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respectable result against Brazil. decent performance all round

Beckham had a solid game. would have loved it if he'd buried that free kick on 29 mins. earned his place for Wednesday. First international goal at the new Wembley on his return would have been great.
Shorey played well. Possibly best of the back four.
Gerrard was very good. still not best use of him though. replace Lampard with a holding midfielder and let Gerrard play the attacking roll?
Owen isn't sharp yet but it's good to have him back.

What did you think?



Roll on Wednesday

that I lost all interest in England friendlies 20 years ago

very sorry for your loss.

lol

if we don't beat Estnia is that it for McClaren?

I would think his job description involves getting us into Euro 08 and it'd be failure to do that which would see him sacked.
Man needs some results fast, no doubt about that.

It's a disgrace.

They should have played Scotland.

It's Eng / Sco games that have lit up that stadium down the years.

There was zero atmosphere last night. There would have been plenty
if Scotland had been playing and the ground would have been rocking.

 Td Th

Scotland are too good these days, we needed an easy fixture.

And both crossbard, brand new they are, remaining at the end of the game.

why do people think nicky shorey played well? he provided 0 attacking threat which is essential for wing backs nowadays. I think he bottled it to be honest and every time he did stretch his legs he wasn't given the ball. He didn't make any big .istakes though.

Surely hargreaves in and lampard out and let gerrard (roy of the rovers) do some rampaging through the middle.

Smith was useless.

Owen did ok i thought, got the ball moved it on and made a few good runs, just a bit of sharpness required.

Gerrard performed his given role perfectly.

Beckham was dangerous as ever with set peices and crosses and spayed the ball around nicely, definately still good enough for this ordinary looking england side.

Kieron dyer didn't do much but fuck me he's still lightning across the ground.

Carragher was brave and solid as ever, ronny made all of them look a bit silly at some point so you can forgive him that.

Personally i objected to McLarens appointment at the time and still think hes crap, what has he ever done in club management to promote his claim for the big job????? McLaren should go whatever, he has no adventure. I think you can compare international football to good scandie type poker players....

Playing loose and taking chances with plenty aggression and attack will mean you will go out early in plenty of tournaments but triumph fabulously in others. I would love Wenger or Fergie for england but i don't a scotsman could do it?

Tut...spoil sport!!

 Td Th

1 )Kieron dyer didn't do much but fuck me he's still lightning across the ground.



2) Personally i objected to McLarens appointment at the time and still think hes crap, what has he ever done in club management to promote his claim for the big job????? McLaren should go whatever, he has no adventure. I think you can compare international football to good scandie type poker players....

3) i don't a scotsman could do it?
[/quote]

I agree with what you say though


1) what has he ever done in football never mind internationals. I just dont see it. How much does he get paid!!

2) What has any English manager done in club football lately? I dont see anyone better. Didn't they try a scandie

3) yer damn right ;D

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Treble as asst Manager at Man Utd
1st season Middlesborough FA cup semis
League Cup winners in 2004 = European football
7th 04/05 = European football
05/06 FA cup semis

not an awful record

so the league cup then...

lol beat me too it.

One league cup  more, indeed any cup more, than any other English manager
since Brian Little's Villa I believe. Maybe Big Sam will do something with Newcastle.
They are few big English sides owned by Englishmen these days. Foreign owners
seem to prefer foreign coaches. I dont see anyone better.

 Td Th

it's not for McLarens lack of trophies I didn't want him in charge, it's for his boring approach to the game.  We looked best last night playing at tempo, which was for around, well probably half of the match.  It's the first time England have played like that for ages and I bet it was against team orders.   England teams tend to be so defensive and down right dull most of the time.  Last night Brazil werre leaving 4 or 5 people up the pitch, we just get back in numbers all the time and get under each others feet.

That said, last night was a good game imo.  Beckham was a real boost to the squad and should never have been excluded.  Right that he gave up the captaincy but he should have remained in the squad.  Lampard should be dropped, didn't do anything to excite and seems to want to shoot all the time, depsite hoofing it of into row Z.  Other than that, good stuff.

Hargreaves replacing Lampard will give our midfield so much more creation down the middle.

Still don't like Carragher at either FB position. If Neville is out a right-back should be brought in. Richards/Johnson/Young.

I hope Owen recaptrues some form as our depth up front is woefully lacking.

lol Baron..they're talking about the England side mate..not Liverpool ;)

no, getting Boro into Europe twice and into the last four of the FA cup twice isn't a bad achievement. if it's trophy winning managers only you are going to be dissappointed because Ferguson, Mourinio, Benitez, et al don't want the job

....and no-one has suggested an alternative

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who does he manage ?

Rangers half way through next season...oh sorry..you said Trophy winning :(

I hear what you are saying Adam but McClaren wasn't even the best of a bad bunch. Big Sam and M'ON were ahead of him there in many people's eyes.

M'ON wasn't going to play by the FA's rules and I'm lost as to why Big Sam didn't get it. Add to that a list of decent foreign managers who could easily do the job and it's no wonder people don't like SMc.

Finally, and most importantly, his results as boss are crap with a talented group of players.

There's no way Allardyce will ever get the England job,the FA are far too scared about his links with dodgy dealings coming back to haunt them.

did you see that 'documentary' though? utter rubbish. not a shred of evidence.
No recordings of Sam at all.
every recorded conversation with his son included him saying 'Don't offer my dad a bribe.'
Harry Rednap was stitched up. All he did was respond to a direct question about a player he'd publically praised in the past and was led into simply saying, "yeah, we'd love him here"
It did show lots of desperate, wheeling & dealing agents, youth team coaches and scouts pulling strokes to make there living but I don't think that suprised anyone. The "Journalist" had decided before filming he would catch a big name manager in the act and named and shamed two peolpe without any evidence at all. at the start of the programme I though to myself "oh no Sam, what have you done?" then sat waiting for the film of him accepting a bung. never came cos it never happened.

rubbish tabloid telly.

I'm an admirer of Big Sam too. His achievements at Bolton are outstanding but I don't think that alone makes him more qualified for the job. I would have been happy with him or McLaren. I don't think Curbishley was anywhere close to those two and I don't think O'Niell (everyones first choice) and Scolari were interested. that's the whole short list.

I would obviously not dispute that McLaren has got off to a rotton start but I'd also say that the knives were out for him before the first ball was kicked. Football fans are so negative. He's an honest hard working bloke and whether or not he goes about it how anyone else would and whether or not he's successful, he's trying his best and deserves a chance to succeed or fail by the terms of his job description. His best might not be good enough but that's for his employers, the FA to decide.

Well my glass is half full and I won't be dragged down into the pessimism. Come On England ;cheerleader;

Mclaren is devoid of any ideas whatsoever.
Yes, the man is a hard-working, honest guy but it's just like Sven is still there.
The F.A. are notorious for mostly choosing diplomats as opposed to the best man for the job.

Qualities required:
Tactical know-how of Alex Ferguson, man-management skills of Kevin Keegan, heart and desire of Stuart Pearce.

Suitable applicants:
None.