European Qualifiers

[ron1863]

Well, England are out and as a Scot I take no pleasure in the result (English father). Personally I thought McLaren's tactics were wrong, with very little "football" being played. Why did he use only one in attack and resort to long balls pumped into Peter Crouch, who although freakishly tall, isn't that good in the air. Even at 2-2 they only needed to hold onto the ball but kept firing long balls into the box, allowing Croatia to hit them time and time on the break.
To my eye, England lacked skill, fighting spirit and technical ability and could easily have lost by a lot more.

Who do you think should be England's next manager

My vote would be Martin O'Neal who has had a degree of success at every club he has managed and is a good motivator.

[Oscar2006]

We can apportion blame all over the field, and include injuries, but the fact is over all of the group games we were simply not good enough to qualify.
That comes down to 2 factors:
1. poor management decisions of who to play and where.
2. poor management decisions of who to change and when.

Good luck Croatia and Russia they have proven themselves better than us.

ps I would also like O'Neil to have a go at the job.

[rainmaker]

WARNING ***TURNS IN TO RANT***

England are sooooo not used to pressing the attack with long spells of posession - we are used to losing the ball frequently, defending deep, and attacking on the break.

Without any imaginative players on the field (only Rooney is in a requisite class, as much as I loathe saying that being a closet Man City fan), then it's almost impossible for us to effectively break down a well organised defence.

Add to that an inexperienced and largely slow defence playing a high line, it spelled trouble.

I was at the Greece game in 2001 when Beckham scored that equaliser in the 92nd minute - and I can honestly say (again, grudgingly, as he was a dirty red at the time, in the home of the dirty reds) he was a million miles better than anyone else on the pitch - Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, et al.

This time instead of a world class crosser being Englands man of the match, we had a gangly lone striker - who, to be fair, had a good game, doing what was asked of him.

Apart from him we were awful - no passion, no flair, no skill.

Added to that, Mclaren is a clueless idiot - he was at Middlesborough, too, so it's not a new thing.

Added to that, the FA are useless idiots - delaying the academy-type thing so they could build Wembley. Brilliant idea - lets build a stadium fit for the England team, and then ruin the pitch a couple of weeks prior; and lets not bring on any desperately needed new talent whilst we're at it. Ruination all round.

Frankly, it's a bit like the premiership these days - I'm a closet fan of Man City & Liverpool, but to be fair, I couldn't care less about the Prem - give me Stockport County any day - good honest entertainment - low skill levels, but no prima donnas removing all forms of entertainment, bar that that we see in the magazines and celeb z-lists.

I'd say stick to footie - but they can't even do that very well, may I present you with last nights "game", if any care to argue.

Can I also say that the booing at half time was an absolute disgrace - the Jocks, and the Irish, both support their teams to the hilt, and only have a go the next day - how good for morale would that have been?

[The Woodman]

I can understand the extreme dissapointment but the sight of our coach getting up from his bench and walking off down the tunnel at the final whistle without a hint of congratulating the winners or consoling his team says it all for me.

[Adam Cheeseman]

As a country our team has long had several problems with it regardless of whom we have had playing or managing.

We have always pinned our hopes on one or two 'special players' without whom we have always gnashed and wailed that we couldn't possibly do well.
e.g. Keegan, Gascoigne, Shearer, Owen, Beckham, Rooney. I'm sure the older fans can add similar names.

Playing for your country should be an honour and a privilege and not a paid position. Ever noticed how the minnows always play as though their lives depended on it because they get paid next to nothing and they have more patriotic fervour about them than our miserable bunch. Our footballers could take a lesson from our rugby team about how to sing the national anthem with a bit of pride and play passionately. What on earth is the point of Lampard playing. He is just a long shot merchant who can't hit the target and sits on the pitch wingeing at the ref anytime someone tackles him. Get up you big girl's blouse. Many of the rest who played last night could have done wth a darn good slap too.

Another promblem is that our team has nearly always lacked the belief that we can do well. There is no doubt that our players have the technical skill, and ability, but most of the time they just don't to want to be that bothered about pushing themselves.

We have hardly anyone playing nowadays that is capable of running at defenders and taking them on, getting past them and creating problems. We might get the ball, run half the length of the pitch, but as soon as they can run no further because their path is blocked by a defender they punt it backwards again, allowing defenders to get back and the play to break down.

I think the tactic with Crouch (our best player by far last night) would have worked if 1) the two wingers had actually bothered to be anywhere near him when he headed the ball down, which they should have been, or 2) Owen or Rooney had been playing who would have thrived off that sort of provision.

I knew as soon as we equalised we would still lose. It's happened so often when it matters most that it's almost as predictable as penalties when we do qualify.

Next manager - Martin O' Neill or Jose Mourinho

Cheers,

Adam

[Purplepixii]

Personally I'm kinda pleased we lost - it's the much needed wake-up call England need to sort out their bloomin' squad / tactics / playing style!

*ducks a barrage of abuse *
Purplepixii

[matt_xyz]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

There is no doubt that our players have the technical skill, and ability,

I would question that actually. I genuinely don't think that many of them are really high quality players. None of them can keep possession and many have a poor first touch. Gerrard has been woeful in recent England games including last night. His first 3 free kicks didn't clear the first defender for instance, that is not something a top player would do. Even Rooney and Owen can go missing in games, although clearly they are the closest we have to world class players. But we also have no strength in depth. Take 3 or 4 players out and you have to resort to Bent, Lescott and Bridge. I don't think players like this would get a game for Italy, France, Argentina, Brazil etc. etc.

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

We have hardly anyone playing nowadays that is capable of running at defenders and taking them on, getting past them and creating problems.

