craig

Yeah but Gav.... (can't believe I am defending Colsh here....) Colshy responded to your post when you mentioned LINEKER, it was Shearer that came away with the comment. Shearer shouldn't be let near the studios again - as a pundit/commentator you HAVE to keep your emotions in check, much as though we know that everyone can be patriotic and want their team to win you have to also be professional, and Shearer wasn't being professional !!

pete, I am sure that the reason PLG will be taking the players away to South Africa is for conditioning more than anything else. At this time of year the temperatures over there will be searing I would imagine, and when you add humidity to that equation the players will come back and SHOULD be in great physical condition for the season ahead. Being in Bermuda I can tell you that training and playing (I go running 3-4 times a week) in high humidity drains you but is a GREAT workout and provides you with more stamina than had you been running/training back home. I am sure Gribz will be able to relate to this too. I could be wrong but I reckon the SA trip is PLG's final fitness and stamina preparation for the squad and I reckon he is doing it because of the conditions...... get the players to a good level of fitness at home and then take them a stage further under extreme conditions - I am likely wrong but it will be a good workout for the squad. Shame they can't simulate those conditions at home.

OK, have had a look and can't find specific rules on top goalscorer. The closest there is to it is that of a "dead heat". The rules of that bet stipulate that half of your bet is applied to your selection (Henry) at full odds but the other half of your bet is lost. Makes sense actually because you have kind of won but also kind of not won. Don't know if they would apply that rule to top goalscorer but it does make sense to me.

Depends on the bookies rules Gribz. Some will pay out, some won't and others will deem it a "push" (drawn bet). Which bookie did you bet with ? A local bookie or international ? If one of the likelies (ala Willie Hill, Ladbrokes etc) let me know and I will try to find out for you

Definitely NOT Ferdinand. If it were me I would choose Terry - he is a rock for England and would go through brick walls for them.

Can you imagine all those guys in the same team with Matthaus playing a holding role for ZZ ? Even with just those 5 or 6 players you have a team VERY hard to beat, and when you have Best on the right side of midfield and Namouchi on the left (lol) this would be a world beating team !

Agreed Jon, so many players to mention ! I watched highlights last week of the WC in Mexico '86.... unbelievable the way Maradona basically single-handedly won Argentina the WC. When he had the ball at his feet NO-ONE could take it off him. That is the single best tournament performance I have EVER seen. I would like to say Pele because he is a better role model than Maradona, but like you I have only seen video footage of him - Maradona is the best I have ever seen - and I highly doubt I will ever see a player like him again !

Beckenbauer maybe Gav but I disagree with Matthaus. Matthaus was a great player but for me ZZ just has that something extra - he can win a game on his own when in the mood. Cannavaro has been a rock - funny, a rumours site says he will sign for Celtic - yeah, right !!

Whoever said they have done well with England Colsh needs to realise that in the 3 tournaments he took them into he never got them past the quarters. And in THIS squad, if he had picked the RIGHT squad (ala taking Defoe or Bent instead of Walcott) and if he had the right tactics.... was one of the best , if not THE best, English squad since 66. His predecessors did better than him IMO - Sir Bobby got them to the semis in 90 with a squad that was no better and Venables got them to the semis of Euro 96 (was the semis right ? - I stopped paying attention after Scotland got knocked out....) with no better a squad too ! IMO he has done a mediocre job with the players at his disposal. You were right to have a go.

Sad thing though Colsh, at least for you boys, is that had England been performing the way they CAN this tournament was definitely there for the taking. Brazil were awful tonight. The French look like they have some of their 1998 confidence back - ZZ turned back the clock and was IMMENSE. They should make the final as Portugal don't impress me at all. And if they make the final then who knows !

Ricardo Carvalho..... funnily enough a CHELSEA player, LOL

yeah, they won 1-0 with N'Diaye scoring the only goal

We ALL know its coming so I thought I would start the thread for you Colsh Very poor game in my opinion, from BOTH teams (he says as he now steps aside for Colshy to start the ranting !).

to be fair Mike to the guy that Rooney stamped on I don't think he was play-acting..... Rooney stepped on his nuts !!! Now, the contention was if Rooney meant it ! As for Ronaldo he had no business being anywhere near the incident..... would love to be a fly on the wall at the 1st ManU training session when they are both back !! I agree that Portugal won't go further - but I don't think England would have either !!

The sad thing Gribz is that this England team was capable of going the whole way.... yet not in ONE game did they look good. I know the fans don't want McLaren but he CAN'T be any worse than Sven - he just took a team capable of winning tournaments and made them a boring, defensive team bereft of ideas and, IMO, one of the worst teams in the tournament.

Is it just me or was Owen Hargreaves one of England's better, if not best, player in that game ? Sven must be really proud of himself for bringing Lennon off in order to get one of his preferred penalty takers (Carragher) on the pitch - who then showed his manager just why he should be on to take a penalty... and missed it !

It would have to be Ronaldo that scores the winning penalty ! Neither team deserves to be this deep in the competition !

Ronaldo... 3-1 - GAME OVER !!!!!!!!!

Portugal...... one more pen to put the English out - Ricardo is a MONSTER at saving penalties....

Carragher.... MISSED 2-1

Postiga... 2-1

Gerrard.... MISSED 1-1

Petit.... MISSED 1-1

Hargreaves... Uh-oh...... 1-1

Viana.... MISSED 1-0