What do we do now?

We were absolutely awful. We looked like a middle of the road Premier League side with nothing to play for, not a team at the World Cup finals.

I'm with you on Rooney as well. Maybe if bothered to put in a performance, no-one would need to boo.

England has no chance at winning the World Cup in 2016…

I believe I've said it all in the comments on the game. England ain't out yet and the booeing is terrible for the teams morale, even if they'll win their next game, which will be hard enough. I guess the players were pissed off enough about themselves after the match thoroughly in the first place. But hey: Let's blame the foreign coach. Media, fans and also the team need a scapegoat.

im depressed alredy by england's performance

This chap's comments are spot on. They are realistic, fair, and more to the point, an accurate reflection and depiction not of England as a team, but of arrogant individual attitudes. Football = passion, team unity, team spirit. My criticism of England is that as a national team, there is far too many individual personalities and egos, and not enough team spirit. Look at teams like the Koreas, or even Algeria for that matter, or even Serbia. They all play as one unit, one team, not as a collective of individual egos. In part I think this reflects the fierce competitive nature of the Premier League, which may not exactly be helpful in forging a national team that blends different players with different egos well, to play as one unit. Then again, look at this whole WAGs culture and the superstar-footballer status of some of these players. Some of them need a reality check, and some humility. Get real, be real, play real. England will never reach the Semi-finals ever again let alone the Final of the World Cup, if they don't start changing their approach and attitude to the game. The reason why Sven got the best out of his players when he was coach was because he recognised what I am arguing, and allowed the freedom for the players to exercise their egos, and so produced so-called England superstars.

I'd like to see Capello ring the changes for Slovenia but I fear once again they'll all be given their upteenth chance. Failing personelle changes, maybe we stick Rooney in his role for Man Utd.

The worst thing for me was England's performance was as bad as France last night. But from what you read, France weren't focused on the game at all but allegedly England players were trying for 90 minutes.

I don't think its a case of them not caring but more of a case of not wanting the blame personally so you get long balls given with the attitude “its not my fault if you don't get on the end of this” or defenders clearing the ball into touch rather than passing it away just so they aren't the one to make a howler.

What is disappointing is clearly Capello has the management capabilities to really make a team reach its potential. But either he isn't in the right frame of mind or the squad just aren't listening to his instructions.

As for post World Cup, I don't want to think about that. The dreariness after the failure to qualify for the Euros was that we were starting the long road to the World Cup. Now we're back with a team full of problems with the Euros looking very far away.

But I did consider a few positives (not really serious about these but they make a light-hearted change from the nightmare we're in)

1. Carragher will miss the next game – fantastic as hopefully Dawson or Upson will be given a chance

2. We've conceeded as many goals as Argentina did after two games

3. We're still unbeaten. Spain and Germany can't say that

Am I missing something here? Isn't the next World Cup to be held in 2014?

I think Steve McManaman said it best on ESPN in the US when he said that we have good players, but they are a poor team. I think there might just be enough of a backlash of feeling from fans about these players, that we might actually see some changes.

We can but hope…

I'd like to address the booing situation. I too, think that booing your team every time a player makes a mistake or a team has a bad game is counter-productive. I try not to do it because I love my country and my National team. But I think we've reached a watershed here.

I think the fans, me included, are tired of the promises, and the excuses, and “we'll win next time”, and all the other crap. This stuff has been going on since we qualified. I have noticed it. I have written about it, but most people have ignored the signs.

Changes need to made because something is fundamentally wrong here. Capello knows it and so do the rest of us. We can't keep accepting the same old dog and pony show.

Fans are paying customers, and as we are reminded so many times, this is a business. Players use that excuse when negotiating new contracts for the top money. Well, guess what, lads, you're right. It is a business and if I get cheated out my money, Mr Rooney, it's my privilege to complain when things get out of hand.

It's out of hand…………

Maybe that's the only chance we do have !!

gutless performance from all involved .. same old players, same old tactics, same old fans ..
we only sing when we're winning.

It has to be noted that Capello seems out of answers already. I can't even mention how many articles I have seen since full-time that headline “England defeat baffles Capello”. I'm not faulting the man for it. He, in my opinion, has one of the hardest jobs in the world.

Pack it in. We'll get knocked out at the 16.

Dear SoccerLimey,

Calm the f*ck down.

Sincerely, fellow United fan.

PS – Don't claim being a United fan and fan of Wayne Rooney right after calling him a bum for voicing a good observation about England's confused and anxious support. The same support that think the sky is falling today and are afraid, the same support that are taking their feelings out on any scapegoat they can without looking at the underlying climate England fans have created about the minds of the players. Did you also sh*t on Roy Keane after he got angry at good-for-nothing fans?

Shut up.

Gotta agree with this. This is a much deeper problem than swapping a few players around: we looked like a bunch of school kids out there. We'll have all this talk about a lack of effort and passion, but that's not the problem. The problem was that there was no intelligence out there today. There was no movement, no control of the possession, no control of the play, no patience. The players are culpable for not knowing any better by now, the coach is especially culpable for not mitigating this, but maybe the biggest problem is English football itself. When these players have grown up playing football as naively as this, then can they be blamed?

I can’t believe you just wrote that rubbish. Haven’t you been watching the last 8 weeks? Confused and anxious support? It’s your attitude that perpetuates this nonsense that we’re fed by the players. How many times do you have to be promised that “we’ll play better next time “. I’m sure you’re of the same crowd that believes we’ll get to the semi’s. I suggest you watch what is out there and decide for yourself.

As for the United fan barb. No, I though Keane had a point about the “prawn sandwich” brigade. I’m an old Stretford Ender from back in the day when the crowd were noisy, and yes, when this England team plays like it does with no heart and could-care-less attitude, I think fans have a right to boo. Not just over one bad mistake or a bad game , but a litany of horrible, effortless displays.

Are you actually defending Rooney here ? Oh and for the record, if you F-Bomb on here again , your comments will be deleted

I have watched most of the WC games so far and quite honestly cannot believe the poor play of many of these so-called “professionals”. Poorly timed passes, passes to no one in particular and dogging it on the field. The perormance of the French was astoundingly horrible. The right wing for England today was terrible. I can honestly say that at this point I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a lesser regarded team wins the tournament.

Nothing to lose in the next game. We should go all out in attack, even if it opens up the back. We've got to get rid of this mindset, which has been around for years, of being terrified of giving anything away at the back and creeping up on the opponent's goal. It hasn't worked and it never will. At the moment they're all plodding around as if they're constipated.

Let's be honest. Wouldn't we all prefer it if they went down with guns blazing rather than just limping out of it?

Thought James had a good game, though.

One thing I did notice but dismissed immediately at the time was Beckham's inclusion as a “player liaison”. Why would Capello do that? I know the FA wanted him there to show off the 2014 bid but really, is there more to that?

On further study of today, I think Capello may have lost his players. Maybe something happened between qualification and now, that has caused a rift, because that team today did not want to be out there. You could see it in the body language.

The mistakes were more borne out of a lack of desire than anything. If a club team played like that, heads would roll, or the next one on the chopping block would be the manager.

This won't be easy. I offered up my simple solution, but I doubt if even that would work. The worrying thing is that everyone picked this team to succeed here despite their bad performances in the friendlies.

I think there is something going on that we are not aware of.

Agree 100%. Everyone goes on about the 'pace of the English game' in the EPL, so why do we constantly try to play like snails at the international level? The problem is that we're letting other teams dictate the speed of the game. We need to find a way to take charge. Speed is everything, and we're not comfortable playing this slowly.

I have the same problem in Tennis. When I play against a good opponent at a fair speed I'm a great player; but if I'm up against a moon-baller who just skies everything and slows the game down, I can't get my rhythm going. Even if I'm miles more talented than the person, I make stupid mistakes because I'm not playing at the 'right' speed.

Or, to use another analogy, it's like boxing: we're quick and technically able, but our opponent controlled the match by constantly tying us up so that we couldn't put any speed into our punches.

I'm not sure what the solution is though… maybe sit back and play on the counter? Throwing everything forward might work as well, but one thing is for sure, this ponderous, constipated, ridiculously pre-meditated build-up has to end. We need speed, and we need to implement it as a team.

Ye gods, and I thought the Spanish were harsh on their squad! Look, it's true England has not played well, thus far, but they are not out. Booing them is certainly not going to accomplish anything but demoralize the team. They know they've got to step it up. You all should know this tournament is all about who gets into form at the right time. Keep the faith, they still have a chance to turn this around.

