England 0 Portugal 0

[percy]

PERCY ITS ERICSONNS FAULT HE DIRTYED ON UNKLE JACK,ITS HIS FAULT HES THE MOST UNEMOTIONAL COACH IN HISTORY HES PASSIONKLESS,ITS HIS FAULT HE TOOK 3 STRIKERS;4 IF YOU INCLUDE THE KID...WHY OH WHY DID HE TAKE HIM,ITS HIS FAUALT HE TOOK JENAS,CARICK ,WALCOTT ETC AND DONT GIVE THEM A CHANCE ,ITS HIS FAULT HE PLAYS ROONEY ON HIS OWN IN ONE HALF THE PITCH,ITS HIS FAULT END OF ....

GOOD RIDDANCE

AT LEAST MACCA IS ENGLISH!

So it's still his fault that Gerrard and Lampard couldn't score from the penalty spot?

[ABBEY]

SO IT BOILS DOWN TO PENS....

JHC IT BOILS DOWN TO BAD TEAM SELECTION AND BAD TACTICS

[philipl]

A pretty decent performance today apart from a 20 minute spell at the end of the first half when England could not pass to a white shirt.

I take back my criticism of Hargreaves- he was fantastic.

The momernt I saw Lampard preparing to take that penalty we were out. Lampard hasn't hit the target in 23 of his 25 shots this WC so why should he suddenly score in the shoot out?

SGE has rescued England from the Eileen Drewery laughing stock (Glenda resigned from Wolves in sympathy today btw) but there are horrendous weaknesses in the English talent currently available.

English international quality forwards end after Owen and Rooney although Crouch did well.

We took a Liverpool reserve as third choice keeper because a second division keeper was injured.

We had no cover at right back with nothing on the horizon when Neville calls it a day.

Steve McLaren will ensure we achieve less than the sum of the parts so no major trophies coming England's way any time soon. Good job we have a relatively easy European Nations Group.

[percy]

What were you watching?!

The game. Albeit a little bit drunk.

Honestly, T4E, I thought we were doing well considering we were down to 10 men. We certainly looked at least as likely to score as Portugal.

We certainly weren't the 2nd best team

Edited July 1, 2006 by percy

[Ozz]

I am surprisingly not bothered by Englands exit.

[ABBEY]

WATCHED THE SENDING OFF AGIAIN AND HOW THE BALLS FIGO GETS AWAY IN PREVIOUS GAME WITH A YELLOW AND ROONEY GETS SENT OFF FOR THAT I WILL NEVER KNOW,,,,,,,BUT AS SOON AS THE REF IS NAMED FROM ARGY YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES

[philipl]

I thought the same percy but the match statistics are heavily in favour of the Portuguese.

[percy]

AT LEAST MACCA IS ENGLISH!

C'mon Abbey, Steve McClaren is the worst appointment the English F.A. could make.

Given O'Neill was ready to say 'Yes' and Big Phil wouldn't mind the job after the WC, it's a shame that we'll carry on with McClaren.

Edited July 1, 2006 by percy

[ABBEY]

I KNOW MACCA AINT MY CHOICE BUT AT LEAST HES A BIT OF PASSION ...ID HAVE GONE WITH O NEIL AS WELL ( I KNOW HES NOT ENGLISH) BUT HTHERE YOU GO

[percy]

SO IT BOILS DOWN TO PENS....

JHC IT BOILS DOWN TO BAD TEAM SELECTION AND BAD TACTICS

No offence, ABBEY, but it boils down to England not taking pens successfully. I'd have thought Lampard and Gerrard would have scored. It's not as if Ricardo pulled off amazing saves!

Edited July 1, 2006 by percy

[Paul]

People are disappointed, people have had a beer or two.............take it easy please guys. Name calling, etc are not needed.

[ABBEY]

it doesnt boil down to that percy it boils down to ...2 unfit strikers a kid and crouch ...unbeleible selection

[LeChuck]

Agreed, look at the squad selection before they set off for Germany, especially the striker options, 2 injured players and an untried teenager., and there is only one person to blame.

Rubbish. Peter Crouch is the third best striker in this country. Any other top national side would have played 4-4-1 with 10 men. How exactly has striker selection contributed to our exit?

