Happy now, Sven bashers?

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

Dwayne actually has a point. The problem isn't so much the managers, it's the players who are underperforming, or just not good enough. People complain that we "only" got to the quarter finals, losing narrowly to good teams but maybe that is England's level.

The players are over-paid and thus lose the hunger to do well. In my opinion, the FA should talk with the clubs to organise some kind of wage capping with bonuses paid for winning vital games, qualifying for tournaments or whatever. When you're being paid £100k a week there's no incentive to do well. "Oh well, we got stuffed by Croatia, I'll just go home to my fleet of sports cars and roast another couple of page 3 girls". I'm pretty sure Ashley Cole won't give a rat's ass about the result this morning.

But back to my original point McClaren could EASILY have got us at the very least a draw last night by playing to our strengths, ie a 4-4-2 with two attacking wingers such as Wright-Phillips and Richardson and dropping players currently out of form such as Carragher and Lampard! King was our best player against Macedonia, he doesn't even get a sniff of the ball last night.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I wouldn't be surprised to see a major cull of some of this lot. Carragher, Lampard, Carrick, Jenas and Richardson all look vulnerable. And I think Terry is way over-rated, but he won't be dropped.

Although it would be quite funny if, after McClaren's two big 'statement' decisions, Beckham was recalled and Terry was left out.

 

[Sid James]

King was our best player against Macedonia, he doesn't even get a sniff of the ball last night.

Because he was injured.

 

[NMH]

A bit hard to take this thread seriously now DS, with that line about King.

However, it's even harder to take McClaren seriously after this - he certainly has no clue what 'boxing clever' means.

 

[DJ Leon]

I fail to see how it's McClaren's fault that the players seemed unable to pass to each other last night.

 

[Les Biehn]

I fail to see how it's McClaren's fault that the players seemed unable to pass to each other last night.

Maybe he didn't instill in them enough confidence in their ability, maybe the system f***ed them up, maybe his training aimed at getting them to work as a unit didn't work. My point is it should it be McLarens fault, the players fault, the FAs fault, the presses fault. Who knows? We are shit.

 

[Chesney Christ]

I know. I said that

OK, so if England keep underperforming and don't qualify for 2008 and, say, Phil Scolari starts showing interest again? You'd prefer to watch it on telly without England involved but at least that's what you think international competition is all about?

Fair enough and don't mean to pick but I just don't get the logic of this wanting your team to underperform because of some flexible concept of nationality. Ah well.

Totally agree. I'm also concerned by this constant harping about "foreign mercernaries". Its just nonsense.

 

[keaton]

I fail to see how it's McClaren's fault that the players seemed unable to pass to each other last night.

It's not. However he f***ed around with a perfectly good defence. and if you're not used to playing a system ten you don't know where to look to play a pass or where to go to recive a pass, which makes the lack of basic skills worse. there was absolutely no reason to play 3-5-2 in that games, it smacks of arrogancy which i'd say is the major english problem of the last ten years.

 

[Silent Bob]

EDIT. WTF is Max Clifford doing talking about whether David Beckham would have made a difference yesterday

That alone is enough reason to sack the red faced goon.

 

[Gritt23]

Fair enough and don't mean to pick but I just don't get the logic of this wanting your team to underperform because of some flexible concept of nationality. Ah well.

Who said I want our team to underperform, that's ridiculous.

But I wouldn't want Scolari in charge because I believe it should be the best ENGLAND have to offer against the best other countries have to offer.

If we play poorly and get beat, then sure, let's look at what we do wrong and how we can improve, but I don't agree with the answer being "open the chequebook and let's see who we can get to represent England."

If Robbo has a poor run, would you want us to see what foreign goalies (such as Cudicini) may be eligible to play for England? I wouldn't, and I feel the same about the manager.