BoxRec

Ok, so i think England will scrape through 1-1.

Sadly, I'm very close to not giving a shit.

No qualifying might be just the kick over-paid, over-rated, over-pampered 'superstars' like Gerrard, Cole, Ferdinand and Robinson need.

I'd like to see more players who've grafted hard for their chance, like Barry, Bridge, Lescott, Wright-Phillips, Parker, O'Neil, Shorey, Davies, Nolan included. Players who've plied their trade outside the big four and in some cases the top division.

Maybe then we get more passion, effort and discipline in our performances.

Too many big-time charlies on £100k a week and have too distant a relationship with the real world and the fans. They also need a manager able to enthuse and inspire them, and bollack the lazy bastards when they under-perform.

International Football, do England still partake in that?

Old bones Ian wrote:Ok, so i think England will scrape through 1-1.

Its gonna be an England win 3-1

I would be very happy to see England fail.

I'm sick of the vast majority of players. Lampard and Terry in particular make me want to wretch on sight. Failure to qualify will cost them at least a few million each in any-piece-of-crap endorsement deals next summer.

I'm sick of the 'this time we'll do it' tub thumping tosh they sell to the redtops in the weeks before the tournament. It's quarters at best, as per.

I'm sick of the feckless, indolent, casually racist 'supporters' with their jjb sports george flags hanging outside their council flat window and draped behind the bar of their 'you're not from round here, are you son?' local boozer. The type who talk of being 'proud' of being English but when pressed have absolutely no notion of what that pride pertains to. They're just glad they're not 'foreign'.

C'mon Croatia!

deadpan wrote:I would be very happy to see England fail.

I'm sick of the vast majority of players. Lampard and Terry in particular make me want to wretch on sight. Failure to qualify will cost them at least a few million each in any-piece-of-crap endorsement deals next summer.

I'm sick of the 'this time we'll do it' tub thumping tosh they sell to the redtops in the weeks before the tournament. It's quarters at best, as per.

I'm sick of the feckless, indolent, casually racist 'supporters' with their jjb sports george flags hanging outside their council flat window and draped behind the bar of their 'you're not from round here, are you son?' local boozer. The type who talk of being 'proud' of being English but when pressed have absolutely no notion of what that pride pertains to. They're just glad they're not 'foreign'.

C'mon Croatia!

Was it yourself who wanted Floyd to beat Ricky?

I think they will do it but I still think McClown deserves to go.

josh fg wrote:I think they will do it but I still think McClown deserves to go.

The job should have gone to Martin O'Neill in the first place IMO

Chambers2 wrote:

josh fg wrote:I think they will do it but I still think McClown deserves to go.

The job should have gone to Martin O'Neill in the first place IMO

Agreed, then someone who isnt english could have made a fornicating pigs ear of it.

Wales wrote:

Chambers2 wrote:

josh fg wrote:I think they will do it but I still think McClown deserves to go.

The job should have gone to Martin O'Neill in the first place IMO

Agreed, then someone who isnt english could have made a effing pigs ear of it.

To be honnest its one of the best payed positions in world football so you should get one of the worlds best managers and sorry guys thats nether Martain O'Neill or Steve McClown. They rushed into the decision and made the wrong one. If it is to be a manager form these fair isles I would have gon for Big Sam.

Wales wrote:

Chambers2 wrote:

josh fg wrote:I think they will do it but I still think McClown deserves to go.

The job should have gone to Martin O'Neill in the first place IMO

Agreed, then someone who isnt english could have made a effing pigs ear of it.

.....again

josh fg wrote:

Wales wrote:

Chambers2 wrote: The job should have gone to Martin O'Neill in the first place IMO

Agreed, then someone who isnt english could have made a effing pigs ear of it.

To be honnest its one of the best payed positions in world football so you should get one of the worlds best managers and sorry guys thats nether Martain O'Neill or Steve McClown. They rushed into the decision and made the wrong one. If it is to be a manager form these fair isles I would have gon for Big Sam.

O'Neill is one of the Worlds best managers IMO

0-0... Croatia don't seem up for it at all - bet they were celebrating the Israel result. England don't have the fire power up front to score.

