England Football

[Earlybird]

What do you think of the team? The coach? Any specific players that surprise/delight and others that never quite deliver or live up to potential?

Are they not very good, or unlucky?

I've lost interest. They all seem so spoilt and overpaid. Rubbish as role models. I might have got interested had Martin O'Neill become manager, but Steve MacLaren just doesn't have it.

Hmmm - I agree that they certainly seem to underperform consistently....it's the only thing they're consistent about!

Peter Crouch has been an unexpected surprise - did he play tonight? If not, why not? Only saw the second half of the game...

The one player who I always expect/hope will do well because of his reputation is Frank Lampard. But he always seems a non-entity when he plays for England.

Does the team miss Beckham's skill and leadership? It certainly isn't as much fun to look at the team now that he's gone....

Didn't see any of the match. I agree that Peter Crouch has been good for England. As for Frank Lampard, I think he has a very carefully stage-managed reputation that isn't backed up by any substance. But then I'm an old embittered WHU fan! (very odd, what happened with his old man and Harry Redknapp...)

As for Beckham, apart from being so not my type, I always thought he pretty much ran the show when Eriksson was there, I can see why MaClaren got rid of him (surprising amount of backbone there) - although I am equally surprised that the FA allowed him to given the revenue Beckham brought in.

I think their underperforming stems largely from being told how wonderful they are, often from such a young age - they simply don't believe they have to make any effort.