Partially discharged

Jenas and talented in the same sentence is an oxymoron. He was never seriously in contention for the World Cup and truth be told, Warnock, Dawson and Carrick were there just to make up the FIFA warranted squad totals.

Partially discharged

Well, I got the 1st one right

Greenhill

Check your prediction and the score from the Holland match

Greenhill

That last second penalty was a bit of a teaser for anyone who predicted 2-0

Lord Vader

FFS, anyone includes me and you, about 3 people picked 2-1, including Oinks dirty old nan.

JamesM

I don't like Jenas. I think Spurs will sell him this summer.

England would of been better of if Dawson and Carrick had played ahead of Upson and Barry.

Oink

There's really no need to be offensive, its not funny.

Lord Vader

She's a tough, mangy old dog. I treat her like one of the guys.

Greenhill

.. if Capello didn't have that tactically-shallow obsession with 4-4-2.

Now, I'm not bitter about any of the England results (and for the most part unsurprised) but I was wondering if the cynics amongst us have been thinking about the potential for a conflict of interest, especially following on from the change they made to his contract just prior to the cup starting (removal of the 'free to go' clause)?

Personally I'm pretty sure Capello is professional enough not to undermine the team he is managing. But, others would suggest the evidence that England "should've done better". I suppose we'll never, ever, know the truth.. thoughts?

JamesM

It's clearly easy for us to be critical affter the event. No one was critical after we won our qualification group so easily

We are all Football Manager's in our minds but there is obviously alot more to it than we all realise.

In the tournament's when England's football has been more convincing ie. Italia 90, Euro 96 and France 98 I think England had employed 3-5-2 but I remember people complaining that we were not comfortable with the system and 4-4-2 was the only way.

I feel certain players let Cappello down badly on and off the pitch which is why in hindsight it is easy for me to say who he should of played ahead of them. I felt Upson's performance yesterday was one of the worst centre back performance's I've seen in an England shirt and Gareth Barry was poor through out the tournament. Rooney has not been great but he has too much talent and you have to pick him in the hope it returns.

As I say I hope Cappello stay's but the media witch hunt- particularly "The Sun" has already started. It wouldn't surprise me if Roy Hodgson is the next man in the "impossible job".

Lord Vader

Why does England have an Italian coach. Wouldn't an English coach be in a better position to motivate the players?

JamesM

Look up Kevin Keegan and Steve Mclaren.

The former was supposedly a great "man motivator" but probably the most tactically naive manager we've ever had- the performance's under Keegan are my bench mark of poor England displays and surpass anything seen at this World Cup.

Hoddle and Venables were both better but not in the job long due to non-footballing reasons.

jimf

Keegan was a disaster and Mclaren even worse. Graham Taylor was another out of his depth.

I'd like to see the EPL do something like the German league and limit the number of foreign players to a greater degree. I think the UEFA limit is quite weak. Of course the EPL won't do anything unless a failing England team damages them commercially. The irony is that it was a successful England team with a genuinely world class player (Gaza) that laid the foundation for the commercial success of the EPL.

R I C H

What does 'too much talent' mean?

Either he can perform at that level effectively, or not, and on evidence of this tournament he wasn't exactly a shining light.

Pick players on form and ability to deliver, not on hope. Nobody has to be picked.

JamesM

Rooney's form last season bought him 35 goals or so.... by far the outstanding English player in the Premier League. That is what warrants his place in the England side. He has performed well internationally before back in 2004 when he announced his arrival on the international stage.

He is on form England's only World CLass player and the only way to find form is via games. Other players you cannot extend this courtesy too because their best is not world class or as devastating to opposition.