Can't see this happening again.

[andsome]

:lol: Can't see this happening today. :D

It all began so well: Portugal 0, England 10 – a canter for Walter Winterbottom’s men in Lisbon in 1947. Four goals each for Tommy Lawton and Stan Mortensen and one each for Stanley Matthews and Tom Finney. Lawton scored after just seventeen seconds – the fastest-ever England strike.

Taken from this link

[Thos]

I remember it. I was a squaddie in Naples just prior to moving out of Italy by driving to Paderborn in Germany.

I also remember seeing Tommy Lawton play. He was idolised then as a superb header of the hard leather ball used in those days.

I will be satisfied with a 1-0 win today, though.

Thos.

[Belatucadrus]

The only chance England have of winning is if Portugal take an early lead and they have to work at it. If England score first, Sven will put all eleven players in goal and go defensive again. Result England 1 Portugal 2.

As has been said they have the talent individually, but have yet to play as a team, can they win ? Yes, will they ? I have no idea.

[andsome]

Whatever the result, it certainly won't be 10-0.

[deuces wild]

Best of luck to your team today. B)

[Thos]

The only chance England have of winning is if Portugal take an early lead and they have to work at it. If England score first, Sven will put all eleven players in goal and go defensive again. Result England 1 Portugal 2.

As has been said they have the talent individually, but have yet to play as a team, can they win ? Yes, will they ? I have no idea.

Whatever the result, it certainly won't be 10-0.

I fear you are both right.

Thos.

[Gandalph]

They lost. Portugal played a filthy game first of all taking Beckham down and the Ref needs to go to Specsavers for sending Rooney off.

How many times have we seen this. Every time Gazza played the other team had his right knee marked to get him off the pitch.

[mark2]

seemed to be an extra 6/7 linesmen too, constantly hassling / informing the ref that someone (english) needed carding, oddly enough they were wearing red shirts

[Belatucadrus]

All of which fails to answer the one overriding question.

How come England still can't score penalties ?

[andsome]

Rooney deserved to be sent off. He was about to be awarded a free kick, when he allowed himself to be goaded by someone well known for doing just that. Whether he likes it or not, the rules do NOT allow you to push another player, he should have let the referee sought it out. He is a spoilt pampered brat. Several million pounds a year is money well worth learning a little self control for.

[Thos]

Rooney deserved to be sent off. He was about to be awarded a free kick, when he allowed himself to be goaded by someone well known for doing just that. Whether he likes it or not, the rules do NOT allow you to push another player, he should have let the referee sought it out. He is a spoilt pampered brat. Several million pounds a year is money well worth learning a little self control for.

I agree. But in conjunction, I thought Ronaldo's actions in clearly trying to influence the ref was typically disgraceful.

All in all, it has not been a good tournament for England and I could not say with any honesty that they deserve to have progressed any further.

Sven's timidity has done us no good. I hope, but cannot believe, that Steve McLaren can shake off the negativity for which he also bears some responsibility.

Thos.

[Belatucadrus]

Beckham quits as captain Pity it took him so long, he hasn't played well enough to warrant selection, let alone being Captain for two or three years now.

PS could somebody explain the Theo Walcott thing. I'm no great footie fan, but I'd love to understand why Mr Mega Bucks Erickson selected an unseen untried player he clearly had no faith in for a squad with a shortage of strikers, most of which were crocked at least in part. I'm hoping that if I ever see the logic, I too can justify a salary package like his.

[Thos]

Beckham quits as captain Pity it took him so long, he hasn't played well enough to warrant selection, let alone being Captain for two or three years now.

PS could somebody explain the Theo Walcott thing. I'm no great footie fan, but I'd love to understand why Mr Mega Bucks Erickson selected an unseen untried player he clearly had no faith in for a squad with a shortage of strikers, most of which were crocked at least in part. I'm hoping that if I ever see the logic, I too can justify a salary package like his.

I personally think Beckham was playing well enough up to the last couple of games to justify his inclusion in the starting X1, but Sven ought to have have the guts and authority to take him off as he tired and became a passenger.

