World Cup debate

Have your say on England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Last updated: 13th October 2008

George Burley Scotland v Norway

Burley: Under pressure?

England recorded a 5-1 victory over Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifying Group 6 and skysports.com wants to hear your views.

Fabio Capello's side were made to work hard for their three points. Did the scoreline flatter the Three Lions? Or are England now finding their feet under the Italian?

Did Capello name the correct first XI? How did Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard get on in midfield? Were there any players who were unfortunate not to start the match?

Should Ashley Cole have done better when Kazakhstan netted their consolation goal, and did he merit the fans' wrath? Were England guilty of underestimating Kazakhstan after a goalless first half?

How will England fare against Belarus on Wednesday? Will there be changes? Will Capello's boys now qualify for South Africa in two years' time?

And what about Scotland? Will George Burley's men live to regret their stalemate against Norway at Hampden Park?

How did Chris Iwelumo miss from three yards out with an open goal? Is Burley's managerial position now under pressure? Can Scotland still qualify?

Meanwhile, Wales eased to a comfortable victory over Liechtenstein at the Millennium Stadium. Can John Toshack's side progress from Group 4? How will they get on in Germany in midweek?

Are Northern Ireland's hopes of qualifying over after they suffered late heartbreak in Slovenia?

Let us know your thoughts using the form below.

Comments

Ian L (Manchester United fan) says...

Am I Missing something? Didn't Gerrard make more rubbbish passes than Cole? However no boos from the crowd , I wonder why.

Posted 23:04 13th October 2008

Graeme Lynch says...

I think Kris Boyd is right to not play for Scotland under George Burley, because he was over looked by the manager when Scotland were struggling to score aganist Norway. George Burley made the mistake by being on two players that are not experised at international level. Also Boyd would have scored the Iwelumo chance. But why does Kris Boyd have to prove himself when his goal rate is brillant for Rangers and Scotland? Even at Rangers Walter Smith does not play him all the time, when he should be playing more for Rangers. Last season at Rangers Boyd scored the goals that won The Scottish Cup and League Cup for the Club. If playing more often at Rangers last season i think the League Title would have being won. I do hope Scotland can still go through in the group, but i think that's going to be hard because of dropping points aganist Norway.

Posted 20:32 13th October 2008

Jamie Anderson says...

George Burley is in no position to be dictating & demanding answers...perhaps he should be looking at his own 'limited abilities' & assessing his own level of 'consistent performance' & posing those questions firmly at his own reflection. I actually cannot even contemplate where Burley has the audacity to publically ask Kris Boyd 'how much does he care'??? Perhaps George should take out the videos of those games & watch those performances to a) determine how much Kris Boyd cares & B) what exactly he's missing up front at present & for the remainder of his managerial tenure.

Posted 20:01 13th October 2008

Kev Bray says...

What are the odds on Terry & Cole playing for Chelsea at the weekend and Green for West Ham ? I'm sick of players (like Gerrard last time) dropping out of the squad so they can be fit for their next Club match. If they can't to play for England on Wednesday, they should have to sit out their next Club match. Either that or retire from internationals and make way for players that want to play. These players are quite capable of playing three games over 8 days if it involves Premier League & Champions League games but as soon as there is an England double header or friendly they mysteriously have niggling injuries which suddenly clear up in time for their next Club match.

Posted 19:56 13th October 2008

James (manchester united fan) says...

Ashley Cole was booed because he is one of the most hated men in English football. Yes he made a mistake, but that only gave the boo boys a platform to attack him from. Don't get me wrong; I think the fans should get behind the national team, but it's hard to feel sorry for Cole after the way he left Arsenal, the way he arrogantly disrespected a referee when he was trying to speak to him in a match last year and the way his general attitude is a terrible example to young people. All the things he has done in the past to make him so hated were concious decisions and if he hadn't acted so poorly the fans would have been more forgiving to him on Saturday. I find it almost comical that the FA should leap to the defence of a man who has disrespected his opponents and officials on a countless number of occasions. If he'd been properly punished for his actions in the past then they would be right to defend him, but really he only has himself to blame and should learn to deal with it as it won't stop for him this late in the day.

