed Newcastle United (twice) and Fulham. [56], Taylor resigned on 23 November 1993, six days after England's failure to qualify. Platt gave England the lead in the 55th minute after a cross from Stuart Pearce. Taylor returned to club management in March 1994 with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Roy Hodgson stayed in his position despite the poor and took England into Euro 2016, but the team suffered an embarrassing defeat against Iceland in the round of 16. During that campaign, the newspaper's back page featured an image of Taylor's face superimposed onto a turnip. Notes about England Football Managers: * The winning percentage is calculated by dividing the number of games won by the number of games played and rounded to the nearest whole percentage point. Suddenly England's "World Cup life" looked in danger.[42]. Geoff Hurst made his final England appearance in the first of these games. From 25 yards, the ball screamed into the roof of the net with such power, that the netting was ripped from two of the pegs, by which it was tied to the crossbar. The world-class nucleus of Bobby Charlton, Moore and Gordon Banks was still intact; Hurst, Peters and Alan Ball had further enhanced their reputations, and Mullery, Terry Cooper, Colin Bell and Allan Clarke had been added to the squad. [20] He then took the side to the third round of the UEFA Cup, having finished second in 198283 (the club's first season as a top division club). [10], On 15 May 1957, Stanley Matthews made his last appearance for England, in a 41 defeat by Denmark in Copenhagen. The former Watford and Aston Villa manager became England boss in 1990, but resigned in 1993 . [172] The meeting seemed to show Allardyce explaining how to "get around" breaking football transfer policies and apparently mocking Hodgson, the England players and the Duke of Cambridge. [92] England won all of their first eight matches in their 2010 World Cup qualifying group, to qualify with two games to spare for the first time. Robson's successor, Graham Taylor, failed to build on the team that fared well in 1990, instead discarding older players like Robson and Waddle. England's qualification for the Euro 92 finals proved to be the high point of Taylor's tenure. Successes are quickly overshadowed the moment the England team doesn't live up to expectations. [217][218], UEFA Euro 2020 was a tournament held across Europe in 11 countries including England. Under pressure to qualify, England rescued their campaign with a win over Poland, thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Lineker. On 1 December 1937, Stanley Matthews scored a hat-trick in England's 54 victory over Czechoslovakia. England had led in the first half after a wonder goal from the 18-year-old striker Michael Owen, who had first been capped four months earlier, but were forced to hold in for a 22 draw after Beckham was sent off for an altercation with Diego Simeone. [citation needed] Moore became the first and, to date, only England captain to lift the World Cup. Keegan heard the news via the media, aired his disgust and retired from the international game. Walter Winterbottom was named England's first coach and manager. Graham Taylor OBE (15 September 1944 - 12 January 2017) was an English football player, manager, pundit and chairman of Watford Football Club. Share Your Feedbackdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae125483d6c582ac57d250291700ab02" );document.getElementById("c1b64769ab").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Gareth Southgate played football as a defender / midfielder for: Roy Hodgson played football as a defender for: Fabio Capello played football as a midfielder for: Steve McClaren played football as a midfielder for: Sven-Gran Eriksson played football as a right back for: Glenn Hoddle played football as a midfielder for: Your email address will not be published. I happened to be staying at the Manchester hotel where this encounter . [citation needed] On 28 January 1994, however, Terry Venables, who had left Tottenham Hotspur in acrimonious circumstances the previous year, was appointed. He then resigned later that year after England lost their first qualifying match for the 2002 World Cup. Friday 5 April, 6.30 BST BBC Radio Five Live Middlesbrough. [202] England went on to finish third in the finals, playing in the third-place play-off against Switzerland. For the 1994 documentary, see, International management: England (19901993), "Graham Taylor flourished at Watford and Aston Villa his legacy will live long at these two clubs", "Graham Taylor obituary: Ex-England boss a fount of knowledge and a true gentleman", "Ex-England football manager Graham Taylor on his best teacher: Mr Warburton", "Profile: Graham Taylor The turnip strikes back", "Graham Taylor: Former England manager dies at the age of 72", "On this day in history ~ Division Four, 1976", "Former Lincoln City and England boss Graham Taylor to have Watford stand named after him", "Former England manager Graham Taylor mourned", "Graham Taylor: England manager who worked Watford miracle", "Jim White: Watford comeback king Gary Plumley recalls FA Cup heroics against Spurs", "Graham Taylor dead: Former England