When the final whistle went, I was filled with this perverse relief. The fact that I didn't have to watch a single one more second of that atrocious display the Czechs put on yesterday was the best thing that happened that night. I said to myself - this is a side that no more than four years ago beat Germans on their own turf 3-0 and produced some wonderful football even when packed with pretty much average or decent players, at best. And now the level and quality of the German national team is illustrious and certainly unattainable for the Czechs. I switched to Sport 1 and it was horrendously clear to me just how far away in terms of everything our western neighbours were - playing with flair, oozing with creativity and making it all look so easy.
Compared with this German side, it is even more obvious just how big downfall has the Czech national team gone through. Since the last EURO in 2008 it is now fourth coach in charge of the team - with three of them (Rada, Straka and Bílek) being very much incompetent for the job. But just now it is blatantly clear to everyone that the national team really needs a strong figure at the helm; someone who can bring the very much needed stability and progression that was there during Karel Brückner's 7-year-long reign.
I know it's a bit unrealistic to ask for the same kind of quality of play that was there when the golden generation of players like Nedvěd, Poborský and Rosický was among the favourites to win the 2004 EURO. But is it so much to ask to see some kind of organisation, system and team spirit? We were beaten yesterday by a very much average side that has shown these very attributes and it made all the difference.
That ludicrous display last night was virtually all about manager's failures - Bílek was unable to occupy players at their right positions, to bring the best out of them or to bring in even the best of them. The only team positive, I thought, was the pressing right at the start but this faded as the game went on. Individually only Rosický impressed with a couple of great through-balls. The captain was available for one-twos possibly anywhere on the pitch and was really keen and determined, just as he should have been.
The others, well... We shouldn't really dwell on lack of technical abilities but what I thought was impossible for many to overcome was their first touch. As Norwegians pressed very hard and kept their shape well when the ball was at our back four it was important tofind the space between the lines quickly and/or counter-attack simply and rapidly. This was never to come. But this wasn't meant to be solely the players' fault. As many of them were played out of their position and the 4-2-2-2 system dysfunctioned, their positioning was flawed and they were unable to create any decent pattern on the pitch. The (set-piece) defending was horrible as well and it's even more worrying when you realize that this should have been the most important part of the preparation before the Scotland game.
So, where does this leave the Czechs now? It's worth pointing out that this was still just a friendly but I simply haven't seen a worse display from the Czechs in my life. The long-term results were only leading to this - a couple of uninspiring wins, an embarassing loss at home to Lithuania in qualification and apart from a very decent display in Spain it was all very, very unconvincing from Bílek, to say the least. There are at least three obvious better candidates for the job - and that's Vrba, Dovalil and Hřebík. All of them systematic and meticulous managers with positive approach to football and all of them very good long-term options for the national team. With great achievements from the U19 and U21 it's now high time to rethink and rebuild the squad and its mentality and implement youth and courage. This is exactly what brought Germany where it is today. Just maybe we should follow their example again - just as in economics, politics and ecology - to stay competitive.
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