Only because he was the driver!

First game is surely nailed on. Liverpool either here or at Anfield. And guess who will get the winner.

I think that's very harsh, the Sweden effort that came off the bar was actually a stunning save when you saw it again in slow motion. Also I'm not normally one who has any sympathy when today's keepers moan about the modern ball but I have to say this new one for the World Cup flies like a missile and dips and swerves for fun. Robinson referred to it himself before the World Cup calling it "extremely keeper unfriendly" Perhaps he's built up a bit of a mental block about it? Anyway back to Sven I think we see more and more evidence with every passing game the guy's a complete fraud. We generally don't look in the least bit threatning from open play, only posing any real threat when someone falls over within range of the opposition goal allowing Beckham to whip a free kick in. (About his only worthwhile contribution these days as well) We are also now suffering for Sven's selection lunacy in taking a crocked Owen and Rooney, Crouch and a 17 year old only there for the experience. We must be the only team there with a 22 man squad. Sorry, make that 21 - wonder how Jermaine Jenas is enjoying his summer hols this year? Wonder what the odds are on us finishing the tournament with NO available strikers? Sounds daft but it's only Rooney breaking down and a suspension or so away. Sven will certainly have got his own back on the FA if that happens.

I must have been watching a different game to everyone else tonight because I thought it was another dismal performance which did nothing whatsoever to frank Sven's credentials as a manager. We were poor first half until Cole's goal which was a moment of individual brilliance no-one can legislate for. After that for 12 or 13 minutes until half time we looked extremely useful. The second half was even worse, Sweden battered us throughout, and we were only saved from a heavy defeat by the crossbar and a goal-line clearance. Sven was meant to be protecting Gerrard from a second yellow, but ludicrously introduced him into the fray for a relatively meaningless match and will probably claim it as an inspired move seeing as he scored. We will probably still have the players to beat Ecuador but have to improve beyond all recognition if we're to avoid our usual tame quarter final exit.

Impressive. Not as astute as you but I latched on to him after Paul Breen Turner on Talk Sport who knows a bit about Spanish football was raving on about him. Had a fiver on him at 16/1 before the first game and another fiver at 12/1 before last night's game.

Hopefully Ashton might get a chance under McClaren. Under Sven he would have had to play for Liverpool/Chelski/Spuds/ManUre/Arsenal or as an outside bet Newcastle.

I think Crouch is a very average player who only gets near the England squad because he plays for Liverpool. Sven would try to pass Shefki off as English and pick him if he played for Liverpool! Crouch hasn't done badly by his own limited standards recently but the problem England have when playing him is that when he is playing any decent football goes out of the window in favour of launching an aimless high ball in his direction. For someone who is six feet seven he is also relatively poor in the air, despite his height he somehow manages to get underneath the ball most of the time! But if Rooney and Owen are only half fit and Sven declined to bring along Defoe and Bent ahead of a 17 year old he's no intention whatsoever of playing, we're obviously stuck with him.

Sven does seem to have an uncanny knack of scraping out results from the poorest of performances. I suspect it is more down to luck than good judgement. I thought we were abysmal for 57 minutes yesterday and not too bad after the two subs came on. But if Lennon and Rooney can come on and play with energy and determination, why can't the rest? Two great results, two awful performances. I'm sure these players can play a lot better than that, whether we will or not remains to be seen. If we don't our participation in the knockout stages will be shortlived. Tony Cottee came out with a phrase I fully agree with. "We have the players to win the World Cup and the manager to lose it"

Typically jammy Krauts, 91st minute winner v !0 men.

Durham is either a complete plonker, or an extremely clever broadcaster, or possiblya mixture of both. Every single night he takes outrageously provocative stances, no doubt to provoke a lively phone in/text response. His last few I can recall off the top of my head were: 1) Steve McClaren must go down as one of the all time great England managers for leading Boro to a Uefa Cup Final. 2) Any mistimed tackle that makes contact with an opponent in the World Cup should be a straight red 3) Anything less than winning the World Cup must be regarded as failure for England 4) (Having already got 3 points against Paraguay) We must risk Rooney on Thursday night against the mighty T and T. I think Marcotti is excellent.

Monster result for you Aussies. Any sort of result v Croatia will surely see you through. Question: Why didn't Cahill start? I would have thought he was one of your better players?

Glad you're enjoying it Tris. The only thing I would say is that with the exception of T and T against Sweden the results thus far have been entirely predictable. It may be that the 16 teams you would expect to make the second stage, do so and the tournament only really takes off at that point. I hope it's not that predictable.

Maybe it is. Immediately after scoring Cahill should have been penalised for a blatant penalty but went unpunished. EDIT: And Cahill has now scored a 2nd!!!

I just wonder, with Downing coming on, how much influence the next coach McClaren has. I know Sven is usually passive but every time the camera panned to our bench today he seemed practically comatose. McClaren was the one doing all the talking and making the notes.

