No-no-no-no-no . . . Yesvember

[Sweder]

Well there we are - or, rather, not.
Devastated? Not really. Croatia were simply excellent - cool, calm, collected in the face of headless chickens and frightened lambs.

Is it, as Alan Hansen pompously claimed tonight, the 'low point in English (football) history'? Of course not. 'We' have no devine right to beat anyone, least of all a team playing such composed, efficient, ruthless football, ultimately topping their group with an ease that does not flatter them.

Well played Croatia. At least part-Croat broadcaster, football nut and fellow FLM 2005 finisher Adrian Chiles will be happy. His paternal side deserved their glory - and didn't they enjoy it! They will be tough to beat and good to watch in Austria and Switzerland next summer.

And what now for England? A farewell to Second Choice Steve perhaps, though I confess that I rather liked his style under pressure. Personally I'd like to see Brian Barwick fall on his sword, but hari kari isn't in vogue these days.

No doubt the recriminations will come thick and fast. How I'd loved to have asked the pundits - those same wise men who have hailed McLaren's team selections since the carefully orchestrated team-sheet leaks yesterday - if they backed his choices win, lose or draw before the kick-off. 20/20 perception will now rule the roost as those same well-paid sages rub their chins and tell us that of course those risky selections doomed us to failure. Such is the way of our national game, and such is the media merry-go-round. For my two pennuth I thought McLaren's choices were about right, though I thought the goalkeeping job should have changed hands before this crunch encounter.

Whilst Lampard's anonimity in the first half was a suprise to no-one I don't think anyone could have forseen the ineptitude of Wayne Bridge or the lack of drive in the second half from Steven Gerrard. It was a strange England performance which suggested above all a level of fear - and the resulting bad decision-making and hesitancy - that costs you big time at international level. Low point? No, I think our inglorious past on foreign terraces and in riot-torn streets deserve that dubious accolade. But we're in a rum old state and that's for sure.

A new World order? Not quite - changing European landscape perhaps.
If you like a flutter, get a few bob on the men in the chef's chequered tops.
They can go all the way in this tournament.