Regarding Walcott, his inclusion in the squad and his non-use was sheer lunacy. I suspect his sessions in training were not very inspiring.

Thos.

[andsome]

The problem is that his wife's knickers were probably too tight on him.

And Beckham hasn't escaped lightly either. His various supposed failings, from wearing a sarong to allegedly wearing his wife's knickers, have marked him out for some of the most vile and vicious abuse from the terraces.

From here.

[Tankus]

good luck to the kid .... 4 weeks off paid holiday too do nothing ,,,, dunno what hes like as a footballer ... but hes a bloody good salesman

[andsome]

His four weeks pay is more than many get in a lifetime of real work. There, I have said the dreaded four letter word.

[Besty]

He's worked for it at least he's working for a living unlike alot of the people out there

[artist]

Oh dear. It's a 'let's knock the Beckhams' time again..........

There are far worse people!

[andsome]

He's worked for it at least he's working for a living unlike alot of the people out there

It's hardly work is it? The pay is totally obscene. If people are prepared to pay the excessive prices to watch football, then he or anyone else cannot be blamed for taking full advantage, and milking the system for all that they can get. I just wish that they would try harder to do what they are being paid to do, that is entertain, and not act like Prima Donnas so much. What matches I have seen have been marred by dirty cynical hacking, pushing and shoving, and on the other hand by diving and pleading for the opposing player to be sent off. Hardly a spectacle worth paying such a high price for. Football has reached the depths.

[rong]

Dose this mean the more you earn the less work you do. Also that means he can't have done the charitable things I herd about. (not saying they don't get to much)

[AlanHo]

.......I thought Ronaldo's actions in clearly trying to influence the ref was typically disgraceful.........

Thos.

Just a word in mitigation for Ronaldo.

He has spent his formative years in a team (Manchester United) which is infamous for abusing and intimidating referees. How many times have we seen photos in the newspapers and on TV of Roy Kean bellowing at a ref nose to nose with his team gathered in baying support. Ronaldo is used to being a member of this pack of cheats whose previous captain - albeit a superb footballer - was a bully and whose manager who was just as bad, if not worse.

Young Ronaldo has been well trained by such peers and we now try to blame him for doing "what comes naturally".

[Thos]

Just a word in mitigation for Ronaldo.

He has spent his formative years in a team (Manchester United) which is infamous for abusing and intimidating referees. How many times have we seen photos in the newspapers and on TV of Roy Kean bellowing at a ref nose to nose with his team gathered in baying support. Ronaldo is used to being a member of this pack of cheats whose previous captain - albeit a superb footballer - was a bully and whose manager who was just as bad, if not worse.

And that's "mitigation"?

Thos.

[andsome]

We too give to charities out of our pension, probably a higher proportion of our total income than many of these so called celebrities.

[gordythegouge]

News Flash from North of the Border!!!!

SEPA have issued a flood warning to all areas of Scotland! Seemingly, the whole Nation p****d themselves laughing after the England result with dire consequences!!!

Seriously, they never(The Team), at any stage, gave the impression that they had enough going for them as a team, to go all the way!! I mean 4-5-1.........it made Sir Alf's team selections seem positively adventurous!!! Until they start to play football the same way that their club sides do then I'm afraid it's going to be underachievement all round!!!

Soreeeee!

(I'm not really!)

[andsome]

What I cannot understand about the modern game is this. Corner kicks are alway considered by the defending team as potentially dangerous, and by the attacking team as something to aim for, i.e. by making a defender if possible knock the ball over his own line. Why then, is it that the first thing attackers do in most cases as soon as they get the ball is to make toward the centre of the field, and then push the ball high through the centre? In most cases the attacker for whom the pass is aimed either has his back to the goal when he receives the pass, or is running toward the goal looking over his shoulder to see where the ball is, or is ruled offside. What on earth happened to all the brilliant wing play of past years? If a winger sends the ball across from near to the corner flag, attackers cannot be offside, and the ball will be hit a lot harder by an attacker running toward it than from an attacker running away from it.

Maybe I have missed something, but from the matches that I have seen, there has invariably been more of a threat to the defending team on the rare occasions that the ball has arrived in the centre from the wings.