I could see the Northern Ireland result coming

because squad of players with absolutely no motivation to win every game in an execrable group could easily come a cropper.

Each week their focus was on playing to the peak of their capabilities for their club team and then they get together for England knowing that they will probably only have to perform at about 40% capacity to qualify from the worst group in Europe. They were half asleep, they lost, it happens.

But across 10 games and a year and a half, they did what they needed to do and here we are now.

I take your point about our midfield - we shall see. But I simply don't agree that it was a contributing factor to that defeat. We could have Rio Ferdinand and john Terry in central midfield and we still should have won with our eyes closed.

Brazil lost six qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup.. SIX. But it doesn't matter one jot. Let's see what happens when it matters.

Posted By: The Judge on June 6th 2006 at 17:11:52

Message Thread

Seeing as we haven't talked about this for ages...Will Rooney play? (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:15:06
- We have the players to get through the first four games (Other Football) - The Judge, Jun 6, 16:42:31
  - Sweden are a decent side (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:43:58
    - Didn't Sweden lose 3-0 to the ROI a few months ago? (n/m) (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:12:19
      - Yep, and we lost to NI (in a competitive match, unlike theirs) (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 17:17:12
        
        Well surely our team looks good even without Rooney... (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:21:11
        
        yeah. but they've got Matty Jonson (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 17:24:10
        
        4 quality players compared to our... (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:27:45
        
        I don't rate sweden massively but they have the edge over england (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 17:20:13
        
        I agree (Other Football) - The Judge, Jun 6, 17:27:03
        
        If anything that should give us more impetus to bury that hatchet. (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:23:04
        
        Sweden have always been like that (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 17:28:48
        
        "bury the hatchet" means something else (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 17:25:14
        
        Thanks for that. (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:30:24
        
        nothing is ever won before it starts with England! (n/m) (Other Football) - jonah3000, Jun 6, 17:22:13
    - We are average??? (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:47:36
    - Anti England Anti England Anti England Anti England Anti England Anti England Anti England (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:47:12
      - BOARD VIOLATION (n/m) (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:50:32
    - We're far from Average... (n/m) (Other Football) - Brom, Jun 6, 16:46:17
      - dunno. I watched all the qualifiers (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:47:16
        
        I could see the N Ireland result coming after watching the wales game (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:50:30
        
        I could see the Northern Ireland result coming (Other Football) - The Judge, Jun 6, 17:11:52
        
        Spot on. (n/m) (Other Football) - Dog, Jun 6, 17:13:35
    - swedens form is terrible (Other Football) - otbc2006, Jun 6, 16:45:17
      - gotta be a draw, England haven't beaten sweden for donkeys (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:48:15
- Worst scenario would be if we, say drew the first two games and Crouch (Other Football) - Steve in Holland, Jun 6, 16:26:52
  - If we draw against T&T we truly have lost all hope (Other Football) - The Judge, Jun 6, 16:38:33
    - How in gods name will we draw with them?? (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:48:04
      - three-quarters to nil? That's so Italian (n/m) (Other Football) - The Judge, Jun 6, 16:50:31
    - After last weekend, T and T just aren't worth worrying about (n/m) (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:39:15
- At all? (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:24:56
  - Hope you're right. Fear the worst, personally. (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:27:50
    - I don't think tomorrows scan will have that much of an impact on it (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:35:25
      - ridiculous optimism. (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:45:10
        
        It's not me being optimistic (Other Football) - conker, Jun 6, 16:49:56
- a whole game? dunno. on as a sub? probably. (Other Football) - mr carra, Jun 6, 16:19:42
- dunno (n/m) (Other Football) - jonah3000, Jun 6, 16:16:36
- yep, I bet he's fit now, probably miss the paraguay match and then brought on for (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:16:22
  - no chance of that. (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:20:14
    - I know I keep doing it but (Other Football) - pants, Jun 6, 16:26:31
      - I agree (Other Football) - DiscoDaleGordon, Jun 6, 16:28:11
        
        that's what the hype has done.... (Other Football) - Tricky Hawes, Jun 6, 16:39:12

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