Ö÷²¥´óÐã

You're right to say that Germany thoroughly deserved their win. I also feel that Poland deserved their near-certain elimination for their stifling negativity and lack of creativity. I still, feel, however, that they will struggle against real quality opposition. Whether England fall into that category or not, I'll reserve judgment for now.

The video diary is by Port Vale's Chris Birchall (not Burchill).

No doubt he'll be even more famous tonight after T & T's win against "In-ger-land" ?

Couple of points -

1. In 1973 the Poles showed that England were no better than workmanlike. They had no idea of how to get the ball over the goal line then and they still don't today - as the Paraguay result showed.

Admittedly, Ericsson is not helping at times with his subs and his tactics.

Poland went on to show how good they were in the finals in '74.

2. As far as objectivity and balanced coverage is concerned, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã (and STV) commentators are ruining the spectacle. Okay, have your tub thumping during the reports from the England camp etc, but in the matches themselves keep the commentary relevant to the play. Try and be professional. Last night's repeated questions to the German woman on 1966 was really embarassing.

3. You were making the point in your editorial about the balance of the population and how the rest of us should just shut up and put up with the xenophobia and jingoism. I wonder if that is the rationale used in Rwanda, Uganda, Cambodia, Yugoslavia and even Germany not so long ago ? It is quite worrying.

4. Alan Hansen is a joke.

I am scottish and i completely understand why the programmes are more aimed at the English public than the others! like your man said, there is 50m English men and woman out of the 60m of the UK! its just that clive tilsley on itv that does mine (and many other Scottish people's) coupon in! As much as it hurts, i can see England winning, and good luck to them! but until then, come on T&T!!!

2 remarks from a German expat In brussels:

1. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã haftime interview with the old PANINI lady was meant to make us (Germans) look really silly. Pathetic journalism of a public (!) broadcaster!

2. I watched the match in front of an English Pub here crammed with 45% Poles, 45% Germans, 10% rest.
Why did the barkeeper deny our request for FREE BEER after that relieving goal?

Seriously Big Paul - do you think you might be getting carried away with this? We're talking about football and entertainment in general, to compare the enthusiasm of the England fans, and the flag waving etc., with what has gone on in the countries you mention is nothing short of ridiculous.
How do you think it made older viewers feel to see all those German flags last night - are you saying that it was like a Nazi rally? Besides, if England DON'T win the cup, at whatever stage they are knocked out, the people who aren't supporting them will, no doubt, take great delight in ramming our defeat down our throats!
DON'T BE SO SERIOUS AND LET PEOPLE ENJOY THE MOMENT - and the dream!

Sorry Big Paul - I forgot to say - you're right, Alan Hansen IS a joke!

Having watched all of the matches so far this World Cup, I've noticed the Coca Cola Sponsorship on the advertising boards at each stadium (just left of centre as the TV camera looks at the pitct) are all colour coded for the teams playing. There are two boards next to each other showing the appropriate colours for the teams playing in the match. Strangely this wasn't the case last night in the Germany Poland match. One red and white Coca Cola board was present representing Poland, but where the German white and black board should have been it was replaced with ".com/football" board.
Anyone have any idea why??

Davinho - I never made any reference about particular teams' support enjoying the game......I love my footie too !

I don't think I am being overly serious - control of the media is a main feature of all of the situations I mentioned.

The section in last night's coverage about the sticker woman was insulting to the Germans and all neutrals that were watching. It was crass and pathetic the way the presenter went on about 1966. That was the output from our national broadcasting corporation NOT an english broadcasting corporation and would probably be seen around the World.

As for "the dream" - I don't think every one of the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic 50 million people in England share your dream !

There is no technical or financial reason for the Scots, Welsh and Irish to have their own studio based productions for this World Cup, and that this would allow the 10 million other UK viewers to enjoy a metatarsal-free World Cup. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã are just being arrogant about this and are in effect ignoring the many complaints about the jingoistic broadcasting so typical of these football tournaments. Remind me once more - when did England win the World Cup?

PS By the way Alan Hansen is mince.

