Boring, Boring England
So, Croatia boss Slaven Bilic, how do you really feel about England’s World Cup team?
“They were no good. They were nothing. I have never seen in my life such a great collection of players play as defensively as they did. They were so boring. They just didn’t play as a group, they played as individuals. And I really thought they had a great chance to win the World Cup.”
It is hard to really object with his assessment, yet the timing of it is interesting since Croatia plays England next week in Euro 2008 qualifying. Perhaps England boss Steve McLaren is listening.
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Comments
By ed | October 5th, 2006 at 7:59 am 
He’s absolutley right.we have on paper the best 11 players in the world as a team,but rarely do they play as a team especially under errikson who has got to be the worst manager i’ve ever seen in my life.the guy knows little or nothing about football.total wast of money.under the right manager england would have won the world cup.
Posted from 
United Kingdom
By Gene | October 5th, 2006 at 8:12 am You can’t argue with a Croatian.
Posted from 
Canada
By Gene | October 5th, 2006 at 8:55 am that’s pretty thin ed.
Posted from Canada
By Jane | October 5th, 2006 at 12:23 pm I have to agree with ED. What we saw in the WC was a team of individuals!! All playing for their own glory, and not doing a good job of that either. These guys are there to play for their country and it’s about time they started to think and play like that. They want to be special and individual then let them do it when they are playing for their league teams and not whilst playing for England. To represent your country (as we have seen with so many other nations) requires team spirit and team playing. Hopefully with the good start they have achieved in the Euros we might see some football worth watching.
Posted from 
Japan
By lazaro | October 5th, 2006 at 11:18 pm He’s right of course — the same criticism could be made of Brazil. Brilliant players, all, but never cohered into a team. By contrast, the French team got past the egos and cohered into a unit. It’s too bad because England has some very fine players — maybe not technically great but capable of some very good football. I was sorry to see England lose to Portugal. England deserve better.
Posted from 
United States
By Marco | October 7th, 2006 at 9:08 am ed, the best 11 players on paper?? are you seriously joking? Cause that is pretty funny… England fans wake up!!! and revolt against your soccer elites, because those were not the best players and the coaching staff was a mess during the world cup…
By Tamas | October 7th, 2006 at 10:28 am In the last 30 years England was very often in the first 8, very rarely in the first 4 (Italy 1990). Do you need more proofs ? This is the level of english football, others are only mental mastur*ations…they have some good players (Gerrard, Lampards,…) but in general there are many countries able to express more technical football: Brasil, Argentina, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Germany, France, Holland…and spending less money too.
These are facts. Eriksson…his worse fault was being swedish and not english, humiliating for the country that invented football to have a stranger trainer…the reality is that nobody can do miracles…
Posted from 
France
By Trucker | October 7th, 2006 at 11:35 pm The country that invented football? England? I do hear and agree that they brought in the modern rules of soccer; but honestly, in similar forms, it appears to me that the game has had a somewhat universal touch; but if anyone can prove me wrong, I am more than willing to listen.
Posted from United States
By dino | October 8th, 2006 at 9:57 am Another case of expectation exceeding ability. England full of players overated by their own country men predictabily failing against far superior sides. The constant expectation of winning major tournaments is laughable to the rest of the world who view England as a third rate football country…
Posted from 
Australia
By Owen | October 9th, 2006 at 9:35 am ed - are you insane? I’m an England supporter through and through, but the best 11 man for man?
England probably could have made it to the last 4 in the WC - even deservedly - IF the players had really gelled - but half the players out there act like internationals are less important than a meaningless midweek in the premiership. Money has ruined them. Coddling has ruined them. IF I were managing I’d make it clear that a performance where players only go through the motions will get them dropped permanently. And by that token Lampard is OUT. Ferdinand is OUT. Cole (Ashley) is OUT. Most of the rest at least look like they care, even if they play badly. One of the reasons that Crouchy does well for England even though he is basically an ordinary player is because he really tries. It is one of Rooney’s good attributes.
As far as I can tell, England is now like Spain - they go in to a game thinking they are good enough to win and then they keep thinking that and forget about doing it
Posted from United States
By mj | October 11th, 2006 at 2:13 am I cant wait to see croatia whoop england. I think that all of the western european teams are over rated. The Federation and its rules always works in their favor. Hopefully not racist remarks this game.
Posted from United States
By Matt | October 17th, 2006 at 4:47 am how are european teams overated if u didnt notice the 4 teams that made the semi finals were all european; france, germany, italy and portugal.
love england
By Matt | October 17th, 2006 at 4:47 am how are european teams overated if u didnt notice the 4 teams that made the semi finals were all european; france, germany, italy and portugal.
love england
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