Few teams in world football have carried as much expectation and suffered as much heartbreak as England. Since winning the World Cup in 1966, the Three Lions have endured decades of disappointment, with talented squads repeatedly falling short of their potential.
Some argue that England had one of their best shots at winning silverware during the early 2000s, with the so-called Golden Generation of David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen, Ashley Cole and Rio Ferdinand.
Packed with Premier League superstars, the side became one of international football’s biggest ‘what ifs’ as they struggled to gel as a unit, with frequent managerial changes and constant system shifts disrupting any chance of building cohesion.
That sense of wasted potential was often linked to instability in the dugout, and Ferdinand once echoed that view, claiming England might have ended their trophy drought had one particular manager not been sacked in the late 1990s.
Rio Ferdinand Praises Glenn Hoddle
Ferdinand, speaking to Owen on his Rio Meets show, claimed that England would have won ‘something’ if Glenn Hoddle had not been sacked in February 1999:
“If Hoddle stayed as England manager we would have won something.”
Owen agreed, claiming that the Three Lions ‘absolutely’ could have been on their path to glory had Hoddle kept his job ahead of Euro 2000:
“We’d won it. Absolutely.”
Hoddle was appointed England manager in place of Terry Venables after England’s Euro 1996 campaign, in which they reached the semi-final as the host nation.
The former Chelsea tactician oversaw just one major tournament in charge of the Three Lions – the 1998 World Cup, where England were knocked out on penalties by Argentina in the second round.
Hoddle was heavily criticised for omitting Paul Gascoigne from the squad for the 1998 tournament, while youngsters Ferdinand and Owen, then aged 19 and 18 respectively, were included.
Hoddle placed strong emphasis on technical ability and discipline in his tactical approach and was one of the first England managers to embrace modern patterns of play, often fielding a 3-5-2 formation that relied on wing-backs and fluidity in midfield.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Hoddle averaged 1.96 points per game across 28 matches in charge of England.
Hoddle’s tenure came to an abrupt end in February 1999 – not because of football results, but due to controversial comments he made about people with disabilities.
In an interview with Matt Dickinson of The Times newspaper, Hoddle suggested that individuals with disabilities were paying for sins from a previous life – remarks that caused public outrage and heavy criticism from disability groups, politicians and the media.
Hoddle’s comments were condemned by several high-profile politicians, including Sports Minister Tony Banks and Prime Minister Tony Blair, while the manager himself stated his words were misinterpreted.
While he was unwilling to resign, the FA terminated Hoddle’s contract on 2 February 1999 and replaced him with Kevin Keegan, who took England to Euro 2000 but resigned following a group stage exit.