and Aston Villa manager dies at 72", "How Aston Villa won the European Cup (and were then relegated five years later)", "Graham Taylor, former England manager, dies at the age of 72", "Norman Giller's England Lineups and Match Highlights 1990-91 to 1995-96", "England Match No. [78] The morning after, a tearful Beckham announced that he was stepping down as captain, although he stressed that he was keen to continue playing for England. His prediction came true when England defeated West Germany 4-2 after extra time in the final of the World Cup. What you sow, you have to reap. [21] Koeman scored shortly afterwards, and Dennis Bergkamp added another as England lost 20. Joe Mercer played for Everton, Aldershot, Chester and Arsenal. [6], Between 27 May 1945 and 19 May 1946, England played seven unofficial victory internationals, an unofficial international match against Scotland on 24 August 1946 (22), and unofficial internationals against Switzerland and Switzerland 'B'. [23] A huge list of candidates were touted to replace him, including Steve Coppell, Dave Bassett, Gerry Francis and John Lyall. [140], The year 2013 marked 150 years of the FA, and so a series a special friendly games were scheduled to play throughout the year. [235] Following the match, UEFA started disciplinary proceedings against the Football Association (FA) and would fine the FA 84,560 as well as forcing England to play one UEFA Nations League match behind closed doors. [243], For the 2022 FIFA World Cup, England were drawn alongside Iran, the United States and Wales in group B. Winterbottom trained as a teacher and taught in Oldham. [8] Following his retirement from playing, and a spell as player coach, Taylor became manager of Lincoln City, being the youngest manager in the league at the age of 28, on 7 December 1972 after David Herd resigned. [146] This was the first England kits produced by Nike, ending a long-term association with Umbro. At the 1968 European Championships, England reached the semi-finals before losing to Yugoslavia 10, with a goal in the 87th minute. England coasted into a 20 lead just after half-time with goals from Mullery and Peters, but the Germans fought back to 22 through Franz Beckenbauer and Uwe Seeler. By now, Greaves was fit again, but Ramsey kept faith with Hurst, despite calls from the media for the main goalscorer to return. [207][208] England would not play a first match of 2020 until 5 September where they would participate in the 202021 season of the UEFA Nations League. The day Graham Taylor resigned as England boss Graham Taylor's managerial record Lincoln City (1972-77) - Youngest person to become an FA coach, at the age of 27 - won Fourth Division title in 1976. England also compete in the UEFA European Championship. England entered the play-offs thanks to results elsewhere with Sweden defeating Poland. [3] This stood as a record for either side in the fixture for 77 years, until England beat Scotland 72 at Wembley during the 1955 Home Championship. These defeats included a 10 defeat in Stuttgart by the Republic of Ireland, playing in the finals for the first time and managed by Jack Charlton, a member of England's 1966 World Cup team. [75] He regularly hosted moderated "online coaching seminars" on the DALnet channel. . Lee Sharpe and Lee Dixon came on as wing-backs, while Carlton Palmer and Platt occupied midfield berths. England qualified for all four World Cups during his time in charge, including reaching the quarter-finals on two occasions in 1954 and 1962. From 1872 until the end of the second world war in 1946 England football managers, trainers and coaches were selected by the Football Association secretary and later the FA International Selection Committee. McClaren was sacked shortly after and became known as the wally with a brolly after an infamous photo of him on the touch-line holding an umbrella as England failed to qualify. [163] Their first match, in Marseille against Russia, finished in a 11 draw, as they failed to make their domination in the match pay; Eric Dier had put England in front from a free-kick before they conceded a stoppage time equaliser. About the FA after he resigned: They really insulted me and damaged my authority.. Graham Taylor puts his squad, including Paul Parker (left) and Alan Shearer, through their paces at Bisham Abbey. [137] A dramatic 32 win over Sweden, also in Kharkiv, followed by a tense 10 victory over the co-hosts Ukraine, saw England top their group and face Italy in the quarter-finals. ", "Key information for EURO 2020 spectators", "How many Euro 2020 games are at Wembley? Sam Allardyce signed a two-year contract to be England manager and saw his side secure a late win in his first match in charge. [87], The sight of McClaren standing on the touchline in the rain during this match became an enduring image of his tenure, and he was labelled "The Wally with the Brolly" by the media. [182][183] With qualification already guaranteed, England lost 10 to Belgium and finished second in the group. [104] However, the linesmen ruled that it hadn't. