3rd

Eddie, sometimes there is more than one reasonable interpretation but this time you are wrong - simple as that. Yes, Gerrard evaded a dangerous challenge but if you watch it closely, his right foot is splayed and he makes NO attempt to right it. Once he evaded the lunge, he made a split-second decision to dive, when he could have stayed on his feet.

Ian Wright is there to be the exuberant cheerleader. The Beeb obviously think that the in-studio footage as an England goal goes in, just wouldn't be the same without the hyperactive one. Edit: Just to add, imo anyone who openly advocates cheating should not be employed by the BBC.

Hold up your hands people and apologise to the tall skinny one. In Crouch we trust! England just do not have a genuine holding midfielder. Hargreaves - unconvincing (but we are incessantly told he does it for Bayern) Carrick - too many ambitious passes for a Makelele type and is he strong enough defensively? Gerrard - his creativity is shackled and he just hasn't convinced in that role Carragher - impressive against Hungary but doesn't have the pace or quick feet imo.

Looked a blatant dive to me. Shame on you Gerrard. BTW Wright cannot make comments objectively.

Div 1 with Duff, Dunn and Jansen. Imagine if Mark Hughes had them at his disposal (and they were in their pomp.)

"In fact, the first person I phoned up when I made my decision was Mark Hughes. "I've probably learnt more under him in the last two years than I have at any previous point in my career. "The club I'm leaving is totally different from the one I joined." Dickov in the LET

Okay, some will consider this as just plain anti-Souness diatribe but imo the signings of Friedel and Tugay are not as praiseworthy as some think. The main reason being Souness actually worked with the two guys at previous clubs, so in terms of scouting the players - he didn't. If you worked first hand with Friedel and Tugay, I think it'd be obvious, even if your name is Brian Kidd, that they were potential good signings for a Prem club. However, taking a risk on a guy that you've never worked with before but merely scouted requires real judgement and imo is a truer test of whether someone has an eye for a player. So the signing of MGP and Todd are major feathers in Souey's cap. But the success of signings can never be the most major criterion on whether someone is a good manager. So many factors make this the case. For example, you could just be unlucky with new signings who get injured or don't settle or lose confidence after suffering the wrath of supporters. Also, is signing players that difficult? I mean is it that difficult to spot a decent player if you have followed football from a young age and have a certain amount of intelligence? Surely, coaching players and managing them to maximise their potential is the hardest part?

I feel sorry for Owen Hargreaves. It looks like he'll be playing right back tomorrow - yet again, out of position and yet again, he'll get hammered if he puts in a less than impressive performance. If that prat Sven does not intend to play him in his rightful position, why include him at all?

Unless Souey goes into a'''''' licking mode, as he did with Shearer, how is he going to cope with the bombastic Simon Jordan?

Just to congratulate Wenger for being big enough to admit and condemn Eboue's Champs League dive. More of the same next season from more managers please.

Dickov represents hope for all those prolific lower league strikers who have been told they'll never make it in the top league.

He 'failed' in Italy because he was playing on the wing and wasn't given time to settle. Even at Arsenal, he made a habit of hitting the hoardings for much of his first season. Which just emphasises that new signings, especially foreign signings, need time to adapt.

N'Zogbia was very impressive at times, especially after Roeder took over. Do you know if he was ever in consideration for the French squad.

Hooray, more ridiculous goal celebrations. Thank you, Mr Henry!

Eboue dived for the free kick - so I can't see why Arsenal are complaining.

video archives of past world cups Looking at some of the earlier footage of World Cup footy, it's quite amazing how different (slower and more fouling) football was back then. Some of the 'legitimate' tackling in the 1974 cup final, for instance, would have some of today's stars running for a dark room and a wet cloth. Interesting though and whets the appetite for the coming one.

Tevez actually has skill so it would be hard for him not to surpass Cisse. If anyone can get SWP, even on loan, they could have the signing of the season on their hands. The guy is too good to sit on the bench and was silly to join Chelski in the season running up to the World Cup.

True. I have to say though, my belief that Gerrard should be on the right wing - or playing as an attacking midfielder was strengthened by yesterday's game. An axis of Lampard and Gerrard is just not going to be good enough because both are best going forward.

I might hold you to that...

Spain to get to the final.

The kid with the blonde hair at the centre bottom (you can only see half his face) looks uncannily like Jay McEveley...

So Juve are evil after all.

What infuriates me about these typical 'dismiss and tell' stories is WHY don't the players who criticise management styles say something when there's a chance of things being rectified? Many a departing Rovers player (i think Flitcroft was one and Duff) were critical of Souness' training regime. Why say it when they exit? They should put their own positions in jeopardy for the sake of the bigger picture - that is the football club and its fans. They don't even need to come public with it. They just need to go to the chairman and board and get the message across. And if things don't improve they should go public. The players owe it to the fans not to turn a blind eye to amateurish management. The fans won't ever get to know about it and no-one else will unless the players take the initiative and get things changed.

Ideally Beckham on the bench and a team of: Robinson Neville Ferdinand Carragher Cole Gerrard Carrick Lampard Downing Owen Rooney I'm not convinced about Joe Cole on the left and if we have Gerrard, Carrick and Lampard, that should provide the solidarity to accommodate Downing. Also, I'm not a big John Terry fan. He's done great for Chelsea but i think of the last tournament and his shaky performance and would go for Carragher who has been unflappable for 'pool.