World Cup qual. - Bilic: England can win World Cup

Eurosport - Thu, 10 Sep 13:27:00 2009

All the reaction from the World Cup action featuring the home nations with Slaven Bilic backing England to shine in South Africa.

FOOTBALL 2009 World Cup qualifer Croatia manager Slaven Bilic congratulates Fabio Capello after England's 5-1 win at Wembley - 0

England 5-1 Croatia

Slaven Bilic: "Based on that, England can definitely win the World Cup. We didn't expect this in our worst nightmares. They were fantastic from the start. They didn't surprise us. They played their own game and they looked the sharper, more aggressive side even before the first goal. We were very happy at half-time that it was only 2-0. It could have been five."

Fabio Capello: "That was the best 20 minutes of the qualification games, fantastic. We pressed a lot when the opponents had the ball and when we had it the quality of the passing was very, very good. We trained very well yesterday and the faces of the players were different. The spirit, the concentration in every moment, the movement - I was happy with everything."

John Terry: "Let's not forget it has taken us a year or so to get to this level. We still want to progress and have a lot of improvements to make in this squad. This is where we want to be, competing at this level and at this standard."

Frank Lampard: "We put the record straight. This performance showed everything we are about. This is the first step, we have qualified now and there is still a long way to go. If we can keep improving when we get to the World Cup, then that will be fantastic."

Wayne Rooney: "I was delighted to score tonight. My chance was a bit fortunate, but you have got to be in the position to take those chances. It is an amazing feeling to reach the World Cup, having won eight out of eight. The manager has told us what our jobs are, and what he expects from us. That is what we have tried to do on the pitch."

Aaron Lennon: "I have started the season well and just tried to carry on what I had been doing at Spurs. Luckily for me, it went my way and I did quite well. My game is to try to get into the full-back as much as I possibly can. We got the ball out wide a lot but the whole team was brilliant. We want to win every game and do not want to come out of this run. Winning games is a great feeling and we want to continue to win all the games in the group and I do not see why we cannot do that."

David Beckham: "The expectation levels are going to be high because of eight wins out of eight and doing it in the fashion that we've done it. There will be a lot of people sitting up and taking notice of how we've qualified. We've still got those expectations of playing and doing well in the competition, but we're happy to be there now."

Scotland 0-1 Netherlands

George Burley: "All I'm doing is managing Scotland and I think the public tonight appreciated that. The performances we put up against a top team was top-notch. They (the players) have come off with a lot of pride. We put so much into the game but we got nothing out of it. So, I couldn't ask any more."

Darren Fletcher: "We should have had second place wrapped up. It's been a disappointing campaign. All the players have got to take a look at themselves - it wasn't good enough. We gave it one hell of an effort tonight but that effort is needed in all the games, not just tonight against Holland."

Paul Hartley: "I think the manager has been harshly criticised, it's not been fair on him but he has tried to deal with it in the best possible way. It's not easy being the Scotland manager and he has been up against it since day one, from everybody. It's only fair that the he gets another chance at it."

David Marshall: "They had a few chances as well but on the whole I think the draw would have been a fair result. However, over the eight games in the qualifying campaign we didn't play to our best and we probably didn't do enough and that is disappointing."

Giovanni van Bronckhorst: "I had mixed feelings going on to the pitch because you want to win for your country but you know if you win then Scotland will be out. If Kenny (Miller) had another chance like that then he would score. It was a big chance but our keeper did tremendously well to save and it was a big turning point in the game."

Wales 1-3 Russia

John Toshack: "The lads did everything that was asked of them. The tactics we worked on beforehand, and the plans we made were carried out the way we asked them. After James Collins's goal we had them on the ropes for a decent spell and could easily have taken the lead. But we gave away poor goals at the end, the third was a comedy of errors, and you are punished if you do that. But overall I felt the score-line flattered them, we did not deserve to lose by that amount."

Northern Ireland 0-2 Slovakia

Nigel Worthington: "We never got out of the traps, they came out straight away. They were brighter than us. If they weren't winning the first they were certainly winning the second ball and the bits. If we came out in the first half like we did in the second half then we give ourselves a chance but we have to give ourselves a chance. But I have to give credit to Slovakia."

Eurosport / Reuters

Comment 107 - 126 of 126

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  1. Capello is a fantastic coach but he is Italian and not­ english.How can england ever claim true ability when­ they cant do it as a nation.They will become the EU­ team in their desperate search to win anything.Its­ false and always will be seen as a fake win should they­ win anything again.No english coach then no real nation­ win.

    From dan dan, on Fri 11 Sep 9:32AM

  2. Bilic would'nt know a good team if it was Man­ Utd.England are an Average team always have been always­ will be.Its time that the english wake up and realise­ that they do not have a proper national side as they­ have an Italian as their Leader.England cant do it on­ their own they need us Italian Masters to teach yous­ how to play the game.