I agree, the level of play thus far has been pretty disappointing, overall. But things are just getting started and teams will hopefully start to open it up and play a little looser.

I've been a United fan for almost 10 years, and love Rooney. But I felt sorry for his attitude yesterday. When my Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool supporting fans showed their disgust at him, and mocked me, I had nothing to say.

Rooney was way out of line.

If I had seen something to hang my hat on during the past two months with this team, I would not have written my piece. I agree that World Cup teams need time to gel, and in previous tournaments, England have grown into their form as they progressed, but you can't play this horrendously for this long and just turn it up.

Was their one aspect of their play yesterday that you could feel good about? Our best player played like a League Two striker. How and why does that happen?

I think all the pace of the EPL game comes from non English players over the years. Lots of Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and players from various African countries. The best thing for England National team would be if players like Gerrard, Barry, Ashley Cole, and Lampard went to play for club team's in different countries. This would add some flexibility to the team in being able to play other styles.

I agree that the fans should not boo their team. We have to support our team.

Pressure on England is enormous! Every time we play the media harps on about 1966 as if it were yesterday. FFS! We have not been a world beating nation for a long long time, so stop pretending that we are on the same level as Brasil and Germany and dumb us down a little and then, just then perhaps the pressure will be off and the players can go out there and do their best!

Secondly: Carragah – whats that all about? Dawson got player of the year for Spurs and an old fart starts ahead of him who has been cr@p for Liverpool this year? No Joey Cole yet either? Wright Phillips hasn't done much? So confused…

Start with:

James
Johnson, Dawson, Terry, Barry,
Lennon, J Cole, Lampard, A Cole
Gerrard,
Defoe…

A few things don't add up.

Your positives are on the mark and thats what our media should be saying and the fans should be discussing – lets get behind the team for crying out loud! One game to go and if the team feels supported we can win the group and focus on the last 16! Good onya Andy!

NO PRIDE !!

Wayne Rooney was a disgrace, he took his frustration out on paying customers (the ones who buy his farraris etc) because he has played awful in this tournament, the messis etc have totally out shined him, that goes for most of the England players, you get the feeling the players are all thinking of there next few quid.

CRAPello cant speak English so can someone tell me how he comunicates with the Players. He even told Steven Gerrard to go and tell Steven Gerrard to “play further forward” incredable! He made like for like subs when it was clear the system wasnt working. WE NEEDED WIDTH!!!!!!

Heskey is not and never was of international quallity, he looks embarrased to be on the pitch. Rooney plays deeper than some of the midfield at times, he needs to realise what a striker means, he does it for his club so somethings not right, he sulks and commits fouls when things dont go his way. Lampard didnt turn up, John Terry was woeful.
Players need to be told they are playing at least 24 hrs before getting onto the field.
Play people in there possitions for heavens sake, if you cant do that dont play them at all.

We seem to have a manager without a clue and a bunch of players who are devoid of passion. Remove them all, replace them with a 22 man squad from the Championship and if that doesnt work then pick my local pub team, at least they have passion !!!

Those positives are exactly why we're in the shape we are in. Focus not on the performances, but other stuff that has no meaning. That's why as fans we are treated like idiots. These players think they have a divine right to do their job and have no accountability for their effort.

If I could have taken just a few positives from the last 8 weeks, I would not be in this state of mind about the team. But there are none. Only the meaningless ones.

Capello seems to be out of answers and that's the scary part. Everything surrounding this team is based on hope and that is plainly unacceptable to every fan.

The post-match interview with Capello shows he either hasn't the understanding of his players , or enough English language skills – or both – to effectively manage the team. Their performance is confused, uncomfortable and depressed. Capello has options for attacking and scoring – definitely should make use of Joe Cole and Peter Crouch would be good to play (no point in bringing Crouchy on at 84 mins, as in the ridiculous Algeria game). If England go out at this stage, Capello should also go and the FA should employ an English manager who understands and can communicate very well with his players. Let's also stop thinking we have to pay 5 or 6 million pounds a year for a good National manager. Just look at how Maradonna brings joy and wamth into his team.

What a well-written article. Hear, hear! If any other 'business' performed that poorly, like banks, the public would call for resignations. It is the players out there on the pitch who determine their attitude during the match, not Capello, so why should they earn enough to practically clear our national debt, while sending the country into a mental recession as well as a financial one. Where's the passion? – club football, not national football, that's where. Why? Cos that's where the money is. If that is the best 11 players from a football-fanatical country then shame on them.

LOVE your team winning, only…? I am frm Czech …and cant believe how u english fans have so a little selfbelieve….they dont play well..but they need support more then ever…Booing doesnt help….Next world cup is 4 years time…they need your support ,now….The France been in last world cup ..exactly in same possition….and?…played final…..Comon Englang…

Just to correct some of you regards fans,

I was there last night and spent a fortune, the England fans were fantastic, it was like a home game and the fans were still singing the national antem to try and stir up some passion within the team with just 5 mins to go. The booing started after the final whistle to show the players that the performance (as a team) was not acceptable.
Wayne Rooneys comments must be withdrawn and an appolagise, he earns in excess of 140,000 a week, that takes me over 5 years to earn that without taking sun soaked holidays and if I performed that bad for my boss I would not be booed by my boss I would be sacked. To try and make sence of last nights performance I would have to guess that there is a rift between CRAPello and the players as they just didnt seem to be interested.

what else could be the cause of these awful performances

Are we paying them to much.
are we playing them out of possition.
are they scared of CRAPello
are they more interested in the farrari back home on the drive and shag*** the wag
CRAPello cant speak English so how does he communicate his tactics
have we tottaly under estimated Beachams influence and skill.
Is J Terry sulking at losing the captains arm band.
is it team selection (Heskey is not an international striker)

Or is it just that we are a bunch of individual big headed egos with dodgy suntans !

On A different note

can anyone tell me why we offered Crapello a longer contract just weeks before the World Cup starting rather than waiting to see how he performed during it !

Only in England

another thought,

Scotland need not worry about quallifying for the Euros or world cup

They have a better time listening to us banging on about how we are gonna lift the cup and then capitulate!!

scotland is a very happy nation this morning!!!

What did I say!!!!! England are shit!!!! Full of pre-madonnas', who are more concerned about pay and image than the real game. Maybe buy the next world cup England will have an English manager and players who play the game with real passion and not for cash!!!! Rooney you are SHIT!!!!!! And what the crap is the official England song!!!! Why do the true supporters of English football still put up with this shit!!! England have fucked up, so put your support in the all whites. A small team from a young football nation, who could do good!!!!

Regards Ex pat Peter

First you say you should'nt boo your national team but support them. Then you critisize Jamie carragher and wright phillips. If you're going to criticize be constructive. We did'nt concede a goal, David James handling was encouraging and the game i watched the defence did'nt do any wrong (except from one short back pass which James dealt with to his credit). As an England fan yes this was one of our more displeasing performances but good players don't turn bad overnight. Yes i agree that players under performed with a lack of creativity and flare in midfield,that for me is where Joe Cole comes in. I'm 100% sure that players don't need to be told how poor they performed and will be as devastated as we are. From now until wednesday will be all about how they react and to try and to find some of our English fighting spirit, (which was missing last night) when things are'nt going are way.
Everyone is all for being on the team bus but when things start to go bad to many want to jump off. As for myself, i'm on for the full trip however short or long that maybe.

“COME ON ENGLAND”

i wanna see capello use the Barcelona Tactic, 4 5 1 (4 3 3 )
rooney up front , and joe cole & Wright-Phillips high wingers .
and the midfield lampard and gerrard MC , Barry DMC
cole DL terry DC dawson DC johnson DR.

this formation is alot more creative and attacking ? why not?

I honestly believe it's not so much that the players “could care less” as it is that the players care way too much about doing it for the fans. England fans are the best in the world. They are also a burden on the team – along with the English press. There is not a single second that any of the players are on that field that they forget that all of England is scrutinizing them very critically at every moment. Is that scrutiny supposed to add an extra bit of incentive to the team to go and win for the nation? Or does it distract them from the game and weigh on them? I think the latter. What's worse – the whole tournament is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The country OBSESSES over not having another tournament of abject failure, the fans put immense pressure on the England setup because no one wants another year of pain, the players go out and are unable to express themselves freely under the intense attention, the fans come out and get angry meanwhile putting more pressure on England to come up with the goods, years go by and nothing seems to be getting more positive… Does no one see the cycle here? This very blog is an example of what I'm talking about. How you can be so 'doom and gloom' at a time where we obviously we need a far more CAREFREE England is beyond me. I feel that the booing SHOULD make the England players angry, and I feel that Rooney SHOULD score a goal in the next game just to shut the fans up as much as anyone else, because guess what… no one else in the entire tournament is lambasting England as much as the England fans right now. Tell me… at what point do we just shut up??? When we're not paying for tickets anymore?? The French haven't been booing their dismal team-showing, and France (though recently underwhelming) have done far more than England in the last 12 years and could reasonably expect a little more success than they have found.

