*** Official Match Thread : Slovenia vs England : 3pm : BBC 1 ***

[nwgull]

Yes! Terry MoM purely for attempting to block a low hard shot with his head!

 

[Acker79]

I'm concerned Rooney might be in the early stages of another long barren run with England. Didn't his last one last almost 2.5 years (in competitive games)?

 

[Wilko]

Damn, fuckin yanks

 

[Willow]

England had their chances, if they weren't so toothless in attack, could have topped the group comfortably.

 

[Bozza]

Great performance.

Very unlucky to not get the killer 2nd goal (and more besides) which led to the typical-England nervy last 10 minutes or so.

 

[Gully]

Much, much, much better.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Disgrace we didnt get top in that group

We really are going to struggle

 

[The Wizard]

England had their chances, if they weren't so toothless in attack, could have topped the group comfortably.

You little ray of sunshine you! Go away. We don't like negativity here.

 

[Gerbil]

Did you forget to take your happy pills? Negative fucker.

He's right though isn't he

 

[Willow]

You little ray of sunshine you! Go away. We don't like negativity here.

Two goals in three games. You find that acceptable?

England's strengths are crosses and long balls, and we play with two midgets up front. Care to explain that, rather than throw abuse?

 

[Wilko]

True though, a second goal would have topped the group and avoided Argentina in the quaters.

 

[Muzzman]

Disgrace we didnt get top in that group

We really are going to struggle

Couldn't care less to be honest, personally, I think if you are going to win and win without argument of an 'easy' passage you need to beat the teams that matter. There's some very tasty matches to come if we can keep going.

 

[sydney]

maybe they need time to GEL.........defence good......midfield... upfront....sad

why the f*** crouch didn't get a go i don't know.if we are gonna insist on pumping the long ball against two 6 ft + cb's surely a 6'7 crouch is better than a 5'8 defoe...imho like.

 

[larus]

Two goals in three games. You find that acceptable?

England's strengths are crosses and long balls, and we play with two midgets up front. Care to explain that, rather than throw abuse?

I'm not that impressed by the performance. However, the pitch was crap and I wonder how much of an impact this had to trying to play a flowing, pressing game. Also, if it's soft and giving way a lot, then I would imagine it's more tiring on the legs.

I thought some players did well; A Cole, Gerrard, Milner, but defensively (although there was some good 'backs' to the wall stuff), I though we looked shaky at times.

Rooney again had a poor game IMO.

 

[Bozza]

Much, much better to enter the knock-out stages with an attacking, reasonably fluid performance like that, than the insipid stuff from the first two games.

That performance, and the chances created, merited a 3/4-0 victory. That we didn't score those additional goals should not detract away from the manner of the performance nor how much confidence that will give the England team.

 

[zego]

Their goalkeeper made the score flatter Slovenia.

Fit, and getting fitter, Milner could be even better in the knock-out stages.

Team beginning to know who, and where, each other are.

Confidence growing.

Rooney still frightens defences - hope his knock is just that, so OK for next game.

 

[Icy Gull]

Much better today but just like watching the Albion, the result remained in doubt right up to the final whistle even though the game should have been won in the 1st half

 

[perseus]

Par was 2-0. Still below par. But it could have been worse.

 

[alan partridge]

Much, much better to enter the knock-out stages with an attacking, reasonably fluid performance like that, than the insipid stuff from the first two games.

That performance, and the chances created, merited a 3/4-0 victory. That we didn't score those additional goals should not detract away from the manner of the performance nor how much confidence that will give the England team.

I agree with all of this.

And am not going to read any more of this thread or NSC so I can go to bed happy.

I'm amazed it only ended 1-0. At times we were completely dominant and it was as if it was an 'on paper' game.

The only negative for me is that we didn't get a couple more. Rooney looked sharper. I thought Gerrard and A Cole did well.

I'm also becoming a big fan of David James

I know f*** all though.

I can't believe the way Cappello acts though is good for a man of his age!

 

[perseus]

Our team is not a patch on previous teams, not helped by losing Ferdinand, Hargreaves etc. I wish we had included some youngsters Adam Johnson, Theo Walcott and not so young Bobby Z to give us some hope.