Euro Qualifiers October 7-11

[Super_horns]

Rooney hasn't performed well in a major tournament since 2004 so maybe the ban will do him good..

Mind you some of the other players were shown up as well tonight.

Still I guess the press will expect us to win next year!

[Maquisard]

Surreal moments in the taxi back through Lisbon tonight - all I could understand was the names (go on Gylfi my son)... the run of play really didn't come across (luckily )

[FiNeRaIn]

Parker and barry were Englands centre midfield tonight and probably for the forseeable future. Neither of those would be an EIGHT or NINTH choice for spain in the centre of the park. Says it all, also...zamora on the bench instead of sturride

[Elmer Park]

One thing about Rooney's sending off I don't understand - how come his punishment is "set to be decided by UEFA"? Seems a little strange that the disciplinary "sentences" aren't announced before the qualifying games start

I assume there are no set punishments because then UEFA can give a lesser punishment to a player of a major nation and a bigger one to one from a smaller nation.

Although I am being flippant there not having set punishments leaves UEFA open to this kind of suspicion in my opinion. As far as I am concerned I cannot see why there shouldn't be the same rules as govern domestic Club football with three match bans for red cards for violent conduct.

I also agree about the call for an English Manager. I know it won't happen but I would appoint one in time for the Finals even if he only took over full time at the end of the season, It seems to be difficult for anyone to get current England players to show much hunger for playing International Football but someone needs to try to create an atmosphere where players want to play. I have thought for a while that there are characters in the current side who may be the best players in their positions but who need to be left out of the squad for the sake of engendering some sort of team spirit.

[PEARCEY]

O'Neill would have been a good call although you are then stretching it to a British manager. However he does understand the mentality of England players. I think its more than that. It goes right back to grass-roots with the kids. I watch my lad play for his under 9's club and there is precious little interest in seeing the ball passed to feet. If a lad can hoof it up field all well and good. If thats happening up and down the land its little wonder the national team can't hold a light to the Spaniards.

[FiNeRaIn]

Hell of a shout on Martin o'neill tbh, managed a club I don't have much time for and did a great job of it. As well as great things at leicester. He would have been a superb appointment and i'll never know why the idiots looked past him. Our game unfortunately is run by incompetent idiots. Prime example, bernstein claiming that Capello's contract won't be renewed even if England win the Euro's. Why in GODS name would you come out and say this? Why?
Why not answer " we'll address all that after the euro's have taken place" and at least concentrate on that rather than contracts. But no, some loud mouth cretin once again takes the focus away from on the pitch. The FA should be a democracy with candidates voted in, its about time we sorted this out as we keep getting businessmen and not footballing men in charge. Its really frustrating, this and all that nonsense and carry on with the bribes and world cup bid. They are an utter shambles as are FIFA. Either mourinho or martin o'neill please.

[catfork]

bollocks - most english/british managers would just permeate the typical behaviour that has meant the national team has been sh*t for 40+ years. Ferguson would sort them out - but at best would probably lose in the finals

[Jackson Corner]

Am I the only one who thinks Rooney not playing is a good thing? He has never fullfilled the promise Euro 2004. Most of his goals since have been against tin pot nations in Qaulifying. He has failed to deliver in finals. And has once again shown tonight he is a liabilaty with his temper.

[Schards#2]

Am I the only one who thinks Rooney not playing is a good thing? He has never fullfilled the promise Euro 2004. Most of his goals since have been against tin pot nations in Qaulifying. He has failed to deliver in finals. And has once again shown tonight he is a liabilaty with his temper.

If Rooney plays to the best of his ability, England have an outside chance, If the team without him plays to the best of its ablity, it still has no chance.

That said, if it's a three match ban, I wouldn't take him as its likely he won't kick a ball at the tournament. If we aren't taking him, there's no point in selecting him again until after the tournament finishes so that chould be his last England game until next season.

[sandman]

Well, again I was left with a feeling that England is a team of unmotivated, lazy, overpaid 50%'ers, they never put more than half of their max effort into it.

Also, FFS hire an English manager.

They have qualified though albeit from a poor group..but they really need to up it in time for next summer.
Agree about the English manager bit.

I think the problem is the people at the top are thoroughly incompetent.