When England's passion for the game becomes an obsession with ending decades of hurt, this is what happens. We put pressure on the players and then ask why they seem scared to put a foot wrong. We need them to play without pressure and we give them no chance of doing that.

I am Scotish and female but before you luagh , I adore football. From a totally pscychological perspercitve this team are limp. They footballers seem sullen and grumpy and like little boys wishing they were elsewhere. There is no air of positivity and they havent once seemed like they wanted to be at this World Cup. I have been dissapointed watching England this year as usually their games are faster paced and more interesting. I think it is true the slow pace of the other teams are causing them to lose their stride but this is something that should have been accounted for way before now. I do wonder if the team have bonded enough on a level that produces winning world class teams or have even understood that a shared comaradary and desire to do well is required from a team to become champions. Right now they dont look or act or even play like winners. Unless tactics, play and something more deep changes within the team, I simply cant see them moving any further forward. Shame really as not everyone in Scotland is anti England.

I think you make some valid points. There have been times where I've also thought that we put too much pressure on our players because of all the lack of success over the years. The media and the fans do obsess over the National team, and I have been as guilty as anyone of that, but this year, I have chosen to look at this squad with a more balanced approach rather than this “jingoistic” fervour that appears to grip us all every 2 years.

Consequently, I have found that there has been nothing over the past 8 weeks that makes me believe this team is anything but ordinary at best. They were awful in their last 3 games before the tournament began and we were spoon fed on the usual claptrap from players, media and coaches, that “everything will get better”. Now ordinarily, I can deal with just being “ordinary”, and I can even deal with being “bad”, but what I cannot stomach, and neither can many other fans, is the complete lack of effort.

Anyone who has any knowledge of this sport cannot sit there and tell me that what they saw yesterday was acceptable. In my job, in your job, that level of effort comes with a reprimand and accountability, and if you're lucky, you get to come back the following day. I know the world of football is different, but it's a business. Then run it like one.

You say that we are the best fans in the world. I think you might be right. But you can't have your cake and eat it. If you want that kind of support, there is a price that comes with that. Do you think that the French fans and press will go easy on that French squad? Maybe, but only when they have a common enemy and that's Domenech.

We are not the only country who puts pressure on their football teams. Italy, France, Spain are all rabid in their support but their players get it. They deal with it and they move on. Ours don't, and Rooney is the worst example. Nothing ever changes with this team, and we always blame the coach. He gets the silver bullet and we bring on some other poor sap that wins all the friendlies but can't win a tournament match.

Let's do what you ask. Let's give them the freedom to express themselves. And when the same thing happens, what do we do then? Turn a blind eye once more ? I, for one, am through with the excuses. These guys have burnt me out.

I can deal with poor results. I will never accept a lack of effort or willingness to work hard.

Well said SCOTTISH FOOTBALL MOM.

I too am not English (Welsh), but have been wanting the England team too do well and would love any great British team to do well.

I honestly could not believe what i was seeing in both Englands matches? Poor is not the word?

Seems to be no understanding between the players at all?

I agree that booing is counter productive but have to say, as a long suffering (even longer than England, Scotland and N.Ireland) wales supporter, that it was justified after last nights performance.

I hope England can qualify for the last 16 but they have to improve a lot.

Again, like Scottish football mom, not everyone in Wales is anti English.

God save the Queen.

allsportsenglandsuppoter
I agree. It does not matter how much these players are paid-they are still human and the sort of pressure being put upon them by the fans and more so the media is counter productive.

I have only played sport at an amateur level but I knew when i was not performing well that I was disappointing my teammnates and supporters without them having to show me. When a player, or indeed, a team are going through a period like this they need to be lifted by each other by the manager and by the supporters.
When Wayne Rooney plays well everyone loves the way he speaks his mind, but suddenly, because he is having a bad patch the same character is critisised. I believe he is passionate about football and about playing for England. He plays best when his talent is allowed to flow and I have a suspicion that he has in some way been “reined in”. One reason, I believe, is that there has been so much hype about his temperment and the referees that he is nervous to play his usual game. With some exceptions he usually tackles hard and fairly and fights for his position in the box but there is a thin line and with the referees seemingly waiting to pounce on him in particular, and the rest of the team, this takes the edge off his performance.
I also believe that something has gone amiss within the England camp even since the last game. At least in that game they were talking to each other encouraging and even smiling. The only notable instances of this in yesterdays game were from Carragher and James. Whatever one thinks about the replacement of Green, thank God somebody was there trying to fire up the team.

Just as when Wayne Rooney plays well and scores it is not just him who has achieved the success but the whole team including the gaolkeeper, so why, when the team does not do well is the blame directed at him. There should not be a reliance on one player to score.

I feel thatbthere is basically something wrong with the team spirit and bonding and that is partly down to the manager. A manager needs to inspire and encourage the players and perhaps listen to why they think it went wrong and what they feel they need to put it right.

Yesterday the team needed somebody to think on the hoof and give some direction and maybe Joe Cole might have done that.

I dont believe, as some people have commented that the players do not care. I think they care too much, feel the disappointment, the frustration and embarrassment of not performing well for themselves as well as the fans and not having it in their power to put it right it makes it even worse. By that I mean that they do not decide who plays alongside each other to produce the best. Yesterday they did not have confidence in each other. When you have players who play brilliantly in a certain position why ask them to play in another and expect them to perform in the same way. Then the players in question not only have to play well, but constantly be on guard mentally to stop themslves from veering towards their normal position. They need to be able to play withut these constraints utilising th their natural talents for the good of the team.

There has been much dicussion about the rights and wrongs of the late annoucement of the team. I personally think the players should know far earlier in order to be able to talk to each other about the game and to be able to have a picture in their minds of how they are going to connect in the game. The press does not have to be told. In fact I think they should not know long before the game as it only seems to feed their negativity.

I say, get behind our team but not on their backs.

I am disgusted at the apathay which England performed this game, and my heart went out to the loyal fans who had probably at best used every hard earend penny and at worst borrowed to go and support England to be awarded with the most disgraceful performance I have ever witness, I have seen more passion and skill at my local football club. As far as Wayne Rooney instead of apologising to the fans he berated them for booing, they had a right to do so and their reaction was more than justified. Wayne takes home in a day what most of them earn in a month, that gives them the right he doesn't seem to understand that they had spent their hard earned money on the triop. His arrogance can only be matched by the bankers. Instead of going on trips and safaris perhaps they should be practacing. England needs to go before thay embarras us anymore.

Fans traveled to SA to support their team, if they want to boo a piss poor performance they have every right to. The team were dreadful. I would have likely boo'd too.

I agree with your conclusion, tremendous change needs to happen in the next game, the players on the pitch now couldn't string together a win if their life depended on it (and in terms of advancing, it does). I doubt Capello will make the needed shock changes to get the blood boiling on the pitch, it's going to be the same crap but this time we might score a goal. Rubbish

i like the plan. Big shake up. But add some coaching tips. make whole squad watch the Algeria game every 3 hours and analyse the failures. Why no patience? Pass-pass-long ball has about 5% chance of success. I am no Spurs fan but Harry Redknapp is surely the man for this job. Or will the FA “do a Brian Clough” again and deny us the best manager, coach, tactician and motivator available. I still look forward to a better display. drop Heskey, bench Rooney and forget wright Phillips. Malcolm

OHHHHHHHHHHH MY GOD
I can't believe that I was watching England playing. I am Algerian and before the game I was hoping our player would save our pride and finish the match with a lost of 4-0. But after, I kept thinking that even with a bad Algerian team we could've won the game. It's simply because you didn't play.
sorry for you guys.

overpaid,overrated,and over there.why o why do we always think we are going to do so well in world cup tourneys? the fact that the prem league is the most exciting in the world is because most of the teams are full of non english players. this hinders any young national talent and it is reflected in our national team.fair enough the england team should do better when it is at full strength,butevery world cup we end up taking a team full of big name crocks who should be left at home to recover fully from their injurys and allow players who are fully fit and in form to have their chance,instead of gambling on players to recover from there injurys whilst the tourney is being played.im sure that we wopuld do a lot better in the world cup if we took a squad of fit players instead of big name bertie big bollox players with overrated reputations.

theyre shite am gunna personally track down each and evrey one of them and strangle them in there own england shirt there a fucking disgrace how heskey makes a living playing proffesional football is a myth to me he gets 50 grand a week to fall over urs sincerely henry the 8th

Who said Gerrard and Lampard could not play together? – They were right, but, from his contribution in the last five games I think Lampard should give way to Cole or Barry. I am an avid Liverpool supporter but Carragher should not be in this team, probably not in Liverpools team either the way he played last season.
Sadly, I think Slovenia will beat us if they play with the spirit and passion showed against the USA.

