You know I love sport in general, and would even support England playing tiddlywinks but something about Association Football leaves me stone cold. It's not a beautiful game, it's by and large, a very dull, simple game.

A real shame about Hoddle. Seemed to know what he was doing in terms of tactics and preparing a team professionally but had an eccentric streak with the Eileen Drewery and his karma business. Hoddle's first 18 months with England were as good a period as we've had. Similar happened with Spurs, good start, return of the golden boy, but it ended up going sour and he fell out with players.

I don't think he related well to the celebrity of the modern footballer, he didn't have time for drinking and showboating where Venables had mucked in with the lads. He probably quietly resented the fact that he'd never been properly part of the England team when he played, and felt that he had been a better player than anybody in the team he coached.

I'm a big supporter of "aces in their places". Managers who have a proven record of success at the top level being eventually promoted to the very top.

Hoddle had very little qualifications to hold the most important role in English football. Other than taking Swindon up to the top division (via playoffs) and a defeat in the FA cup final being the highlights, he achieved nothing else in his managerial football career before getting the top job.

A classic Cullenesque appointment. All promise, made for the right reasons I will grant, yet no result.

Continuing his career, he then failed at Southampton, Spurs and Wolves and has been on the jelly roll since 2006. QED.

Whilst I don't disagree with you, the same problems blight football & rugby in that the top vacancies are always filled by foreign coaches so when England 'go English' there's not too many highlights on CV's that fill you with joy. Hoddle had took Chelsea to the FA Cup Final, he'd also in all honesty put the pieces in place to start the 'Chelsea Revolution', so you could see why he was appointed given he liked to get the ball down, and England had made a success of Euro '96.

If England went English now, you'd have 'Arry who's won an FA cup and finished 4th to push his case, Hodgson who's finished mid table but had a great UEFA cup run (like McLaren did) and that's about it really.

Crazy thing is, most folk say 2006 was a great chance for England, I think the 90's were when it was most likely to happen, England must have had ten quality strikers to choose from in the Mid 90's, couldn't make it happen then.

Shearer, Sheringham, Ferdinand, Fowler, A.Cole, Le Tissier, Collymore, Sutton, Wright, Beardsley.

Anyhow, I think we'll get the semi finals. I believe in Capello, similar to the Smith belief, It's more about him than the players.

its been around that police are banning england flags to be up on windows for the world cup because its upsetting the people that are not from this country

i havent a clue if its true but its been around on facebook

if it is true its a disgrace

Its not true.

it was for the last world cup....can recall certain councils up and down the country preaching these ridiculous comments

I'll tell you one thing if they ask me to remove my flag i won't be.

The only thing I'd ever need an England flag for would be if I ran out of bog roll so if anyone bans them it's fine by me.

Come on 'Wazza', 'Lamps', 'JT' and the boys? No ta.

Viva Espana.

I also fancy Holland to do something in this tournament..Correct me if i'm wrong as CBA to research it but were Holland the only team to qualify with a 100% record..?

I would hope the rozzers have more important things to do than check wether someone has an England flag up...

England should get to the SFs as long as they win their group, courtesy of a easy route to that stage. Any further would entail beating the likes of Italy, Brazil, Holland or Spain - can't see that, really.

Their talent is undoubted, they simply can't stay friends for a tournament. They're another team in need of a strong manager, like a Capello to create a team ethic & togetherness.

They should have won lots & lots of tournaments by now with the talent they've had.

think Spain got maximum aswell. Holland are due some succes my money has changed to France it always seems to happen they get lucky against Ireland 2 make it now there gona go all the way.

United>England

World Champions twice.

I sit next to a United fan in work, we're doing a world cup dreamteam as usual, here's his team :

Howard, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Nani, J.S.Park, Carrick, Kleberson, Rooney, Ronaldo, Forlan.

Says it all.

Ha ha are things like this actually true or just made up by the right wing press to create a story. I've never been anywhere that has imposed this, or banning christmas decorations or other such nonsense.

TBH it would be funny if they did to wind up the Daily Mail / S*n readership, I reckon I'd support a nationwide ban on England flags. May as well ban shirts while were at it, Warrington looks ridiculous during the World Cup when all the once a year football fans come out in their £19.99 Sports World replicas with things like 'SPIRIT OF' and number 66 on the back.

Back to the football, when does Capello name his 23 man squad?

North korea are dark horses imo¬

Quote ="Pubes"North korea are dark horses imo¬'" In a group with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal they will need a miracle. Maradona has named his 23 man squad for the World Cup: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 676659.stm Take Garce, Maxi, Bolatti, Jonas Gutierrez, and Palermo out of there and replace them with Zanetti, Cambiasso, Banega, Lavezzi, and Lisandro Lopez and Argentina would be second favourites behind Spain IMO. With Capello in charge they'd probably win it.

Quote ="Pubes"North korea are dark horses imo¬'" In a group with Brazil, Ivory Coast and Portugal they will need a miracle. Maradona has named his 23 man squad for the World Cup: news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 676659.stm Take Garce, Maxi, Bolatti, Jonas Gutierrez, and Palermo out of there and replace them with Zanetti, Cambiasso, Banega, Lavezzi, and Lisandro Lopez and Argentina would be second favourites behind Spain IMO. With Capello in charge they'd probably win it.

I'd absolutely love Maradona to win it even though obviously I don't think he will.

"Everyone who doubted us can suck my dick, and when you've finished sucking you can suck it again."

The greatest of all time on every level.

Mascherano lifting the Cup as captain would be a bonus in that equation too.

i've had a £5 flutter on brazil.

No chance.

South Korea only got to the semi's in 2002 due to some sub standard & suspicious refereeing.

North Korea haven't got a hope in hell. Their most famous time in football will still be when they beat Italy at Ayresome Park in 1966.

Spain's final squad:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Jose Manuel 'Pepe' Reina (Liverpool), Victor Valdes (Barcelona).

Defenders: Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Joan Capdevila (Villarreal), Carlos Marchena (Valencia), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid).

Midfielders: Xabier Alonso (Real Madrid), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Javier Martinez (Athletic Bilbao), David Silva (Valencia), Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona).

Forwards: Jesus Navas (Sevilla), Juan Manuel Mata (Valencia), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao), Fernando Torres (Liverpool), David Villa (Valencia)

Garbage

Isn't this a RL forum???

read the todays daily mirror a council (cant remember where) had someones flags removed for health and safety..then they backtracked..this is only the start of it...disgrace