lionheart

Any of you lads planning to watch the game? I know its an awfully late kick-off (12 midnight I believe) but it should be a real corker. I will be at Dubliners or possibly Biggles Bar soaking up the ambience...

blokeindubai

I hope we lose twelvety - nil !! If not, we'll be stuck with that idiot of a manager for YEARS !

lionheart

Being the manager of the England football team must be one of the worst jobs in the world. Look at Sven...he was once hated by the nation but now is arguably the most respected manager outside Old Trafford.

Rog_Rams

That may be because the average English football fan, and the journos who feed and feed off their rants, are just not that bright!

You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear!

lionheart

Your first statement seems to support my view that it's not the England manager's fault that he is unpopular, whoever he happens to be. As for the second statement, are you referring to Macca or Sven?

Rog_Rams

When was there ever a popular England manager? A brief honeymoon period, (if they're lucky), followed by criticism by hacks and half-wits, News of the World exposes of stuff that's nothing to do with football and comparison to assorted root vegetables.

The sows ear is the body of English footballers available to any manager, there are one or two talented blokes for sure, but the evidence indicates that they just are not that good.......ONE major championship final. Compare that record to Germany, Italy, even the Netherlands, France etc.

Just because some board of directors wants to spend obscene amounts of money on Gerrard, Terry, Rooney, Lampard or Beckham's salary, does not mean they are world-beaters on the park!

OK, rant over, now let's hope that overpaid, over-hyped team of misfits can fashion some sort of satisfactory result against the mighty Croats.

Eva

Shame shame shame..........nearly but not quite!

Inselaffen

Went to Barasti to watch it but it was a poor game and there was no atmosphere there so I left after 20 minutes. Which was the right decision

Eva

Aaaah-s'thing the REF couldn't do- between Italy and Scotland few nghts before.The 'beautiful game was blighted by bad decision making and innacurate line calls

Paidtoplease

Okay so are we blaming the Ref, Manager, Pitch Conditions or Pre Match Catering ???

Meow

We blame McClaren who should be booted out. He is such a fool.

We should also blame a bunch of players who are paid far too much by their individual teams, so don't care enough to play well for their country.

Paidtoplease

Okay so that's

Manager Fool 1
OverPaid Players 1
Ref/Lines Men 1
Pitch Conditions 0
Catering 0

Any other opinions ???

lionheart

We played well for 15 minutes during which our two goals were scored. After we equalised, we went back to sleep as if the job had been done. Croatia deserved to win and are probably a top six Euro side. I can reel off at least nine Euro teams currently better than England. It's a sad state of affairs but, like the man said, you cannot make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Even with the best manager in the world, you cannot win tournaments without quality players.

MataHari

so England lost....Is Holland playing in this thing...

The Dean

Yes they are - and realistically are one of about eleven teams (out of a total of sixteen) who could win it. That list most certainly includes Croatia.

MInd you, the draw looks interesting (see link below) ......... if I read it right, we could find, say, Holland, Italy, Germany and France in the same group, which will NOT be allowed to happen, so watch out for yet another 'fixed' draw............

http://www.uefa.com/competitions/eur...id=623231.html