If Boumsong plays I have no doubt you will all see why he is so highly rated it France. As for the entire squad there are several players I would not have included there, for example cisse. I would have gone with Barthez as well, he works well with the French defence and has the needed experience. Giuly and Anelka would have made it for me, but overall it is a pretty decent squad and I think quite a few of the French based players will make a name for themselves in Germany.

I don't agree with that. I think because of the fact that he did not stop the goal and because it is not 100% clear as to whether or not he took the player down on purpose or in an attempt to get the ball that he could easily have allowed and issued a warning or a booking.

Well then under the rule of law he was in no position to allow the goal and send the player off as he blew the whistle.

It would be stupid to drop Beckham. He has been in great form for Real Madrid this year and has also performed well for England in recent games. He seems to be a good captain and also what he can provide from dead ball situations makes him very valuable.

I'll do the France games if no one else would like them.

He could have done that but that would have been plain stupid in my opinion. Personally I would have booked him and allowed the goal to stand, which for the sake of the game is what I wish had happened. What would the result have been had it been 11 v 11, no one can know. The one thing I will say is that Arsenal were the better team up until the sending off and were the better team up until around the 75th minute.

If you don't care then don't post. I wasn't expecting you to be upset by the fact that I don't agree with you I was simply saying that we have differing opinions on the matter, a comeback like that is utterly pointless.

Once again we disagree pleasure, I believe your dislike for Wenger is unfounded. He has always come across to me as a very nice and well spoken man and also an extremely talented manager. He may suffer from the big team syndrome from time to time, but they all do. He didn't seem to be that bitter to me, he didn't say anything that we wouldn't have had the game gone the same way as that for Blackburn. Henry was a little surprising, but I think Arsenal fans should be pleased as I think last night, despite the defeat, made it less likely that he will be heading to Barcelona.

I don't disagree that it was a sending off, though he could have played advantage and not ruined the game. Arsenal were the better side.

Feel sorry for Arsenal. Gae was ruined slightly by the sending off and have had several good chances and could have put the game beyond doubt had they put one of them away.

People have been saying that for decades and it just isn't happening.

I don't see the defense being too much of a problem, I have more worries about the midfield and goal scoring. Despite his performances for Arsenal Henry has yet to produce on the international stage, if he doesn't then they are in a bit of trouble. Personally, I don't see them getting that far, but I see them as one of four teams that could win it if things go their way and everything clicks, when you have players of the quality of Henry and pals then anything is possible on the right day.

I think the United States have a decent squad, but no more than that. My problem is I struggle to see a player there that will put fear into the hearts of the opposition and have produce that moment of magic in a close game against quality opposition. Now don't say that is because I don't know American players of the MLS because im relatively familiar and also don't say that is because foreign nations won't because every player in your squad will have been scouted so well that opposition teams will know the cereal he eats, especially after what happened in 2002. I have a lot of American fans and for me what gets annoying isn't the fact that they seem to have hope, but more that they seem to have expectations. It is as if the achievement of reaching the quarter finals has meant that from now on that is what you should expect, despite being in a group with two of the best teams in international football.

For me it is between England, Brazil, Argentina and France. That isn't to say that there won't be plenty of surprise results (probably fewer than last time), but those seem to be the four strongest squads that also include that extra bit of quality for those tight games. I know that abroad the threat of England is being taken seriously, I think we are the one footballing nation going into this that seriously doubts its own potential and instead spends more time praising the likes of Brazil and Argentina. I will be surprised if Brazil win the world cup, there defence is simply not good enough and if teams can put them under pressure I can see them shipping in goals. For me the fact that they are being called the best team ever and that they are being likened with teams like the Brazil of '70 make them one of the most overrated sides ever going into a world cup.

nevermind

Not quite.

Rely implies that he is our only hope, which he most certainly is not.

Shouldn't have been their throw.

The thing for Sven is that he has nothing to lose. Personally I'm not looking forward to him leaving, but he doesn't have to worry about his job anymore so he may as well take a risk. Don't think Walcott should have been included as he hasn't even played a game in the Premiership, but SGE knows more than I do so I'll wait and see what happens.

Oh what might have been.

I think a lot of you are blind to what he has done that is good. He falls into a category alongside players like Bentley, Savage, Todd, Zurab, Gray, Neill and Amoruso (to name but a few) who are picked on by the board from time to time. Just as my blind optimism may be over the top those of you who think he is useless have obviously either forgotten or couldn't see the times he has come on this season and looked one like one of the few players we had who could actually move the ball forward and run at a defence. If we can get decent money for him then I think it is right to sell him, but there is something there and we don't have a big squad or a lot of money so unless 2-3 million or more is being offered I don't see much point, and I can't see that happening.

No. I think he's looked very good at times this season and I still think that he could come up with the goods. I just don't think we'll get enough money for him to make it worth while given the size of squad we have anyway.

Can't wait, I'll be there for at least one or two of them. Don't really mind who we get, but I'm looking forward to us taking it seriously for once and let's see how far we can go.

To be fair SWP didn't even appeal for the penalty. As for the Lampard one I thought that was there best shout. The crespo one both players had hold of each her and it always happens in the box nowadays so you're unlikely to get them.

I would have been appealing, but none of them were dead certain. I admit that having had three you'd expect to get one, but I never thought to myself that they were robbed. They were all some that you get sometimes and don't others.