Edited July 1, 2006 by LeChuck

[Cheeky Sidders]

Oh bollux to it, it's a Mickey Mouse competition anyway.

We were let down by not having sufficient strikers. I'd say Ericsson was taking a huge gamble taking Owen and Rooney, but in taking the untested Walcott he was just going potty. Why on earth did we take so many holding/defensive midfielders? Hargreaves, Carrick and Jenas seems a bit of a luxury but given that Ferdinand can also fill that role, it seems bordering on extravagent. I bet I know which Englishman has the longest face tonight; Jermaine Defoe who was kept out of the squad by two crocked players, a circus sideshow freak and a child. I wouldn't be surprised if the poor sod wasn't hanging from the rafters by now.

The Lampard/Gerard combination clearly doesn;t work and I think we have all seen that those two, while superb club players, are NOT world class when compared to those who are. They haven't done the business and Lampard could still be running round the Kelsengirchen pitch right now on his own and clueless ###### still wouldn't be able to score.

Humble Pie Moment: In recent weeks I have suggested Owen Hargreaves was rubbish. I take it all back as he has done very well in recent games and I thought he was our best player today. Similarlyy, Rio Ferdinand who I have unfairly likened to Jar Jar Binks. He did very well today.

As for Rooney, it's hard to tell if his foot to ###### moment was intentional or not. If not, he was unlucky. If so, he deserved what he got. End of.

Cristiano Ronaldo - the player we all love to hate. What can I say about the cheating, greasy haired, goose-stepping, clown-footed rent boy that hasn't been said already? I inly hope, for his sake, he gets the move abroad that he wants. If he comes back here next season he's going to get a very hard time everywhere he goes.

Hell freezing over moment: It's a rare day that I agree with Abbey, but for once he is right. Ericsson is the one with whom the true blame lies. His team selection was poor, his tactics laughable, his substitutions inept and his motivation pitiful. As I have said before, he is a man with no honour and the end of his tenure as Englad coach could not come soon enough. Sadly, we've now got McLaren.

Anyway, at least Dr Who was good.

[ABBEY]

le chuck ....because we had went in with 2 unfit strikers(no cover) 1striker (not up to it) 1 boy(absolutly took the place of a.other because sven didnt have faith to play him)

if he had took someone else even instead of jenas or carrick then at least we could have gone 442 not rocket science really

lechuck hand on heart do you really think our strikeforce was up to the challenge....honestly

Oh bollux to it, it's a Mickey Mouse competition anyway.

We were let down by not having sufficient strikers. I'd say Ericsson was taking a huge gamble taking Owen and Rooney, but in taking the untested Walcott he was just going potty. Why on earth did we take so many holding/defensive midfielders? Hargreaves, Carrick and Jenas seems a bit of a luxury but given that Ferdinand can also fill that role, it seems bordering on extravagent. I bet I know which Englishman has the longest face tonight; Jermaine Defoe who was kept out of the squad by two crocked players, a circus sideshow freak and a child. I wouldn't be surprised if the poor sod wasn't hanging from the rafters by now.

The Lampard/Gerard combination clearly doesn;t work and I think we have all seen that those two, while superb club players, are NOT world class when compared to those who are. They haven't done the business and Lampard could still be running round the Kelsengirchen pitch right now on his own and clueless ###### still wouldn't be able to score.

Humble Pie Moment: In recent weeks I have suggested Owen Hargreaves was rubbish. I take it all back as he has done very well in recent games and I thought he was our best player today. Similarlyy, Rio Ferdinand who I have unfairly likened to Jar Jar Binks. He did very well today.

As for Rooney, it's hard to tell if his foot to ###### moment was intentional or not. If not, he was unlucky. If so, he deserved what he got. End of.

Cristiano Ronaldo - the player we all love to hate. What can I say about the cheating, greasy haired, goose-stepping, clown-footed rent boy that hasn't been said already? I inly hope, for his sake, he gets the move abroad that he wants. If he comes back here next season he's going to get a very hard time everywhere he goes.