Posted 18:20 13th October 2008

Alan Ward says...

Personally I don't care how England play as long as they qualify for South Africa. If they can't qualify from this "poor" group then what does the future hold? As for the booing, the fans are fickle and will show their feelings whether it be at Wembley or not. Did not Frank Lampard receive the same and not only at Wembley. To progress in South Africa we will need some new faces. Beckam - why is he still involved, surely not a candidate for 2010 or is this just a ploy to get him more caps than some of the TRULY great footballers we have seen in the past!! Come on England - you can do it.

Posted 17:52 13th October 2008

Jason Marchant says...

Was it some sort of greed or stupidity that locked England into playing at Wembley for every home international. This is the reason you get the same idiots at every game. If England were to play the odd game at St James Park, Old Trafford etc, the fans would be so pleased to actually see there national side for once cheers would ring throughout. I cannot think of a single nation (and I dont want smartarses coming back with Monaco or Luxembourg) that plays everyone home international not only in the same city but at the same ground. To stop the booing you need to take some of the games away from the spoilt ungrateful Londoners and let the rest of the nation show some respect. It's not as though Wembley is a fortress either.

Posted 16:09 13th October 2008

Bhavesh Patel says...

You don't boo Ashley Cole because of his howler...you boo him because he has the most gorgeous girl as his wife!!And to think it was all about football!

Posted 15:55 13th October 2008

Simon Waters says...

After failing to qualify for the Euros last time out, the last thing England needs to worry about is the performance. 3 points and +4 goal difference from the game is a fantastic result. As for Ashley Cole, i agree with the players, its a disgrace. We are trying to turn Wembley into the fortress it once was, and booing your own team does not help. Did Scotland boo Iwelumo after his mistake actually cost them points? No. Coles mistake had no effect on the result at all. Can you imagine Liverpool booing any of there own at Anfield on a big European night? It wouldn't happen, and Anfield is the most electric, intimidating and passionate place to visit. Maybe England fans need to take a leaf out of the Scouser supporters book. And thats coming from a Chelsea fan.

Posted 15:16 13th October 2008

Sean Smith (Chelsea fan) says...

I think that the England fans that booed Ashley Cole are pathetic, those fans would not of booed there club players if they made the same mistake. I'm a Chelsea fan and admit that i aint Ashley Cole's biggest fan as i'm sure quite a few Chelsea fans will agree but he is still one of the best left back around, this country needs to start getting behind our players despite who they play for, i hate Liverpool but think Gerrard should be in that team, i also think Carragher (if he didnt quit internationals) should've been Terry's replacement on saturday. Also the Gerrard/Lampard debate, i honestly think that they can play in the same team, alot of people said that bout Ballack and Lampard but they have proved they can, also what is wrong with leaving one of them on the bench? In the euro championships Spain had Fabregas and Xabi Alonso on the bench, sometimes even Iniesta. If you was the opposing team and see Lampard or Gerrard on the bench wouldnt you be bit worried that they have someone of that ability to come on and change a game? i think its time this country started getting behind these players like we did in Euro 96

Posted 14:59 13th October 2008

Darren Stewart says...

Regarding the Burley v's Boyd issue. No matter what Boyd's feelings are about Burley's decision not to play him Boyd should not be spitting his dummy out in public like that. surely modern day proffesional fottballers are savvy enough to handle these situations a bit better. It is highly unproffesional and i agree with lawrie Sanchez, he should be sanctioned for publicly slating the national manager.A quote from George Burley "Iv'e never had a cross word with Kris Boyd".... Thats being proffesional and diplomatic. Further more, unless your a rangers fan nobody really cares for Boyd except for the fact he's good for a goal when needed. If he was the great player that some of you say then why doesnt he get picked to start every game for Rangers???? He's always been seen as arrogant and lazy and this latest uotburst ffrom him just proves the point. George Burley's brief management history speaks for itself He's a proven manager. Scotland will do well under Burley but his job has been made that much more difficult with over paid footballers spitting their dummy out because their not flavour of the month.

