England 2010 prediction.

[BlueinBosnia]

My prediction:

We'll look great in the group stage. Hammer someone in the 2nd round, beat a big side to get into the semi's, then lose in the semi's via penalty shoot-out, dodgy goal or because one of our 'super-stars' gets himself sent off by being a mindless twat. Every major competition with England in is like groundhog day. Its the same tournament over and over again, because for whatever reason, English players dont have the right mentality to win a world cup or European Cup. They always lose on penalties. Its pathetic. I gave up giving shit about the national team after Rooney's stamping in 06. Just got bored of it.

Don't you think it's simply a case of England aren't good enough? After all, of the 9 international football competitions since World Cup '90, England have not qualified for 2, got ejected from the group stage of 2, and had automatic entry to 1 as hosts. That's hardly the stuff of world-beaters.

Having said that, I think England have their best chance since Italia '90, due to both the current squad and the more temperate climate (southern hemisphere's winter) and I'd be surprised if they don't reach the semis.

[Vhero]

Wont get past the quarters but we would be lucky to get there with players like Heskey playing up front.

[mr_nool]

My prediction:

We'll look great in the group stage. Hammer someone in the 2nd round, beat a big side to get into the semi's, then lose in the semi's via penalty shoot-out, dodgy goal or because one of our 'super-stars' gets himself sent off by being a mindless twat. Every major competition with England in is like groundhog day. Its the same tournament over and over again, because for whatever reason, English players dont have the right mentality to win a world cup or European Cup. They always lose on penalties. Its pathetic. I gave up giving shit about the national team after Rooney's stamping in 06. Just got bored of it.

Don't you think it's simply a case of England aren't good enough? After all, of the 9 international football competitions since World Cup '90, England have not qualified for 2, got ejected from the group stage of 2, and had automatic entry to 1 as hosts. That's hardly the stuff of world-beaters.

Having said that, I think England have their best chance since Italia '90, due to both the current squad and the more temperate climate (southern hemisphere's winter) and I'd be surprised if they don't reach the semis.

Quite similar to Sweden's record. It must be hard for you all to have to admit that Sweden is just as good 8or bad) as England, but you haven't beaten us since -66 ...

[ross.mcfc]

The campaign will start with mass hysteria and "England Expects" headlines in the tabloid toilet rags, with pics of Rooney in an Amy uniform and Terry draped in a Saint George flag.

2 shit performances later and they will all be slagged off as bums, garbage players and no-hopers and the mass call will go up to grandad Beckham, who cant run these days, to come and save us with a barrage of free-kicks over the bar or into the wall, and corners that beat everyone and end up as a throw in on the opposite side of the field.

We will scrape into the 2nd stage, beat a no mark team to qualify for the QF's where once again mass hysteria ensues along with numerous "Its just like the spirit of 66" bollox in the tabloids, with Geoff Hurst being interviewed everywhere and Capello suddenly hailed a genius. However in said quarter-final we will come up against a good team, usually a problem for England, upon which we will show our technical deficiencies, ie the keeper and right-back are bobbins, there's no balance on the left and the strikers are average at best. We will grit out a backs against the wall draw, and all decide that "on law of averages" we must win a penalty shoot-out .... we don't, and lose 3-0 with Rooney missing the third spot kick; the press of course lauds him for the determined way he ran up to the ball, and forcefulness and brilliance with which he spanked it into row Z over the bar because of course Rooney is "world class" - unfortunately the truth is that he's a decent player but a headless chicken with the self-control of a rabid baboon on heat.

After defeat, on pens again, against the first decent team we come up against (again) the team returns and once again the tabloids slag them all off, call them all crap and the country goes into debate and mourning on why we cant win the tournament in the game "we gave the world" and "do we need an english manager?" and the old chestnut of the "failures of our self-appointed golden generation" .... stop me if you've seen this before.

Very funny and very true.