Again, I put that down to a lack of technical ability. One or two can threaten defenders e.g. Wright Phillips, but the final ball often lets him down.

Management decisions haven't helped, and it's clear that neither Sven nor McClaren got the best out of the players. But I think their best isn't actually that good.

When one manager after another fails I think we have to question whether the manager alone is the problem.

Matt

[colincurry]

Heresy

Does it really matter?

I can't believe that this was the lead item on the news bulletins, including the more serious programmes. There are far more important things going on that 11 men chasing and not finding an inflated pigs bladder.

Clearly, there are too many foreign players in our domestic game inhibiting the development of native players.

The season is too long

There are too many teams in the First (sorry Premier) Division

It is a business and not a sport

Nobody will grasp these nettles so do not expect any change for the better

Anyone other than McClaren could have been made manager - he was already associated with failure

Perhaps Stu could take over in his spare time.

Colin

[colincurry]

PS Perhaps we should change the name of the site to 'Wild (in the angry sense) about England?

PPS What has this to do with wild life, anyway - and why have I subscribed to the thread - because it was there, I suppose

Colin

[Stewy]

I too am a Scot but it would of been nice to have at least one British team in the finals.

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by Stewy

I too am a Scot but it would of been nice to have at least one British team in the finals.

Aye - Scotland or NI, cos at least they're entertaining, try hard, and seem like down to earth folk, as opposed to money grabbing, spoiled prima donnas...

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by rainmaker

Aye - Scotland or NI, cos at least they're entertaining, try hard, and seem like down to earth folk, as opposed to money grabbing, spoiled prima donnas...

I totally agree that "professional" football players are grossly overpaid, I think it was reported that John Terry is on something like £130,000 - a week. To my way of thinking that is obscene, especially when the police, nurses, firemen etc. do work hard for a decent living wage.

I remember reading that the late, great Bill Shankly, manager of Liverpool and also an ex miner used to take all his players down the pits and make them work for an hour at the coal face to remind them how grateful they should be that they could play football for a living.

Some of the present players should be shovelling something other than coal

[rainmaker]

Originally Posted by ron1863

I totally agree that "professional" football players are grossly overpaid, I think it was reported that John Terry is on something like £130,000 - a week. To my way of thinking that is obscene, especially when the police, nurses, firemen etc. do work hard for a decent living wage.

I remember reading that the late, great Bill Shankly, manager of Liverpool and also an ex miner used to take all his players down the pits and make them work for an hour at the coal face to remind them how grateful they should be that they could play football for a living.

Some of the present players should be shovelling something other than coal

There's always some lovely little stories from Bolton, Blackpool, etc, about (usually) the goalie (because they are slightly mad) doing an 8 day non-stop shift finishing at noon on the saturday and then cycling down to Wembley to arrive just in time for 3pm to play a Wolstenholme-commentated smashing game.

Maybe I exaggerate slightly, but not much!

[barquar]

It looks like no one wants the England Job All the favourites are saying no to it.I rekon a few heads should roll at the FA and bring in some new younger Blood. Brian Thingymabob should go he picked Mclaren and he is going to be picking the next Manager.
Barquar

[Duke of York]

As already said the list of people wanting the job is looking a bit small since all the front runners don't seem interested

The only people who appear to want it are Capello and Benitez
although that is probably as they are both unemployed (well Benitez isn't yet but the door appears to be ajar given his recent comments )

Oh and let's not forget Harry Rednapp and Steve coppell haven't ruled themselves out of the job yet

Well it could be worse Jurgen Klinsmann could get it

[Paul mabbott]

Yes, it's amazing how so many people are declining the job without even waiting to be asked! It has to be Mourinho though?

You've got a good point about sweet FA - they're just incompetent time-servers who are absolutely useless. I think they should all go for the chop, get a completely new, fairly small body of people who know about the game ... and maybe someone from the building industry who might be able to get the roof fixed? ... and then appoint a new manager ...

But it's not just them - the whole of British sport seems to be governed by bumbling incompetents - see the Olympic chaos where one of our top sports (cycling) is losing its best used velodrome at Eastway and will end up with a smaller, inadequate one

Originally Posted by barquar

It looks like no one wants the England Job All the favourites are saying no to it.I rekon a few heads should roll at the FA and bring in some new younger Blood. Brian Thingymabob should go he picked Mclaren and he is going to be picking the next Manager.
Barquar

[Ian Gray]

Originally Posted by Stewy

I too am a Scot but it would of been nice to have at least one British team in the finals.

As a fellow Scot, speaking on the subject of England going out,
eeerrrmm, how can I put this,

[ron1863]

Originally Posted by Ian Gray

As a fellow Scot, speaking on the subject of England going out,
eeerrrmm, how can I put this,

Ditto

[HowlinWolf]

How do you motivate players who earn/get paid £100,000 a week? As for England qualifying for future major tournaments: I don't know, and care even less.

HW

[ron1863]

I don't think you should need to motivate anyone who represents their country. In fact I don't think the players should be paid at all, it should be an honour to play for your country.
As for players wages - disgraceful I know, but I wouldn't knock it back.

[HowlinWolf]

I agree with you, ron1863. As for wages; it's the old whine that it's a short career, so they need to make the money whilst they can. Why can't they just get a job? I'm sure they're smart enough to re-train for something else after 35 (tongue-in-cheek).

HW

[Paul mabbott]

Another one of those nights when I rant about my pet peeve ... how come I can see two matches tonight (if I had two tvs ) but tomorrow I'll be unable to see any?

Tough games for both Arsenal and ManU tonight but also an opportunity to play really well. I suspect that ManU will play a weakened team and go for the draw; Arsenal can only play one way really ... the big worry is Liverpool tomorrow - all or nothing