Hi,
I was born in Germany, am an Australian citizen and have been living in the North of England for the last year.
In the 70s I learnt my English in Yorkshire.
I really do hope that England is doing very well in this World Cup and I do like your broadcasting.
I watch every game on Tele, since I am too busy to spend those important weeks in Germany.
I know that your program is called Ö÷²¥´óÐã, but please ,can you ask your Scottish Experts to speak some kind of understandable english.
Everybody on your program makes a great efford to be understood by all your viewers -- except your Scotsmen
Kind regards
Wolfgang Barth

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the updates - really enjoying them! Just one question though:

Why was the 'Best goals of the World Cup So Far' piece cut in such a way that didn't actually allow the viewer to see how the goals were scored?

If the point of the piece is to celebrate the great goals, why not just just show them from a standard camera angle?

Otherwise it just comes off as indulgent editing and alienates the viewer.

Great online coverage by the way.

Cheers.

polska bialo czerwoni, polska bialo czerwoni. we will win, someday

I have just typed a "brilliant" piece for you but it has got lost as I preview it first!! Where is it please? The gist of it was:
last nights panel of Hansen/Strachan/Shearer best ever on MOTD. Programme spoiled though by over intrusive crowd noise - atmosphere is one thing but last night was too much!!

Mick McCarthy no-nonsense comments contributed to a thoroughly watchable programme. More please MOTD
Don

Hi Paul,

Alan Hansen, a Joke? How wrong you are Big Paul, he is a god.

Without his 'Am tokin aboot' catchphrase, the mighty beeb would surely crumble.

A World Cup with no Hensen, Lineker, and Wrightstuff would not be the same...

Mick Mcarthy on the other hand.... Dear oh dear... Now I can see why Keane got so twisted up 4yrs ago. THE MAN CAN'T SPEAK. How did he get the job? Was he waiting in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã reception only to be mistaken for someone with a brain, and shipped off to Germany with Motty?
At best he spouts kill me now platitudes, and at worst he sounds like that guy in the pub who you speak to because you feel sorry for him, only to inwardly curse your good nature as he follows you home and sleeps on your doormat..

Kind Regards

James

Loving the coverage now, seems to be less chat during games and personally think its has improved. Really like the 'Gate' studio and enjoy most pundits, yeah it could be better but sure you'll hear about it if it's not.
Just wanted to ask is there a film crew following the England team maybe for a 'behind scenes' look once the compition is all over, caught a programme which was about the French team when they won, was really interesting.

Could it be that all the people complaining about the amount of covergae of the England team are just jealous their country did not qualify??

If you're that bothered change channel, read a book or something. If you're that annoyed about it why are you on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã world cup blog???

Well done Ö÷²¥´óÐã for your World Cup coverage - almost!

I fully understand why the Ö÷²¥´óÐã London is giving the England team such attention and for England fans it must be a fantastic time.

However, it is the British Broadcasting Company.
That is why there is specific regional programming.
When England are playing or in reports specifically about the team why not indulge yourselves, but the incessant references to England, The Premiership, 1966 and on and on and on during the commentary on other matches are a pain.

Those who do not necessarily support England - We Scots, the Northern Irish and the Welsh - who are from other countries and not just regions - find it tiresome. I think this is sometimes hard to understand. Its not a negitivity towards England or their supporters its simply a lack of empathy or interest.

Good luck to you all, we wish we were there. If you win it you will have deserved to do so - end of story.

But ease off during the games not including England please.

Everytime England have success with the other home nations flagging there are always killjoys trying to spoil the party.

When England failed to reach the World Cup finals but the Scots made it the country was buzzing with their success. Its a shame that there are people with such a parochial outlook on life.

I'm happy with partisan coverage for domestic consumption. Why do we have to have a stiff upper lip and pretend to be impartial? Come on England!

aye i know Simon, it can be a bit annoying when we hear any possible chance to mention 66 but lets face it, if we Scots ever did it (i would settle for qualifyin yet alone gettin out of the groups!) i personally would mention it until the cows come home. and it would be the same if we qualifyed and england didna.

so let motty and co go on about it all, it just means that if england dont win ( which am afraid i can see them doin :o( ), we can wind em up for a bit longer!

at the end of the day, its football and its all a bit of banter - C'mon T&T!!!

