So......who's gonna win The World Cup?

[AndrewJB]

our players are truly over paid, lazy and over hyped by themselves, the press and their clubs

Couldn't agree more, should of put some lower premiership and championship players on the field

[berg]

You can debate England all day long, but to a certain extent it just comes down to not taking your chances.

Rooney finishes against Italy - 2-2

Rooney finishes either the header or the point blank save against Uruguay and we either win or draw that game.

I do think Gerrard should hang his boots up for England and need to usher in a new era

[gtipirelli]

Don't fully agree with that because lowly costa rica took their chances as well as kept goals out and they are not supposed superstar premier players

[rdfcpete]

This WC is pretty simple to decipher.

Andy (berg) has hit on it already in some ways, our 'best' player didn't finish a host of chances (Tooney) he had and should've had more than one goal all tournament, possibly three or four were slightly guilt edged.

Defensively, particularly for the Balotelli goal and the second Suarez goal, we were naive and gave both players too much space.
I'd have still included John Terry in the squad if I was Woy Hodgson as him and Cahill were the two best centre backs in the Premiership last season IMO, and Terry offers England leadership that I don't think comes from anywhere else in that current squad. I simply don't think Stevey G being captain offered what it should've, perhaps a weight on his mind that lead to his poor performances in both games after a great Prem season.

We played alright in the two games so far if we were competently honest, we've probably played with less confidence in previous WC's and still made it out of the group, ironically

...but, one things for sure - Costa Rica and the other South Am sides particularly have played far better football this tournament and no-one can deny that. We've been nowhere near as positive in wave after wave of attack or have we played with half the passion they have, so we can have no complaints.

Italy might go through but they didn't look much better than us. Now Uruquay have Suarez back, that might get them to the quarters/semi's if they're lucky.
Anyone who said we'd be lucky to make it out of the group was right because we had to step it up a couple of notches to progress in 1st or 2nd place, and we didn't - therefore we've already booked our flight home 

[gtipirelli]

Pete

I think you have hit the nail in your comment that our players have failed to step it up a couple of notches as usual. Too many of them drift through games for England which is plainly obvious when you see other lower sides fighting for every ball for 90 mins

Missing a few chances is bit of a smokescreen as every side misses them we just do not create enough because of above

It is hugely frustrating watching England these days, thank god my team city are winning stuff these days. It lessens the pain of watching England 

[berg]

I think there is more to it than the missing of chances, just trying to emphasise in a world cup you dont get many so have to put them away.

for example, if that was the premiership and liverpool were england and Italy and Uruguay City and United, you would say "rubbish have just lost two massive games aginst big rivals but hey ho,  the next six games look all winnable" but in the WC lose two and you are out.

I would have played Terry and Cole instead of Jagielka and Baines and Rooney always down the middle. As usual though a lot of the lesser teams look more more technically gifted then us - Chile, Colombia etc.

On another note good to see Iran almost beatring Argentina and Ghans nearly beating the Germans.

Only France and Holland of the European teams have played really well so far in both games

[jomatuom]

Germany vs Brazil in finals, and Germany will win.

[AndrewJB]

Daffy Duck has been biting again

[Viking]

He needs a season ban IMO. Dirty git.

On a brighter note, England managed a point.

[pitsirikas]

 



 

[MC71]

 

[kyzersoze]

France to win it!!!

[sub39h]

I think some of the "underdogs" have performed brilliantly. So many of the games have been right down to the wire, and required extra time or penalties. On a different day, Chile, Nigeria, Algeria, Switzerland, USA could have all gone through and deservedly so.

In a way I'm glad that England didn't get through the group. They can blame other results not going their way. If they'd have played any of the above in the knock out stages we would have been thoroughly embarrassed. I wish England had played with half as much desire as the USA did last night.

[MC71]

^^^^ Spot on.

The Belgium v USA game was the best game of football I've seen in ages. The passion and determination the US of A showed was immense and puts out over paid twats to shame. 

[gtipirelli]

you two are both spot on. our players ought to feel ashamed of themselves though I doubt it. I hope our press start to see them for what they are