Euro 2012

[Finnegan]

Who cares how much they 'cheated?' You failed to beat them comfrortably for the same reason we los to Montenegro: you're shit. Nothing to do with how much they kicked you.

[purpleronnie]

Yes Scotland are poor but a win and a draw is a good start. They won't fear the czech's especially after yesterdays result and they beat them the last time they played 'em. I reckon they could finish 2nd and the playoffs are a lottery anyway.

[Lillehamring]

Pull your pants up ultra, you've Just been owned.

[Lillehamring]

well, while you lot struggled through your home nations ties - i had the pleasure of watching an incredibly entertaining 1-0 norwegian victory over portugal.

with both teams missing their most influential players (ronaldo and riise) it started of a bit scrappy, summed up by a cataclysmicly poor attempt from edourdo to clear a back pass, which carew blocked into the path of erik huseklepp (please sign him sousa), who slotted home sweetly from close range. after which, portugal often struggled to get out of their own half, such was the dominance of the norway midfield.

but the second half was non stop and much more open, with a lot of good chances for both teams, and some defending that was a joy to watch - finally, it was enjoyable seeing a portugeuse lose

if portugal are a footballing superpower, then norway have a real chance in euro 2012, because they bossed them completely and, on another day, could easily have caused more of an upset than this.

6 points from 2 games, and a lot of happy locals

[The Doctor]

Who cares how much they 'cheated?' You failed to beat them comfrortably for the same reason we los to Montenegro: you're shit. Nothing to do with how much they kicked you.

I'm not using it as an excuse. It's merely a complaint about their disgusting tactics. And the ref letting them get away with it but pulling us up for everything.

[MC Prussian]

On a sidenote, the English injury crisis could get a lot worse in the near future.

Walcott being stretchered off, Defoe facing surgery.

I've also seen Milner and Lescott limping yesterday.

Adding to that the more or less long-term absentees like Lampard, Ferdinand, Terry, King and now Dawson.

And what's with Matthew Upson?

[Dr The Singh]

On a sidenote, the English injury crisis could get a lot worse in the near future.

Walcott being stretchered off, Defoe facing surgery.

I've also seen Milner and Lescott limping yesterday.

Adding to that the more or less long-term absentees like Lampard, Ferdinand, Terry, King and now Dawson.

And what's with Matthew Upson?

Fortunately the Group England are in, is fairly weak, so I can't see it being a problem!! There's more of a chance of our Mayor pulling his trousers up then England faltering!!

[Finnegan]

To be fair, England u21s could win this group. Injury 'crisis' is just tabloid hyperbole, England have thrice the talent pool of the rest of this group.

[Jon the Hat]

Sometimes I wish we had a tougher qualifying group... We only ever seem to play decent sides in the finals, and always get found out.

[Guest Bilo]

Yes Scotland are poor but a win and a draw is a good start. They won't fear the czech's especially after yesterdays result and they beat them the last time they played 'em. I reckon they could finish 2nd and the playoffs are a lottery anyway.

Against arguably the two weakest teams in the group, and spectacularly unconvincing in both. If Scotland are serious about qualifying, they need to be demolishing teams like Lithuania and Liechtenstein. Even if it comes down to goal difference, I'd be very surprised if the Czechs fail to beat Liechtenstein by more than the odd goal.

[Dr The Singh]

Against arguably the two weakest teams in the group, and spectacularly unconvincing in both. If Scotland are serious about qualifying, they need to be demolishing teams like Lithuania and Liechtenstein. Even if it comes down to goal difference, I'd be very surprised if the Czechs fail to beat Liechtenstein by more than the odd goal.

Scotland need to up there game and big time. The Czechs will beat the Scots, home and away!!

[dandannieldanok]

Only just seen the England goals........Darren Bent's was excellently taken.

Every chance of coming away with a 100% record in this group, the standard of opposition is dreadful, especially when you compare it with the opposition we had in Euro 08 qualifiers. Russia, Croatia and even Israel would dispatch the goons in this group.

[Samilktray]

Scotland are such a pointless and irrelevant little country, they'll do fuck all.

[Finnegan]

The Russia and Croatia that qualified, dumped you out and then went on to have more impressive tournaments than you ever would have? Yes, I imagine they would.

