England post-mortem

[wendigo100]

Want Germany to win, as my gf is supporting portugal and I'm pissed with them, the Ronaldo is a dirty player.

The Germans were already out when you wrote that. Tell you what though, it's anyone but Portugal for me too.

[The Lone Gunman]

The Germans were already out when you wrote that. Tell you what though, it's anyone but Portugal for me too.

1. Cheating scum.
2. Surrender monkey cheating scum.
3. Cheese eating surrender monkey cheating scum.

I am supporting 2 but I suspect 3.

[snaw]

Stamped in the nuts? Tell me, if someone stamped on your nuts, would you be up and running about like a spring chicken one minute later? It is all play-acting, and you all get sucked in by it.

If the British played the diving-squealing game a bit better perhaps we'd have a better chance of winning these games. In fact, if I were Steve McClaren or Walter Smith, that would be the first addition to my training regime in the new season.

Sorry, you're suggesting that Ronney's foot didn't lash out behind him and connect with Carvalho's groin region - generally where most blokes nuts are located. Riiight. I wanted England to win, but I also have the benefit of being Scottish and not having the blinkers on.

Quite simply England didn't deserve to go through, there isn't a single English player who can hold his head high and say he played his best (Except for Hargreaves, and the possibly the two centre halves). Collectively as a team they were uninspiring, and never really played anything like the football they are capable of, which the management in part have to take some blame for.

IMHO if England are gonna win a tournament they have to take a leaf out of the German/Klinsman book and go out and play proper attacking football, and lose the shackles which seem to stop them performing at this level - that and maybe a few hard management decisions about dropping certain players (Lampard for starters).

[The Lone Gunman]

Snaw, I think your Scottish glasses are colouring what you saw.

Carvalho fell over behind Rooney. Rooney was off balance and put his foot down to gain some purchase. Carvalho's knackers just happened to be where he put his foot.
Rooney never took his eye of the ball. Rooney never stopped trying to win the ball.
I can't see how you can say this was deliberate.

I agree with you that we didn't deserve to win, but neither did Portugal. Nor have a number of other teams that have qualified.

[Phoenix]

Snaw, I think your Scottish glasses are colouring what you saw.

Carvalho fell over behind Rooney. Rooney was off balance and put his foot down to gain some purchase. Carvalho's knackers just happened to be where he put his foot.
Rooney never took his eye of the ball. Rooney never stopped trying to win the ball.
I can't see how you can say this was deliberate.

I agree with you that we didn't deserve to win, but neither did Portugal. Nor have a number of other teams that have qualified.

The FA seem to agree!

"
FA prepare Rooney defence
Copyright Press Association Ltd. Wednesday, 5 July 2006
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Football Association have promised to back Wayne Rooney's case as FIFA make their decision on his ban.

Rooney, sent off for violent conduct in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal, is expected to hear his fate on Thursday.

The Manchester United striker insists he is innocent and the FA will support his argument in a written statement to FIFA's disciplinary committee.

Rooney, 20, is desperate to avoid a lengthy suspension which will rule him out of the beginning of the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign.

New England boss Steve McClaren is already without the injured Michael Owen for the start of the new season and Rooney's absence will be keenly felt.

Rooney and the FA will not issue an apology, however, because they are adamant he did not mean to stand on Portugal centre-half Ricardo Carvalho.

FA director of communications Adrian Bevington said: "Wayne has already made clear publicly he did not have any intention of making contact with Ricardo Carvalho.

"It is also worth noting that we believe there were one or two potential fouls against Wayne during the same move."

The feeling within the England camp is that referee Horacio Elizondo was put under pressure to show the red card by Portugal's players. They believe the Argentinian would not have reached for his red card until Rooney's United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo rushed over to lead the complaints.

The FA will also ask FIFA to take into account the rough treatment Rooney received from several Portugal players in the moments prior to the flashpoint."

[snaw]

Snaw, I think your Scottish glasses are colouring what you saw.

Carvalho fell over behind Rooney. Rooney was off balance and put his foot down to gain some purchase. Carvalho's knackers just happened to be where he put his foot.
Rooney never took his eye of the ball. Rooney never stopped trying to win the ball.
I can't see how you can say this was deliberate.

I agree with you that we didn't deserve to win, but neither did Portugal. Nor have a number of other teams that have qualified.

I strongly suspect it's the reverse. I wanted England to win, no if's or but's, and I was as pissed off (Well almost) as any English fan when he got sent off but at the time I thought it was deliberate and nothing I've seen since has made me change my mind. I don't think he meant to hit him in the nuts as such, but I do think he lashed out behind him, and given his previous I'm surprised anyone even doubts this. It was a straight red card, no matter what happened afterwards.

