The Most Disappointing Nation in Football History

After winning the World Cup in 1966, England have failed to get back to those highs. And the team became known for bottling it at the most important moments. Did their Golden Generations disappoint on the biggest stage? Or were other teams simply better? This is the story of the failure of England's Golden Generations. If you think of the team at Rooney's, the Owens, Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham, we should have won the World Cup that year. So if you're looking at good players on paper, it doesn't mean the dynamics in the group is going to come together. We were going the wrong way down a road of how we believe football should be played. 30 years after winning the World Cup on home soil, football came home once again, as England hosted Euro 96. It's an extraordinary time for English football fans, of course. You're at home in front of your own crowd in a major championship. That doesn't happen very often. That happens once in your career, if you're lucky. The Three Lions were by no means one of the favourites, but there was still pressure on them to deliver for the fans. I was here in 66 when they did it the last time and they're going to do it again, you'll see. And this pressure seemed to get to them in their opening game. The nerves of the first game were absolutely crushing. We didn't play brilliantly, you know, and I put that down to the pressure. Tuchmars has made it 1-1. Really disappointing result for us, and we never got any momentum at all within that first game. Just like that, the stakes had risen before their next game against rival Scotland. England fans desperately needed someone to rise to the occasion, and soon enough, they got their man. Here's Gascoigne. Oh, brilliant! Sheer genius from Gasser. Gasser's moment there, that was special. This fella is the one that might be able to get his hands on the trophy on behalf of England. The perception of everything just changed. The people were positive, the press were positive. And England have taken a huge step. Paul Gascoigne had the talent to take England all the way. But in order to top their group, England needed to defeat the team who were champions eight years prior. That team was the Netherlands. Holland at that time sort of had Ajax in the mid-90s, great players. Don't forget, half of this team was in the Champions League the year before. This is the calibre of opposition that we're talking about. Terry would make us watch videos of Holland because he knew that the Dutch game would be a massive game for us. The Dutch seemed clear favourites to come out on top. And yet in the space of 90 minutes, all of this would change. It's 1-0 England! Shearingham! And Shearer, and it's 3-0! Shearingham, it's 4! And England took them on at their own game and wiped the floor with them. And in 96, you know, we completely outclassed the Dutch. You know, it was supposed to be total football. We changed our system a little bit just to combat what they did. And it works brilliantly. After topping their group, England laid the foundation for a potential appearance in the final. It just seemed as it went along that we were almost destined, after all that had kicked off before, and we were destined to get to the final. But in order to get there, they needed to do it the hard way. They needed to take down Germany. Gold and gold. So whoever scored a goal won the game. I'm sure there's many and many a football team that said, what ifs, and so close over the years. We are just another one of those teams. They weren't even inches, was he? It was like centimetres. England needed to win the penalty shootout or they were out. As things went to sudden death, Gareth Southgate needed to score. Regret, remorse, to have failed under pressure, under that huge spotlight, is hard professionally to take. Wow, that's it. We're out. We missed, as a team, not Gareth. We missed collectively. We have to face those things. We can't hide from them. I can't hide from the fact that that happened. Should anything differently have been done? Yeah, football should be more than just practising penalties. At the end of it, it should be knowing full well who are the best penalty takers from one to 23. We never done that. Someone said to me a long while ago, what doesn't destroy you completely only makes you stronger. And he'll find that. I said to him, he's got a week to cry and he's got to get back in the game again. You should always remember, obviously, the good, but I can't do nothing but think of that. As for England, well, they went out at the semi-final stage on the wrong side of a penalty lottery. Germany may have won Euro 96, but under Terry Venables, England have regained a lot of respect at international level. Unfortunately for England, something happened in 98 that will never be forgotten. England are playing Argentina at a World Cup for the first time since the Hand of God game. In 1986, all the people around you say, we've got to beat the Argies. I remember Diego putting his hand on the back of my head and then I just reacted. Wait a minute, he's taking another card out for Beckham. It's a red card for David Beckham. David made a mistake, no question about that, but Simeone totally took advantage of that mistake as well. England hold on. It's time for the ultimate test. Batty's penalty was saved and a penalty shootout curse for England. That tournament was the second in two years that we got knocked out on penalties. You feel empty. He hasn't done it on purpose. It's a mistake that he's made. I think what led after for the next few years, I think for me personally, that was the most difficult time for me in my career. To lose another penalty shootout was crushing for both the fans and the players. People weren't really talking to each other. Everyone just left. People were just so deflated. I've never seen anything like it, really. It was dreadful. We've got no heart left. I don't think it's a pressure thing. It's not a pressure of taking the penalty. I think we've just got to, you know, believe that we can win in penalties. But the misery was far from over for England. At Euro 2000, they failed to even make it past the group stage. We have no one else to blame. We don't have the fans to blame. The fans in the stadium in all three games have been absolutely magnificent. My last ever game for England. Was it? So it should be losing that. Yeah. This was rock bottom for England. With star striker Shearer retiring, England desperately needed a new generation of players to rise to the occasion. They needed a golden generation. Arguably the most recognisable footballer in the world. Yes! Without doubt, one of the most emotional moments for me because it was such a highly charged game. Beckham had redeemed himself from 98, sending England to the 2002 World Cup. What an amazing turnaround from only 12 months earlier. Svenja and Eriksen had achieved what many thought impossible. England's new vibrant team can look forward to the World Cup with confidence. 