Typical Sven performance. Started well, and gifted a freak goal after which Paraguay seemed completely overawed and a bundle of nerves. We should have had the game wrapped up after half an hour but tailed off markedly towards half time as Paraguay gained a little self belief. The second half was a complete shambles. We sat back far too deep and Sven made two unbelievably poor substitutions, taking off Owen and Cole who was probably our best player on the day. The first substitution left Crouch completely isolated and a huge gap between him and midfield. Downing did OK but isn't the sort of substitution you make when you're trying to tighten things up. The withdrawal of the lively Cole for teacher's pet Hargreaves only hastened the flow of one way traffic towards our goal. If we're to win it, it seems we'll have to do it despite, not thanks to, the manager. We may also still regret taking only two strikers, the injured Rooney and the kid Walcott who Sven has obviously no intention whatsoever of playing.

Sorry chaps, put the coupons on as requested, but everything went pear shaped at the first hurdle just like four years ago. I also did a line with the first seven games as "homes" so it was 12 quid down the pan. Would have been nice to get through a few games and have been in slight danger of winning something! Thank fleurk it's only once every four years!

Whilst I don't wish the guy any harm at all and hope he makes a full recovery I really don't see the need for this sort of "Blackburn Rovers fans wish you well" thing. He has no affinity to or connection with the club whatsoever. Would he give two hoots if any of us broke our leg? Of course not (and rightly so). Would we be clamouring for BRISA to issue a sympathy message if an average joe broke his leg playing pub football in Stanley Park? Of course not. (And rightly so again) He's a professional football player, and as such injuries are an occupational hazard. Life goes on. If people want to send their best wishes on an individual level that's a different matter entirely. No problem with that at all.

Just what I was thinking. On the one hand they may need another striker. On the other hand they may have been hoping to utilise any funds from his sale and getting him off the wage bill. Also does it affect Pongolle's situation at Anfield any?

Gab Marcottin was saying on Talksport yesterday this fellow employed an innovative 3-4-3 formation. The midfield consisted of 2 holding midfielders and 2 glorified full backs. The 3 forwards were all strikers and were left permanently up penning the opposition defence back all match. Could be interesting.

Ladbrokes are again doing a "millionaire" coupon for the World Cup - you win a million if you get 24 predictions right and lesser amounts for predicting fewer games correctly. The games are Poland Ev v Ecuador 2/1 09/06 Holland 8/11 v Serbia and Montenegro 7/2 11/06 Australia 5/4 v Japan 7/4 12/06 Czech Rep 4/5 v USA 3/1 12/06 Korea 10/11 v Togo 12/5 13/06 France 8/11 v Switzerland 4/1 13/06 Get those first 6 right to win at least 20 quid Spain 4/5 v Ukraine 3/1 14/06 Tunisia 10/11 v Saudi Arabia 5/2 14/06 Ecuador 11/10 v Costa Rica 2/1 15/06 Sweden 4/5 v Paraguay 3/1 15/06 Holland 4/6 v Ivory Coast 7/2 16/06 Czech Rep 4/6 v Ghana 12/5 17/06 Get those first 12 right to win at least 1000 quid Croatia 8/11 v Japan 10/3 18/06 Poland 4/5 v Costa Rica 11/4 20/06 England 5/6 v Sweden 11/4 20/06 Iran 5/4 v Angola 7/4 21/06 Portugal 11/10 v Mexico 2/1 21/06 Ivory Coast 5/4 v Serbia 6/4 21/06 Get those first 18 right to win at least 20,000 quid Argentina 5/4 v Holland 15/8 21/06 USA 11/10 v Ghana 2/1 22/06 Italy 11/10 v Czech Republic 2/1 22/06 Croatia 5/6 v Australia 11/4 22/06 Ukraine 8/11 v Tunisia 3/1 23/06 Switzerland v Korea 9/4 23/06 Get all 24 right to win 1 million quid I'll make a similar offer to that I made at the last World Cup. The stake is normally 2 quid but for the first 10 people to give me their predictions I'll place the bet and we'll halve any winnings. Four years ago as I recall it all went t**s up in the first game France v Senegal

More tediously predictable "Blackburn bashing" from you - the only problem with your theory being that about 90% of the people who post on here aren't from Blackburn! Seriously though do you think this Board is any more or any less "angry" than the other 91 up and down the Country? Because I seriously doubt it!

Colin, stop being deliberately obstreporous. If that's how it's spelt. Neill is obviously trying to engineer a move away from the Club by refusing to consider a contract offer from the club prior to the World Cup. That's entirely his right and prerogative and in a totally commercial sense you can't blame him. But it's silly to pretend it isn't happening. Personally I don't rate him that highly and I hope we get as much money as we can for him. Losing those eleven or twelve yellows and two reds per season won't do any harm to our fair play rating either!

If Neill stayed I'd suggest we'd struggle far more to replace, and without, Reid than Nelsen. Not that I want to lose the Kiwi or that he isn't a key player or anything. You're right in saying Bellamy is utterly indispensable with the staff we have at this precise moment. Nothing too out of order with what Bentley said but imo on his performances to date he's got some way to go to prove that he's any better than Paul Gallagher let alone the next Dennis Bergkamp!

Spurs are backed by that Joe Lewis character of ENIC who's worth 2 billion.

It's beyond any reasoned argument that he was one of the worst performers in the team during that period. The only doubt is as to whether he was THE worst.