Hell freezing over moment: It's a rare day that I agree with Abbey, but for once he is right. Ericsson is the one with whom the true blame lies. His team selection was poor, his tactics laughable, his substitutions inept and his motivation pitiful. As I have said before, he is a man with no honour and the end of his tenure as Englad coach could not come soon enough. Sadly, we've now got McLaren.

Anyway, at least Dr Who was good.

roll on saturday cat wait for part 2...hell freezing over ..ouch maty

[Alan75]

Rubbish. Peter Crouch is the third best striker in this country. Any other top national side would have played 4-4-1 with 10 men. How exactly has striker selection contributed to our exit?

OOOOPS, I never mentioned Crouch in my post, ....so ok we had Crouch, two injured strikers and an untried teenager in the squad. Brilliant squad selection.

[ABBEY]

crouch third best in englan?...hes not 3rd best in sunday morning footy

[Cheeky Sidders]

Rubbish. Peter Crouch is the third best striker in this country. Any other top national side would have played 4-4-1 with 10 men. How exactly has striker selection contributed to our exit?

If you GENUINELY believe Crouch is the third best English striker I would suggest you need an urgent psychiatric assessment.

[Rovermatt]

That was a truly dreadful game. England reverted to type once they were down a man, and Portugal offered absolutely nothing going forward. Penalties are a lottery but the fact that England consistently bomb out at such a stage is indicative of a deficiency in this department.

The issues regarding the Portuguese conduct smack of nothing more than press desperation. Ronaldo (who was villified, bizarrely, by Jonathan Pearce because he kissed the ball before his spot-kick and had a staggered run-up ) didn't make Rooney grind his studs into Carvalho's balls and he certainly didn't convince the referee that a red card was the only reply. Rooney is a hot-head and may have been targeted for roughing-up but surely in the World Cup any edge that can be legally gained must be gained. How is this any different to some dirty great centre half giving a meek striker a kick in the first minute?

England's tepid, dull performances did not warrant a place in the semi-final of the World Cup. I'm not completely convinced that the Portuguese are much to write home about either. They were awful and should struggle once more against a defence as determined as England's.

Edited May 10, 2007 by Rovermatt

[percy]

it doesnt boil down to that percy it boils down to ...2 unfit strikers a kid and crouch ...unbeleible selection

No, that's fair enough, ABBEY.

I'd have rather taken Defoe or Bent, than a 17 year old that doesn't even get close to the 1st team (it effectively make us a 22man squad). No-one could have predicted that Owen'd twist his knee in the 1st mintute against Sweden.

Surely you'd agree that if we went to penalties, 2 top scoring midlfielders could do the business ????

Don't get me wrong, losing on penalities is upsetting..................................

I'm not name calling- I have alot of respect for those who post on this board regularly. Nor do I wish to fall out with any other members of the board. A difference in opinion is OK. ?

[LeChuck]

lechuck hand on heart do you really think our strikeforce was up to the challenge....honestly

roll on saturday cat wait for part 2...hell freezing over ..ouch maty

That's not the point. My point is the striker selection had absolutely no bearing on us going out today. The only way I can answer is following:

Would I have started Rooney today? Yes.

Would I have replaced him with Crouch? Yes.

Would I have introduced another striker at any stage? No.

Would you (or anyone else stupidly complaining) have done anything different?

[Cheeky Sidders]

hell freezing over ..ouch maty

No offence intended but we don't agree on many things... Flitcroft for one, and as for my knowledge of Chorley girls, it's not something I like to talk about.

[LeChuck]

I'd have rather taken Defoe or Bent, than a 17 year old that doesn't even get close to the 1st team (it effectively make us a 22man squad).

Oh dear God.

A second striker wouldn't have been brought on with us having ten men, whether it's Walcott or Defoe sat on the bench today is irrelevant. How can you not understand this?

[Grabbi Graeme]

Rooney gets sent off for pushing cheat boy diving please don't use that word or that word or that word again Ronaldo and Figo headbutts a player and gets away with it FIFA and there clampdown on foul play has just turned into a farce.

[broadsword]

Agree agree agree with Mr Sid.

Especially about Dr Who, far more entertaining than lumbering CyberKnobs on the pitch.