England

**tetsujin1979** · 18/06/2004, 8:50 AM

Wasn't impressed by them at all against the Swiss, despite the scoreline. Even with 10 men the Swiss were making inroads into the English half and they were forced to defend for long periods of the game on their 18-yard line.

Wihout Rooney (and that's a distinct possibility now with the booking) England would struggle to beat most teams in the competition, never mind their own group, and I fully expect them to get knocked out against Croatia on Monday.

Apologies to all, this should be in General Football, can the admin please move it?

**gspain** · 18/06/2004, 3:38 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Wasn't impressed by them at all against the Swiss, despite the scoreline. Even with 10 men the Swiss were making inroads into the English half and they were forced to defend for long periods of the game on their 18-yard line.

Wihout Rooney (and that's a distinct possibility now with the booking) England would struggle to beat most teams in the competition, never mind their own group, and I fully expect them to get knocked out against Croatia on Monday.

Apologies to all, this should be in General Football, can the admin please move it?

Didn't see the game in the end due to work commitments - however loathe to comment too much after they beat us home and away in the qualifiers and we go back to Basle in September. Although remember they couldn't win in Albania or Georgia and got stuffed in Moscow.

**liam88** · 18/06/2004, 4:30 PM

Everyone down my St. John Ambulance division was listening to it on the radio; out and about this part of England was quite a nice atmosphere afterwards, singing, cheering etc. No real fights or anything, only ruined by about 6 skinheads in the pub singing a chorus of "No Surrender to the IRA"

Dread to think what it's going to be like if Croatia win on Monday-today and last night I got some dodgy looks for wearing my Ireland and Celtic shirts but I thinkI'll get a beating if Croatia win-though that'll be nothing compared to the flat up the road with the Chezch Republic flag hanging out the window if they go through and En-ger-land don't

I stuck a tri out the window during the England France match-pulled it straight in afterwards

**brendy_�ire** · 24/06/2004, 10:08 PM

England's going home! They're going home, they're going home, they going, England's going home!

Excellent match, best of the tournament so far. Even better than the France-England game.

Rui Costa's goal was incredible, Beckham's miss was hilarious, and Rooney is in hospital. Can life get any better than this?

**Jon'o** · 24/06/2004, 10:10 PM

just got a load of abuse from my mates son over msn messanger and others in the pub... all this no surender BS anyone would have thought we beat them?

oh well good riddance... sure they wont let the door hit their @rses on the way out

**slow2anger** · 24/06/2004, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by davros

Goodbye & good riddance......

especially to the over-hyped cr*p coming from their(& sections of the Irish!

)media & biased pundits who make Grumphy look like a candidate for the next Pontiff!

Hansen, Wright talking the most amount of rubbish tonight. What a overrated team. Done nothing all year except beating Iceland, Japan tore them apart too.

Happy days Dav.........

**Jim Smith** · 24/06/2004, 11:06 PM

Still they enslave your minds... you will never be free of them untill you start to ignore them. I used to spend my time supporting anyone who was playing against them untill I realised that:

1) it was a waste of my time and effort
2) it just gave them ammo to be even more smug and obnoxious

While I do still find their commentators /analysists hard to deal with (including Hansen, McCoist and their ilk who try oh so hard to appear not to be anti English) now, unless they are playing Scotland, I really don't give a rat's ass about England. Try it and see how refreshing it is. An added benefit is that ignoring them annoys them even more than hating them - but as I don't care about them that's not a factor

By the way, if you read the Sun don't give out about its bias. Anyone reading that trash gets all they deserve.

**Metrostars** · 24/06/2004, 11:57 PM

Some comments I picked up during the game by Motson:

"Owen has stolen some of Rooney's thunder thats ok because they're English"

In the 10th minute of injury time: "Vassell has the ball, this would be a great time for him to score" .... really?

**tiktok** · 25/06/2004, 7:46 AM

Started well for them, excellent finish by Owen. Rooney or not, they started defending in the third minute and got exactly what they deserved. Portugal were by far the better team, despite what the pundits say.

England didn't start playing again until after Rui Costa scored. Four really good finishes for the goals IMO. As for the disallowed goal, every time that type of incident occurs in the premiership next season, it will be a free out, so they can stop whining now.

To be fair, the penalty spot was a disgrace, but everyone had to shoot off the same one, portugal deserved to go through (and seeing as I have them in the pool at work, happy days).

GavinZac · 25/06/2004, 7:58 AM

Originally Posted by Jim Smith

Still they enslave your minds... you will never be free of them untill you start to ignore them. I used to spend my time supporting anyone who was playing against them untill I realised that:

1) it was a waste of my time and effort
2) it just gave them ammo to be even more smug and obnoxious

While I do still find their commentators /analysists hard to deal with (including Hansen, McCoist and their ilk who try oh so hard to appear not to be anti English) now, unless they are playing Scotland, I really don't give a rat's ass about England. Try it and see how refreshing it is. An added benefit is that ignoring them annoys them even more than hating them - but as I don't care about them that's not a factor

By the way, if you read the Sun don't give out about its bias. Anyone reading that trash gets all they deserve.

but it was funny

**Countyman** · 25/06/2004, 8:09 AM

Hansen was virtually in tears in the studio. (I'm not kidding)

The better footballing team won. Beckham is a nobody. An invisible man. Delighted that he missed his second peno of the tournament.

Ashley cole had the game of his life and it was a cracking battle between himself and Ronaldo. Mano a Mano for 120mins. Brilliant stuff.

Terry had his arm across the keeper for the disallowed goal. Harsh..maybe but they are given 99% of the time as a free out.

England are nothing only a long ball team and deserve to go out.

1 Neville on the pitch - clean sheet

2 Nevilles on the pitch - conceed 2 and lose on penalties

I rest my case.

**cullenswood** · 25/06/2004, 8:30 AM

They definitely deserved to lose. The English midfield were up to nothing in an attacking sense, Scholes barely touched the ball before he was taken off, didn't even see Phil Neville when he came on, Becks was quiet, Gerrard and Lampard didn't do much either in the 90 mins.

**gspain** · 25/06/2004, 8:34 AM

Better team won but we would have been gutted in similar circumstances.

England defended well - looked comfortable until Postiga scored - had a perfectly good goal disallowed. Outclassed in extra time but dug up an equaliser through sheer guts and courage. Beaten on penalties thanks to the "sand of God".

As for Postiga that took balls but you'd kill him if he missed - imagine Kilbane doing that and missing to sedn us home from a major tournament.

Cracking match - certainly better for the tournament that Portugal stayed in but England were unfortunate.

**tiktok** · 25/06/2004, 8:50 AM

Originally Posted by gspain

"sand of God".

No!

Please God No!

**balls** · 25/06/2004, 10:47 AM

brilliant game to watch last night. beckham the invisible man should have been taken off and dyer brought on for his pace. sven lost the plot with his substitutions. phil neville!! what was wrong with nicky butt. joe cole should have come on for scholes. portugal really are something special,, deco,ronaldo,figo,rui costa,simao are unbelievable attacking talents. hope they play the dutch in the semi.

**Macy** · 25/06/2004, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by balls

phil neville!! what was wrong with nicky butt.

Phil Neville or Nicky Butt, I'd play Phil Neville based on last season.

**drinkfeckarse** · 25/06/2004, 11:23 AM

Butt was ruled out of the tournament 2 weeks ago through injury. He's about as ****e as Phil Neville anyway so it wouldn't have mattered

**liam88** · 25/06/2004, 11:52 AM

Carsleburg
Mastercard

They had it on the big screen up at ma prom the whole place went wild when Cole's went in and then they had to put down a riot when it was ruled out