2002 would mark the arrival of a new crop of talent. Beckham was already one of the best in the world and Michael Owen had won the Ballon d'Or in 2001 at just 21. Michael Owen is that guy. Michael Owen was the child superstar destined to be a top player in the world. But there were plenty of young lions ready to emerge. Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole, just to name a few. Hope was finally in the air again. The 2002 World Cup and Japan and South Korea are determined to put on a grand show. England were optimistic heading to Asia, which eventually would lead to their possible salvation. You can smash them now. Beckham has scored for England. England have beat Argentina in the World Cup 66. Because in the group stage, the three lions scored sweet revenge against Argentina. But in the quarterfinals, it was time to buckle up because standing in their way was none other than Brazil. Incredible team, extremely talented, technically miles better than we were. Ronaldinho takes and David Seaman's come off his line and Brazil take the lead. Seaman had forgotten how to jump and England were heading out of the World Cup. I remember getting to the halfway line and then looking down and I just saw the England fans and then I just got like so emotional. You look at that team, Adrinaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, you think that's a golden generation. Roberto Carlos. What a team. Brilliant team. Yes, we were a world-class team, but that is like a super world. Could you imagine having a front three like that? Yeah, we could have beat them and maybe we should, but they were the best team in the World Cup. England were so close to glory, but they always seemed to be outclassed by another golden generation. Thankfully, in the next few years, they would have their own generation ready to take on the world. England's confidence was sky high heading into Euro 2004 and this confidence paved the way for an incredible performance against France, winners of the previous tournament. However, all this euphoria was about to come crashing down because in stoppage time in the second half, who else but Zidane to score two goals to break English hearts? I should have lost that game easily. But there was no reason to panic just yet as England's new stars would soon make their mark in the tournament. Teenage sensation Wayne Rooney broke onto the scene in spectacular fashion and Frank Lampard of Chelsea gave England even more firepower in midfield. Multi-talented players, if they can just get it all together and of course, you've got Wayne Rooney. Our fans were all of a sudden excited because it was that gaza excitement about having a player like Wayne playing for England and that was really when he announced himself to the world. There was a feeling then that we have got the best player in the world. With Rooney leading the attack, England believed they had every chance of winning the Euros. Unfortunately, in the quarter-final, a new problem emerged. I knew straight away he was certainly gone. I heard a pop, I felt it. Suddenly, the nation falls quiet. After just 20 minutes, England's star player was substituted and England did England things. We've lost on penalties again and that's Euro 96, France 98, and now Euro 2004 and it's three times and very cruel every time. I believe the form I was in, the confidence I had, if I stayed fit, I believe we would have won it. So when Rooney got injured, we thrashed him. But, yeah, that's part of football, of course. What's your regret? Not being successful with him. And not playing well enough with him, to be honest, yeah. It felt like a door was opening because of Wayne Rooney. Anything felt possible. And then, whoosh, he was gone. Unfortunately, this wouldn't be the last of Rooney's injury troubles for England. The 2006 World Cup, a tournament that England were expected to go far in. With Wayne Rooney struggling with a metatarsal injury, I think it was, Michael Owen had played very little football. You want to play, you want to play for your country, yeah? I think we were ready to win the big tournament, 2006. I can't see any team which were better than we. In the quarter-final, England had their chance to show just how good they were. This was their chance for redemption from Euro 2004, and the Three Lions started brightly. But in the 62nd minute, something happened that would drastically change the outcome. And an incident that might have passed off initially. Without a card, ends in Rooney being sent off. Rooney was sent off, and England went on to do England things. And England, as usual, lose on a penalty shootout. Whenever I've been in penalty shootouts with Liverpool, I've always believed we'd win, because even before the penalties were taken, I think, oh, we'll win this. Whereas England, you always thought we'd lose. I think those players were playing at their peak, were world-class players. And I think that was a real opportunity for us to go and grab a World Cup. And I think everyone will look back on that 2006 disappointment. You felt that this was an opportunity for us to go all the way. And when we didn't, people started picking up, you know, the team, the players, individuals. But you've got real fears. And John said he's so humble. You know, probably at the peak. Steven Gerrard, one of the best there was. And Frank Lampard, one of the best there was. We never won anything. So if you're looking at good players on paper, it doesn't mean the dynamics of the group is going to come together. Yeah, we could have been managed better. There could have been a way to get the best out of us when we were both in our prime. We played a rigid 4-4-2. So if you've got the best midfielders in the world, you try and get them in a team with a diamond or whatever, you play them. And all of these guys could have been interchangeable