Germany 4-1 England
What can possibly be said about that? It was abject in the extreme and any amount of bleating about goals that were over the line and not given is just a very, very thin smokescreen. Also, there is something structurally wrong with the game in England. Any number of foreign coaches are not going to get England to progress any further in World Cups or European Championships until these fundamental flaws are addressed.
Is it too many games? Maybe. Is it too many foreign imports? Maybe. Is there to much focus on making money, instead of investing it? Possibly. One thing is for sure, and that's as a Nation we have to decide where our focus is to be. Players who told us that England was definitely going to win the World Cup need to get a grip, tabloid sports journalists and editors who so loudly proclaimed that this was to be England's year need to take a long hard look at themselves. Administrators need to decide whether it's to be income or glory - and remember that making a fast buck in the here and now is all well and good, but some long term stability and forward planning would not go amiss. The story of the Jubulani ball and England's struggle to get used to it is a case in point. The x millions of pounds that the Premier League banked for using Nike's balls would pale into insignificance should England have won this World Cup.
First on my list is an immediate cut to 18 teams in the Premier League with the possibility of a mid winter break to be considered also. Then we need to address the League Cup. Since Premier League clubs already treat it with a contempt which it doesn't deserve, why not make it an under 23 competition for those clubs in the Premier League and Championship? Thirdly, and this is practically impossible I know, but what about a limit on foreign players? I know that the attraction of the very best foreign players is one which is hard to resist, but some of the journeymen who come here to take advantage of the ludicrous sums of money on offer should not be able to come here and stop young raw English talent from coming through the ranks. There must also be some thought given to tackling the ridiculous notions held by certain Premier League managers, such like the one which says it's OK to kick lumps out of more technically able opposition. Yes it is a contact sport, but there is a skill in being able to rob the opposing player of the ball without sending him into orbit. Having a good engine or being able to 'put in a good shift' is all well and good also, but fitness and stamina alone should not be the sole requirements of being a Premier League footballer.
For the record, Germany won the game 4-1 with 1st half goals from Klose and Podolski and a 2nd half brace from Muller. At two nil, Matthew Upson scored England's goal and seconds later Frank Lampard's shot hit the cross bar and bounced down behind the goal line but was not allowed. Of course this sort of decision can have a massive influence on a match, but without at least 2 great saves from David James, the Germans would have been out of sight by then anyway.