Posted 14:56 13th October 2008

Andy Cropper says...

I'm an England fan and couldn't be happier that we eventually demolished Kazakhstan. But no matter what people say Ashley Cole deserved to be boo'd for his stupid mistake. We the supporters don't expect somebody who earns the money he does just give the ball away so easily. Its completely different if it is racist chanting against a player but he should of taken it on board and thought "i better start concentrating and prove these fans wrong". I know the england players will come out in support of Ashley Cole but when you make stupid mistakes against the poorer sides like kasakhstan u deserve to be critisized. Up to that point England were lucky to still be in the game, against a better side we would of been walloped!. To finish....those newspapers in support of Ashley Cole are the biggest hypocryts of all....they continuously put down our England team and suddenly they are all in favour of the players when by there next headline there'll all be labelled useless. The fans have a right to express their opinion they pay alot of money to watch England play game after game. Leave off us real fans alone for expressing ourselves!!!

Posted 14:27 13th October 2008

Lee Watson says...

How anyone can say Boydy doesnt work hard enough is a complete idiot...The Man scores goal whenever he's on the pitch..Burley needs to stop calling on the Championship players for Our Big games..It's costing us..Mcfadden is the only exception as he's proved he can hang with the big National teams...Boyd isnt the only one who's packed it in under Burley..Is it me or is a trend beginning to show with everyone now beginnging to doubt their place in the squad for a bunch of Championship No-Hopers..We should be relying on Premier League and SPL players to guide us to were we deserve and that is to the World Cup..Burley has made me completely lose faith in the national team again..The way the things are going we're gonna be at the bottom of the FIFA Ranking like the days under Berti Vogts...

Posted 14:23 13th October 2008

Trevor Hall says...

I travelled down to Wembley from the North East to watch the England game. (First England game for over 25 years). Just a few observations. 1. We won 5-1... that to me is a good performance from the team. Yes, there were some poor periods with some bad passing - 15 mins before half-time and around the time that Kazakhstan scored but overall a great result. The knockers should realise that there are very few national teams who will lie down and give in to so-called superior teams and let them play great football. The Kazakhs were like many other teams that will get all their players behind the ball and hope to grab a draw. Credit to England for their patience. 2. Fabio had asked the fans not to boo if England hadn't scored after 20 mins. A group of "supporters" in front of us attempted (feebly) to start a Mexican wave and when I looked at the clock guess what - 20 mins gone! Hasn't taken Capello long to sus out the attention span of some England fans. 3. Absolute disgrace to boo Ashley Cole. The guy makes a mistake - a howler - but it's no help to dish out that kind of treatment for a single error. I'm glad to say that me and my son were among the many spectators who tried to drown out the booing with applause. Cole played well after that and the boo-boys couldn't keep it up.

Posted 14:22 13th October 2008

Doug says...

Awful performance. I thought we actually looked stronger and more dominant in the first half despite the scoreline. When we are playing teams that defend in numbers and with any degree of organisation, the key is simply patience. Lower profile teams will always tire eventually, as they did on saturday. The likes of Walcott, Rooney, Gerrard and Lampard will look much more comfortable against teams intent on victory. On the Cole booing issue, I have to say I was shocked that at 2-1, the so-called fans would undermine a player who was obviously already disheartened. Player's make mistakes, and there were plenty of other examples of England players giving the ball away, the difference was that on one of those occasions the opposition happened to score. I certainly hope you wouldn't boo a player for missing a penalty. Regardless of your position on this issue, surely you must understand that by treating a player in this way, you may well indirectly cost us crucial world cup qualifying points.

Posted 14:04 13th October 2008

Bob Grier (Motherwell fan) says...

