That's what you get for being a goalkeeper.

[FatFreddysCat]

Oh yes, I still recall with angst the day I, in goal, had a shot nicely covered, only for it to squirm out of my gloves and into the net, much like Dempsey's shot last night. The main difference being it was the North Home Counties Division four for me, there was a crowd of about twenty, and we got thumped heavily anyway. It was still embarrasing, though.

Oh and like Rupert we all have tales of Keeping errors. I was picked for the school, had a great few games, was clapped off the field by our opponents after a one man show. A few games later had a mare and couldn't catch a cold and fumbled a shot. Guess which game an area scout was at.

Yes, I am still haunted by the 'keeping error that I made when playing for Surrey Fulham fans against Middlesex Fulham fans at Motspur Park.  Dived completely the wrong way and the ball squirted past me.  It'll haunt me until the day I die.

Yeah it was a really close game apart from that  :011: . If you hadn't let in them other 20 odd goals your 12 men would have got a draw against our ten men  :015: 1

[Dragoman]

It's not easy... being Green.  :dft006:

If he'd let in two Obama would have given him his Green Card...

[vagrant]

Gary Sprake was a top quality keeper who made a few very high profile errors. Once he threw the ball straight into his net but however bad it looked in truth it had slipped out of his hand.

I cannot ever recall an error as bad as Green's from a professional keeper and it has to have been caused by nerves and tension. I think it would be an incredibly brave decision to play him against Algeria. He clearly wasn't psychologically capable of playing in a game of such importance.

He's obviously not a bad keeper but he's spent his career playing for ordinary clubs - he hasn't had the big match experience to prepare him for the World Cup. That's true of Hart as well but he's much younger. James has his faults but he won't freeze in a World Cup game.

I think with the goalkeeper Capello was in a no win situation.  If he played Hart and he made that howler then the press would have had a field day.  "What the hell was he thinking of playing such an inexpeienced goalkeeper"  If he played James and he made the howler the press would have said, " What was he thinking of, leaving out a player who played in most of the warm up games, and putting in a goalkeeper who has made some horrendous mistakes"


I just go back to my original point.  Our strikers missed bloody easy chances and have got away scott free because of Green.

[Logicalman]

Gary Sprake was a top quality keeper who made a few very high profile errors. Once he threw the ball straight into his net but however bad it looked in truth it had slipped out of his hand.

I cannot ever recall an error as bad as Green's from a professional keeper and it has to have been caused by nerves and tension. I think it would be an incredibly brave decision to play him against Algeria. He clearly wasn't psychologically capable of playing in a game of such importance.

He's obviously not a bad keeper but he's spent his career playing for ordinary clubs - he hasn't had the big match experience to prepare him for the World Cup. That's true of Hart as well but he's much younger. James has his faults but he won't freeze in a World Cup game.

Thanks, that's the guy. Just goes to show even a seasoned keeper can make big gaffs.

As far as Green is concerned, he is the middle of the two other keepers at our disposal, being more experienced that hart but better and younger than poor old David.

I understand the comment about playing for ordinary clubs, but it's not the team you play FOR, moreover the teams you play AGAINST that counts in my mind. Albeit the cheats do not get the same kind of European opponents as, perhaps the ManUres, Poos, Arses (or even the Fulhams) of this world, more recently, but he has faced some of the best strikers appearing in the WC this year as much as David or Joe, or, I hate to say it but, almost any other keeper available to play for England, and so I would not replace him for the Algeria game, but look to let him get his confidence back.

As Vagrant has mentioned again, this is NOT down to Greens mistake on Saturday, but the muppets in front of him both allowing Demps to run 10 miles with the ball (having breakfast on the way) before having all the space in the world to let rip at the goal, and those jokers who pretend they can actually score goals for their country, but couldn't hit a barn door (or any other part of the barn for that matter) even from the inside. 

[ImperialWhite]

Gary Sprake was a top quality keeper who made a few very high profile errors. Once he threw the ball straight into his net but however bad it looked in truth it had slipped out of his hand.

I cannot ever recall an error as bad as Green's from a professional keeper and it has to have been caused by nerves and tension. I think it would be an incredibly brave decision to play him against Algeria. He clearly wasn't psychologically capable of playing in a game of such importance.

He's obviously not a bad keeper but he's spent his career playing for ordinary clubs - he hasn't had the big match experience to prepare him for the World Cup. That's true of Hart as well but he's much younger. James has his faults but he won't freeze in a World Cup game.

