Emblazoned upon every Englishman's footballing soul, no matter who you support, is 1966.

The fantastic feat achieved at home and prophesied by Sir Alf Ramsey before a ball had been kicked, remains England's only ever honour.

And so it shall remain. The dim and distant memory to some, an event only heard about to those born subsequently and one that will never be achieved again, at least probably not in my lifetime.

But why?

Germany manager Joachim Low says Roy Hodgson's task is made impossible because of the large number of overseas players in the Premier League. Low added that by contrast Germany were benefiting from a lot of young players coming through into the Bundesliga.

Low said: “Of course the English league has a disadvantage with a higher percentage of foreigners playing there and it becomes difficult for the national coach to get things moving. I think having many foreigners playing there is part of England’s problem. Since 2009 things have changed for us and lots of young German players are coming through. We have a good blend, a strong league with three teams who are among the best in Europe with experience in tough competitions but I am not unhappy if some play in a foreign country and see other cultures and other coaches."

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Matt Le Tissier, the former England and Southampton star believes players get too much too young and are more interested in huge pay packets than the game.

Matt, 47, now a pundit on Sky’s Soccer Saturday, said: “I would be very surprised if we won a World Cup in my lifetime – which is a sad thing to say because I was born two years after we won the last one."

If money is the only reason to play, then the ambition to win the World Cup becomes less important and representing your country just gets in the way of other matters, such as the Premier League and Champions League.

Equally, English players don’t love their country. Watch the weeping Brazilians, Marseillaise-belting French, arms-about-the-shoulders Germans, and even heart-holding Americans at the World Cup and wonder how they can appear so moved by a flag or anthem, while English players can barely lip-sync something vaguely related to God saving the Queen. It’s not a race thing: Caribbean-born French and Polish-and Turkish-born Germans don’t have any problem rallying behind a collective identity; England just doesn’t seem to have one. And when you don’t have a collective to fight for, the fight is very quickly knocked out of you.

With the England team, no-one seems to follow the same plan when they get to a major tournament finals. Club allegiances, philosophical and tactical differences, petty personal jealousies and a complete inability to follow one plan all lead inevitably to that maddening moment in every tournament when the players just can’t be bothered anymore and start lumping the ball up to the big lonely striker.

Pride. Whatever happened to pride and to wearing the three lions on your puffed out chest? Gone. Players can't seem to be motivated to wear the national colours. In days gone by, it meant something. Older players will tell you how they felt when they played in the white shirt at Wembley and in those days, they didn't get paid for it.

The mindset of failure kicks its devastating way into the minds of England teams that appear to qualify routinely, but then can't manage a four week tournament. Or a week for us. The hype and PR and media frenzy at the next one will be no different. 'This is the one', the 'best chance of glory', will be cried, but we'll all look rather silly as the players trudge wearily down the planes steps at Heathrow after another painful exit.

It all comes down to expectations and I don't expect anything. Therefore, I can't be disappointed when the inevitable occurs.

And, sadly, it will.

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