The 1990 World Cup: a significant tournament in the bookmarking of some of England’s enduring imagery. Penalties, tears and John Barnes rap aside, one incident inparticular, during the semi-final against Germany, has, I think, been the one to have cast the darkest and spindliest of shadows over subsequent national players. But, oh how we larfed, until we cried; and then we were just crying. Andreas Brehme was tired of being pigeon-holed as a “free-kick specialist”, he was...

I’m not really sure if there is much to be excited about for this game … NOT! Guess who’s back, back again, guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back, guess who’s back etc… (repeat to fade) I was singing, you don’t need to guess. (If you didn’t guess Rooney then you probably need to reassess a few things.) The BIG selection headache is barely even a slight nausea. Yes, Carroll was very good,...

Cometh the hour (60th minute substitution), Cometh the manchild(?!)(I’ll work on it). Tis always extra special to see a substitute in a major tournament make such an impact.  Nicer still when it’s England, speaking for myself of course. Am I allowed to claim my prediction of 1-2 with Carroll and Milner scoring (1-3 if Danny scores) as correct, based on these facts: One of the Swedish goals was scored by Glen Johnson, therefore reducing their...

As you may have already read on this site, I was a big fan of the way England approached the France game and am really excited to see how we develop through the tournament. We will no doubt see a lot more of what this squad of players can offer in an attacking sense today and so it’s no surprise that Andy Carroll has been heavily tipped to start I wasn’t one of the fans MEGA LOL-ing at the...

We knew it was coming, and we all (I thought), after some initial kicking and screaming, had come to accept the inevitability of it. Yet, still Roy Hodgson’s overtly pragmatic approach to the  game against France has shaken awake its fair share of detractors. What were these people expecting? As an England fan I have become more than accustomed to the tragedies played out in tournaments. I’ve derived great pleasure from the drama and suffering...

It’s so refreshing to be approaching a tournament, like it’s a tournament. Not as if every game is the last one on earth. Yes, we weren’t by any means perfect. Yes, we were sloppy in possession at times … BUT tournament football is about being prepared, drilled, disciplined and getting through the group stage without exerting too much energy, without stretching your resources and I really feel positive that that’s what Roy has brought to...

If you were to x-ray the skulls of England’s finest during any major tournament (ignoring the fake turds and paper cuttings of themselves), I imagine all you’d find would be the black and white clips of Bobby Charlton crashing one in from 20 yards, or Bobby Moore perfectly timing a tackle, or Gary Linekar reeling away, or David Platt pulling off the most incredible of last minute volleys, or Nobby dancing, or Gordon Banks denying Pele – all on loop. The...

I don’t usually predict draws when doing this for United (only wins), but thought I’d buck the trend for England and the Euros … and well, it’s not United is it (in fact, can’t remember a time when we were so under-represented in an England squad)? I think the team almost picks itself: Hart, Cole, Terry, Lescott, Johnson, Gerrard, Parker, Walcott, Milner, Young, Welbeck. A lot of the talk has been about whether Carroll or...