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, Jun 6, 17:11:52