Tickets to South Africa booked?

[Keith]

England have played very well tonight... World Cup here we come!

[matty]

Another year of over expectations - can't wait!!

[Keith]

Another year of over expectations - can't wait!!

Huge expectations from a small country, arguably punching above it's weight, where any failure leads to wailing and gnashing of teeth and a successful manager is a messiah but at the first sign of faltering some people want his head on a plate... I'm glad nothing like that would happen at club level

4-0!

[George Dawes]

seen it all to often before going into tournaments with impressive qualifying records etc . and then news paper writers giving it where going all the way to world cup glory


this team and the way it plays is not all that different to the previous two managers, and Sven's record getting us to tournaments was spot on

[Harry]

The way the team plays is a lot different than under the previous 2 managers - rather than pandering to egos and letting the players express themselves and enjoy themselves, tactics and results are clearly the main point for Capello. See the contrast in results against Croatia for a start! Badly faltered under McClaren but under Capello we made it look easy. Certainly not to go OTT but depending on the permutations of the draw and if we keep playing free-flowing passing football we have a good chance of the semi finals.

[SPARK]

The difference is they play 4-4-2

No diamonds or 3 at the back.

The players know how to play the system and they are played where they can play i.e. where they play for their club.

[morecambe mick]

The difference is they play 4-4-2

No diamonds or 3 at the back.

The players know how to play the system and they are played where they can play i.e. where they play for their club.

One point, Gerrard - left wing for Liverpool?

[George Dawes]

The way the team plays is a lot different than under the previous 2 managers - rather than pandering to egos and letting the players express themselves and enjoy themselves, tactics and results are clearly the main point for Capello. See the contrast in results against Croatia for a start! Badly faltered under McClaren but under Capello we made it look easy. Certainly not to go OTT but depending on the permutations of the draw and if we keep playing free-flowing passing football we have a good chance of the semi finals.

hmmm did Sven not get us results and play a 4-4-2 and basically picked the same players as Capello?


McLaren's biggest fuck up was playing 4-4-2 in two friendly's the week before that notorious Euro qualifier he thought, oh i know ill experiment in a 3-5-2 in the defeat against Croatia then basically cracked under media pressure and lost his composure and respect off the players

[durhamshrimp]

Its only the papers that hype up the team.

The difference this time though is that the manager is in charge and not the players.

[Abbo]

Hmm sounds a bit familiar to another manager ???????????????????????

[eggchaser]

Before the Croatia match Slaven Bilic said that under Mr. Capello England have lost their 'Englishness' and judging by last nights performance Thats utter Bull! everything about that performance oozed Englishness when we were 5-1 up in minute 90 we were still pressing croatia chasing down every ball a few years ago we may have lost that game after going ahead but Capello has drilled hard work into the team and will stand for nothing less than 120% from every player , also his team selections have been pretty spot on at the moment he's picking on form and aaron lennon proves perfectly how Big names aren't first on the team sheet, he was man of the match last night and rightly so, Upson and Green were both solid aswell, Green was unlucky with Croatia's goal as he made two world class saves before the ball got tapped in by Eduardo Diver Silva.

all in all a very good performance and were off to south africa, Under Capello I believe we have what it takes to go all the way in 2010

[shrimper]

Misplaced optimism, over-hyped, always fall at the quarter final stage.

Etc

Brazil and Spain are the two best sides.

Then we're (give or take) as good as anyone else in the next clutch of teams like Italy, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Russia maybe, Ivory Coast perhaps, Argentina (if they qualify which is far from certain), France.

The best side doesn't always win.

People say we've overplayed our chances in previous tournaments only to see us fail when the going got tough.

BUT

We have had a lot of hard luck.

Some has been of our own making with sendings off, bad substitutions etc. But in other cases we've had some poor decisions go against us.

In others (Euro 1996 and 2004) and Italia 90, we've got to the latter stages and then been the better side over 120 minutes only to lose on penalties.

Had that not been the case we'd have won (IMO) at least two of those tournaments.

I think we'd have beaten both a very weakened Argentina (90) and an average Czech Republic (96).
We were also well capable of winning in Portugal had we not had an arguable decision against us and a dodgy penalty spot against the hosts.

Okay, we DIDN'T win any of those and people who mock us for getting excited every time will always use that as evidence.

But our optimism was not misplaced in any of those tournaments. We didn't win them - but we WERE capable of doing so and could well have done.

So I still maintain we have a good chance of winning this one as well.

So have half a dozen or so other teams, of course.

But, whether or not we do have a successful South Africa, no-one should be embarrassed about getting excited and thinking we have a chance.

[P/T Indie]

We will rech the Semi finals everyone will get over excited and then when we play a top team we will be found out.

a Brazil or Spain will have a field day down our right hand side and until we find a natural world class goal scorer to play with Rooney we wont be the finished article.

[eggchaser]

I had to laugh last night when the commentator was talking about the world cup and how it was a winter world cup and he said
"It's usually cold and wet, do you think we have a chance?"

[shrimper]

We will rech the Semi finals everyone will get over excited and then when we play a top team we will be found out.

a Brazil or Spain will have a field day down our right hand side and until we find a natural world class goal scorer to play with Rooney we wont be the finished article.