I think with the goalkeeper Capello was in a no win situation.  If he played Hart and he made that howler then the press would have had a field day.  "What the hell was he thinking of playing such an inexpeienced goalkeeper"  If he played James and he made the howler the press would have said, " What was he thinking of, leaving out a player who played in most of the warm up games, and putting in a goalkeeper who has made some horrendous mistakes"


I just go back to my original point.  Our strikers missed bloody easy chances and have got away scott free because of Green.

Exactly - if we were ever going to win it was going to be 1-0. Another goal was not going to happen. I wouldn't entirely blame the strikers though; if we could make intelligent passes and play for more than 10 seconds without losing possession we get more chances that Heskey could miss. I don't like our lump it up there and see approach, or even our play wide and cross in play.

Does anyone else think that if England played 'inverted wingers' like Roy did this season with Fulham we'd (England) have more success? England's first goal came through playing through the middle, after all.

[os5889]

I thought as a whole England played well and looked in control until "le clanger" after that the whole team crumbled and were just terrible no cohesion, communication or confidence and in all honest never really looked like  adding a second.

Capello didnt exactly help his case by bringing on SWP instead of Cole and King getting injured; I still believe it was the right call to pick him.

Still the US dug deep and capitalised on our misfortune, they deserved a point, it promised to be a good day at the office and instead turned out disappointing.

Would Green have been lamented so much had he made the clanger and we then equalised? Who knows.

I'm not getting to downbeat, the quality in the squad is undeniable and we can score more goals than the US and win the group, in which case no damage done.

I'm amazed how little praise Gerrard got, he was unbelievable, he was everywhere and played his little scouse heart out, full time captain, for me yes please if he keeps it up.

The usual case of despairing England threatens to will the team to fail instead of being upbeat and getting on with it! Its not the first bad result, it wont be the last, lets just get on with it!

[McBridefan1]

you boys seem to forget the US did this to The Germans back in '02 the difference is they get bullshlt calls and England has to win on their own... which is my way of saying the refereeing has been absolutely perfect so far in this WC. And I'm a guy who loves to get on the poor refs for screwing my little yanks like in the afore mentioned quarterfinal v. the Germans. Hard to believe it's been 8 years since that happened and it seems like yesterday to me.

[CorkedHat]

Gary Sprake was known throughout the footballing world as "Cinderella" because he kept missing the ball.
But didn't Green make a great save when he palmed the ball on to the post late in the game which had it gone in would have given USA the win? Nobody seems to talk about that

[Airfix]

Yeah it was a really close game apart from that  :011: . If you hadn't let in them other 20 odd goals your 12 men would have got a draw against our ten men  :015: 1

THEY weren't my fault!

[mrska]

Rob Greens parents live approx 100 metres away from my house.. SUNDAY/MONDAY there was a little group of paps/journos camped outside there house.. Shame...

[McBridefan1]

Gary Sprake was known throughout the footballing world as "Cinderella" because he kept missing the ball.
But didn't Green make a great save when he palmed the ball on to the post late in the game which had it gone in would have given USA the win? Nobody seems to talk about that

We all wish he made the opposite save/miss... would have been better for both teams if we scored a good goal and he hadn't made the worst English spill since BP... if England makes it out of the group and goes far in the tournament I'm sure all will be forgotten. I hope for his sake alone that you boys make the quarter finals at least.

[os5889]

What happened to cinderella once she reached the ball?

She gagged

(I'll get me coat  :010:)

[Pata]

Well, I suppose, this is what you get when you give England's number 4 the number one shirt.

He's had a poor season, making a number of errors. David James had a worse season than the previous 2-3 and was hit by injuries. Don't really see any harm in bringing Hart in - he'll probably face about 3 shots on target in the next 2 games (and will thus probably concede 2 goals fewer than Green might) and will thus ease himself into the team and the World Cup.

[timmyg]

American players have been shot for scoring own goals in the world cup...

South American

As Mr. mhatc alludes to, a Colombian player allowed an own-goal that enabled the US to advance in a tourney...the Colombian player went home and was shot and killed by a fanatic...the worst of the beautiful game.

Actually, druglord Pablo Escobar put the hit out on him.

[Ichabod Magoo]

It's not easy... being Green.  :dft006:

If he'd let in two Obama would have given him his Green Card...

Does he speak Spanish?  He could vote tomorrow.

[McBridefan1]

What happened to cinderella once she reached the ball?

She gagged

(I'll get me coat  :010:)

ha ha ha ... next time pinch her nose.