Croatia vs England...

[DMR]

Looked like they couldn't give a fuck tonight, no forward momentum at all.

What a joke. Fuck this Gerrard and Lampard can't play in the same midfield, get em both to roam and try and take some chances. Carrick plays sideways or backwards but never fucking forwards,

[Dazzza]

I've seen more shape in Michelle McManus, fucking woeful.

[Stef Troll]

Can't say i support England, but yet again, once England play a half decent team, they buckle under the pressure.  Wasn't overly surprised about the result.  However England will qualify for the tournament as their home form will take them thru.  However, i cant see them getting many points away from home to either Isreal or Russia

[Reg Smeeton]

Did anyone seriously expect us to win in Zagreb?......McClaren clearly didn't, which is why he played 5 defenders and tried to get a 0-0.  I suppose it may have worked, but its not exactly surprising that it didn't.

[RobertT]

It's a double problem because the young English lads at the Prem clubs earn so fucking much now that they'll rather sit around having the odd game than go an take a wage cut and try out the next 3 leagues (yes there will be the odd one here and there, but generally they wait until too late because it's an easy life).

I don't mind some good foreign talent over here, it can help, just it's become a complete reliance at the top almost.

Add into that the fact the we have never as a nation realised that if you make kids of 6 and 7 run around in 11 a-side games with parents telling them to get it forward, you'll never create a nation of skillfull players.  I'd be a firm supporter of concentrating on technical development until kids are at least 11/12 and even then restrict games to lesser numbers until around 14/15 (by which time the best kids will have been snapped up by teams and begin the tactical development).

[RobertT]

Did anyone seriously expect us to win in Zagreb?......McClaren clearly didn't, which is why he played 5 defenders and tried to get a 0-0.  I suppose it may have worked, but its not exactly surprising that it didn't.

Didn't expect a win, but would have at least like to match them and look like we were intelligent.

I'm more stuck in the realisation that the current crop just don't really cut the mustard at this level.

[Northern Red]

Did anyone seriously expect us to win in Zagreb?......McClaren clearly didn't, which is why he played 5 defenders and tried to get a 0-0.  I suppose it may have worked, but its not exactly surprising that it didn't.

If you're playing for a 0-0 you play hard. The point is that most of them didn't seem to give a fuck.

[Reg Smeeton]

Did anyone seriously expect us to win in Zagreb?......McClaren clearly didn't, which is why he played 5 defenders and tried to get a 0-0.  I suppose it may have worked, but its not exactly surprising that it didn't.

If you're playing for a 0-0 you play hard. The point is that most of them didn't seem to give a fuck.

 In the pre match build up, this is what McClaren said, the usual bullshit about strong characters experience standing up etc.....fact is that most of them don't give a fuck......they all earn so much at their clubs that with the odd honourable exception playing for England is just a marketing opportunity.

 Of course, bizarrely, one who did care was Beckham, who McClaren promptly dropped to appease the tabloids.

[Spud]

Im not taking anything away from Croatia cos they outplayed us and fully deserved the win but the England performance was a complete shambles.

Losing i can take but they didnt even fucking bother trying, bunch of over paid Cunts who need a reality check.

Watch out for that bobble Robinson.  

[herthab]

In the pre match build up, this is what McClaren said, the usual bullshit about strong characters experience standing up etc.....fact is that most of them don't give a fuck......they all earn so much at their clubs that with the odd honourable exception playing for England is just a marketing opportunity.

 Of course, bizarrely, one who did care was Beckham, who McClaren promptly dropped to appease the tabloids.[/quote]

Couldn't agree more. How many times has it been said that players don't perform as well for their Country as they do for their club? Greedy, egotistical, spoilt, arrogant assholes, the lot of em! No passion, no pride. Prima donnas.

[Scot Munroe]

Watch out for that bobble Robinson.  

Tim flowers comes to mind.  

[Spud]

Watch out for that bobble Robinson.  

Tim flowers comes to mind.  

Or 'Cunt and needs to be dropped'

He isnt even play well for Spurs ffs.

[Ben Wah Balls]

No way Robinson should be dropped. He was easily our best player in the first half and made 4 or 5 superb saves, if it wasn't for him it would have been a lot worse. Nobody played particularly well though.

The 3-5-2 was shit and shouldn't be tried again, I thought McClaren's changes were a bit crap as well, taking off Crouch the one England player who hasn't had a problem scoring recently.

[Spud]

No way Robinson should be dropped. He was easily our best player in the first half and made 4 or 5 superb saves, if it wasn't for him it would have been a lot worse. Nobody played particularly well though.

The 3-5-2 was shit and shouldn't be tried again, I thought McClaren's changes were a bit crap as well, taking off Crouch the one England player who hasn't had a problem scoring recently.

I just don't agree with players playing for their country when they're out of form.

Robinson was crap in the WC but don't let your Spurs tinted Specs get in the way of that.

[Scot Munroe]

What makes even funnier. Is that all the Northen Ireland fans are singing to the latvia players "Are you England in Disguise."