"England have only lost four World Cup qualifiers in the past 30 years. They are currently unbeaten in these matches since 2009. To compare, in Europe only Spain (one) and Germany (three) have lost fewer during that period. Adding European Championships, since qualifying for Euro 2004 England have played 108 qualifiers, winning 84 and losing only six. They have scored 292 goals and conceded just 51."
"That is a points-per-game ratio of 2.5. In other words, if it was a Premier League season over 38 games, that would yield 95 points, enough to win the title in all but three seasons. So you would think there would be lots of good memories - but qualifiers rarely produce raw excitement. They are usually the means to an end. In England's case an unfulfilled struggle to win the World Cup which has eluded the men's team since 1966."
England's 2-0 win over Andorra was dour and uneventful, with thousands of empty seats at Villa Park. Qualifiers have been overwhelmingly routine for England, with only four World Cup qualifying losses in 30 years and an unbeaten run since 2009. Since qualifying for Euro 2004 England played 108 qualifiers, winning 84, losing six, scoring 292 goals and conceding 51, yielding a 2.5 points-per-game ratio equivalent to 95 Premier League points over 38 games. Qualifiers often lack excitement and serve as a route to major tournaments, where England's men's team has not won the World Cup since 1966. Notable outliers include Beckham's 2021 free-kick and Rooney's 2003 debut.
Read at www.bbc.com
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