[Euroboy]

I was upset to see our team losing to Australia yestarday. I woke up this morning and I did not want to eat breakfast. I was so upset. We should get a new coach. I just cannot believe this. We were humiliated by these rookies. See this link to see what they wrote about us:

http://www.soccer365.com/EUROPEAN_NE...09_46475.shtml

[Bizzo]

Originally posted by Euroboy
We should get a new coach. I just cannot believe this.

So who's this new coach you want??

[Femfa]

You sound pretty upset and humiliated - so I'm not sure if you haven't just answered your own question.

Australia and their fans, though famous world over for being pretty good sports, are having a fun time reveling in this victory.

Granted, if your question was, "Should we really feel humiliated about a friendly in which Sven not only tinkered with the line-up, but switched it wholesale for half the game?" that's a different question.

The answer - well, I leave it to those who are in fact English.

[Turk from Pigs Eye]

This sort of upset happens a lot at this stage of the four year cycle of the World Cup. The USA has beaten Germany, Argentina, and Brazil at this stage in the past.

Just remember that England passed out of the group of death just a few months ago and Argentina didn't.

[Femfa]

Although I can't resist. . .

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.a...egraph,00.html

The cartoon is especially cute.

[Moderator's Edit: I fixed the link. -JoBeck]

[Tony Ebola]

[Prenn]

Originally posted by Femfa
Although I can't resist. . .

http://www.dailytelegraph.news.com.a...egraph,00.html

The cartoon is especially cute.

[Moderator's Edit: I fixed the link. -JoBeck]

The cartoon is especially inaccurate.

They need to beat Wales and Northern Ireland before it's right

[RichardL]

Perhaps humiliation is the wrong word. I think even before the game most people accepted that Australia, while no better than average, were not a team England were expected to beat with ease. I think it's been the manner of the defeat, rather than defeat itself, which is harder to accept. English teams, even when derided for being all long ball and lacking in finesse, were admired for their "never say die attitude". Their determination to never give up. Anyone who remembers Terry Butcher playing most of a qualifying match in Sweden(?) with a cut on his head so bad that his white shirt turned red with his splattered blood knows what I mean.
http://soccernet.com/england/news/20...ngbutcher.html
(yes, that was originally a white bandage)
The worrying thing was that unlike, say, the defeat to the US in 1993, this wasn't some pointless end of season friendly with tired & weary players going through the motions a long way from home, this happened at home in front of fans who turned out to support the team. If you were to say "never say die" to many of the current team, they'd probably think it was the slogan for a new hair-care product.

[Bizzo]

Originally posted by RichardL
The worrying thing was that unlike, say, the defeat to the US in 1993, this wasn't some pointless end of season friendly with tired & weary players going through the motions a long way from home, this happened at home in front of fans who turned out to support the team. If you were to say "never say die" to many of the current team, they'd probably think it was the slogan for a new hair-care product.

I agree, but players are constantly being told by the media, their managers, (some) fans that all friendlies are meaningless and when the England manager is forced to change his side after 45 minutes that attitude is reinforced. The Premiership managers have too much power now. Remember it was only a few years ago that England played 'B' internationals the day before the real game. If we continue along this path all England friendlies will disappear.

[Prenn]

Originally posted by RichardL
Perhaps humiliation is the wrong word. I think even before the game most people accepted that Australia, while no better than average, were not a team England were expected to beat with ease. I think it's been the manner of the defeat, rather than defeat itself, which is harder to accept. English teams, even when derided for being all long ball and lacking in finesse, were admired for their "never say die attitude". Their determination to never give up. Anyone who remembers Terry Butcher playing most of a qualifying match in Sweden(?) with a cut on his head so bad that his white shirt turned red with his splattered blood knows what I mean.
http://soccernet.com/england/news/20...ngbutcher.html
(yes, that was originally a white bandage)
The worrying thing was that unlike, say, the defeat to the US in 1993, this wasn't some pointless end of season friendly with tired & weary players going through the motions a long way from home, this happened at home in front of fans who turned out to support the team. If you were to say "never say die" to many of the current team, they'd probably think it was the slogan for a new hair-care product.

I think that's exactly the problem, it's the manner of the defeat rather than the defeat itself.

I've found myself becoming more and more frustrated over the past day or so. I now firmly belive that friendlies should be taken very seriously, ************ the big clubs. The national team is a source of national pride and it's purely the selfish interest of the non-English managers of the 'big 3' who are ************ing up our national team. The fans of those clubs can complain all they want but I'll bet you every single one of them is behind England when it comes down to it. You can't expect the England team to play no friendlies then compete when it comes to a competetive game, it just isn't going to happen. How the big clubs can complain about 2 games in six months I'll never know, they're like spoilt little brats. Don't like players going away on international duty? Don't ************ing sign them! And it's not like they're going half way round the world this one was in London for christ sake.

What also bothers me is that this performance is not a one off just because it's a friendly. Look at the dire performances against Macedonia, Slovakia, Brazil, the second half against Sweden, Greece, Albania at home. Sven may only have lost one competetive match but he's also drawn a few that he should have won. I'm worried because the team that put out that first half performance last night is more than capable of performing like that against Liechtenstein and more importantly Turkey.

I know what I'd do in the next game, drop some of the first team in favour of the kids. If Owen is still in such dire form there's no way he should be anywhere near the England team. He's a world classs striker but when he's in form like this he's an embarrasment. Rooney, vassell or Jeffers should take his place. Frank "watch me lose the ball" Lampard should never be seen in an England shirt again, Phil "I've got Viera in me back pocket, me" Neville should be in the centre of the midfield with Scholes and Beckham (I've been saying this for a year now) I'm still not convinced about Dyer but he's worth another run out. Gary Neville had a bad night and I'll excuse him that so the back four can stay the same. James should be behind Robinson, Wright, Kirkland and Hoult for that No.1 shirt.