As the ground staff start to get stuck into the mess that the game left on the wembley pitch last night, the FA have finally decided to get stuck into the job of finding a new England manager.

McLaren is sacked, venerables too. Did they have to go? unlike last nights result,that one was never in any doubt.

McLaren took a world class team and turned them into the laughing stock of the world, he made Gerrard (a world class player in his own right) look like a saturday amateur. He dropped a young goalkeeper into a do or die match, then watched the boy crumble.

From back to Front, very few of the players for England came out with any dignity or self respect left. Maybe Egland has found the answer to the left midfield berth in Joe Cole, but who in their right mind would ever want to play Wayne Bridge at left back again?

The only decision that McLaren got right on the night was switching things at half time, he brought on Beckham (who should have been on from the start) Beckham's cross put Crouch in for one of the goals and he brought on two strikers who at least tried to drag England back into it.

Already the papers and rounding on Carson, but in my personal opinion, he would never have been in that position if McLaren had seen sense and played an experienced head in goal, he had one in the form of david James (who has been outstanding this season)

The back four looked amateur at times, but what do you expect when you throw them in at the last minute. without blooding them properly.

Gerrard and Lampard were conspicious by their absence, Joe Cole tried his heart out but was fighting a losing battle. Wright philips did look a threat, but with the rest of the team missing it was an uphill fight. The guy was probably relieved to be subbed at half time.

Crouch could do nothing but knock balls back to their goalkeeper, he had no support from the rest of his team and when he did finally get the service he craved, he finished in style.

All in All, We can blame the manager, we can blame the coach, we can even blame the system, but one thing is certain. While the paparazzi chase Carson and McLaren there will be another 10 players deliberately keeping their heads down until this storm blows over.

Ian wright summed it up beautifully "England were out thought, out played, and out fought"

On the merit's of the whole campaign England don't deserve to head to austria this summer, if they had with another decent manager, i would have put money on them to get to at least the quarters and give the fans something to cheer about.

The Premiership is one of the top leagues in Europe, you would never have known it by last nights performance. Last night the English fan's got a bloody nose thanks to the guys that they idolise, Maybe what those guys should do is dig deep and refund the cost of the tickets to the loyal supporters who had to stand there in the pouring rain and suffer abject humiliation on a night they could have easily have done something better with their time.

As the groundstaff work away today, they will know, come the cup final in May, the pitch will be back at it's level best, the cup final will shine but one thing is for sure, by May the England supporters will still be suffering the heartache of failure to qualify. One things is for certain, The calls should be deafening to the FA to make sure they get the right man this time, regardless of nationality.

And finally once England does get back up and running, and even qualify for World cup 2010, maybe it is time for the England supporters to spare a thought for those teams who missed qualification. because the memory of last night will still be fresh in the mind. if the supoorters don't learn from last night then maybe they should deserve to suffer the same humiliation again.

Qualification isn't a birth right, it isn't about who has the highest team value, it is about eleven guys playing together as a team. hoping for a piece of luck to help them to a common goal.

when all is said and done, England will probably grow from this experience, learning that the taste of victory is that much sweeter after suffering the twisting pains of defeat.

I hope in my heart that England go onto the world cup and at least make it to the final, who knows they may even lift the trophy, but one thing is for sure...there will be players there, that surrendered so easily last night...maybe it is about time they paid the fans back by making sure this never happens again...ever!

I rest my case...

Russia did just enough in Andorra, I don't see any reason to score more than one goal in that match. I did not see any opportunity for Andorra to score even one goal.

I don’t know if this has been said in the prior five pages;

But in my opinion our players lacked passion, only one that had any was crouch and becks when he came on. I said in the morning when it was announced it was going to be a 4-5-1 we going to lose we can’t play a 4-5-1.

Why chance it from a 4-4-2 which worked really well at home, by play bridge at left back why not shorey, why was Green left out of the team when he is clearly the form goalkeeper. why when you play a 4-5-1 with a 6'7 striker would you not play arguably the world’s best crosser of the ball.

Whatever people may say about becks, one thing that no can deny is that once he puts on that England and crosses the white line he is passion personified he plays with his heart on his sleeve. But no let’s change to a formation which has never worked and try and get a dire 0-0.

Also once we got the 2nd why did we sit back, I don’t know how many times I or others will have to say this but we play best when we a attacking, we don’t have the defensive mentality its not our thing. Our culture is to score goals and win.

What a passionless depressing night it was. I mean i thought we would lose but to actually realise it is something else. As others have said Wright was right we were given a massive second chance and blew it.

We need someone in there that knows he sh1t, and won’t be swayed by the media bring in the special one, or coppello.

ARGGGGGGHHHARRRGGGGRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The two teams that should have gone through

Croatia would rightfully have won the group.

England. if they didn't play so poorly...


Every Russian citizen should be thanking Mclaren for all his help is their qualification...

Really strange point...

Morinho.... i think he could take england forward

Capello. he made a right mess at Real Madrid, he didn't rate beckham or want to hold onto him. under capello madrid died a death. Capello may be a good leader tactically but he isn't englands answer.

what about Wenger?

Fergie?

Moyes?

there is a list of decent english managers with clubs that could probably do a better job than Mclaren, what england need most is a manager that knows the talent and can mould tactics around the players..

...hard to believe this is the same guy who was slated in the worst pundit thread!

wenger wont take the england job he doesnt like international football.

Fergie and Moyes are scottish and wont take it.

Okay what about harry redknapp, i'm pretty sure he could do a job, there sam allerdyce he done well with Bolton and is starting to do well with Newcastle

Just an interesting Point....

Even if the FA appointed Coco the clown, he would probably still manage to do a better job than McLaren.

Then we should thank the FA. =))
Thank, FA!

Capello made a mess? He won the league didn't he? He realised that players like becks are getting on a bit and it's time for them to go... I can't see how Madrid "died a death", sorry...

Mourinho will say no, just like before. It's needs the FA to not mess it up like before and just beg him.
Keep at him, offer him a blank cheque, do anything possible. No interview - just - jobs yours mate.
It would be a massive opportunity for Jose as his family is no doubt settled over here.

It would give him a chance to be the special one again (and take that title off Slaven Bilic)
Save the future of England football.

Of course, there is the dilemma of whether the best manager in the world would take such a [beep!] job!

Did you go to this match Steely?

I was watching SSN last night and I seen some fella lurking in the back of the camera as this man was being interviewed outside the stadium... I immediately thought "F*ck he's the spit of Steely!"...

Coink-a-dink?

The second goal of England is beautiful, the Beckham's cross and what Crouch did.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=hJjqhh2CfCI

You might not want to see the highlights, but look at that second goal for Croatia.

Crouch heads it and Niko Kovac hooks the loose ball clear.

Eduardo knocks it to Olic, then back to Ed, who runs, waiting for the run and slots it through like a dream.
Round Carson without breaking stride....just QUALITY!

Crouch had a good one, but they're all like that for him.

Are you 100% english rrronaldinho?

If so why do you have such a hard on for Croatia?
it wasn't a quality goal,it was a good goal that would never have been scored against a decent back four

Probably because they play football.

You can't be 100% english then

Well Rrrronaldinho is english,(I'm croatian),he probably likes the way Croatians play,which shouldn't be so strange,he's right to say that second cro goal was pure class,because it simply was,and I don't think he's saying second english goal was not nice,it was lovely but nothing so special,and if I might add
: The penalty wasn't there in 99 out of 100 cases the ref wouldn't have given a penalty for that.