Big Paul - I didn't want upset anybody, I just think that the English would probably hope to get more support from the remainder of the home nations. If England weren't there, but the Scots, Welsh, or Irish were, then they would certainly receive the support of the vast majority of English people. I think it's a bit sad that it isn't reciprocated, and that people want to pee on our bonfire. Let's face it, we're unlikely to actually win it, so it won't be long before you can get your own back.
I know a lot of our population don't have British heritage, but again, I would hope that, if they live here, that England would at least be their number 2 team in the tournament...

Oh, well, better be coy about England just in case the Welsh or Scots are offended. Heaven forfend our excitement at England's World Cup run become tiresome to some people who don't actually care about it in the first place and are in many cases only watching England matches because they want the opposition to win.

And how exactly was Panini Lady insulting to Germans? I thought that item was fun, and she very much had the better of Ivan Gaskell. His questions weren't "incessant", there were communication problems - he was speaking English, she was speaking German. Stop making excuses.

I think we’ve digressed slightly from the original argument.
It is not about being a killjoy.
I’m all for the fantstic excitment of the whole event - I love football. I hope you all have a great time, the excitment is infectious - the sights and sounds of the various international fans - including England - are brilliant! I love the World Cup.

It is not about upsetting people
I don’t really care any more about the England team than I do of thirty one other countries - I just want great football to watch. What’s wrong with that.
If you support Man Utd, do you really care how well Arsenal or Chelsea do in the Champions League. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the excitment of Liverpool coming from behind to lift the cup, without having to support them throughout the championship. Why is this so hard to understand? As I said Good luck, If you win it you deserve it.

Just out of interest, how many of the teams that the Scottish folk are supporting have they ever seen before and know their players that play outside of the UK? Also, will you be following T & T et al after the tournament is finished? I think the simple answer is no. And I have to say, IMO, it is rather pathetic and stenches of sour grapes to me....

My opinion though, of course.

Good post Simon

When it comes to football coverage the Ö÷²¥´óÐã know what they are doing and they do it so well! In comparison ITV just haven't got a clue....come to think about it, that's true with all programmes!
ITV = garish trashy colours and adverts - Ö÷²¥´óÐã = smart, professional, smooth, always interesting and very funny!
Keep it up Ö÷²¥´óÐã - yuo're doing a grand job!

The Germans deserved it, but their strikers were poor against Poland. They are mazbe better as a team than last time though. I only hope that they don't stagger through to the final playing rubbish oppostion. That is bad for the event even if you don't have a chip on your shoulder about Germany :) If they beat good teams en route, then OK. But please no more succession of drab 1-0s in the second round.
Mediocrity doesn't get remembered. After all, what highlights would you rather see
Germany 3 Italy 4 (1970) or Germany 1 South Korea 0 (2002)?

Sorry, but it does matter HOW you win. Or did you buy the DVD of Greece in 2004?

Klinsman is at least providing something less banal.
Living here in German as an English person I do admit though it is a laugh when they go out! That will be before the final I am sure.

Hi,
It is a source of great frustration for me to hear, in particular Alan Hansen and Mark Lawrenson stuggle to contain themselves from using the word "we" in relation to England. Hansen has been caught out in the past, and Lawrenson used it at least once during the opening England game. Desailly, Leonardo, O'Neill and Strachan are able to give worthwhile comments on England matches without ever having to use the word "we"- obviously enough because they are not English. So what exactly are Hansen and Lawrenson playing at?. If they want to be English, why not hand back there Scottish and Irish international caps?

If anyone has watched matches on ITV they will realise how professional Linekar and the boys really are. (Sorry Jay Jay, I just can't get to grips with that accent). Regardless of the embarrassing sticker lady interview the Ö÷²¥´óÐã still do the big events really well.

I come from one of the "Non English" countries of the UK but will be behind the boys in White tonight. However as a Spurs fan I would much rather see Defoe up front with the robotic dancer.

Oh my dear me. I've never seen so many people bitter that England have made it to the Finals. When the Republic of Ireland made it to the 94 final, the whole of England was behind them, why are the Scottish and Welsh so bitter that they can't back the English?