[The Doctor]

Scotland need to up there game and big time. The Czechs will beat the Scots, home and away!!

We've already beaten them at home this year, they've been in free fall since Euro 2008. I'm confident of doing them in at home and nicking a draw away.

[Finnegan]

We've already beaten them at home this year, they've been in free fall since Euro 2008. I'm confident of doing them in at home and nicking a draw away.

So you haven't seen a Scotland game in a while then? Face it, you're the worst of the home nations and you'll get a nice wooden spoon in the new year in Dublin to go with your one in the rygbi.

[Dr The Singh]

We've already beaten them at home this year, they've been in free fall since Euro 2008. I'm confident of doing them in at home and nicking a draw away.

Good luck, let's hope the Scots can live upto expectations and atleast qualify!!

[Finnegan]

Good luck, let's hope the Scots can live upto expectations and atleast qualify!!

If Scotland's expectations are to 'at least qualify' then they really are the Geordies of the international scene.

[The Doctor]

So you haven't seen a Scotland game in a while then? Face it, you're the worst of the home nations and you'll get a nice wooden spoon in the new year in Dublin to go with your one in the rygbi.

well sorry for being optomistic.

we were dominant on friday, just couldn't score, we had most of the game last night, but struggled to break them down. Defensively we're fine (though the age is a slight problem) and once we find that little bit of quality in the midfield (robson is utter garbage, brown and fletcher aren't play makers - should start with morrison or dorrans) or mcfadden regains his match sharpness - not sure whether he's been playing for brum recently but he looked rusty last night - we should be fine with creating chances, miller and boyd are good finishers. So we should be fairly comfortable.

[BlueSi13]

Sometimes I wish we had a tougher qualifying group... We only ever seem to play decent sides in the finals, and always get found out.

I completely agree with this, what this England team really needs is to be tested in competitive games against top 10 opposition, there isn't a single tough game in this group now the away tie against an awfully meek Switzerland side is out of the way.

All this group will do will give us a false sense of England's potential and then we will no doubt find ourselves stunned when we find ourselves 2-0 down and on the canvas come the quarter finals of Euro 2012.

That being said, we have played some cracking football this past week

[Guest Bilo]

Scotland need to up there game and big time. The Czechs will beat the Scots, home and away!!

The Czechs have gone backwards over the past couple of years, but they still have plenty in their locker to beat the Scots I agree.

[RowlattsFox]

I don't want to play strong teams in the qualifiers, if we're going to get found out then I'd rather it be in the finals. It would be even more embarrassing not to qualify at al.

[Guest NGoloMode]

[The Doctor]

I don't want to play strong teams in the qualifiers, if we're going to get found out then I'd rather it be in the finals. It would be even more embarrassing not to qualify at al.

but surely it would be better to find out your strengths and weaknesses during qualifying where there are bigger gaps in between matches for the manager to fix it rather than in tournaments where there is a 2/3 day gap and no time to fix it.

[shen]

well, while you lot struggled through your home nations ties - i had the pleasure of watching an incredibly entertaining 1-0 norwegian victory over portugal.

with both teams missing their most influential players (ronaldo and riise) it started of a bit scrappy, summed up by a cataclysmicly poor attempt from edourdo to clear a back pass, which carew blocked into the path of erik huseklepp (please sign him sousa), who slotted home sweetly from close range. after which, portugal often struggled to get out of their own half, such was the dominance of the norway midfield.

but the second half was non stop and much more open, with a lot of good chances for both teams, and some defending that was a joy to watch - finally, it was enjoyable seeing a portugeuse lose

if portugal are a footballing superpower, then norway have a real chance in euro 2012, because they bossed them completely and, on another day, could easily have caused more of an upset than this.

6 points from 2 games, and a lot of happy locals

It's rather annoying that Drillo keeps having success with his style of football But well done to Norway. They haven't tasted success in a long time now, and there's always that sweet sense of Schadenfreude when a bunch of arrogant tossers like the Portuguese lose

Still would've taken a draw. We're either going to witness a Portuguese backlash in the next game, or a distinctly average and toothless Danish side will expose the surprisingly horrible Portuguese defence again (still can't get over that 4-4 against Cyprus )