cheers man.....
here what Sporting Life say about tonight. Got it about right did Frank Malley
SHAMBOLIC ENGLAND PAY THE PRICE
By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer
Embarrassing is not the word for England's 2-0 defeat against Croatia.
Humiliating is nearer. But perhaps shambolic sums it up best of all.
And not just because goalkeeper Paul Robinson made a complete hash of a back pass from Gary Neville to gift Croatia their second goal with a right-foot slash which was not unlike the air shot of a hacker on the first tee on a Saturday morning.
England fans squirmed at that catastrophe. But that was a fluke, the ball taking a dreadful bobble over Robinson's foot as he attempted to clear.
It was manager Steve McClaren, however, who deserved to be squirming as he sat in the England dug-out and watched his 3-5-2 gamble backfire in front of his eyes.
European Championship qualifiers are no place to experiment. That was something even Sven-Goran Eriksson understood.
It is something McClaren, whose tinkering has been not dissimilar to a schoolboy with a new chemistry set in the past few weeks, has learned to his cost.
Welcome to the real world, Steve. The world where the England manager is responsible for results and in which he has to be able to justify his selections.
It will take all his powers of public relation to explain away this defeat.
'Stand up and be counted', had been the rallying call from England captain John Terry following the disappointment of the goalless draw against Macedonia at Old Trafford.
'Pride, passion, attitude, character', had been the demand from McClaren.
The fact is this defeat had nothing to do with work ethic. Everything to do with McClaren's meddling.
McClaren had insisted the 3-5-2 formation would allow his team to move the ball with more fluidity from back to front.
The need for that was understandable after his team had squandered possession so readily at Old Trafford on Saturday.
But football systems only work if they create balance and confidence. And that could not be said for England's performance against Croatia.
Instead, McClaren's 3-5-2 created uncertainty and, at times, downright panic at the back.
Gary Neville, so accustomed to the favoured back four at Manchester United and a defender renowned for his composure, looked like a man not entirely at ease with the wing back role.
Jamie Carragher too often demonstrated why he is not the most precise distributor in the world.
Even the normally rock-solid Terry struggled, exposed too often out wide on the edge of the central three when his worth to England is surely as a guardian of the six-yard box.
Defensively the new system was a hotch-potch. And ultimately that is down to the manager.
McClaren had insisted it was not a gamble. He maintained it had been practised sufficiently and that world-class players should be able to slot into any formation.
Essentially that is right. But even top professionals have comfort zones and too many of McClaren's team looked distinctly uncomfortable.
It should be said that Croatia are a fine side, a step up in class from Macedonia.
But when their opening goal came it was again down to confusion in England's defence, the cross coming over and Eduardo da Silva getting between Ashley Cole and Terry to loop the header over Robinson.
And, if we are honest, Croatia could have scored four or five as the England belief evaporated.
There is the rub. England were well beaten. Dumped by a side to whom they should have paid more respect than arrive in experimental mode.
McClaren must take a huge share of the blame for that and now has five months to fret before the next competitive fixture.
Come to think, embarrassing does sum it up after all
, your assessment of england might be right though
I bet he's been getting special coaching lessons from David James.