How would any sane person say that they won't ever make a mistake again?

It is one of those things and it does happen, it's just unfortunate.

FWIW I thought we played well overall and will get better as the tournament goes on. Can't believe the amount of people writing us off already after one game?

I take your point....there is no guarantee that it won't happen again....but if you don't learn from your mistakes the chances are it will happen again. And above and beyond that it is a bit of an insult to say it's one of those things.
After all we can ascribe any cock-up as one of those things...when in the real world responsibility has to be taken. But it's football so it doesn't matter..it's just a game.... a game that is worth millions.

Sums it up nicely for me.

The performance wasn't a disaster but it looked a long way from good enough. Hopefully it was our worst of the tournament, because we won't beat any decent sides playing like that.

It was a performance we can build on.

We didn't keep the ball well, which we never seem do, meaning we couldn't dictate the tempo of the game and take the sting out of the game when we got the early goal.

I'd drop Lampard for Carrick and start with Joe Cole on the left wing.

The keeper situation is a tricky one. Does Capello drop Green and destroy his confidence? Who does he replace him with? The talented rookie or the experienced eccentric?

In tournament football it's not about how you start the campaign, it's how you finish it.

Italy won the last WC and in their first game they drew with USA. That's not to say we will win it but last night was far from a disaster. The worst part of the game were the long balls in the first half, it meant Lamps and Gerrard never got on the ball and Rooney was a spectator, 2nd half we played properley and Rooney started to show his talents. If we get it down and play and have a holding midfielder allowing Gerrad and Lamps to get forward then we will do well.

Megson rated him.

Unfortunately he has a number of clangers to his name at Club level too.

3 further points ...

1. Green got lucky with his save where he pushed it onto the post ... badly positioned and could easily have scored an own goal.
2. Heskey is not international class!
3. Despite it all we are far from out of this tournament but will need to step up through the gears if we are to trouble the 'better' sides.

I bet Adam Johnson is loling all over.

Keeps SWP out of the team of the 6th (?) best team in England, yet watches SWP fail miserably on the international stage.

Same old England, even if it's wrapped up with an Italian coach. McClaren would've been murdered by the press / fans after yesterday's selection and performance.

Carragher and Terry as a CB partnership makes me look like Usain Bolt. Rooney has got to be up front on his own, with Gerrard just behind him - it's worked well all season for him, so continue it.

The lack of width on the left is the most worrying thing. I'd consider chucking Warnock at LB with Cole at LM, as he's probably the best left 'winger' in the squad.

If you're looking for positives, at least the curse of the English GK has happened in a pointless game rather than a knock out game ala Seaman or Carson.

I'm sick of all the pointless excuses, "the ball", "Capello didn't name the side" etc. Capello's decision of naming the team didn't affect qualifying, so it shouldn't affect the game.

James
Johnson Dawson Terry Warnock
Milner Lampard Barry A. Cole
Gerrard
Rooney

That'd be my team in the next game.

See my comments above regarding SWP.

O'Neill sees Heskey every day, and sees enough to keep him out of the starting lineup for Villa, yet he manages to steal an international career.

Heskey didn't play that badly, but I would have backed A. Cole / Johnson to score his one-on-one. You can't excuse misses like that.