So many sour grapes here... alongside the heart disease and the battered mars bars...

Oh and I do like Alan Hansen, why shouldn't he make comments on the England team. Sometimes, just sometimes you'll accidentally hear him refer to England as "we"!

you doth protest too much about Leonardos punditry. He seems to let the others do the talking to me.

Why the bitter voices. If the other home countries were in the tournament and England weren't the vast majority would support them. Like ROI in 1994.

Don't be so bitter. It doesn't suit you Wales and Scotland!

I thought the Panini lady story was sweet personally, maybe that was just me!

I have to say that I find that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã coverage of the finals seems determined to ruin the event for viewers:

1. Motson. This is the major problem. Lovely bloke I'm sure but that can't be the only criteria. Surely some objective assessment of performance would demonstrate what I hear all the time from fellow-viewers (as opposed to Ö÷²¥´óÐã insiders)which is that it just isn't good enough. Saying 'Now then' alot or just going 'heh, heh, heh' is no substitute for getting the players names right (rather than 'the number 19')or going 'oh!' when a goal is scored - we need more (like who's scored, some kind of qualatitive comment about the goal etc). Longevity is no substitute for quality. Sky have raised the game and regular football watchers demand more than familiarity.

2. 'Lifestyle' pieces about the players wives going shopping etc. ITV tried this when they had the Premiership highlights package but soon dropped it when viewers started deserting in droves. People watch sport for the excitement and passion - there are plenty of 'lifestyle' type programmes on other channels.

3. The whole music / staccato editing thing. It's just unpleasant to watch and smacks of self-indulgance (why would we want to watch obliquely edited snippets when you could actually show us the action)

You're a public service broadcaster. Serve the public and stop focussing on 'accessability over authority'.

If the Scots, NI or Wales could get a decent team together and qualify for a major tournament - Then the Ö÷²¥´óÐã would spend as much time on their teams.

Had they actually won anything, then referances would be made to it.

England is the British representative, this is why the Ö÷²¥´óÐã is focasing on England.

In what respect do you consider the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, or any English media, to be neutral?

Sorry been away for a while and missed all of the posts that are still not getting the point.

The point of the argument is that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã are there to cover the tournament as a public service to the whole spectrum of their licence paying audience. They are there to perform their professional duties they are not their as fans. If they are not professional enough to realise that and are guilty of putting their own prejudices and bias first then they should not be there. Simple.....I don't know why people do not understand this.

They can be fans at the games they are not covering for tv.

Whilst currently having to endure the irritating, trashy, stop-start ITV coverage for today's three matches (yes ITV there are two other matches today and viewers want the whole picture including all the national anthems!), I just wanted to add my congratulations to the Beeb's excellent, professional, entertaining coverage so far.
The best presenter (Mr Lineker of course), the best pundits (I personally think Messrs Desailly and Leonardo have been inspired additions to the panel making intelligent and insightful contributions whilst it is wonderful to see Martin O'Neill back on TV) and the best commentators (Motty is still number one and Steve Wilson and Guy Mowbray are not far behind). The Ö÷²¥´óÐã have certainly succeeded in a striking a balance between focusing on England as most viewers would want and also giving the other 31 nations a fair share of the coverage.
Also to all those who complain about Ö÷²¥´óÐã bias, try watching the World Cup in other countries! The Ö÷²¥´óÐã's coverage is less partisan than most and in any case there is nothing wrong with a bit of bias and patriotism - can you really expect ex-England internationals like Lineker, Shearer and Wright to be completely impartial! They are passionate England fans like the rest of us.
Thus, keep up the great work and it is just a great shame the Ö÷²¥´óÐã are not showing all the matches!

Tom Jennings - in this competition England are the english representatives.

In the last 40 years how many World Cups and European Championships have England won ? I can't remember any but I could be wrong. I don't even remember them in a final actually.

For those people not born in the early sixties (i.e. old enough to meaningfully remember England winning), if the only yardstick measuring the quality of your national football team is the number of major championships won or winning through to the final, then England are as cr@p as the other home nations !

