England - Sweden

[keveh]

As for Hargreaves, I'm made up for him. I've defended him to the hilt on TW and last night proved my point - the lad is a useful midfielder. He set the platform for Lumplard to do his thing and he didn't do it, which is why I think it's time for Sven to show some grapefruits and change the midfield.

You may have tried to defend him, but his England performances have been poor.

Like I said before, he's been used incorrectly for most of his England career. They bring him on when a game needs changing, and he's not the type of player who can change a game. He's a consistant performer, but nothing above that. He is solid and will keep possetion for you, but he's not going to get the ball, go on a mazy run, and bury the ball in the bottom corner. He's usually brought on when we need somebody like that.

[CrazyHorse]

Come on Crazy, with the players at your disposal you could put a team out that would perform as well as Ericson has managed. In that time, how often have England looked like world-beaters? The last time we looked class was in Germany when we won 5-1 and we even had emile heskey playing then, yet he's taken us backwards. Beating numpties is easy, beating them well and beating good teams is another matter.

You're right I probably could perform as well as Sven has, and I'd happily do it for half the money he has too . My point (which seems to have been lost a bit somewhere) is that we can draw a lot from the results we've had recently and yet all anyone is focusing on is that we've not played the kind of football that they think we should be playing. However we are playing the kind of football that our manager thinks we should be playing and we're getting the results because of that.

You mention that we've not played world class football since the 5-1 victory. Perhaps you're right. However, since that time (5 years ago) we've only been beaten 4 times in anger.
Brazil - world cup 2002
France - Euro 2004 group game
Portuagal - Euro 2004
Northern Ireland - world cup 2006 qualifier.

I'm very happy with that record thank you very much. And I don't even like Sven.

[Tombwfc]

Come on Crazy, with the players at your disposal you could put a team out that would perform as well as Ericson has managed. In that time, how often have England looked like world-beaters? The last time we looked class was in Germany when we won 5-1 and we even had emile heskey playing then, yet he's taken us backwards. Beating numpties is easy, beating them well and beating good teams is another matter.

What about when we beat Argentina 3-2?

[communistworkethic]

Come on Crazy, with the players at your disposal you could put a team out that would perform as well as Ericson has managed. In that time, how often have England looked like world-beaters? The last time we looked class was in Germany when we won 5-1 and we even had emile heskey playing then, yet he's taken us backwards. Beating numpties is easy, beating them well and beating good teams is another matter.

You're right I probably could perform as well as Sven has, and I'd happily do it for half the money he has too . My point (which seems to have been lost a bit somewhere) is that we can draw a lot from the results we've had recently and yet all anyone is focusing on is that we've not played the kind of football that they think we should be playing. However we are playing the kind of football that our manager thinks we should be playing and we're getting the results because of that.

You mention that we've not played world class football since the 5-1 victory. Perhaps you're right. However, since that time (5 years ago) we've only been beaten 4 times in anger.
Brazil - world cup 2002
France - Euro 2004 group game
Portuagal - Euro 2004
Northern Ireland - world cup 2006 qualifier.

I'm very happy with that record thank you very much. And I don't even like Sven.

and we truly blew it in all 4, we were the engineers of our own down fall in all those games.

[Little Green Man]

Come on Crazy, with the players at your disposal you could put a team out that would perform as well as Ericson has managed. In that time, how often have England looked like world-beaters? The last time we looked class was in Germany when we won 5-1 and we even had emile heskey playing then, yet he's taken us backwards. Beating numpties is easy, beating them well and beating good teams is another matter.

What about when we beat Argentina 3-2?

I seem to remember we got pretty much played off the park by Argentina for most of that game. It was only in the last few minutes after Argentina had subbed their most effective players did England sneak a couple of late goals. Can't see Argentina repeating such substitutions in a tournament game.

[50sQuiff]

Come on Crazy, with the players at your disposal you could put a team out that would perform as well as Ericson has managed. In that time, how often have England looked like world-beaters? The last time we looked class was in Germany when we won 5-1 and we even had emile heskey playing then, yet he's taken us backwards. Beating numpties is easy, beating them well and beating good teams is another matter.

You're right I probably could perform as well as Sven has, and I'd happily do it for half the money he has too . My point (which seems to have been lost a bit somewhere) is that we can draw a lot from the results we've had recently and yet all anyone is focusing on is that we've not played the kind of football that they think we should be playing. However we are playing the kind of football that our manager thinks we should be playing and we're getting the results because of that.

You mention that we've not played world class football since the 5-1 victory. Perhaps you're right. However, since that time (5 years ago) we've only been beaten 4 times in anger.
Brazil - world cup 2002
France - Euro 2004 group game
Portuagal - Euro 2004
Northern Ireland - world cup 2006 qualifier.

I'm very happy with that record thank you very much. And I don't even like Sven.

Unfortunately, with what is surely to be our best group of players for a long time to come, those are the only games that count. We're not talking about Bolton here, where our mere presence in the Premiership represents success. For a major footballing nation in an apparently golden era, success is only measured in trophies or perhaps sheer footballing brilliance, not a good record in qualifying campaigns.

Please let there be no hint of "But look how far we've come - we actually qualify for the World Cup now!" when talking about England. When a war-ravaged, bankrupt African nation makes it to the World Cup and acquits itself well, they can talk in those terms. We on the other hand should be contesting trophies, but we've been held back by a corrupt FA in thrall to an egregious, enigmatic manager.

[Crouch > Davies]

and we truly blew it in all 4, we were the engineers of our own down fall in all those games.

We were well and truly robbed in the Portugal game.

[Bruce Rioja]

Please let there be no hint of "But look how far we've come - we actually qualify for the World Cup now!"

I very much doubt there will be, 50s. I also doubt that realists will claim a divine right to win the World Cup either. What is clear is that the current group of players are capable of qualifying for the last eight with Mike Bassett or even Winnie the Pooh in charge. It's unfortunate for us that the biggest charlatan on the planet has found himself in charge of the finest collection of English football in forty years. What follows is lesser footballers being coached by an equal plum. This is/was our big chance, everyone. To hear Martin O'Neill tell of how he'd have loved the job that's just been given to Steve McLaren tells you all you need to know about the FA. Can anybody please tell me how reading out the results on Look North qualifies you for a place at English football's head table?