All this changed with the unceremonious dropping of Raul and the subsequent triumph of Euro 2008. Spain have dominated the last five years but there are now genuine concerns that the escalating tension in El Classico following Mourinho`s arrival will spill over into the national camp.
It would be tempting to say this is the situation that faces England but the truth is very different. There is nothing in this country that compares to the El Classico rivalry and the dividing lines between different regions are not as entrenched as they are in Spain.
That is not to say there is no element of friction. Danny Welbeck was not entirely convincing when asked to give his take on Paul Scholes comments, but he referred to his friendship with Carroll and Richards as an indication of more cordial relations. We must remember that the likes of Gerrard and Rooney are close friends. Perhaps it is more a case that the players just don`t hold international duty with the same esteem they once did, a situation that is sadly endemic of the whole game.
It may be we give the England players too much credit by blaming their underachievement on their inability to engage socially with each other rather than their lack of ability. Maybe the pressure the media puts on the national team is a burden too great to bear. Scholes said he enjoyed playing for England until the tournaments came around and according to Bellamy even Gerrard was terrified to give the ball away for England. This is not to offer the England players a reprieve for their failures merely an observation.
Adam Crozier`s description of the England players as the `golden generation` in hindsight will go down as one of the most ridiculous statements of the century. Yet at the time with the players flourishing for their clubs it did not seem so outrageous.
Scholes comments add a different perspective to the possible factors in the failure of the national team, but the damning truth has festered in our consciousness for some time. We are simply not as good as we would like to be.
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