(Sorry for the length, this post was intended to be extra concise but I wanted to elaborate on a few things.)

First of all, maybe we underestimate just how bad we are as a nation of obsessive fans. When almost anyone in world football talks about football press, do they mention France, Italy, Spain, or whoever? Or do they note about the English press? We have a reputation that maybe we should actually seek to understand. We are the nation that obsesses over ending years of hurt to the point of national unrest. (See Nike's Write The Future commercial.)

Try that for pressure. That 'dealing' with it that you believe the players of other nations do, haven't known what it's like playing for the riled up support of England and they will never have to. David Beckham, after 1998's incident and all the BS that the nation brought to this life because of it, even questioned: at what point is football worth it? People breaking into his garden? Being in constant fear for his wife and kids? Incredible, England. Incredible.

I might even go so far as to say that a new form of football hooliganism is being administered through the English press. The same fervor that got us the reputation for ridiculous football hooliganism decades ago still remains. We are a riled up base of support, it will ALWAYS be much more detrimental to the minds of nation's team than we realize. Riled-support seems something of an oxymoron.

I would never underestimate Capello's understanding, but maybe if he focuses more on this, we do a much better job. I believe it would make THAT much of a difference.

Fundamental difference of viewpoints-
You: Let's give them the freedom to express themselves. And when the same thing happens, what do we do then? Turn a blind eye once more ? I, for one, am through with the excuses. These guys have burnt me out.
Me: As the 12th man on the pitch at these World Cup games, fans have a part to play. We shouldn't take every dismal showing as a slight by supposedly lazy players who supposedly don't care and fire boos back at them. Rooney, by the way, would not have had that outburst if he truly did not care. We know these players are amazing in full expression. Get behind the team. THAT is what loyal support is. Rooney's sarcastic jibe was spot on and he will get lambasted for it because he has said it to a nation that won't look at itself due to it's obsession over what the team is doing wrong today.

If I'm wrong, and it's all about players 'dealing with it' and work ethic and getting the job done. Let's go out of this tournament, talk about “SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE NOW!!”, get a new coach with some form of great credentials who has won trophies, develop another great generation of players who we believe in more than anything else in the world, and try this all over again, shall we England?

You: I can deal with poor results. I will never accept a lack of effort or willingness to work hard.
Me: The players WANT to do it for themselves, and they WANT to do it for this baying nation. The fact that they CAN'T is as much down to 44 years of pressure as anything else. This factor is insurmountable. Fundamental problem.

A more unburdened England = freedom.

Think your wearing rose tinted glasses.
Carragher was our best defender covering for the right back most of the time, wonder who that was. Oh yes Numpty Johnson.
Gerrard me old mate what ever you might think or feel would not be in my team he had FIVE bangs at goal against USA when Rooney or other players were in better placed positions but decided to go for glory. Against Algeria he had another couple of Glory shots and when he should've had a clear shot at goal the numpty passes.
Lampard at least hits the target and does SEE the better placed players and his ENGLAND GOAL rate is a lot better than Gerrards.
Barry is already in the team so I wld bring in Cole in place of Gerrard and put Gerrard up front with Roo.
Upson in for suspended Carragher.

In fact Jamie C was our best defender. Johnson the RB was nowhere to be seen at a few vital times and when he is in place allows the opposition to get goal side or is left for dead and can't defend. Thank god Jamie was back to get him out the poo like he does at Anfield! Chelski and Portsmouth delighted to get rid of him.
Everything el;se you say is spot on.

The defence played poor Carragher, A Cole and James the best I've seen, Johnson and Terry useless. Midfield poor except SWP and thats about it.
What ever happens we must win. Any four can still get thro. If we beat Slovenia and Algeria beat USA their thro. Solvenia only need a draw and so do USA to go thro.
Forget formations and whats gone on before, we MUST WIN to progress.
TEAM
JAMES
UPSON DAWSON A.COLE
SWP, LAMPARD, BARRY J.COLE
GERRARD
ROONEY OR DEFOE

The problem with all of this analysis misses the point. THIS TEAM IS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. We were outplayed, outpassed & outfought by a very ordinary Algeria. We can blame Fabio all we want but even if all the woes are down to the system, does the system make players unable to pass the ball 5 yards? does the system affect a players control of the ball or the first touch? – NO its a lack of quality & basic technique.

In my view its a situation where some of the best paid players (Lampard, Terry, Gerrard even Rooney) in the World cant compete with supposed inferior players. Watching them it is clear that they are way outside their comfort zone. Its like at work – we all know people who are not worth their position and they know it – it makes them unsure and edgy – that is what the majority of England players look like. Over-hyped over-feted average players on the World stage.

Now we might scrape past Slovenia, but our chances of winning the cup this time are zero. Indeed if this were not the worst quality World cup i have seen in my 49 years we would already be out.

Middle of the road Premier League side ?
No NO we were not that good ROB.

I think something is going on, Joe Cole been keeping the bench warm for a start.
Rooney off form but stays on the pitch.
There might be something in this, a mate reckons England have been poor since Terry lost the arm band reckons there's a lack of leadership on the pitch.To be honest I think he has a point, I saw Carragher doing most of the shouting. I saw Gerrard complaining to Capello. ?

te amo rooney a ganar la copa del mundo no se dejen
echenle ganas a el juego
los quiero atte melissa and rooney

rooney
johnsonn terri
barri etc a ganar el mundial los quiero mucho
a yebarnos la copa del mundo

Gerrard and lampard are talented players and do play well together when played in the right formation. It is not about comparing players that on statistics prove they should both be there in the team on their own merits. As for carra covering for johnson, you must know that johnson is an attacking right back and it is carra's job to cover for him on counter attacks which he did. To blame one or two players for last nights performance is ridiculous. As i said before, how can you complain at a defence that does not concede a goal. Any minor mistakes were taken care of. If you can name a defender that does not make a mistake from time to time then you should be the coach.
For me Wayne Rooney has been totally out of character due to possibly the pressure on his shoulders. Maybe we should start with crouch and defoe given their club form together. And as you like statistics crouch's recent goal scoring record compared to Rooney's………………your thoughts on this?

You have obviously forgot who was arguably our best player against the USA.lol

Hi Laddie, you are spot on. Most of the english first eleven would walk into any big team in the world. We know that these players are, on their day, unstoppable. They play with passion for their clubs and i have no doubt they want to do well for England.
Unfortunately a minority of our English like to find the negative in everything we do. I for one would like to find solutions and move on rather than problems and dwell on them. We are all to ready to forget that Capello got us to these finals with these players, scoring more goals than we ever have in the qualifying rounds.It is now Capello's and the players job to dig deep and find that form again and improve. If this happens and we progress further into the competition, these games will become a lesson learnt rather than regret.

Again, I agree with some of what you say here but I think you are missing the point here about “fan support”. If you want to classify fans as “the 12th man” then you must also agree that we have somewhat of a team effort in play. Now, if a member, or members of your team aren't pulling their weight, you may, at first, have a quiet word, firm but fair, that we need to pick up the pace. When the same members of that team continue to under perform, then more drastic changes are needed. I don't believe that Rooney for one second is pissed at the fans because he's trying hard. I believe he's upset because he's getting booed. How do you know that the players actually want to be out there? As I stated, I feel I am more analytical now than before, so I'm actually trying to understand what I see, rather than what I am told . A lot of what you say is based on hope, that somehow this team will come together in it's hour of need and pull the irons out of the fire. I think we disagree. I agree that the media hype this stuff up to the fans where it becomes mindless and you're example of Beckham's experience in 1998 was horrific. Your definition of loyal support is one of utopia, where we can all go to the games for free, and we all say “ho-hum” and go home when we lose. Some of those fans paid thousands of dollars to get to this tournament, and the booing didn't start until the game was over. They supported their team for 90 minutes, hoping and praying that we could get a goal. I grow weary listening to unrealistic goals based on hope and nothing else. Everything you say assumes that this will get better, and we'll fix all these problems overnight. I call what I see, and I have seen nothing to suggest that. I watched John Motson's podcast this morning and it pretty much summed up what I'm talking about. He recognized that Capello should change tactics, which can't make things any worse, but he said we should all be hopeful, because “we had the same situation in 1990 and we got to the semi”s”. Is that what we do here then? Sit here and assume that “better days are ahead because of what happened 20 years ago”. Do we have a clue on how ridiculous we sound to the rest of the world?