As a Scotland fan i am miffed at the situation with Kris Boyd. How can a guy who has been leading scorer for the past few seasons be over looked by "The Manager". He wants to wake up and smell the coffee and not the alcohol, its absolutely crazy, and now Scotland will struggle more now the fact that Big Boydy has sacked it under Burley. Further...What do England fans want from there team, yes it took them till the second half to destroy Kazakhstan but at least they stepped up to the plate this time, some people are never happy unless they are slating someone. And as for the boo boys there is no place in Football for that sort of behaviour, Ashley Cole has been one of the most consistant players in an England shirt and because of one small mistake he is abused by some fans, get a grip.

Posted 13:53 13th October 2008

Steven King says...

Is it just me or do england fans always have to find something to complain about.I will start with the a.cole incident.If a player makes a mistake the fans should not boo but get behind the player and try to get him to forget about it.0-0 at halftime.Who cares ye scored 5 in the second half.As an irish man I only dream of stuff like that.Im also a man utd fan and i think it was a great game for us.Rooney got 2 and if it wasnt an og he would had a hatrick.Wes Brown got an assist for 1 of his goals.And Rio Ferdinand captain and scoring you dont get much better than that.As for the other results wales did very well against Liechtenstein.Northern ireland I was just laughing.And for sctland I just think if it was Boyd and not Iwelumo the Scots would had 3 points.COME ON THE BOYS IN GREEN ON WEDS AGAINTS THE CYPRIOTS

Posted 13:48 13th October 2008

Emyr Jones says...

Why is everyone so down on England even though they scored 5 goals the other night, plus four in croatia. Capello tried 4-3-3 in the first half, and he`s not stupid..... he saw it wasnt working (although not a shot on target in 45 mins is disappointing no matter what the formation) and changed to 4-4-2. Then 5 goals. So why is everyone moaning. I think its the press who underestimated Khazakstan, and they expected a thrashing. The Borats played their socks off in that first half and deserved their nil nil. Cole deserves no more than being dropped for the next game for complacency. The whole lack of respect thing is rubbish. Rio pointed him to go back to the keeper. he just fluffed his pass thats all, no need to hang him or boo him. He knows he messed up. Can anyone really question his work rate the other night? It was phenomenal. So Belarus next who are no mugs, but i`d expect england to win comfortably, but how comfortable does it have to be? 0-7? 0-8? 0-9? I`d settle for two nil, three at a push, but im sure the press will class them as minnows and expect a cricket score. I`m welsh and i was chuffed to bits with two nil against liechtenstein. Sure more goals would have been nice, but you cant complain with three points. You really cant! I dont even expect us to qualify, but its still a buzz when you mathematically can.... cause you never know. We were close a few years ago, but lost to russia in the play offs. That was some campaign.... and we didnt even qualify at the end of it. Did we berate our players? NO. we celebrated their achievements. Time for you england supporters to get behind the team and Capello, who in my opinion will bring england a trophy or two.

Posted 13:48 13th October 2008

Terry Rooney says...

The England players have the most difficult job in the game by far. Any team that scores five goals and concedes only one, regardless of how it happens, should surely be praised. Everyone talks about making sure you're up for games against the minnow teams and its clear from the result that England went about their jobs amicably. If every individual mistake or poor performance is greeted with distain by the fans then how can you expect the team to come together for the tournaments and big games. Encouragement can make people do things beyond their natural ability but Ridicule by those who are supposed to support you can cripple players mentally. Big wages doesnt make you immune to critisism, otherwise England would win everything, but if your 12th man is against you then you cant expect to compete against the teams you need to beat in order to win something. Just look at the recent overachieving Liverpool teams, if Wembly was like Anfield on a european night England could be unstoppable.

Posted 13:46 13th October 2008

Gavin Brown says...

George Burley has taken Scotland 3 steps back he inherited a good team that was playing well and had a good team spirit the man has broken this spirit in such a small period of time what will he be able to do if he stays any longer. I can only see worse to come

Posted 13:36 13th October 2008

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