Yes, it is impossible to make everyone happy all the time. I think the differences between the 32 teams in terms of social, cultural, field performance etc. have come into the same line through the language of football, no matter how many English speaking country, Spanish speaking country are in this world cup.

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank the Ö÷²¥´óÐã for its oustanding Video Archive on the net. Whoever had the idea of putting up the original review programmes, allowing us not to put on our rose-tinted spectacles, is a genius! I'd forgotten, until Des Lynam said it at the start of the 1990 Review, what a poor tournament Italia 90 was.

I am from N.Ireland and I support England. Love the broadcasting keep it up.

COME ON ENGLAND

Wow.. I guess german people still pack quite a punch

My own personal reason that i support anyone but England is not sour grapes. The constant and heavily biased references to England throughout all coverage, including games that they are not playing i, is a manifestation of the anglo-dominated media that all other non-english brits have to contend with everyday. Tell me, does the average person living in England know what the Scottish alternative to GCSEs is? The Ö÷²¥´óÐã news is broadcasted to the rest of the country yet includes features about the english and welsh education system, crime rates, house prices etc. Why tell this to the rest of the country? non-english brits are the most informed potential tourists of england in the world! The Ö÷²¥´óÐã should stop skinting and stop this inherent ethnic dominance broadcasted from the tax payers pocket. Yes i understand that england is by far the biggest country; however, it does not mean you should be able to sideline a minority. It is unacceptable to do it based upon colour and race. so why not on ethnic grounds?

I read with interest that you have Welsh staff working behind the camera, but it would be nice to have a Welsh pundit too - we have Scots and Northern Irish pundits as well as, natuarlly, English pundits, why not a Welshman?

This was even true of the recent Ö÷²¥´óÐã coverage of Wales' friendly with T&T in Austria which was covered from a 'future opponent of England' perspective.

Ross, do you really not watch the Scottish media at all? Given that on the day of the World Cup draw, the standard line of punditry was "there's three more teams for us to support". And that was on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, too - so, by your reckoning, that's state-funded bigotry.

Look, its not that we Celts particularly dislike England, its that it has become unacceptable not to follow them. In a bar you can't even applaud good play for the opposite team (as I found applauding Yorke's wonderful tackle on Rooney today) without attracting unwanted and aggressive attention.

The fact is - we don't care! Win it, don't win it, it doesn't change the fact that our teams aren't there.

In the end, we are watching this World Cup so we can see great football, and it is being spoilt by the absolutely mind-numbing English emphasis. Ö÷²¥´óÐã's coverage is fantastic but people like Ian Wright saying 'I don't care about anyone except England' is just arrogant, arrogant, arrogant.

Germany has a good team. They played well, though they missed many chances.
Philipp Lahm is an awesome player. Ballack played well too. Klose missed so many chances. I've seen Bastian Schweinsteinger play better in other matches.

I sense a change of mood in England supporters. A few years ago we'd support the other home Football nations but that is becoming less frequently the case. The ball simply hasn't been returned over the years for all the emotional energy spent supporting Scotland, Wales and Ireland in the past. I put it down to the naivety of youth when I look at all those matches wasted supporting the other home nations.

PS : I'll still support Northern Ireland though

I'd like to see O'Neil and Strachan take over the pundits role on major matches, seeing as they are the only ones to say anything sensible about the games, in respect to Ian Wright who has nothing to add to the analysis that a serious football fan would not have already guessed if not dreamt up before hand. He adds neither analysis nor any atmosphere, which is surely his only remit, what a joker! The Ö÷²¥´óÐã's dumbing down of commentary has a lot in common with the recent change to 'standing news' at 6 and 10. It's a shame.