Brazil and Spain are the best, agreed on that and I wouldn't argue with anyone who said those two teams had a better chance than us.

Johnson leaves gaps when he bombs forward but if he needs to defend he can and he will need to against some better teams.

In any case, even if teams do attack us, we're more than capable of causing them problems as well and we have goal threats all over the park.

There aren't many sides with two world class consistent international strikers in their line-up. Rooney's as good as anyone out there and Heskey does what he does very well, creating space for some of the most consistent midfield scorers in world football.

The best team does not always win and we have at least as much chance as any other team outside of Brazil and Spain IMO.

[Sam]

Brazil and Spain are the two best sides.

Then we're (give or take) as good as anyone else in the next clutch of teams like Italy, Holland, Germany, Portugal, Russia maybe, Ivory Coast perhaps, Argentina (if they qualify which is far from certain), France.

Ghana are the major dark horses to reach the last four IMO.

Spain to lose in the final to us!After we play brilliantly but steal it 1-0 with a very controversial penalty!

[ezz]

It's funny but i'd feel confident of winning a penalty shootout this time, Green can save em and lampard, gerrard, Barry, rooney are all excellent penalty takers.

[Plain Peter]

I think me and Doris will find some South East Asian backwater for 3 weeks.

[RedRedWine1]

I think people are going over the top with the Glen Johnson issue. He is just as good at defending as Ashley Cole is on the other flank. The only difference being that over the last two games Cole has enjoyed the luxury of Steven Gerrard playing in front of him. Johnson has had either SWP or Aaron Lennon to contend with. Neither is especially good at any of the defensive duties, particularly tracking back. Both full-backs are best suited to how Cappello puts the side out.

Lennon needs to keep up the performances that he put in last night. He more than merits his selection in the side on that showing, but a problem associated with him is inconsistency. He can be brilliant or crap, never average. His game seems very confidence driven, you'll be able to tell after a couple of crosses what sort of game he is likely to have. Playing as he did last night overcompensates for the imbalance he brings to the side. With Beckham waiting in the wings I think Cappello has the personnel to bring on should he wish to tighten up.

[Freez]

Ashley Cole cant track back!!!!

Have you ever seen him play in the flesh on a real pitch?

He might be a thick plonker married to a gorgeous geordie who deserves better but, I'm sorry, he is a canny defender, as Messi will testify.
And he is extremely fit with a great engine.

Get a grip!

[RedRedWine1]

I didn't say anything about Ashley Coles ability, only that he benefits under the current system where with Gerrard playing in front of him on the left. When I say neither is especially...I'm referring to SWP and Lennon.

[Plain Peter]

I think me and Doris will find some South East Asian backwater for 3 weeks.

I don't think England will get past the 2nd Round though, so we'll probably waste a week.
I really wish the National Anthem was replaced.
What with? Not too sure whether Onward Christian Soldiers would fit in.
But it's embarassing to witness players, with the odd exception, either looking at the ground or staring into space.
They should be sweating, biting on the bit, dribbling with raw energy!
And as for the manager..... well he's got an excuse I suppose.

[shrimper]

I think me and Doris will find some South East Asian backwater for 3 weeks.

I don't think England will get past the 2nd Round though, so we'll probably waste a week.
I really wish the National Anthem was replaced.
What with? Not too sure whether Onward Christian Soldiers would fit in.
But it's embarassing to witness players, with the odd exception, either looking at the ground or staring into space.
They should be sweating, biting on the bit, dribbling with raw energy!
And as for the manager..... well he's got an excuse I suppose.

Peter, recently virtually the whole team has been singing every single word of the national anthem, loudly and proudly - I noticed it iin the last few games as it's something I think is the very least we can expect from players representing our country. I suspect it might have been driven by the team captain who has always sung it loudly.

RedRedWine - Johnson, totally agree and have said so in different places this week. Lennon - don't worry about him just now.
I'm a Spurs fan abut I had the fear that he may turn out to be one of these one-trick ponies like Cadermateri or Huckerby who is brilliant for one season then gets sussed out and drops down the divisions.

But he's really developed over the past season or two into a very dangerous and consistenty efficient player. He's proved me dead wrong.

Also his final ball (his only weak spot last season) seems to have improved a lot at the start of this one, obviously the lad has been really working on his game and learning from others.

He can tire towards the end (although he has got a couple of late goals for Spurs) because he goes at it hell for leather from the very start but England have the luxury of SWP or Walcott who could come on after an hour and take over his job of scaring defences to death at the end of games. It's a very exciting prospect.

[Plain Peter]

Peter, recently virtually the whole team has been singing every single word of the national anthem, loudly and proudly - I noticed it iin the last few games as it's something I think is the very least we can expect from players representing our country. I suspect it might have been driven by the team captain who has always sung it loudly.

Yeah, but I'm not on about the womens team.

[eggchaser]

Peter, recently virtually the whole team has been singing every single word of the national anthem, loudly and proudly - I noticed it iin the last few games as it's something I think is the very least we can expect from players representing our country. I suspect it might have been driven by the team captain who has always sung it loudly.

These guys sing their national anthem properly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abUwpGjN ... re=related