in that system. Technically, I just think it was a case where we was going the wrong way down a road of how we believe football should be played. What was our pattern to play? Do you remember? No one ever sat me down and gone... I'm not someone who makes excuses. I think you're the same as me. You always blame someone else. I hate hearing someone blame someone else. I think he could have done better. I suppose he could. Numerous people come out and say, well, you know, there was clicks and some players didn't talk to other players. I don't care. We couldn't put our finger in it. Maybe everyone was just was better than us. Other teams were better than us. We should have won the World Cup that year. The Golden Generation had failed miserably, but it was in 2007 where the final dagger was delivered to this group of players. And England are out. Lee is stunned. When you talk about low points in English football history, this is one of them. We don't get much lower than this. That's it from us on the night that England failed to qualify for Euro 2000. Unfortunately for England, their fortunes didn't turn over the next few tournaments. Whether it was disallowed goals or more penalty failures, England almost seemed cursed. What are the mental problems with England's set up? We saw again the penalty shootout tonight. Going into it, you just felt, you just couldn't see England winning it. You see them every week in the Premiership being, you know, top players, the Gerrards. Gerrard never got a kick tonight. Don't you think we overhyped the Premier League a bit too much? Absolutely. Of course. You've got to start working on kids of five, six, seven years old so that they come through. But what if there was possible salvation for the three Lions, led by a man hungrier than anyone for redemption? Because Gareth Southgate was like the remedy to all of England's problems. I made plenty of poor decisions when I was a young player. But it's what you it's how you react to that and how you learn from those moments that's important. He was the ideal person to be the manager that day because of what he'd been through in his own football life. Nobody could have done that better than Gareth. There's clear guidelines for the coaches in terms of the way we want to coach, the way that we expect the sessions to look on the training pitch. Building belief in the national team, having players that wanted to play. After reaching the semifinal of the 2018 World Cup, it was proof that Southgate was getting England closer to where they wanted to be. But the next tournament would be even more special because once again, football was returning home. The beauty of 96 was not just our games. It's the fact that the football world came to England. And this is a little bit different in that we're at home. So we've got our matches at Wembley, which is brilliant for us. I think they're going to win it. I think the stars have aligned beautifully. Seven games, six of them at home. And the stars definitely aligned. Grealish, then on to Shaw, big chance for England. Stirling is there. It's Grealish. Because England scored sweet revenge against none other than Germany. And this momentum carried all the way to the final. Are you better equipped to win a semifinal after your experiences of 96 and 2018? Well, we should be. Good luck. Sage back in. Five years since England last reached a major final. But sadly, the fun wouldn't last forever. England once again exited a tournament on penalties. But in the last few weeks, there's been great pride in this country of what England players have achieved, what this England team have achieved. The players have had an incredible togetherness and spirit, which I think has brought so many parts of our country together. They should be. And I think they are incredibly proud of what they've done. We're now at a point where the team have got to a certain level. There's more expectation, but there's also more evidence for the team that we can do well. He has done a remarkable job, Gareth, but he hasn't had maybe the players to pick from that previous managers have had. So, you know, the pool of players he's got is not as big. But what if England did have a team that could take on the world? A team that could even be considered as a golden generation. Jude Bellingham, Champions League winner. Mesmerising in every sense, on the pitch, off the pitch. I mean, he's a god. He's absolutely incredible. Yeah. The way Kane is playing right now, he's a complete striker. He's going to be the top goalscorer for England. He's going to be the top goalscorer ever for top. And he's probably going to be the Premier League's greatest or most goals there. And Phil Foden is a total footballer at the highest level. Best on the planet right now. Yeah, I think he is. I really, really do. I think he's the best in the world. The way he's carrying Manchester City. England have got, you know, Bellingham. They've got Foden. They've got Kane. They've got real talented players. But Foden, for me, is something really, really, really special. Saka, to be fair, Martin, you can't help but love him. You can't. He's absolutely wonderful. A breath of fresh air. But I like everything about him. And I think if you want to play for the big teams, what he has, he is capable of beating players. While England's defence might not be as golden. Their attack was certainly gold standard. And the expectation to win Euro 2024 was sky high. It seemed like now or never for England. England seemed to be turning a new leaf as the penalty shootout problem seemed to be going away. It seemed like destiny for England to finally break the curse. We want to win. We know we've gone close. Semi-final, final. It's pretty clear the next challenge. For England, the interminable wait goes on. So close yet so far. But ultimately, it wasn't to be. Gareth Southgate was left as England boss after eight years in charge. For someone who's such a top human being, you want them to do so well in life. And he's done a magnificent job. He's left them in a way better position. The New England men's football manager will be the former Chelsea boss, Thomas Tuchel. We've appointed one of the very best coaches in the world. Our aim is always to win a major tournament. And we believe Thomas gives us the best possible chance to do that. Thomas Tuchel will have a wealth of talent to help him bring it home. But could England finally get it done? Only time will tell.