I agree completely with this view. Something has gone wrong behind the scenes; something that we are not privy to.

It seems to me that there has been a breakdown in communications/trust between manager and players.

You can see it in the player's body language.

I have never seen an England team look so dispirited or unhappy!

you love rooney, you must be mad

glad you like them, thanks for your support but they wont win it, sorry

I think your analysis is pretty good, sadly they need booing and frankly if I had paid thousands to travel to SA and watch these pampered prima donna's, I would be booing too.
It's sad but true that most of them don't even look like they want to be there. They clearly get paid so much for club football that playing for England has no meaning any more. Perhaps they would rather be lounging at home playing FIFA football on the Xbox and getting pissed with fellow teamates or shopping with the WAGS!

Let's start again with players we don't normally see playing for England people with desire, heart, love and affection for their country. I don't care where from, frankly I would choose players from the Championship or other Leagues as opposed to this bunch of overpaid, overrated egocentric advert chasers.

from the original article – when you were not “occassionally coaching” were you a broken down charabang!
First- be a realist – it doesn't matter what England did in the year dot – they were different players and what they did is just history.
Second – stop knocking your team – they are there now – get behind them – they need your support and encouragement.
Third – throw away your crystal ball – what happens in 2014 when the world is going to end in 2013 is irrelevant.

This team is desperate to do well and they don't want to come back home to the snide
back-stabbing that every England team picks up as the booby prize from every tournament. This player made a mistake, that players useless, this player didn't try hard enough. Learn that every game is unique, nothing is exactly the same, if it was football would be the most predictably boring game in the world – on the contrary – have a little hope and faith – and one day who knows!

Reading a previous comment about Wayne Rooney struggling under the weight of expectation made me think. What about the expectation on Messi? Kaka? Ronaldo? Ultimately football is a pressure sport and if you want to make it to the very, very top you have to be able to handle the expectation. Nobody would deny Maradona went crazy off the pitch (who had more pressure on their shoulders than him?) but he delivered on the pitch, virtually winning the world cup and titles for Napoli single handed (no pun intended). Rooney looks like a sweating pig in the south african heat, talentless almost. Sorry, but this England team is the joke of the world cup and the world can't even be bothered to laugh that is how insignificant we now are. Beckenbauers comment about us being a kick and chase side caused outrage, he has every right to say what he feels because he is a winner both as a player and manager. We are a bunch of pampered princesses who quite frankly turn my stomach every time I see them. On a bright note, have to salute the great England fans who are a credit to our nation.

You see the difference between you and me is that I am a realist. I'm calling it how I see it, not just after one game, but the last 5-6 games. This is a trend and no matter how much we choose to ignore the obvious, I have yet to hear one ,good,valid point to give me any assurance that what we see is just a one-off.

Your belief is based on hope, and if I'm correct, I made th point that it IS idiotic to look at the past. Everything you talk about above is based on conjecture and assumption.

“Have a little hope and faith” – tell that to the poor sods in SA that have tickets to Wednesday.

I wouldn't say I feel good about it, but at least they didn't give up a losing goal. It might not be enough to hang your hat on, given the expectations, but neither is it a fatal debacle. Close to it, perhaps, but if they manage to put away the Slovenians by a respectable margin all this defeatism will be forgotten. Granted, that's not a probability, given the poor showing of the club thus far, but it remains possible. For that reason alone, I would say it's premature to despair. Should they be unceremoniously eliminated in the first round, however, then the knives should definitely come out. Until then, steady on. Disclosure: I'm a Spanish fan, but I watch Premier League, so perhaps I have enough distance to think this way. I certainly know what it's like to suffer for an underachieving team, at any rate. I have no explanation to offer for Rooney's play except to say that you can't always count on your big names. Sometimes you have to rely on your role-players and supporting cast. The problem with this team is psychological. A victory and passing to the next round would do much to settle them down. Perhaps then they can start to play the football they are capable of. Good luck to them.

I coach, I play and I am a lifelong born and bred fan of England but seriously. How much can one take?A few obvious but still unfathomable questions.

1. WHY oh WHY does Heskey start for England? I couldn't believe it in 2006 and I really don't get it now? It is like having a big bear fumbling around with a bunch of Coyotes running around teasing him.
2. If you are going to stick with Rooney and you get the same results why would you not take him off and try something else. Clearly whether it is his fault, or the fault of the service he is getting, he simply IS NOT getting it done. Try Cole or Defoe for God’s sake, What possible harm could it do?
3. If you are going to sub in Crouch, or anyone else for that matter, give them at least 30 minutes to get into the game and make a difference. Why was Crouch only given 8 minutes? It's like watching Faulty Towers with Cleese playing the England manager and Miguel playing our star player.
4. How many times do we need to say, hear, think and see that Gerrard and Lampard do not work together. It's a fact. It simply is. So pick one and if he doesn't perform put the other one on in his sted.
5. Lastly make A. Cole the captain, not only does he desrve it as the only passionate player on the pitch but that way Gerrard can be Gerrard insted of playing at being captain. Or really take a leap of faith and make Rooney captain. Remember what a change we saw in Beckham when he got the arm band?
We could analyze this until the cows come home and I am a Capello fan but I think he is dropping the ball with his selections and substitutions in this his 1st ever world cup as a coach!!!!!!
Cheers
The Englishman
PS FOR SALE brand new England Jersey. How much do you want to to take it off my hands!

I don't suppose they would considering there is'nt a world cup in 2016……..lol

I understand your point there Nige. I suppose I am commenting on a few careless fouls from Carragher that received yellow cards, yet if say Dawson (who is younger and faster) was playing this might not have occurred. Carragher looked very slow to me. I am not having a go at him (he can't go any faster) the coach chose him over Dawson or Upson. Just like the coach chose not to play Joey Cole.

I couldn't agree more with you on looking ahead to the next game and fingers crossed we will play an attacking line up and take Slovenia to the cleaners!!

I disagree there. For some reason the English public fuelled by the media believe that England is a world beating football nation. In reality we have only one the cup once and compared to the consistency of countries like Germany and Brazil we are not in there league(.)

Every time a tournament arises it's back to “1966″ this and “3 lions” that. If we were more realistic we would have more realistic expectations and less pressure would be put on the players. Then we might go out and enjoy the game, (less nerves / pressure) and win(.)

Don't get me wrong here I am as passionate as any avid England fan. I just feel that we pile so much pressure on the players. Why cant we create an underdog feeling and go out there and feel relaxed and supported and up for the fight?

I've never been across the Atlantic, but I love England. Ever since 1998 World Cup, when the young phenomenon Michael Owen skinned Roberto Ayala and scored my absolute favorite goal of all-time, I have been an England fan. I don't really see an end to this fanaticism, so instead of offering the harsh criticisms that every single pundit has been dishing out, I am hear to offer my 2c to an ailing side.

What is Capello thinking?

Fabio Capello favors simple, defensive, possession football. Nothing flashy: keep possession, play strong defense, score a goal and then defend some more. It's the kind of football that wins titles, just check out his CV. But this is not a league title, and this is not a club team. This is a World Cup, and he is managing England.

There is a large, gaping chasm between international competitions and club competitions. Just ask Big Phil Scolari, a legendary coach at the international level with Brazil and Portugal, but an absolute failure at Chelsea. Scolari's Chelsea and Capello's England share an interesting similarity: both failed at playing the football that their coaches know best. Chelsea, with all its strength in the midfield, was expected to play like Brazilian samba stars, and the results reflected this poor attempt at trying to play to the wrong strengths. And now it shows with Capello.

In the world of football, it's almost always known which style of football each team plays. Spain, they play like Spain. Brazil, they play like Brazil. Netherlands, they play like Netherlands. It's a given, and everyone knows it. It's common knowledge that Spain can hold the ball in the midfield, ding it around a couple times and then eventually a lob through-ball to David Villa ends up in the net and they're up 5-0. It's also common knowledge that the Netherlands are basically four fast and technically-gifted players that can dazzle with a dribble and shoot like a cannon. That's their style, and most people recognize it right away.

