Harbottle

Listened to the game on the wireless and saw the highlights, I don't think we can have any complaints at all we were under the cosh for most of the game. No idea what Shearer was watching hearing his comments on the box! Usual story since the two Sven's have been in charge get a lucky goal and then try to hang on for the rest of the game. To be honest if they struggle to qualify what hope would they have against the likes of Italy and Germany in the finals anyway. Alas we have a very over rated bunch of players led by an idiot.

Harleybloke

One World Cup win when we were hosts.

One semi final.

Nothing in European Championships.

Compare that with Italy, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, France even..............!

Who are we kidding?

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

orpheum

I know that i am going to get slaughtered for saying this but when Sven was in charge not only did we qualify both times but not a qualifying game was ever lost..

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

Harleybloke

Can't do it Orphs............. Can't do it! A sitting Duck is no fun.........

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

orpheum

OK what would you rather happen.No England qualification or England qualify and get to the 1/4 finals.Do you really mean that you are going to watch the Scots particpate whilst the country which produces argueably the best league sits on its backside all summer.

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

Edward G

We may have no choice!
Who would begrudge the Scots their chance to shine in the sun, just because all the other home nations may have blown their chances ? Their supporters are passionate and deserve something to cheer about at last. Eriksson's record isn't as bad as many perceive, as long as you are happy getting to the finals and then play a conservative style of play. The defeat to Brazil in 2002 (after a decent run) summed up his ultimate lack of conviction. Frustrating. The UK's premier league is indeed one of the best (who cares which is the undisputed best, as long as it thrills) but a competitive league does not automatically translate into national success. It just doesn't work like that or Greece would not have won the European Championship! Don't forget that last year 3 premiership teams reached the last 4 of the Champions League - which was then won by an Italian team! Now England may fail to qualify for the European Championships. We all look for a single reason for failure but there are probably many....the number of foreign players, our style of play, management failures at national level, an overdemanding media and supporters etc.

I'm as mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!

Moor Larkin

To be honest, the former. Both the last World Cup and the last Euro's were excrutiating.

Apart from the Ally McLeod era, I've always supported Scotland, Wales, Eire and Northern Ireland. Next fave is Italy.

So long as they do it by buying all the best non-British players I couldn't really care less. A league run by big business for big business is of no emotional appeal to me................. mind you, I do like it when 'our' teams win the European games............

England were clearly very brittle, all through the games since the unexpected win against Israel. It was sadly only a matter of time.

Harleybloke

I'd rather we sort out why we can't compete on a World stage. If the Germans and Italians can have multiple wins why can't we?

It's pointless getting there to fail....................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

batman

Year after year our players are hyped beyond their actual talent (especially in the SKY TV era) and, because the Premiership is so good most of the time, they expect qualification to be a God given right. Sven's record was a good one and he deserves credit for taking over-rated teams to the the quarter-finals of major competitions.

Scotland's 'success' during this qualifying campaign is IMHO down to two things. The financial problems in Scottish football and the subsequent necessary 'blooding' of young players in the SPL to replace over-rated overseas imports. Alec McLeish has been able to pick good, young players and blend them with some old heads into an OK team. McLaren, on the other hand, has relied on the small pool of 'stars' at his disposal, with whom he has been unable to create a 'team'. When forced to play 'fringe' players a few weeks ago he stumbled on to a winning team. However, I doubt, even if he wasn't forced to change it, if he would have kept that team together for the game last night because the 'stars' were available again.

It's been like it since the 70s. A handful of 'stars' get picked time after time to the detriment of players in form. Why was Lescott played at left back last night when Shorey (a left back) was available. How must he feel? 'The manager would prefer to play someone out of position rather than me'. That's not good management. If he didn't trust Shorey why not Neville? Lescott went walkies so Rooney had to cover and gave away a penalty. I am not a great fan of either Neville but Phil would surely have been a better option than Lescott.

As McLaren walked away last night the camera lingered on the face of the only person who looked seriously f-----d off by the result .... Terry Venables.

The sooner McLaren goes the better.

Bats.

Harleybloke

If I recall wasn't El Tel one of the better performers as 'Boss'.

Then some dodgy business venture or something..............? The FA would know all about such things...............

Give him another go.......................

.....You couldn't hear it, if they were shooting at me with howitzers!

smiffy

Yes and look what's happening at man city,as a mancunian from the red side of the city I find It quite disturbing . The last Time City were not only uniteds equals but probably better than them ,was the 70's .
My goodness Orpheum , can you imagine sharing top billing with Spurs ?
Give the job back to Sven

I May be getting older ,but I refuse to grow up

orpheum

sniffy you seem on the same wavelength.England may not have been great to watch but they qualified.Now they are even worse to watch and will not qualify.QED.

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

David Brent

A telling comment from Russian coach Guus Hiddink. (Who was once touted for the England job). He was quoted as saying -
"I had the feeling at half-time if we could keep the pressure on and get an equaliser it would not be easy for England. With one goal they would start worrying. England thought at half-time that they were leading so even a draw would be a good result. But you must finish the job before you get what you want".

Compare that to McLaren's lame ramblings.

Although it doesn't change the result, what on earth were the FA thinking in accepting that such an important qualifier would be played on a Russian plastic pitch?
Why were the Russians allowed to heavily water the pitch AFTER the England players had had their pre-match kick about?

Those in charge of the FA are as much to blame for this poor England team as McLaren. Let's just sack the lot of them and start again with people who actually know something about the game.

Dave.

orpheum

Does anyone feel that BIG Phil would have made a better fist of it.If so dont we think that the English media have a great deal of responsability for this in the way they hound not only English managers but potential English managers.Who in his right mind would want to take the job.

Welcome To Highbury The Home Of Football

batman

Big Phil would have done a much better job than McLaren that's for sure. The guy has experience that not many managers can better. He is also passionate about his teams, another thing McLaren seems to lack.

I had a thought that may not go down well, how about Klinsmann ... he did well with a mediocre German team so perhaps he could do the same for our mediocre team, but then I remembered ... Berti Vogts in Scotland!

It's going to be very difficult to get a TOP world manager to take the job because of the intense media scrutiny. I would love to see Mourinho in the job 'cos he's good at handling the press and he IS a TOP manager.

Bats.