Agree on Portugal not deserving it, but for my money Englaand have been the biggest disappointments in this tournament, they have such great potential which was nowhere near realised - the only other team on par with underperforming is Brazil and they're getting deservedly slammed at hoome as well for their lacklustre showing.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Two magnificent goals have earned Italy a place in the finals, well done Italy.

The centre of Brussels was taken over by the Italians last night , the Italians being the thrid biggest ethnic group in Belgium after the Flemish and the French, amazing scenes and great to see the pretty Italian girls draped with the Italian flags in the motorcade which completley jammed central Brussels ast night.

For a moment I felt that I was back in Rome again, ah, how I miss Italy.

Life there was a curious love hate affair , rather like falling in love with a prostitute.

[wendigo100]

Snaw, if Carvalho had his bollocks stamped on, which you suggest in horror is what happened, he would be in hospital. He would not be up and about as soon as the red card was shown.

Secondly, if Rooney had intended to stamp on Carvalho, he would have stamped on him properly. Given where Rooney's foot ended up, that would have been on his bollocks.

Therefore, there could have been no intent to stamp on Carvalho's bollocks.

We don't cheat enough.

[The Lone Gunman]

I strongly suspect it's the reverse. I wanted England to win, no if's or but's, and I was as pissed off (Well almost) as any English fan when he got sent off but at the time I thought it was deliberate and nothing I've seen since has made me change my mind. I don't think he meant to hit him in the nuts as such, but I do think he lashed out behind him, and given his previous I'm surprised anyone even doubts this. It was a straight red card, no matter what happened afterwards.

Agree on Portugal not deserving it, but for my money Englaand have been the biggest disappointments in this tournament, they have such great potential which was nowhere near realised - the only other team on par with underperforming is Brazil and they're getting deservedly slammed at hoome as well for their lacklustre showing.

As I said earlier, I may be biased but I have watched that a number of times. I think Rooney is a liability but on this occasion I can't see what he did. He could have gone down and got s free kick himself but he stayed on his feet and kept chasing the ball.
I suspect there was some intent but can't see it. At worst he knew the guy was behind him and put all his weight on that foot, but that foot had to come down somewhere.

You are right about England under performing. Again I am biased but as individuals I see most of them as being in the top 3 in their position in the world, some of them number 1, any manager would gladly have any of them in their team. So why the fook can't they play as a team for England. They just never do it.
I can forgive them having off days but they have only put in 3 maybe 4 good games in the last 10 years. They have been lucky in that they are good enough to progress in most competitions without realy trying but when it comes to needing a bit of flair and commitment they just can't do it.

[AlfredJPruffock]

Aye LG

its not just you who is frustrated with the English soccer players, spare a thought for WAG Cheryl




Cheryl, Ashley Cole's fiance, said: "It really annoys me when people try to call me a footballer's wife.

"Footballers' wives have no careers and live off their husbands' money. You see girls in clubs making a beeline for the footballers and it makes me sick."


Cheryl, 23, spent much of her time at the World Cup in Germany with Victoria Beckham, away from the other wives and girlfriends including Coleen McLoughlin, Elen Rives, Carly Zucker and Lisa Roughead.


She lashed out: "It's like a comedy. Everyone's so flash. It's like, 'Who's got the best watch on, who's got the best bag, which wife is dressed the best, which has got the best hair?'


"I'm like, 'I've got my own career.' I'll sit back and read the mags. I've got my own money, so if my husband's card gets declined I just whip out mine."


She said: "I love Victoria. She's just so witty and down i to earth. She's from a girl band and she's not a typical footballer's wife . She's very ambitious, so we have a lot in common. The first time I went to an England match to watch Ashley was just so embarrassing.


"All the other girls were really glammed up, then I walked in with chipped nail polish and wearing a jumper. I looked terrible.


"But Victoria was so welcoming. She wasn't intimidating or starry at all. We had a right laugh together."


Cheryl thinks it's "quite sweet" when she and Arsenal defender Ashley get called "the new Posh and Becks".


The singer, who is sorting out her wedding arrangements, is determined to pursue her pop career even when she becomes Mrs Cole.


She said: "I was in Girls Aloud before I met Ashley and have my own successful career.


"I'm not going to quit the band and sit around in the sun all day or go shopping with Ashley's plastic.


"If I'm going shopping I'll pay with the money I've worked hard for.


"I would die of embarrassment if I had to resort to taking boyfriend's cards.