Now, that's gone and spoiled it a bit. Never read a blog until this WC started and now I can't start the day without a fix. Brilliant stuff. I've been tempted to make a post but always dissuaded myself. What do I know about football? I can't even support one team. East Fife, Scotland, Mansfield Town, Notts Forest, Norwich, Calgary Stampede, Sheff Wednesday, the Blades, England, Bolton, Australia and probably more to come.
A shame then (or maybe a good thing) that a few catty remarks in this thread have scratched my reluctance. My 'allegiance' to different teams has come about because there was some kind of association for me. A link. Usually, I was living there. Sometimes I was invited to come and support a team by a friend, and I accepted the invitation. For me, it was never an exclusive thing (it got a bit tricky with the Sheffield ones mind).
I think past coverage of WC's by the Ö÷²¥´óÐã (and ITV)has done nothing to form a link between the Celtic nations and the English. If you are English, you may not be fully able to understand the effect past coverage has caused. To a Scot, Irishman or Welshman, it was something akin to having a bunch of Redcoats break down your front door and park themselves in your living room for a month. Hardly an invitation. I think what the Ö÷²¥´óÐã are doing with this WC is to be encouraged. Hansen, Strachan, O'Neill et al are there to invite the rest of the nation to support England. Whether they accept the invitation or not, it's nice to be asked.
Can we get back to the football please.
Is this too long?

TAH #27:

"If they (the Germans) beat good teams en route, then OK. But please no more succession of drab 1-0s in the second round."

Even we Germans realize, that 2002 was a whole lot of luck (but in the final, Germany was the better team). But see, this isn't special at all. Take, for instance, Brazil in 1994. The first round was ok but far from brilliant - if you go by results only, with a 1-1 against Sweden. And then? 1-0 against the US in the 1/8, 1-0 against Sweden in the semifinal and a completely disappointing 0-0 in the final against Italy - they even had a hard time with the penalties in the end. Did anybody criticize the Brazilian team in a similar way the German team always is?

200percent #40:

"I'd forgotten, until Des Lynam said it at the start of the 1990 Review, what a poor tournament Italy 90 was."

I didn't see that review, but my memory is different. I remember games like Germany-Holland in the 1/8, extremely dramatic, almost even more so the semifinal against England, surely a match to remember forever. I recall matches like England-Cameroon in the 1/4 final, or Brazil-Argentina in the 1/8, and so on. The final was a poor match, with Argentina not producing a single scoring opportunity in 90 minutes but later complaining about the penalty that decided the match. Compare 1990 to 1994 and tell me that 94 was better - i disagree. No WC ever had the quality of the European Championship of 2004, where Portugal, the Cheque Republic, England, Sweden, all played very well.And who won in the end with a bunch of 1-0s (three in a row in the 2nd round)? Greece. That's life.

Remember 1982: Brazil with Socrates and Zico, playing at their best, wonderfully, brilliantly, unsuccessfully. Italy with 3 draws in the first round won the title thenks to one single player, Paolo Rossi.

Why has Ian Wright ever been allowed to work for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã again after his Northern Ireland performance?? What was his job on the show that night?? I believe it was pundit/summariser!! So for him to throw his toys out the pram and turn round and refuse to speak was a sackable offence. I severely hope that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã refused to pay over the licence-payers money to him that night!! And please send him to English lessons so we can actually understand him!!!!!

Terrible terrible "expert"!!

Can't wait to find out during half time tonight how much sugars Peter Crouch has in his tea, or how Sven likes his steak cooked. This is PATHETIC Ö÷²¥´óÐã!! We don't care what the score is in scrabble in the England camp. JUST GIVE US FOOTBALL!!!!!!!

The English don't do themselves any favours with their constant harping about 1966. I feel quite embarrassed for you. Jonathan Pierce managed to sneak it clumsily into the Spain-Tunisia game by mentioning that a player "was the only player on the pitch alive when England won the cup in 1966". Please. It's pathetic. You can guarantee if one of the other British nations won a major tournament (and if the Greeks can we can all dream) there would be no such crass and constant reminders. And why does Lineker insist on fishing for compliments from the foreign analysers? Have some dignity man. It's almost like the English are so low on confidence that they have to seek affirmation of how good they are. The constant reminders of 1966 are a part of this - "we won it once so we must be good".

There's nothing wrong with pride in past achievement but this is beyond sick obsession. It's the fear of another success being constantly rammed down our throats for the next 40 years that makes the rest of us yearn for (yet another) English failure. It is not sour grapes.

We want to watch good football and would like to enjoy watching England play well but the constant England cheerleading is incredibly tiresome. It eventually wears you down and you pray for their early elimination.