England. What is their style? I wish I knew, but the fact of the matter is, I'm not even sure if England knows what their style is. They haven't showed a bit of it on the pitch, through the qualifying, the friendlies and the first two games of the World Cup. They won their qualifying playing so many different styles of football, almost over-experimenting on formations, and not enough on the player-selections themselves. I've seen England sport the 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1, 4-4-2, and 4-3-3. All these permutations of formations and player-selections means that we're seeing almost a different team every time.

Aside from that, I haven't seen Capello truly imprint his identity onto the team. I have not seen the defense that won La Liga or Serie A. But, I have seen Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson playing so far up the field they could even be strikers. I have not seen strong midfield possession. Instead, I have seen Gerrard and Lampard fumbling the ball around with their feet, making poor decisions and even worse passes.

There is one thing that is absolutely clear to me from the first two games, and that is that Capello is simply not right for England.

What are the problems England is facing?

Aside from a lack of identity, England is having injury, morale, and ability issues all over the board.

Starting with the strikers, Emile Heskey must absolutely face the axe. Aside from his assist in the first game, he has done nothing of merit. Maybe had he scored that one-on-one with Tim Howard this would be a different article, but Heskey has been poor.

Wayne Rooney also is taking a lot of flak for not having a great tournament, and that's true. His first touch has not been quality at all. But there are many things working against Wayne Rooney, one of which that his partner is Emile Heskey. I imagine that every defender's rationale is: “Must stop Rooney. Heskey… well, he isn't that good.” Sure, Emile is imposing and large. But he doesn't have a shot. At all. So Wayne gets the good ol' double man-mark treatment while Heskey is missing one-on-ones with Tim Howard. Also working in Rooney's favor is the fact that the midfield cannot keep hold of the ball and move it forward. Now Rooney moves back into the midfield so that he can get a touch, but now he's less dangerous because he's just too far from the net to make anything happen.

The midfield is just bad. All bad. Gerrard and Lampard cannot work together. This is obvious. In fact, I'm not sure if Gerrard can work with anyone. Gerrard, who was playing on the left in the Algeria game continually cut inside and left the pseudo-winger Ashley Cole with no defensive backup. He was so far in that he was cluttering the box and not making space for his teammates to cut, pass, or dribble. And when he got the ball at his feet, he squandered it away with a bad touch or pass. Tsk. Gareth Barry had a good defensive performance, and did nothing wrong. Aaron Lennon had a decent cross or two in previous games, but his pace is wasted with odd cutting habits and poor passes. It's not fooling anybody anymore. At this stage, defenders know how to defend. Milner looked a waste of space on the left during the first game. Lampard has been average. He hasn't been given the opportunity to shine, or to be the midfielder that scored 20+ goals in the Premiership.

The defense has its own problems. Terry is a rock at the back, that's a given. But his defensive partner is always shaky. Carra and King, both looked a little slow. The two fullbacks are playing a lot of offense and moving forward at all times. Sometimes it helps, but often it's a wasted effort and then they are skinned on defense.

Goalkeepers.. Just start David James.

Solution

My solution is to play a 4-2-3-1. Rooney spear-heading the attack with Lampard behind him in the attacking midfield spot. On the left should be Joe Cole. On the other wing should be Aaron Lennon. The defensive midfielders should be Gareth Barry and either James Milner, Steven Gerrard or Michael Carrick. Defenders should be Ashley Cole, John Terry, Michael Dawson, Glen Johnson. In goal, David James.

This is my ideal lineup. Ashley Cole, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard have the Chelsea chemistry. They know eachothers movements and that is what was missing when Gerrard was in. He had no idea what Frank or Ashley were doing, and he played his own game. It didn't flow as a result. Joe Cole has the flair to unlock defenses and I feel that he could be a good provider to Rooney. Gareth Barry is a lock for a starting position and I wish that Scott Parker were still on the team to give them extra defensive support. I believe that James Milner would be good in that position because he is always ready to run and hustle, a quality that is well-respected at the World Cup. His ability to maintain possession in the midfield would be welcome alongside Gareth Barry.

hey buddy,

i am agree with u. we should support england and we should keep our confidence around our team. i am 100% sure that england will win the game and even i think they can with the world cup.

” GO ENGLAND”

Farid

come on buddy,

our team is the best one in this world cup. just we should suport them, they only need to concentrate and fight more. they need a special sprit. i am sure that they will win the world cup

hey guys, what the hell are u doing????!!
we should support england right now, they need us at this moment.
we have the best players, the best coaches in this world cup. we should trust our players, i am sure that they will win the last game in the group and even they can win the world cup.
forget what has happened and look to future. we are the best

GO ENGLAND, GO…

I’m sorry – “ I made the point that it is idiotic to look at the past” – then what relevance have the last 5/6 games in your so called trend got to do with it.
“ Just a one off “ Since you believe it to be the worst England performance ever does that not stand out on its own.
We could argue semantics ad nauseum. But what we say here will not make a blind bit of difference when England walk out the tunnel on Wednesday. We are all hugely disappointed with our last result and the manner in which it happened but if it had been Brazil the draw would have been a popular relief. That’s not support, that’s massaging your own feelings. How do you think the players feel.
The reality is that when the final whistle went that match was consigned to history and my belief is that no England team will produce a similar performance irrespective of its composition. And the reason is simply as I stated, by its very nature, every match is unique.
I will be honest with you – I have not agreed with Don Fabio’s selection – I wanted, and its only an opinion, Crouch up front because he’s more dangerous than Heskey, and Joe Cole please somewhere. But I’m not the manager so I have to accept the hand I’m dealt. So whoever walks out on Wednesday I will be behind them 100%, certainly not ruminating on what might have been if you throw in that big “ if “. That’s realism

I'm curious about one thing. England were disappointing against Algeria, but a lot of people here are saying that England don't perform like one of the top 5 sides in the world. Which teams, apart from Spain and Brazil, do you think have had consistently better results than England over the last couple of years? There should be many of them, but they are not obvious to me.
And seriously – England have had some problems in the last few games, but people really want to lay into Englands defense when over the last two years *including the last two games and Robert Green's howler* they have had one of the best defenses in the world (measured by the old fashioned metric of goals conceded). They gave up one legitimate chance (to Altidore) in this world cup in two games. England have a lot of issues, but defensive frailties are not one of them by any stretch of the imagination.

Fabio Capello gets sacked, hire:

Roy Hodgson
David Beckham
Alan Shearer
Harry Redknapp
Stuart Pearce

Cut overpayed and overplayed fuck ups, bring in the new kids:

Joe Hart
Chris Kirkland
Scott Carson
Ben Foster
Ryan Bertrand
Stephen Warnock
Leighton Baines
Glen Johnson
Keiran Gibbs
Joleon Lescott
Michael Mancienne
Michael Dawson
Micah Richards
Ryan Shawcross
Lee Cattermole
Nigel Reo-Coker
James Milner
Tom Huddlestone
Theo Walcott
Danny Rose
Adam Johnson
Michael Johnson
Ashley Young
Aaron Lennon
Fabrice Muamba
Jack Rodwell
Lee Cattermole
Jack Wilshere
Jermain Defoe
Gabriel Agbonglahor
Danny Welbeck
Darren Bent
Victor Moses
Carlton Cole
Bobby Zamora
Daniel Sturridge

Train with players from after the world cup, until 2014, four years is a considerable time to mesh as a team, discover how each and everyone plays, and distinguish the starters from the substitutes..
Since we all know England won't beat Slovenia and if we sneak by, we still won't win the world cup, we can only look to the far future, but it's a bright one if done right.. Forget about the Euro in 2012, yes, qualifying is important, but we shouldn't expect to win it all, only the World Cup in Brazil is important, and I'm sure everyone would like to see England sucessful before the yanks are..

Well i dont watch that much football, but certainly watch the england games and what a shower of hopeless people they are 20 mill + squad and they cant out do a couple of part time players (algeria) i mean they all hold day time jobs and football is like our sunday league, and england can't get a goal should sack the lot of them, and capello saving some of the better players untill 10 mins to the end it takes them that long to warm up, we coming home on wednesday unless someone gives them a bit of vindaloo or something to get them going…….

OK. You got me. When referring to the past, I'm talking about the idiotic routine of comparing England's current situation to either 1986 or 1990. We've all dealt with poor performances before, but that's not the issue. This has been on the cards since preparations began. Signs were there in the Japan Mexico games.

