We now know that it is possible to win the World Cup by being the ‘least worst’ team present. Italy’s performance in the final represents their contribution to the tournament overall. OK in patches, very cautious, could do better.
Upfront for Italy, Luca Toni wandered around like a child in a playground waiting to be invited […]

France were defeated in a penalty shoot-out and may feel somewhat hard-done-by, as they outplayed Italy for large periods of this World Cup final. A coolly converted Zidane penalty gave France an early lead, but Materazzi put Italy level when he headed home a Pirlo corner. The first-half was closely contested and any creativity was […]

England’s lacklustre 2006 World Cup is over, but at least there was a glimpse of excitement before the end! The first-half did not deviate from the pattern established in the previous four games: players with a defensive brief looked in command, but our attack-minded players were yet again shackled by uncertainty and a lack of […]

A 1-0 victory over Ecuador progresses England to the quarter-finals, but does little to advance their credentials as potential world champions. The format was a familiar one: Ecuador presented little threat, but neither did England display any offensive nous. It required an impressive free-kick from Beckham for England to win the game. This performance therefore […]

I’ve tried to remain upbeat about England’s recent performances, but this one has crushed my optimism somewhat! England showed faint promise in the first-half and shaded a two-dimensional Sweden. Most of England’s attacking threat came down the left from Joe Cole, and it was his long-range strike which gave England a 1-0 lead. What little […]

Ahh, a classic game of two halves! In the first-half England looked mighty impressive. Several players put in eye-catching performances. Joe Cole looked very dangerous going forward and will be a key player in this tournament. Steven Gerrard put in his best 45 minutes for England for some time - he was strong in the […]

It’s difficult to draw too many conclusions from a fixture in which the opposition was so weak, so I’m going to focus on a couple of key points.
Peter Crouch put in another excellent performance and should now be considered England’s number one striker! He is playing with immense confidence and offers a host of attributes […]

England beat Hungary 3-1 in a friendly which should prompt neither excessive optimism nor despondency. The first-half fitted the standard international format and was a cagey affair, but England played neatly enough. England scored three in a livelier second half. The first two were headers from Beckham free-kicks, put away by Gerrard and Terry respectively. […]

A 10-man Belarus side managed to beat England ‘B’, but we shouldn’t despair! In the first half England dominated and every player put in a respectable enough performance. England deservedly went a goal up in the 35th minute: Owen hit the bar with a good header from a Downing free-kick, and Jenas followed up […]