Harbottle

Nicely summed up Bats, a very depressing evening if only the FA could be as easily dismissed as McClown. I would like to see either Martin O'Neill or Harry Redknapp get the job, either could restore some pride and passion into England games again after the turgid years of the two Sven's

David Brent

What a load of rubbish!

When a result was really needed the players were not up to it. England's defense was a joke. Croatia, who always looked dangerous on attack, could have scored 5 or 6.
Maybe it is a good think that England didn't qualify, as we would have only become a bigger embarrassment in the championships.
If our multi million pound rated players could not qualify in what was a weak grouping, then what hope did we really have at Euro 2008 against the big boys?

Apart from sacking McClaren and his team I think that Barwick and all those others on the FA committee responsible for this debacle should also resign.

Being an England fan is never easy. After 41 years of pain I now seriously doubt that I'll ever seen another world beating England football team in my lifetime.

Dave.

lordtednfs

I just watched CNN and McClaren has said he will not quit.

If I lived back home I for sure would boycott every England match until he resigns. If every fan did that, the FA would have to get rid of him and bring in someone who knows how to manage and get the revenue back.

Vote with your pocket and get him out. What a Bucking Fanker.

________________
Hooked off the line

Moor Larkin

I cannot believe that either. I cannot believe they even made such an award for that matter. So far as I could see the only time Lumpylard touched the ball all night was to take the penalty......... There is obviously some alternative reality that I am not privy to.

I knew how bad we were, when having miraculously clawed our way back into 2-2, the team withdrew for tea and biscuits in their own half. I said to my son, "They're going to still lose this." The words were barely out of my mouth when the Croat tried another 25 yarder and in it flew. I was strangely not even disappointed. I just shook my head.

The 'golden generation' has gone. Bring on the new boys - the ones with hope in their hearts.

Maybe they could make a clean sweep in the BBC chatroom too. I am heartily sick of the P.C. Shearer, the moronic Wrighty and the "I'm only here for the money" Hansen. And as for the ever cheerful presenter...... Eat My Crisps.

Any more targets....... where's Steve Crook's arrows.... gimme a bow.

Steve Crook

Did Adrian Chiles do the commentary on any channel (TV or radio)?
He's half English and half Croatian so I wonder who he'd support?

Steve

francesgumm

Doesnt have to quit, they've just sacked him!

batman

If we can't get O'Neill I too would go for Harry Redknapp. He has proved himself capable of working with both top quality and average quality players and getting the very best out of them, his teams are ususally good to watch too. Third on my list would be Steve Coppell.

Bats.

hankoler

Lets have a seance and resurrect SIR ALF. thats our only hope after this humiliating rubbish.

batman

The Ginger Gooner said that watching the match last night reminded him of the infamous 1-1 draw with Poland in the 70s. I disagreed .... that was a match in which England created lots of chances and should have won. Last night there was (apart from Crouch's goal) no English creativity on show.

Bats.

Harleybloke

So many managers since Sir Alf. Only two, in my mind, Bobby Robson & T.V. first time out, can be called successful.

McLaren had to go. If for no other reason than he shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Football, more than rugby, cricket, tennis, etc is the National game. The FA is awash with money but how many top notch former players are involved. A former top ref like Keith Hackett? People who have been there and done it?

It's comparing apples with oranges but in rugby, England has made 3 World cup finals. They do have former players involved. They do have failures and coaches get fired but since Will Carling made his 'Old Farts quip' things have moved on.

How many times have Italy or Germany failed to make a Euro or World cup tournament?

When the premiership was formed we were promised great things. Club football, at the very top is good but we can't translate that into a white shirt.

Arsene W.? Nah, he doesn't do English players? Sir Alex? No way, Not a Jock..surely? Rafe?Er...no. Top English Manager, Pompey's Harry. Pretty good at his level but not exactly won much..............

Jose for me but would he ever work for the people who kept calling him in for Disicips every time Alex got cross...............

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

batman

Jose could do wonders with our sorry bunch .... but the FA would be wary of him because he knows his job inside out and isn't afraid to ruffle a few feathers.

If a non-Englishman is to be in charge I think they'll go for O'Neill. If it is going to be an Englishman .... there's only Harry Redknapp and Steve Coppell who IMHO could do the job, not just for coaching reasons, but for the respect players appear to have for them and their ability to deal with the press. They would be my top three likely contenders, although Harry's recent spat withthe BBC may count against him.

Although I mentioned Jewell that was a joke, but you never know with the FA .... I also wouldn't be surprised if the man they go for is Alan Curbishley.

Bats.

hankoler

I always think that those who know and have played the sport should run the sport they know the game better than anyone else.Lets have men of quality on the board then we might get the right manager.

dremble wedge

Well, when Robson was appointed in 1982 he failed to get us to the European Championships in 1984 (much as McClaren has just done). He did get us there in 1988 where we lost all three of our matches.

Robson's reputation rests on two good World Cup campaigns in 1986 and 1990. But in '86 we lost our first match to Portugal, drew against Morocco and only really started playing in the last group match against Poland (where Lineker got his hat-trick and Beardsley actually started the match).

In '90 the players came up with the sweeper system and the press and public virtually forced him to pick Paul Gascoigne when he really didn't want to.

The only competitive matches Terry Venables oversaw were in Euro '96. We played poorly against Switzerland, better against Scotland and marvellously against the Dutch. In the next round we were indifferent against Spain (who had two perfectly good goals chalked off) and scraped through on penalties. We played fairly well against Germany in the semi.

Robson had the luxury of time - 8 years in the job and Venables the benefit of playing at home. No manager is going to have the advantages that those two did...

Marky B

Perhaps England's defeat will be a wake up call for the FA. Appoint a decent manager and take a long hard look if we need to have over paid players to represent our national squad,and perhaps seek out talent with more drive and passion for the game,rather than the drive and passion for picking up a thousands and thousands pounds weekly wage.
Ta Ta
Marky B

I am special. The heavens always open for me.

smiffy

Marky B , I don't think the FA will ever hear any kind of a wake up call because they are the last "Old boys club " .
Where else would these people earn the kind of money they are earning outside Football ?
The formation of the Premier league has given us , (the viewers) the type of product we could only have dreamed of when the monopoly was held by the Beeb and ITV .We have attracted the biggest name players from the continent ,we are a force to be reckoned with in Europe , our players earn some of the biggest pay packages in the world, Sky gives us a more complete view of the game ,due to more cameras better technology and more time before and after the game for the pundits and proffessionals to air their views,but at what cost?
I seem to remember some years ago an accusation levelled at the players imported to the county cricket game,and how they knew our game too well and that was the reason we weren't winning tests
We have a great domestic game because we have a wealth of talent from abroad ,we haven't yet learned anything from the world about coaching ( Wenger and Mourinho the obvious exceptions) and attitude to the game at the top level.

The game needs restructuring from the top down ,the FA should be sacked and made to reapply for their jobs (with managers interviewing them ) and the new body should be made to work more closely with Football clubs AND referees .

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