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [53][54], Two minutes before half-time England were fortunate to have a Frank Rijkaard goal ruled out for offside, even though replays showed the goal was legitimate. England's first FIFA-recognised international football match was a 00 draw against Scotland at Hamilton Crescent in Partick, Glasgow, on 30 November 1872. Click the icon to reveal any hidden columns. However, Capello then decided to resign towards the start of 2012 after the FA removed the captaincy role from John Terry. Please try to keep recent events in historical perspective and add more content related to non-recent events. [67] During this final season Taylor had become only the third manager to manage 1,000 league games in England, after Brian Clough and Jim Smith. He was able top secure qualification for the 2010 World Cup but after making it out of the group stage England were eliminated by Germany, losing 4-1 in the round of 16. Bobby Robson was Graham Taylors predecessor as England manager. During the 2002 World Cup qualification England defeated Germany 5 1, a game that lives long in the memory of England fans. [115][116], At the start of 2011, Jack Wilshere, James Milner and Walcott impressed in a promising 21 win over Denmark. Taylor was the youngest ever coach at age 21. After Winterbottom retired in 1962, England's former captain Alf Ramsey was appointed and crucially won the right to choose the squad and team himself, taking that role away from the selection committee. In the opening game against Denmark, England started brightly and missed several chances to take a lead. The following year, England beat Scotland 42 at the Kennington Oval, but in 1878, a resurgent Scotland thrashed England 72 at Hampden Park in Glasgow. I would have to say Graham Taylor defines the low water mark of England managers since England won the World Cup in 1966. But the Great Britain teams that won gold medals in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic football tournaments were constituted by England national amateur team players. Taylor was the only manager to have twice led teams that amassed over 70 points in one Football League season under the League's original scoring system of two points for a win and one point for a draw. His first shot was blocked, but it was ordered to be retaken because of encroachment. [12] England won the final 42 after extra time, with three goals from Hurst and one from Martin Peters. His time at Scunthorpe saw a turnaround in the club's fortunes. [132] On 1 May 2012, the FA announced that Roy Hodgson would take over as manager of the team. [22], Taylor resigned the following week. [16], Taylor's third season, in the Second Division, was less successful. [53] However, later in the second half with the game locked at 00 David Platt was fouled by Ronald Koeman as he raced in on goal. England had not needed to qualify since 1962, due to the automatic qualification given to them as hosts in 1966 and holders in 1970. [184], England played Colombia in the second round. Roy Hodgson was appointed as England manager on 1 May 2012 with a 4 year contract. . [65] Despite starting the following season well unbeaten through the first fifteen league games and heading the table Watford slumped to finish 9th in Division One. Glenn Hoddle was a player/manager of Swindon Town and Chelsea before taking the England role in 1996. "[57] Taylor had also agreed to be filmed during the qualifying campaign for Cutting Edge, a Channel 4 fly-on-the-wall documentary series, in which his portrayal further undermined his authority. Successes are quickly overshadowed the moment the England team doesnt live up to expectations. Walter was the first ever manager of England and he had no previous managerial experience when he was put in charge of the side. He then led England to their first World Cup in twelve years in 1982 but they failed to get out of the second group stage in the tournament. In a group containing Turkey, Ireland, and Poland, England were held to two 11 draws by Ireland and managed just 10 wins home and away against Turkey. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. [citation needed] Hoddle selected Shearer as his captain, replacing Adams, and also brought a number of emerging talents into the squad, including the Manchester United midfield trio of Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham, and the central defenders Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell. I don't want to name them because I want it to be a surprise when I get them back. [103] In the round of 16, Germany took an early 20 lead thanks to goals by Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. 