English players have a certain way of being, which is to say, a bit different from for example German players, or Scandinavian players.
And definately different from the italian mammas boys.
I don't think an Italian is the man to get the best out of them.
His English isn't all that impressive either.
When you are instructing footballers, there are certain things that are different in English, from the European languages, with regards to the technical terms for the instructions of tactics, even though the word is correctly translated it has a different meaning for the tactical instructions.
So there's room for error there.

Obviously, to get the best out of the English players you need a manager who can scream and shout the "hairdryer" like Ferguson and Warnock can, and at the same time is tactically educated enough for international football. The screaming and shouting bit is important, because the English players are lazy bastards..
I don't think there are so many out there. For example Coppell, he is not one for screaming and shouting although he clearly knows his tactics.
Warnock is good at screaming and shouting, but his idea of tactics is "break his legs" and "we need to sign another striker".

It might be a good idea to not only look at the premier league sides, there could be decent managers in the championship as well.

I think they made a big mistake when they overlooked Martin O'Neill (yes, I know he's northern irish), he's that sort of guy that can motivate players by "passionate half time talks", as well as having tactical knowhow.

You don't need passionate (Capello isn't exactly a shrinking violet) half time talkers you need players with skill. Do you think Del Bosque rants and raves at his players? Passion only gets you so far which is something that the people of this country continually fail to understand. Btw you don't have to be a cunning linguist to speak to John Terry or Wayne Rooney I don't know if you've noticed this but they're not particularly intelligent people and football is a pretty international language anyway.

[rhroyal]

Beckham was villified for being sent off for England. For whatever reason Rooney doesn't get the same treatment.

Rooney wasn't exactly showered in praise after being sent off against Portugal in 2004.

I guess the difference between tonight and Beckham in '98 (and Rooney in '04 for that matter) is that England are still in the tournament after tonight's result. With the aforementioned other two, England were knocked out of the tournament after both.

Agree with your second point but Rooney got away lightly after being sent off against Portugal in 2006 compared with what Beckham had to put up with.

We had Ronaldo to scapegoat.

[Mr Angry]

FA have confirmed that Cappello will be gone after the Euro's even if England win it (LOL); can't see the players really giving a monkey's when they know the manager is a deadman walking, and we saw it last night.

If I were Cappello, I'd just dump the older players - including Rooney - for the tournament; may as well have a go with youth then with old has beens who think they are bigger than the National team.

[cmonurz]

Stuart Pearce will be the next England manager.

[TBM]

Stuart Pearce will be the next England manager.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15099293.stm

[cmonurz]

Stuart Pearce will be the next England manager.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/15099293.stm

We'll see. He's the only one I'd confidently put money on at the moment. If pushed Coppell as a second choice. Curbishley's long-term absence from the game will count against him, Redknapp and Allardyce have too much baggage and I think both are over-rated. O'Neill isn't English.

Pardew might be in the mix come next summer.

[Tredder]

Warnock is good at screaming and shouting, but his idea of tactics is "break his legs" and "we need to sign another striker".

I wish he fricking would.

[Man Friday]

Am I the only one who thinks Rooney not playing is a good thing? He has never fullfilled the promise Euro 2004. Most of his goals since have been against tin pot nations in Qaulifying. He has failed to deliver in finals. And has once again shown tonight he is a liabilaty with his temper.

Agree 100%. Most overrated player ever. Would be a blessing if he had to miss the whole tournamant so we wouldn't try to rely on him only for him to let us down (by either not being as good as hoped, by being sent off or by being injured and unavailable).
World class? You're having a larf. We haven't had a world class player (i.e. someone who would get into a World XI, or even World squad) since Bobby Charlton. (Keegan for a Europe XI)

[cmonurz]

World class? You're having a larf. We haven't had a world class player (i.e. someone who would get into a World XI, or even World squad) since Bobby Charlton. (Keegan for a Europe XI)

Having to be one of the best two players in your position in the world is far to narrow a definition of world class. I would for example, thinking about Spain's plethora of midfielders, call Xabi Alonso world-class.

[Simon's Church]

By that definition you'd probably struggle to find a world class player in the premiership

[sandman]

What a difference between the Czech player who was sent off against Spain last night and Rooney. Terrible tackle that could've broken Xabi Alonso's leg, he didn't argue with the Ref and just wanted to make sure Alonso was ok.