“If it had been Brazil the draw would have been a popular relief”. Really, there's a shock. It wasn't Brazil,it was Algeria, and again, I have seen nothing that makes me think that Wednesday will bring anything different.

“How do I think the players feel “. I really don't know, and neither do you. But AGAIN, what do you see? Did you see a performance that made you think they cared. They looked like they wanted out of there as fast as possible.

Do me a favor. I'll stop ruminating on what might have been if you evaluate what you see instead of hoping and praying that somehow this will all straighten itself out on it's own through your blind faith.

You're just as much a fan of this team as I am. I've just stopped watching the dog and pony show.

Give credit where credit is due. Terry had the stones to come out and face the music on behalf of the team. You have to admire that.

Is it just coincidence that England's drop in form happened about the time that Terry was stripped of the captaincy. I wonder why Gerrard wasn't out there.

Maybe Terry drew the short straw !

I agree with what you say. However where Johnson is concerned, I have no problem with his forward play, His defending is a major issuse. I want a defender who can get back and defend, like Cole on the left. Johnson does track back but allows attacking players to get goal side, hence a cross into the box. As you say, others need to cover that in turn STRECHES the middle at times when we need defnders back.
It is all very well having an attacking Right Back but should we get into the later stages with the likes of Argentina, Brazil and the such like who the hell is going to stop crosses coming from our right side, certainly not Johnson. I have always had doubts about our number 2 long before now. It is not a case of a one off. I understand players make mistakes they are only human like us all. God Green dropped a big one but thats life. I was not blameing any particular players, they were all poor to be honest.
Of course Gerrard and Lamps can play together and you state why and I agree, they are two different types of players, the point I think I was trying to make is Gerrard can split a defence with one of his passes where as Lamps will be on the end of it. It just didn't happen. Rooney Heskey just isnt working, i'm not sure if its lack of service but things did improve when SWP on for Lennon. I wld drop Rooney put in Defoe with Peter C. As for Roo, his ability to provide goalscoring oppotunities is unquestioned but he is very much off par.

1 Spain 2 Brazil 3 Argentina 4 Holland 5 Germany 6 Chile 7 Paraguay.
Thats seven for starters.
No defensive Problems. King Out, Carragher Out the right back on Holiday most of the time. We have been lucky so far. But as you say not anything to worry about, we will see if we make the last 16.

England – wko's England. There is only one player and that is Barry – he's a workhorse. The others – well they wear diffferent shirts in the premier league and that's were they should be now – we have no world class players out in RSA. As for the manager – he needs to go now – he's a bully and is no good as an internaltional team manager.

Do we really want to host the 2018 world cup here. I don't think so. Joe Bloggs wouldn't be able to afford to go and see a match.

Your having a bubble bath farid.
They need a special sprit yeh they do a size ten up their backsides…
We aint gonna get anywhere near the cup if they play like they have…
It was clear by their faces things are not right in the camp, even Gerrard was having a word with Capello during the game and neither looked happy.
Again Rooney's attitude was poor, he wld be the first one I wld drop.
We have to win the next match. Mind you we always make it hard for ourselfs.
Slovenia will know they only need a draw to go thro, so I think they will be more defensive minded knowing we need three points. That might pose a problem if we are pushing up with Johnson and Cole but anyways lets see if we can do something positive.
I don't mind if we get beaten provided we given our best, but not like we been playing.

As it happens I did mention a mate pointed out the drop in performance since Captain Terry was demoted in an earlier post.
I was not happy with the selection of Rio as captain at the time with his back problem, nor that of King being in the squad again due to injury. I guess I was right on both counts thou I feel dissapointed with Rio missing out alltogether, and KING must be down to Capello.
As Captain, Gerrard should have come out and spoke for his team. Does that mean he has resigned or is he not up to taking responsabilitys.
Whatever has happened Terry should be the Captain, afterall, we didn't sack SVEN when he was playing about.

Okay, I understand your points about what fan support should be.

I understand the booing… I just don't think it should have occurred.

What you call hope and utopia is just me calling for the England fans to respect the players no matter what.

I honestly do not believe Rooney was just being a mardy baby, I believe he wanted it so bad that when the 2nd abysmal game of the World Cup ended with boos from the same fans he desires to win for, he couldn't take it. Believe it or not, Wayne Rooney wants it more than you. Please read that last sentence again and acknowledge it for truth.

When men get angry at their wives for not supporting their endeavors, it's because the marriage is for better or worse. Support is vital. Do not make your support so uncertain.

Should the thousands of dollars spent for tickets (plus 44 years of football hurt) lead to booing if the team doesn't appear on the field as we believe they should? My simple answer – no.

To be honest I had my doubts as far back as England V Croatia. Everybody was on about how good we were and would win the W/C. That night we were not world beaters, we just played a very poor Croat side hindered with injury problems.
Now just looking at the two performances as I saw them, the USA game being the opener was allways going to be difficult inso much that a draw would not be a disaster provided we didn't lose, the player getting used to the conditions etc etc. Okay so Green drop a bollock, it happens fair enough, better at the start of the torny than in the later stages. It cost us 2 points but that is football and a 1-1 is a good result under normal conditions.
Algeria the weakest team in this group outplayed us in every department, it was a disaster as you already know, but I was not surprised at all. We are not world beaters yet, we have a long way to go, the sooner the players realise they are not a good as they think the sooner we can move on and start playing football with pride and comittment and beleife. Ive seen nothing of the Blood and Guts spirit the likes of Butcher, Pearce and Gazza to name just three.
I don't care if we get beaten provided we given 120%, then I can say yes we got beat but we gave them a game. We have been there so nearly in the Euro's and W/C (Bloody Germans) but this team we have now have no chance and are nowhere near as good as those teams.
If we go down at least I want them fighting and it won't happen.

Barry a workhorse yes youre right, but Jamie C put in a good turn and James did a sound job. Can't see however what shirt they wear in the Prem comes into it. The only shirt that counts right now are the White and Red shirts of England.
No world class players ?
What about Terry, A & J Cole , lampard of Chelski, Carragher and Gerrard of Liverpool, Carrick, Rooney of United who have all played on the world stage at some point for their clubs. Many a Team would like some of these players in their teams.

We have world class players just can't get them singing from the same song sheet.
As for capello, should never have got the job in the first place is my opinion.
We need A Harry Redknap type man at the helm.

Hi Mr guest, constructive critisism is always welcome. I'm wondering if capello's team selection of carra is maybe the need for experience or even the preffered choice of john terry. I'm not against dawson starting at the back which is highly possible for wednesday. In fact i'm all for starting players who were on top of their game when the season ended so also agree with defoe and crouch up front if capello decides to play 4-4-2. On saying that rooney is going to want prove his worth and does'nt need any more encouragement than the past few days to perform at his best again. For me Joe Cole and SWP need to start. Play 4-5-1 and hope Rooney up front can find an early goal to take the pressure off his self and inspire the rest of the team. Your thoughts on this

rooney

p.s ignore the rooney at the end (typing error)

Yes,that's it. And i do think that Capello should have picked adam Johnson, Wilshere, Muamba, Phil Jones, Sol Campbell and even Wickham (instead of the rubbish Heskey) for this WC…

bollox….. the clue's in the word 'supporters'. if you can't support SHUT THE FUCK UP!! that goes for all 'fans' in either SA or here in england. i'm 100% behind rooney & his opinions post match. he's only one who's still got the bollox… why, who else would dare have a go at such loyal, fantastic fans as the english. of course though, they aren't. they are, however, fickle boozed up hooligans who believe that players should be honoured to wear a shirt for england…. what utter fucking shit!

i could not write a more perfect post if i tried!!! i completely love where you're coming from with this eirodgers!! just hope others listen…. imagine if 56million people listened

fantastic evaluation!!! 100% spot on!! those players all want it more than we can ever know…why? probably because they actually have the chance & the power to deliver whereas a fan will never have to deal with the personal failure of not being able to achieve certain benchmarks within their career/life (ie winning the world cup). show some empathy people!!! FFS!!

In the last two years England have lost 3 games to:
Brazil (1-0), Spain (2-0) and Ukraine (1-0). I can understand that you might want England to play like some of these other teams, and I would agree with you, but I don't see how you can argue, with the exception of Spain and Brazil that their actual concrete results over this period have been better. These teams all lose games too, often many games, and frequently to much poorer opposition. Argentina lost 6-1 to Bolivia and scored just 23 goals in 18 qualifying games. Paraguay have lost to Qatar.
As for defenders, of course it is bad that we lose players to injury and suspension. I was arguing against people who would choose to drop the current players anyway.