688 - Sweden - 17 June 1992 - Match Summary and Report", "Football: England turn to Gascoigne for dream start", "Football mourns Graham Taylor: Farewell to a gentleman", "Norway destroy Taylor's England: Calamity in Oslo as a revamped team collapses in the face of Scandinavian skill", "Football: Batty given the safety-pin role for belt-and-braces England: Walker and Sheringham dropped in wake of Norway humiliation as US Cup opener against United States becomes of vital importance to Taylor's tenure", "Football: The painful failure of a proud man: Trevor Haylett on the highs and lows in Graham Taylor's career", "England's new low as US pile on the misery", "Football: News, opinion, previews, results & live scores Mirror Online", "Davide Gualtieri: The man from San Marino who shocked England", "Football: Howe set to become England caretaker: Taylor accepts the inevitable and tenders resignation as FA considers its options with chief executive favouring two-tier administration", "Do I not like that? Terry Venables saw his side lose to Germany on penalties in the semi-finals. [204] In November 2019, England played their 1,000th match in the team's history, an emphatic 70 home win over Montenegro which ensured England's qualification for Euro 2020 as group winners. His success in the position led to him securing the job of England manager but he got off to a poor start after failing to qualify for the 1976 World Cup. [citation needed] While a deal was set up, Howard Wilkinson was hastily appointed as the stand-in manager for a qualifier with Finland, which England could only draw 00. Walter Winterbottom was a reserve player for an England v Scotland match in 1942. England have the best fans in the world and Scotlands fans are second to none.. [185][186] England beat Sweden 20 in the quarter-finals, with goals from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli, to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990. Although the FA had joined FIFA in 1906, the relationship with the British associations was fraught. England's inside forward Johnny Haynes remarked after elimination in 1958, "Everyone in England thinks we have a God given right to win the World Cup." Kevin Keegan took over the England role shortly after Glen Hoddle had been sacked. [55] Just minutes later the Dutchman took an identical free kick outside England's penalty area. [63][64] An unconvincing 10 victory over Austria followed, in which Beckham became the first England player to be sent off twice in internationals. Traditionally the England manager has been called the boss but Gareth Southgate prefers to be known simply as Gareth. Graham Taylor, former England manager, dies aged 72 Guardian Paul MacInnes @ PaulMac Thu 12 Jan 2017 15.32 EST First published on Thu 12 Jan 2017 08.28 EST The football world has come. A month before the tournament started, the team went to train in high altitude conditions in Colorado Springs, followed by a spell in Los Angeles, where they beat the tournament hosts 30 in a friendly at the Memorial Coliseum. The first match was against Germany in Berlin. [69][70] In April, however, Scolari declined, in the belief that accepting the offer before a World Cup would conflict with his managerial duties for Portugal. At 16 years Walter is the longest serving England manager of all England managers a record thats unlikely to be beaten in the foreseeable future. He took Watford from the Fourth Division to the First in five years. Graham Taylor played for Grimsby Town and Lincoln City football clubs. [51][52], For the 2004 European Championships, England came top of their qualification group, with the teenage striker Wayne Rooney installed as a new star in their attack. Venables decided to resign as England manager in 1996 after the FA refused to extend his contract until seeing how the team performed in the tournament. This system was introduced for the inaugural 188889 season and was retained for over 90 years until the reward for a win was increased to three points in 1981. ", "Sam Allardyce leaves 'dream' England manager job after one game in charge", "Gareth Southgate: Interim England manager wants future decided within a month", "Former defender signs four-year deal to lead Three Lions", "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Qualifiers - Europe - FIFA", "World Cup draw: England face Belgium, Panama and Tunisia in Group G", "Tunisia 12 England: Harry Kane's late goal secures World Cup win", "World Cup 2018: England put six past Panama to reach last 16", "World Cup: England beat Panama 61 and look to the knockout rounds - as it happened", "World Cup 2018: England lose 10 to Belgium in final group game", "World Cup 2018: England beat Colombia 43 on penalties", "Colombia 11 England (34 on penalties): Eric Dier spot-kick sends Three Lions into quarter-fnals", "Sweden 02 England: Harry Maguire and Dele Alli head England into World Cup semis", "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Matches - Croatia - England - FIFA", "England's World Cup dream dashed as Croatia win semi-final in extra time", "2018 FIFA World Cup Russia - Matches - Belgium - England - FIFA", "England's Harry Kane wins World Cup 2018 Golden Boot after scoring six goals", "World Cup 2018: England finish fourth after 20 loss to Belgium", "UEFA Nations League 2018/19 League Phase draw", "England 12 Spain: Hosts lose Nations League opener", "Spain 23 England: Raheem Sterling scores twice in stunning victory", "England 50 Czech Republic: Raheem Sterling scores hat-trick in European Qualifier", "Montenegro 15 England: Gareth Southgate's side ruthless again in European Qualifiers", "Bulgaria 06 England: Racist chants mar England rout in Bulgaria", "England 70 Montenegro: Hosts win 1,000th international to book Euro 2020 ticket", "Coronavirus: Premier League and EFL suspended in England - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland halt games", "Gareth Southgate's Euro 2020 chaos as England friendlies against Denmark and Italy face axe", "Euro 2020 postponed for a year by Uefa because of coronavirus crisis", "Uefa Nations League ties in September to be played behind closed doors", "Nations League draw: How the 2020/21 groups line up", "Sterling nets late penalty in England win", "Mount winner helps England beat Belgium", "England 40 Iceland: Phil Foden scores twice as England sweep aside 10-man Iceland in Nations League", "England fail to qualify for Nations League finals", "EURO 2020 final: who was in it, when and where was it? [141] These were at home and away against Brazil (a 21 win and 22 draw),[142][143] home to the Republic of Ireland (a 11 draw),[144] and home to Scotland (a 32 win, which saw Rickie Lambert score on his England debut). [74], In 2014, Watford renamed the Rous Stand the Graham Taylor Stand to honour his achievements in two spells at the club. [31] He also faced accusations he could not cope with "stars", after he dropped Paul Gascoigne for Gordon Cowans for a qualifying game against Ireland. In the intense 35C heat and humidity of Monterrey, England began the World Cup badly, losing to Portugal, and then drawing with Morocco in a game which saw Ray Wilkins become the first England player to be sent off at a World Cup finals. Joe Mears as chief selector became the scapegoat.[9]. [85] After further wins over Israel, Russia and Estonia again, all by the score of 30, another victory against Russia would have guaranteed qualification, but despite England taking a first half lead through Rooney, Russia came back to win 21. Sven was the first non-British manager to become England football manager in January 2001 and one of the most successful England football managers based on England football tournament results. England's performance sparked public and media criticism of Robson, who offered his resignation, but it was rejected and he stayed in charge as England looked to qualify for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. [8], England's fortunes then took a sharp decline, losing for the first time against non-UK opposition at home when they were defeated 20 by the Republic of Ireland in 1949 at Goodison Park, Liverpool. Football legends have joined fans for the funeral of former Watford, Aston Villa and England boss Graham Taylor. Hopes of success at the 1958 World Cup finals were hit by the Munich air disaster in February that year, which claimed the lives of eight Manchester United players. It was only a last-minute goal from Gary Lineker against Poland that saw England qualify at Ireland's expense. Sven was under a lot of pressure with many in the media calling the current group of players a golden generation for the country. England failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup under his tenure. [44], As a Swedish national, Sven-Gran Eriksson became the first foreign coach to be appointed as England's manager, a decision that attracted controversy. Norway rarely threatened, but equalised in the 77th minute, when Kjetil Rekdal scored from 20 yards. England had automatically qualified for Euro 1996 as hosts and the side topped their group in the tournament. Hurst had a goal disallowed,[13] and with eleven minutes remaining in extra time, Gerd Mller scored the winning goal for Germany. An unremarkable group phase saw them win two and draw one of their games, with a 30-yard strike by Bobby Charlton at Wembley against Mexico proving a highlight. Gascoigne supported Teddy Sheringham and Les Ferdinand up-front. [155] Gerrard retired with 114 caps whilst Lampard retired with 106. The two-legged quarter-final resulted in a 31 win for the Germans at Wembley and a goalless draw in Berlin. [223] England then won 10 against Czech Republic thanks to another Sterling winner, ensuring that England would finish top of the group and face off against the runner-up of Group F at Wembley. Alf didnt have as much success in the 1970 World Cup when England lost 3-2 to West Germany in the quarter-finals. Adolf Hitler wanted the game to be a showcase for Nazi propaganda. Thereafter, Denmark began to dominate the match, and nearly won with minutes left as John Jensen struck a post. [211] England then played a 00 draw against Denmark in Copenhagen before a 21 home win over the top ranked team in the world, Belgium in October 2020. [230], England faced Italy in the Final at Wembley in front of over 67,000 supporters. Robson resisted calls to quit and the Football Association kept faith in him. [citation needed] The matches in the competition, as well as friendlies and 2022 FIFA World Cup opening qualifiers in 2021, were to be played behind closed doors under the pandemic rules and restrictions. Question; Which England manager said I wont select my eleven best players, but rather my best eleven., Hi Ralph, thanks for asking but, as far as we are aware, no England football manager ever said that. Three days later, Neville Chamberlain declared war on Germany. In their last qualifying match, England infamously went 10 down to San Marino when the minnows scored the fastest World Cup goal after just eight seconds.