hopfully it will be a good game tonight
we have a good squad to face the germans

Paul Robinson (Tottenham Hotspur)
David James (Portsmouth)
Scott Carson (Aston Villa on loan)
Micah Richards (Manchester City)
Wes Brown (Manchester United)
Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
John Terry (Chelsea)
Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Sol Campbell (Portsmouth)
Steven Taylor (Newcastle United)
Phil Neville (Everton)
Nicky Shorey (Reading)
David Beckham (LA Galaxy)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Joe Cole (Chelsea)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea)
Michael Carrick (Manchester United)
Gareth Barry (Aston Villa)
Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)
Kieron Dyer (West Ham United)
Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United)
Alan Smith (Newcastle United)
Michael Owen (Newcastle United)
Peter Crouch (Liverpool)
Darren Bent (Tottenham Hotspur)
Andrew Johnson (Everton)
Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur

Just cannot get excited over this.

Why are some in bold? Michael Owen, bless him.

The only result i am hoping for is that:

John Terry (Chelsea)
Ashley Cole (Chelsea)
Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Joe Cole (Chelsea)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Chelsea)


All break their friggin legs!! :D

Paul Robbinson what a keeper :(

And now England have lost 2-1 :mad:

Good. As long as we keep losing, the tighter that rope around Maclarens neck becomes. Saying that, where else will the F.A. get another 'yes' man??

Poor game. Aside from the first 20 minutes we were poor. A distinctly average German side controlled the second half for all but 5 minutes.

Wright-Phillips left wing? Clearly exhausted and largely ineffective Beckham right wing?Micah Richards right-back? Kieron Dyer as a striker? Goalkeeping blunders ahoy? Just another England game.

Poor game. Aside from the first 20 minutes we were poor. A distinctly average German side controlled the second half for all but 5 minutes.

Wright-Phillips left wing? Clearly exhausted and largely ineffective Beckham right wing?Micah Richards right-back? Kieron Dyer as a striker? Goalkeeping blunders ahoy? Just another England game.

Well, yes, pretty much. I've lost count of how many games I've seen where we look really impressive for twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, and then stop doing what we were doing during that period and go into shell-shock mode.

I don't know, frankly, how appointing any manager, or even no manager at all, is ever going to make a difference to that. The manager's not out there on the field. We need to find players who aren't frightened to play.

Well, yes, pretty much. I've lost count of how many games I've seen where we look really impressive for twenty minutes, maybe half an hour, and then stop doing what we were doing during that period and go into shell-shock mode.

I don't know, frankly, how appointing any manager, or even no manager at all, is ever going to make a difference to that. The manager's not out there on the field. We need to find players who aren't frightened to play.
A managers tactics and player instructions dictates how freely an individual can play! Your wrong on this one fella, the manager sucks! How can he defend some of his decisions regarding personel and the positions they play? Not just this match but in important qualifiers also.

The man's a gimp. If he managed the Columbian side, he would have been shot by now!!

A managers tactics and player instructions dictates how freely an individual can play!

And it was working perfectly for half an hour; then they all panicked and stopped doing it.


Your wrong on this one fella, the manager sucks!


So who gave them the tactics and player instructions that led to that wonderful opening session? The tooth fairy?

So who gave them the tactics and player instructions that led to that wonderful opening session? The tooth fairy?
And who carries on picking the wrong players in the wrong possisions and has made things very difficult regarding European Qualification? Little Red Riding Hood?

To be fair England looked "ok" till the substitutions.
Then it was purely downhill to a frightening limit, the only bright spark being Sean Wright Philips who surely must get a start against Israel.
Owen looked sharpish and better than he has for a bit, even though he missed a complete sitter, Crouch was shocking when he came on he had no influence atall although he's not had much first team football.
Robinson is a liability, James looked dodgy aswell, but how far down the pecking order are we to go where there is a trustworthy keeper.
All in all a bad day (night) at the office, it makes it very exciting from now on.

I don't know, frankly, how appointing any manager, or even no manager at all, is ever going to make a difference to that. The manager's not out there on the field. We need to find players who aren't frightened to play.

You yourself have stated many times that Maclaren makes some pretty stupid decisions. Here is just one of them:

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=151795&highlight=Maclaren

I didn't stomach all of the game (fortunately, I found a brilliant programme on the history of motorways on BBC4). However, I watched the first half and the last 20 minutes.

Predictable, short-of-ideas and frankly, boring.

The only highlight was Micah Richards IMO and then he, like the rest of the team, went AWOL. It's no wonder players pick up injuries before internationals like this. Beckham was awful (he looked knackered) and we struggled to pass the ball. Players of a supposed international standard should not give the ball away at the alarming rate that England do. Both Germany's goals - a team as average and boring as us though more efficient (ie, we make 20 passes to get the ball 10 yards, they make 3 passes to get the ball as far) - were down to errors on England's behalf.

We never play to our strengths. The Premier League is about speed as much as technical skill. Yet we only pass to players who are already marked, rarely into open space. Either this is down to the fact that the players simply don't have the technical ability or that the manager doesn't trust them. It's defensive and it's boring.

And once more, we have a player come on as sub who wouldn't get into Barnet's starting 11. He's never been and never will be international class never mind League 2. He's abysmal.

Never more so has a player had an apt name as Keiron DYER.

Turn the lights out Wembley. For once I'm more concerned about our carbon footprint.

I won a few quid predicting the score. Oh well.

Long did well for Ireland, about time he banged in a few for us.

England keep losing because the players are not good enough. Robinson had a 'mare but the strikers missed plenty as well.

Micah Richards was great. Played right back; right wing and centre half.

Joe Cole was good in parts as well.

If England qualify for Euro 08 (doubtful IMO) they will stand no chance whatsoever just like in the world cup. The hype will convince us all they can win it but the reality will once again make us cry :(

I don't rate Carrick at all.

I don't rate Carrick at all.

When Hargreaves is fit he will be back on the bench Clare!!

This will also be the case in Manchester IMO.

When Hargreaves is fit he will be back on the bench Clare!!

This will also be the case in Manchester IMO.


Pheeeeeew! Ha. :-)

Pheeeeeew! Ha. :-)

So you can rest easy now Clare ;)

Alan Shearer and Chris Waddle summed up the game perfectly:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6959203.stm