Disaster!
So, what next? The 2010 World Cup draw comes out Friday. Steve McClaren will almost certainly resign either today or tomorrow. My choice for the next gaffer is Martin O'Neill. And there should be a wholesale clear out of the England old boys. The Beckham era is well and truly over. Bye bye Lamps. See you, Sol Campbell. We need to rebuild the side around the U21 side that's won the last six qualifying matches.
Your thoughts on a black day for England footie?
posted by gatorbob @ 5:14 PM
15 Comments:
On Five Live, McClaren has already said that he is NOT resigning!!!
Then he'll be fired tout suite. What a berk. At least King Kev had the decency to resign when he lost at Wembley. Has the man no shame?
I'm listening to Five Live now and Alan Green is talking about how he's cold and wet and it's the worst night of his professional life.
Greeny is making the point that the FA will be stepping on a plane tomorrow with whoever is the England manager to fly to South Africa for the WC 2010 draw, so they'll have to sort out the managerial situation in the next few hours. Taxi for Macca?
Alan Green wasn't impressed with Becks. He has never liked Becks. I thought he changed England when he came on
You can't really blame Becks tonight but I do think that it's the end of the road for the lad. They should schedule a final friendly match for the spring that will be his 100th cap and say goodbye to a loyal servant in style. But the 2010 squad can't have Becks in there. It was striking that the commentators tonight were talking about the script being set up for another Becks vs. Greece style wonder strike. That can't be the game plan for the future of England. It's time to move on.
I couldn't agree with you more
Greeny says that he doesn't see Becks earning his 100th cap. I think that's mad. He'll certainly pick up a final cap in a friendly. Let's be honest - England won't play another meaningful match for ten months now. Plenty of time for a Beckham "testimonial" style last match.
I don't agree with these comments about England not having enough quality players, given that Neville, Ferdinand, Terry, A. Cole, Owen and Rooney were all unavailable tonight. Greeny thinks that's an excuse but I don't agree. This is not the time to lick our wounds about the lack of good coaching or training philosophy. I totally disagree with Greeny here. The brutal club football schedule in England means that we're always lacking a handful of crucial players for every crucial match.
When was the last time a British side didn't qualify for a major tournament? I can't remember it.
Here are the player ratings from 365 for tonight's debacle and it doesn't make for pretty reading:
How the England players fared against Croatia...
Scott Carson
Redeemed himself partially with a save that hit him smack in the face but will forever be remembered for the ghastly mistake that handed Croatia an early lead. Alas, Carson hadn't even handled the ball when the Croats scored their second.
Will probably never play for his country again. England's problems don't end with their goalkeepers but they certainly start there.
Rating (out of ten): Four.
Micah Richards
Caught upfield for the Croats second goal having granted Krancjar an unhindered shot on goal six minutes earlier. Rash and raw, he ran around like a headless chicken at times and failed to make a meaningful contribution as a result.
Rating: Five.
Sol Campbell
It may be harsh to single out Campbell but he is the personification of everything that is wrong with English football. Sol is a superb defender and a committed professional but his regular inability to pass a ball accurately over ten yards is as appalling as it is damning.
Rating: Five.
Joleon Lescott
Reasonably solid. The Everton defender was far from being England's worst player although the likelihood remains that he is short of international class. Then again, that's the least of England's worries now.
Rating: Four.
Wayne Bridge
Errors too many to record on a single sheet of A4. An ordinary player who would not stand out in the Championship.
His international retirement would be a welcome fillip from an otherwise dispiriting evening.
Rating: Two.
Gareth Barry
Failed to exert himself, wasted every set-piece he was allowed to take and was replaced at half-time.
Rating: Four
Frank Lampard
The decision to hand Lampard the man-of-the-match award was the only good laugh all evening. Until his penalty conversion it was possible to believe that Lampard was either not on the pitch or unaware that a match was being played.
It is simply unfathomable that such a brilliant player at club level shrinks so radically when on international duty. Combines time and time again with Didier Drogba for Chelski yet seemed unwilling to support Peter Crouch and too many decent flick-ons thus went to waste. Indefensible.
Rating: Three
Steven Gerrard
The best that can be said of Gerrard is that, unlike Lampard, he attempted to exert himself.
Succumbed to the Hollywood role in the second-half, attempting to hit 50-yard eye-of-the-needle passes on an evening when simplicity was essential. Until England realise that possession is nine-tenths of international level they will forever remain second-rate. The contrast with the display of Luka Modric was telling.
Rating: Three
Shaun-Wright Phillips
A ghastly attempt to play Ivica Olic offside backfired spectacularly and then, moments later, spurned a great opportunity to score by taking an unnecessary additional touch. No wonder even his father admitted he shouldn't have played.
Failed to make an impact thereafter and was replaced at half-time. Another player who is bereft of international quality.
Rating: Four
Joe Cole
A typical Cole performance: the odd glimpse of class negated by poor decision-making and a tendency to hit the ground faster than a bomb dropped from Mars.
Rating: Four.
Peter Crouch
The only England player to emerge in credit. Excellent at holding the ball up, while his intelligent flicks-on were wasted on his team-mates. Cracking goal defied barbs that he only scores against minnows, but that will be forgotten tomorrow.
Rating: Eight.
Substitutes:
David Beckham
Cross to Crouch was one of the few moments of class produced by the entire England team. Sadly for Beckham, England's elimination is bound to mean that he will never reach the 100-cap milestone.
Jermain Defoe
Brought on to remind everyone that McClaren had few other options.
Darren Bent
Introduced when it was already too late.
Oh, that is ugly, but surely accurate. I just saw the highlights on FSC. CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN TO ME HOW THE BACK FOUR AND THE FOUR MIDFIELDERS ALLOW THAT LONG RANGE SHOT FOR THE WINNER? We are on our back heels when we need to desperately closing that shot down. Hells bells, in the NHL the defenders throw their effing bodies on the ice to block a slap shot. We parted like the bloody Red Sea and said, "have a go, son". Unbelievable. Bloody unbelievable.
I couldn't agree more!!!
It's official
Steve McClaren is GONE!!
Good riddance!!
You is the next manager to underachieve for England?
Well, as I've indicated, Martin O'Neill is my choice but it appears that Lippi and Capello are at the top of the FA's list now. I understand their reasoning - that in order to win anything, you have to be cynical and Italian, but it says a lot about the sad state of world football.
Any chance of there being civil unrest in Croatia or Russia and England could take their place in the Euros ala Denmark taking Yugoslavia's place and winning Euro '92?
Just trying to get us there!!!
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