Were England tulipe or Were England tulipe?

[Zippy]

Do you think anyone would do a "Bob Woolmer" on McClaren?

The police would have 60,000,000 potential suspects!

Oh, and the Pakistan cricket team - allegedly.

[wendigo100]

The police would have 60,000,000 potential suspects!

Oh, and the Pakistan cricket team - allegedly.

No, only 50,000,000 - the jocks, welsh and irish must be loving it!

[freakydancer]

No, only 50,000,000 - the jocks, welsh and irish must be loving it!

The taffs are a rugby nation. Apparently.

They're not very good though.

They think they are though, which is quite amusing.

[wendigo100]

No, England weren't tulipe. Poor up front, but they had two thirds of possession, played most of the game in Israel's half, and made several good chances.

If they had any fit, international-class goal-poachers available, they would have been playing and perhaps they would have taken one of those chances. The result would be one-nil, who's next.

The trouble is that, as usual, the English fans and press over-react to everything. It is absolutely laughable to hear fans and pundits all over the press with their wildly different ideas of how to manage England, who to "pick" in their ideal team, and even what to say just before the game to players whose profession they only have a vague knowledge of.

The truth is that England cannot be managed to success. England is club-centric, clubs play too many games, and now there are too many non-English players at the top clubs. Just like Spain, those other perennial under-achievers.

Having said that, McClaren has lost two of his first eight games - not disastrous - but it's worth remembering that only one other England manager has ever made a start to his tenure as bad as that, and he didn't do too badly in the end.

[AlfredJPruffock]

No, England weren't tulipe. Poor up front, but they had two thirds of possession, played most of the game in Israel's half, and made several good chances.

If they had any fit, international-class goal-poachers available, they would have been playing and perhaps they would have taken one of those chances. The result would be one-nil, who's next.

The trouble is that, as usual, the English fans and press over-react to everything. It is absolutely laughable to hear fans and pundits all over the press with their wildly different ideas of how to manage England, who to "pick" in their ideal team, and even what to say just before the game to players whose profession they only have a vague knowledge of.

The truth is that England cannot be managed to success. England is club-centric, clubs play too many games, and now there are too many non-English players at the top clubs. Just like Spain, those other perennial under-achievers.

Having said that, McClaren has lost two of his first eight games - not disastrous - but it's worth remembering that only one other England manager has ever made a start to his tenure as bad as that, and he didn't do too badly in the end.

As you said yourself, England lack an opportunistic striker - Rooney's track record for England - quite simply - is dire - I think it has been 15 matches since he scored - and I predicted that he would be sent off during the World Cup - and still he has problems with his temper.

McClaren should drop Rooney - he is club rather than an international player.

[wendigo100]

As you said yourself, England lack an opportunistic striker - Rooney's track record for England - quite simply - is dire - I think it has been 15 matches since he scored - and I predicted that he would be sent off during the World Cup - and still he has problems with his temper.

McClaren should drop Rooney - he is club rather than an international player.

Maybe, although I'm never sure whether he is a striker or not.

Anyway, I don't think we English should care as long as those chances get put away. Our best available strikers are at a club in the relegation zone, a reserve at a perennial mid-table club, and Everton. Doesn't auger well, does it.

Congratulations to Scotland by the way, for retaining the Unofficial World Championship.