Did I mention the hypocrisy? To listen to Lawrenson suggest that every foreign player suffering an injury is feigning while at the same time the whole commentary team (including pundits) turn a Nelsonian blind eye to England's blatant cheating (Crouch against T&T, Carragher's hand ball, Joe Cole's constant diving) makes the blood boil. Should the opposition cheat, well, there's moral outrage!

Please spare us the paranoia, it would be just as tiresome if any of the Celtic nations did it too. It's just they don't. I wonder if the Uruguayan commentators continually hark back to their distant glory days when commentating on South Korea v Togo? They have won the World Cup twice as often as England you know...

Finally, I'd like to berate Ian Wright. He's the most pathetic analyser on the box (and with ITV's team of buffoons he's up against some pretty stiff competition). He's only hired for his overenthusiastic and purile cheerleading and reactions when England score. The erudite and urbane likes of Leonardo and Desailly put him to shame. Their nations are also competing and yet they are not blind to their teams faults and are not deluded by their teams past triumphs (of which there are many). Take note Ö÷²¥´óÐã.

I would like to ask why my friends post that was at number 53 has been removed?

Thanks, glad to see it re-instated!

Well said Ginger Elvis! Also, Iwan's post summed things up perfectly for the Scots, Welsh and Irish.

Y'see, we've actually got nothing against the English team. Players, staff, supporters, English people... fine, we've not got a problem. Enjoy the tournament, get into the spirit - we'd be doing exactly the same if we'd been good enough to get there. Indeed, English football is hugely popular in Scotland and most Scottish schoolkids will no doubt have a hero in the English team, be it a Beckham, Gerrard or Terry.

But we still want the team to get beat! Why? Well, it's pretty silly really when you think about it, but it's good sport to get our own back on the months and months of endless hype, rammed down or throats by television, radio and newspapers. Not just the sports ones either, they're all at it! The expectation - assumption - of success, the disinterest in the other nations, 1966 (yawn), the patronising put-downs to the other home nations... It DOES get a really tiresome!

But it's only a bit of petty footballing rivalry. Nothing more. True English football fans will understand this and won't be offended. It's what football fans do: you don't mind lending support to smaller teams who will never actually be pose any threat to your own team (which is probably why English fans don't mind supporting Scotland, Ireland or Wales in major tournaments), but you would never get behind bigger or better teams, expecially if they're your main neighbours and rivals. For instance, I'm an Aberdeen fan and we quite like to see Caley Thistle do well as our Northern neighbours, but the minute they start beating us on a regular basis or become more successful than us I'm sure my feelings will change! It's just the way it works.

It's the politicians and non-sporting journalists who seems to have escalated the debate to something altogether more political and sinister this summer. Ignore them, they don't have a clue.

(But please, please, do not equate the two brainless and sick attacks on the English supporters in Edinburgh and Aberdeen with anything remotely connected with football supporters. Reading the reports, the attackers were clearly discturbed and probably would have thumped anyone. Scotland wants nothing to do with that kind of behaviour. Footballing rivalry is completely seperate and is friendly.)

So, to the English fans we say good luck - enjoy the rest of the tournament, fly your flags and have a good time; there's no hard feelings, honest. For the rest of us? Why, it's Come on Ecuador!!

It's the summarisers that get me, in particular Sam Allardyce who last night during the half time break in the Argentina v Holland game refered to England as having the best defence in the tournament! Didn't he see Sweden's second goal (and the first). The ball bouncing about in the English 6 yard box like a live grenade, with the English defence swiping at fresh air, all it needed was Jones from Dad's army to appear and shout "Don't panic!" and the comedy scene would have been complete. Also did he not see the 2 efforts which hit the bar and the two that were cleared from the line, all from simple set pieces. Lets have a bit of honest punditry. What is the problem with a bit of constructive criticism. Really kidding yourself on you have a world beating team when you aren't playing very well is pretty childish. The pundits are paid to give independant comments so lets hear them analyse why England lost 2 soft goals to Sweden and not that they have the best defence in the world.

And yes we do know you once won the world cup, thanks for reminding us at every opportunity, but let's talk about something relevant to the games being played.