It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

"a counterattacking side would punish them heavily !....." That rules us out then -):

rf ... you need 1 chance to score a goal (Greece earlier for instance) , it'll be down to how well Portugal can defend.

England (assuming they beat Italy which I think they will) may need to change tactics v Germans. Can't see them defending for 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet so need to attack more and get a couple of their own imo. Rate Hodgson as a tactician so if they do get past Italy you may see a new more open style versus Germany.

Good luck guys.

Hey !....just a moment Dil.....we haven't played Italy yet and the Italians are favourites and the few Italian people I know expect their team to win so it will be incredibly tough !....let's say whoever gets through could pick them off with a counterattacking style....the reverse of what they did to us two years ago !....the Germans are not that good at the back..believe me....Stan....England are starting to become that sort of side......I would like to see England play the way West Ham used to play in Trevor Brooking's day : lovely to watch !.....anyway...put some money on Spain (I have anyway)...(probably will lose it now)........France will be difficult but the Spanish look set for another final....can't see Portugal stopping them...they need ten chances for one goal that lot...

Well.....good luck England......who knows...might just be our year !....

No wonder Cheryl left him.

England lose in penalty shoot-out shock

Embarrasing after the first 20 minutes. Ashley Young had a nightmare should have been taken off after the first half, Rooney obviously unfit. Poor performance, Italy by far the better team, by the time Carroll came on team were knackered. England the great defenders and if they had won the penalty shoot out would have been a travesty of justice and quite honestly would have just prolonged the torture. Good luck to Italy against Germany, they couldn't possibly miss as many chances as they did tonight,could they?

Yep, apologies to the italians for my earlier remarks. Outplayed us and deserved the win.

And may I suggest that Team GB learn from this and make sure they have 5 non English players on the pitch if a penalty shoot out looks likely.

A sickeningly reassuring result - business as usual!

No midfield play at all.....not a good performance at all......and to cap it all we go one up in the penalty shootout only to let it slip.....crazy !...the last penalty kick was very poor.....but you have to say overall Italy were by far the better side.....England have a good defense, a good attack but no midfield at all....

A good attack - you are having a laugh !!!

Milner - ineffective bar 2 mins v Italy
Young - worst england player fielded during the whole tournament
Welbeck - couldn't hold the ball or play to another player in white
Rooney - well below par
Caroll - best of a poor bunch and that's saying something - throws his weight around and largely ineffective
Walcott - was good v Sweden but inconsistent - imo the only one of the above that given a choice I'd persist with

Agree entirely with you Joe - why is that we can see it but those paid a fortune in a too large mangement team cannot. After the first game Oxlade-Chamberlain should have played instead of Young. We no doubt missed Lampard and Barrie but why oh why was Pirlo allowed so much room - I could go on and on but we no doubt will see the old guard again in September. Is it because they are paid these obscene amounts that they are not hungry and already with immense egos.

Young was a disappointment.....there is no midfield play at all that is the big problem and nobody presses the opposition .....O-Chamberlain should have played...

Something has to be done about the energy levels for these players.....it always seems that they run out of steam by the time the knockout stages arrive...perhaps a midwinter break should be introduced in this country : just ten days or so....or a forced midwinter rest for the main players and the reserves or normal nonstarting eleven play for at least two games during january.....made compulsory for all premier league teams but the manager can pick the period during january or february : that way the big players like Rooney and such might feel a little fresher at crucial times for the national side and the run in for the league etc....this could be only every two years in the run up to main competitions that England have qualified for....in the years that England have the misfortune not be involved in this could be discarded.....

Performance enhancing drugs perhaps? ...Or the threat of a loss of salary if they underperform?

Germany out. Bookies delight! I wonder if italians can now complete the task?

I thought that the Germans had a suspect defense......the Spanish are a different proposition.....impossible to predict.....Italy are not going to enjoy the neat passing from the Spanish camp......no bets from me for that one.....as we haven't had a sending off so far : there might be one in the final !.....and what about Nadal out ?......could not believe it !....

Oi Stan , we win our first game at home to Huddersfield and we 3 points clear at the top of the league :-)

What you lot playing Friday night? make the most of it it'll be your only time -):