Croatia 2-1....you haven't got a decent keeper, your stars are pampered and if you think Lampard is "world class" you need your eyes testing....

And yes, this is me being biased

Terry D wrote:Any team that has Rio Ferdinand poncing about the pitch is in trouble. Terry has a little of the hoofer about him and Lampard, stats aside, just negates Gerrard. Gerrard is probably our best player but is criminally misused.

Ferdinand is fooking crap. His club had to get Vidic in to make him look like a player and he seems to think he is Fiddy Cent.

Sven would have breezed this group.

Ferdinand is a great player, he plays perfectly well when Vidich is injured I have been to some of the games.

The word great is thrown around too much.

George Best was a great player, Rio Ferdinand is a good player....

Does he want me to sign it?

I expect them to scrape through, only for them to play shit in the finals next year, before the inevitable quarter final exit.

Part of me hopes they get dumped out, just to give everyone a kick up the arse. Then again, The FA would probably keep McClaren in place anyway, so we might as well keep him and have a crappy run at next years tournament into the bargain.

The worst thing is that if England do manage to get through Mclaren will bumble his way through another 2-3 years.

In 6 months time England's ineptitude will be forgotten and the nation will be convincing itself that we are going to win the tournament.

According to the English press half the squad are the best players in the world in their positions.

Who would make the Italian world champions team?

Gerrard is about the only one who would have a chance.

We'll have fluked our way to the finals when we get thru tonight, then we'll go and the tournament in convincing style with Wayne Rooney being player of the tournament (the glass is half full)

As I said, fewer Hollywood players more workman players.

1 - Carson
2 - Richards (though I remain a Neville fan)
3 - Bridge (steady, accomplished and can tackle)
4 - Barry (long apprenticeship, versatile and good in possesion, the air and the tackle)
5 - Lescott (came up the hardway via championship, quick, ambitious and is good in the air)
6 - Taylor (works hard as evidenced in u-21)
7 - Wright-Phillips (opted to fight for his place at Chelsea, late bloomer, works hard against his natural physical weakness)
8 - Gerrard (the one hollywood star I'd include
9 - Crouch/Davies (gutsy centre forward, good in the air and can score a goal)
10-Owen (you can't buy his knack)
11-Rooney (obviously)

12 Foster, 13 Neville G. 14 Taylor M 15 Nolan 16 Parker S 17 Bentley 18 Baines/Shorey 19 Hargreaves 20 O'Neill G 21 Heskey 22 Ashton

Imagine if they put a salary cap on England players.

You can't play if you earn more than £2million a year. Now, how much do you want to represent your country AT ALL COSTS Mr. Terry?

BTW I'm not saying we'd do better with the squad above. But it would be more interesting than watching the same players AGAIN.

Honestly how many times must we discuss Gerrard-Lampard? Or Ashley Cole, or John Terry or Rio Ferdinand?

Historically England always struggle to qualify, this is a premeditated move by the FA to sell more seats at the end game of qualification, if England had already won all their games (which of course they can do), then Wembley would be half full tonight.

If you watch the the recent 2-1 loss to Russia, you will see McClaren frantically signaling to his team to give away 2 late goals, The Boss was already under pressure after beating Andorra and Macedonia in the last couple of qualifying games. Those results almost costing him his job.

Tonights game has already been scripted , as Beckham is sub with Robinson. England will come out and hit the post early, Rodney Trotter up front for England will do a passable impression of a baby stork trying to fly everytime he goes for a header.
Just before half time Croatia will take the lead, through some comical defending involving Joleon (Klingon) Lescott and Wayne (1 game a month) Bridge.
The last 5 minutes of the game will involve Beckham coming on and scoring the equaliser, this is to coincide with the comeback of the Spice Girls, who's greatest singer Posh Spice will be seen in the crowd wearing a pair of big sunglasses , which make her look like a Bumblebee with anorexia.
We can then all look forward to being bitterly disapointed in Euro 2008.

I think Hargreaves proved he had big bollox in the world cup, he was the only player I thought did a good job.

I am flying home from the US during the game. I'm so angry I'm gonna cry.

England will win 2-0. When they need to win a game, they always do (outside of World Cups and Euros, ahem).

Dirk, can you text me the final result please.