Are we over analysing things.
To win a game u have to score more gaols than the other team right?
Well we conceaed no goals against nigeria ( defences job done )dont knock guys who have done there job.
Did we scores goals against Nigeria (no , attackers job not done). About time to start playing players who have and are doing the their job. 8 minutes for crouch madness , the guy is Jonnie on the spot, wether you like him or not he scores goals for England. Rooney , Heskey havent done their job, time to try something new. Some players dont make the transition to international duties and some do, lets start playing guys that do the job not ones who we think should do the job.
Its the same old argument everytime, well its time to make a change. Poeple are always saying that gerrard and lampard dont play well together, well it my opinion neither one play well for England they havent made that transition to international football no ones fault but 1 or both have to go.
As for a manager I dont know what you do there , but i struggle to work out how a guy that has limited English can communicate effectively during a game. In the same breath though these players arnet kids and you cant blame cappello for our guys not being able to pass the ball , ffs its the same old stuff everytime . Change is needed and on a big scale

If we had your selection we wouldn't even be at the world cup. Dawson and Upson would be out of their league. We are all criricising the squad instead of supporting and I for one think Rooney has a point. The fans and press should be behind the team not putting more pressure on them like we always do. Makes me wonder why anyone would want to play for this country with all the crap they have to put up with from the most critical fans in world football. The fans are the biggest discgrace at this tournament. Good luck England I will be one of the true fans that will support you til the end. Oh and if Rooney is such a bum then why don't you get on the pitch and show us how it's done

Some good points on here and it its nice to see some positive opinions, yes we were lacking any team play and even any basic skills with easy passes going astray. Saying that, I cant listen to any argument that starts out with “overpaid, prima donna's….etc etc” That just shows the so called fans jealousy of their lifestyle, nothing about football. I also believe we all say it's a 'mans game' yet when we (quite rightly) boo players off, get upset that they react as Rooney did, he was frustrated, he knows he was bad, he knows the whole game was embarrasing to him and the other players. He put 100% effort in and, as others, looked stupid and lifeless. Let's get behind them, football is our enjoyment, it's possibly the fear of the 'venom' shown to players that puts undue pressure on them. The spotty little press boys are waiting to attack like sharks, as they always do, they are obviouly peeved that they, being so articulate, are paid a pittance compared to the players, they just love to have a go, don't be like them. Get behind them, get upset, get frustrated but don't let yourself believe that they aren't just as upset if they fail. It's some players last world cup, they want to win.(p.s 100% is the maximum you can give, the “give 110%” cliche is so overused)

You still can’t get the point. You can only write about the sinking of the Titanic when its sunk. I read your article which starts with the premise that because of your age, what you have seen , that you played football, and occasionally coached, this gives you some greater insight than the next man. Did you as a coach walk into the dressing room before a match and say “ Don’t worry lads, when you lose this game, we are going to kick you all out, and start again with a fresh squad”. That before they’ve lost it. You only wrote this article on the back of the last match, and then we get your unremarkable ideas and opinions , none of which are new, it really underlines a disgruntled fan who can’t come to terms with a result they don’t like. Faith, in this context means allegiance, standing by a group of people, who you cannot influence or change. It is not blind, it is the acceptance that a spade is a spade. This is the team we have NOW. If all that criticism does is undermine them then it is not constructive. The fans who went to South Africa did so with the “ Hope “ that they would witness whatever they aspired to. The same thing happens to any spectator every Saturday, you pays your money and you takes your chance. What we as supporters can do is get behind OUR team , for all their flaws. The time for the autopsy is when the patient is truly dead.

i am completely sure that England will win the last gane in this group…they need our support at this moment. come on guys, we should support our team, they are even able to win the world cup…GO ENGLAND, GO… we are behind of you

I wrote this article after witnessing a slow, progression of mediocre results that culminated in the Algeria game. To use your Titanic scenario. you remind me of the captain that sails on regardless, igoring the signs, until complete disaster strikes,shrugs his shoulders and says to everyone ” Don't worry lads, we'll get better next time”.

What I write has nothing to do with with my age, my experience or whatever. I've paid my money and I've taken my chance every Saturday, and yes, sometimes you lose. but at what point do you say enough is enough.

I just hope you're not a doctor.

100% behind Rooney ? Yes who else wld SLAG OFF loyal, fantastic fans. Numpty Rooney.
Whatever you may think friend, As Supporters we pay a lot of money week in week out to watch these so called stars. Big Mouth Rooney and I quote “I'm saving my goals for the world Cup”.
The fact that he and the team performed like donkeys gives any supporter the RIGHT to Boo in protest.
A Proffessional should just keep his head down and get off the pitch instead of showing his childish side. He should do his talking on the football pitch instead of sulking like a two year old.
As an England Supporter I have every right to show my feelings towards the team on the performance given.
Rooney has bollox alright, BETWEEN HIS EARS, just like you friend.
Your choice of words on this board where children can get access friend gives you as much brain power as the dribble that came out of Rooneys mouth and the words of your typing fingers.
Have you got the guts to reply and defend the disgusting post you have made, you have not even got the guts to post your name.

My Titanic analogy was perfectly clear. Put bluntly we are not out of it until we know the outcome on Wednesday. At that point, if it is a miserable failure, and you feel it bolsters your position, please tear the team to shreds and put forward all your theories.
That in my opinion will be the moment to do it

The “ enough is enough “ banner has been trailed out before and will again, as will all the “ if only we had done this” brigade. You should already know that and just in case it springs to your mind that’s not fatalism – its based on a very long trend. Me – I will be cheering in front of the telly for the eleven in my team – inconsistencies accepted.

Have enjoyed our banter – thank you for your patience and replies – will return to gloat or cry wolf after Wednesday. Oh dear they’re playing the Last Post

Great comments Mark. I personally am a big fan of Crouch and as i've stated before, would be happy to see him start with Defoe if capello decides to go with the 4-4-2 formation. As for Capello as Englands manager, all i can say is that he must have been doing something right having got us the WC finals and with record amount of goals in the group stages. Communication aside, i have always believed that international teams should have one of their as manager. Having a foreign manager takes a slight gloss of being a national team.
Enjoy the game, I,m still optomistic we will make the knockout stages.

Hi it Mr Guest or 1966 Martin.
I fully agree with your comments. It will be Upson with Terry. Carra I think had to play some part in this torny having been talked out of RETIREMENT and the need for a right back cover and his experience, to be honest I think he did a good job alongside Terry.
I also agree Joe Cole and SWP have to start, but who wld you drop to fit them in a 442. Personally I wld drop Lennon and Heskey and start with Gerrard in an advanced position behind the front man.
Rooney, just might be the kick start he needed so wld start him.
If I was manager I think I wld go for a 3-5-2.
Cheers Nigel.

You are correct, we are not out of it until Wednesday, and I'm sure there will many others who will jump ahead of me, to “rip the team to shreds”. I will be in front of the telly too, and I sincerely hope you will be back to gloat. If so, that means we won, and I'll be proved wrong.

Wait a minute. Weren't we supposed to sail through this Group ?

Sorry, couldn't resist. I have enjoyed our back and forth and I respect your point of view. I used to be of the same leaning – support your team etc etc etc. I guess blogging changes your perspective.

Here's to a win on Wednesday and once again, thanks for your opinions. It means a lot to us that you care about what we write.

Scotland may well be a happy nation. Don't worry about the Euro's or W/C, you never get out the Group Stages anyways so I'm with you there.
The English never like more than one disaster as it upsets us at brekkie time, so will put on a world cup performance just to P/O the scots.

Not back to gloat just pleased we won. Support was great, sounded like Wembley – might give a new perspective to the vuvuzealas. What did you think

SACK ROONEY AND COPELOW THEY ARE ALL BEING PAID TO MUCH NOT HUNGREY ENOUGH

make david beckham england manager

England deserved to lose – they were awful. We are just starting a terrible period of paycuts, job losses and hardship and this bunch can't even kick a football around a piece of grass properly, despite being paid a fortune every week and living a life completely insulated from the rest of us. DISGRACE!! Why not choose the team from people who WANT TO PLAY FOR ENGLAND, rather than OVERPAID GREEDY BED HOPPING PARTY ANIMALS.

In honour, all the players and the manager should return their pay for this tournament and hang their heads in shame

Being an avid supporter of England, I think your snotty little comments are way off base, why dont you go and apply for the position as their coach, see if you can do it along with your local pub, what utter nonsense you speak. Shall I send you the application forms?