THE fashionable topic of conversation and in the press at the moment has been England's performances against Macedonia and Croatia.

Yet again, the manager, in this case Steve McLaren, is coming under increasing pressure and criticism.

What we are doing is touching on the periphery of the problems that we have at international level.

When we examine closely the qualities of the sides that cause us problems, there appears to be, in international matches, better technique, more pace and better tactical awareness from foreign sides.

Yet the Premiership is billed as the best league in the world, it is watched by millions throughout the world and we have some excellent English players by Premiership standards.

But, for me, the major problem is when they step up from the type of entertaining, hurly-burly football played in the Premiership to the more controlled, thoughtful game at international level.

Many of the world's top sides have a sprinkling of players who have played their league football in a number of countries.

Yet the England side against Macedonia and Croatia did not contain a single player who had had experience of football in other leagues besides our own.

While the likes of Wayne Rooney and Theo Walcott will improve because of their age, will John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Frank Lampard, for example, improve as players in the current situation? My answer would be no - they are very good Premiership players but to be better all-round, tactically aware, and improved technically, then a season in Spain or Italy would improve them.

But the Premiership is so enjoyable to play in, with great wealth and great recognition, that it takes someone a bit special to have the desire to go and play abroad.

Of course there are exceptions - Alan Shearer was an excellent striker by any standards but Kevin Keegan, an icon at Liverpool, decided to further his education by playing in the German league. Hoddle and Waddle went abroad, Gascoigne, for all his daftness, went to play in Italy.

Gary Lineker enjoyed a season or two in Spain as have Michael Owen and David Beckham.

All became better players for the experience, but it will not happen often because of the comfort of the Premiership.

So we will go on blaming the manager as we have always done from the days of Bobby Robson and before.

We have had some very good men in charge of the England side yet all have failed to produce the success that the supporters have craved. It is not down to the man at the helm, it is down to the shortcomings of our international players.