    From dan dan, on Fri 11 Sep 9:25AM

  3. I dont read the sun or the gutter press personally any­ any semi intelligent person would know that all the­ stoking the fires of England winning the world cup is­ their opinion not the nations,yes we want to go there­ and win it and hope we do otherwise whats the point in­ going,dosent mean we think were the best team .As for­ andy murray he is allowed his opinion but he needs to­ remember where his grants came from and that wimbeldon­ gives him a wild card why well beacuse he is bloody­ british,to not care about another nations results is­ fine to go out of your way to state how much you want­ them to lose well its racist but hey were english so we­ cannot defend ourselves as its not pc.And as for us­ being mongrals yeah were multi cultured now weither we­ like it or not as is the rest of the world times­ change .SCOTS are thouroughbred yes with what aeems a­ tiny gene pool.

    From darrenhumphrys2000, on Fri 11 Sep 8:06AM

  4. pud I know a Hun when I see one, so so much for being­ thoroughbred, the same people that want to banish­ over a million of their own people back to Ireland...

    From 322, on Fri 11 Sep 12:29AM

  5. No joke guys. Only last week I cheered Freedie­ Flintoff's brilliant stumping of Aussie Captain at­ the Oval, but after reading some of the arrogant­ anti-Murray/anti-Scotish @#$% on here I really had­ second thoughts about supporting any 'English'­ individual or team in any sport ever again. As for the­ term 'mongrel'. well take a close look at­ yourselves, the make up of your football teams - eg­ Arsenal and Chelsea to name just two, your tennis­ players - Bogdanovic, Robson (hardly English or even­ British are they), your Rugby League players (mostly­ southern hemisphere)etc. etc. etc.. And thats just­ sport ! What about the general population ?! ENGLAND ?­ You must be joking !

    From pudeetat, on Fri 11 Sep 12:17AM

  6. youve come a long way in 2 days havent ye pud lol, ­ 2 days ago you were cheering us on at golf and­ everything, now your talking like the kkk, they­ used the term mongrels all the time as well

    From 322, on Thu 10 Sep 11:50PM

  7. PUDEETAT You must be joking ha ha its just sour grapes­ just go and cry on your foil jock !! LOL

    From Phil, on Thu 10 Sep 11:45PM

  8. Got to laugh at all the people on here supporting the­ England football team ! England is no longer­ 'England' ! Given all the interbreeding,­ illegal immigrants and dodgy contraceptive advice­ England has now become the 'mongrels' of Europe­ - if not the World. So I think It is totally hilarious­ to read comments from such low bred people trying to­ belittle we thoroughbred Scots. Love it !!!

    From pudeetat, on Thu 10 Sep 11:29PM

  9. pudeetat, some of the language Ive had from your Huns­ would shock you sick lol, theyve been savage with me­ about my Republican sympathys, but I dont go­ changing my whole outlook getting angry and everything.­ The Andy Murray things always gonna be an issue I­ think mate, some English people are just as petty, ­ they still remember him sayin he didnt like England and­ hoped they lose, it was the press that made a big­ deal out of that as well, they know exactly what­ theyre doin........... Id probably have an opinion on­ it myself if tennis was a heterosexual type sport

    From 322, on Thu 10 Sep 11:25PM

  10. puddytat more like bagheads who eat deep fried mars­ bars

    From Phil, on Thu 10 Sep 11:25PM

  11. Slavan Bilic was just being a gentleman in defeat thats­ all, I know Scots from other sites, this is gold to­ them, people saying Englands gonna win the world cup­ all the time, Bilic doesnt know that, the English­ press dont tell anyone, cos they like to fuel it, ­ they send reporters up to Scotland and everything, ­ askin peoples opinions on Englands chances lol, ­ they play some funny games sometimes

    From 322, on Thu 10 Sep 11:05PM

  12. Until 2 days ago I used to support England in golf,­ football, rugby, cricket etc. etc.. Now, following some­ of the comments on here, from English people slagging­ off Andy Murray just for being 'Scottish' and­ the Sottish football team for losing to Holland and­ being "losers" I will now support any­ sporting individual or team from ANY country that­ competes against ANY English individual or team. At­ least we Scots are thoroughbreads and not the­ 'mongrel' race that now call themselves­ "English".

    From pudeetat, on Thu 10 Sep 10:28PM

  13. 117 foeyp....I've nothing against scousers, I'm­ one myself, Toxteth born and bred and a die hard­ toffeeman.

    From John R, on Thu 10 Sep 5:10PM

  14. Bilic is angeling for a premiership job what with his­ praise of a bad to average english 11.

    They are indeed­ average as in AVERAGE.

    From dan dan, on Thu 10 Sep 3:08PM

  15. john R what have you got against scousers?

    Lennon had­ a good game granted but he is replaceable unlike­ gerrard and rooney the two scousers who play for­ England incase you didn't notice

    From FoeyP, on Thu 10 Sep 1:52PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    very amazing whats happening in uk. all athelets have a­ good results. how that ? i dont know ?

    they can win­ all titles if they take something to help them to do­ better.

    really amazing thing

    From ramikassim3, on Thu 10 Sep 1:32PM

  17. To 111 foeyp. Another blinkered football­ 'supporter'! Bailed out!!! What a laugh, fella­ it was a team effort and I do believe Lennon was man of­ the match? Now does he play for the scousers? I think­ not!

    From John R, on Thu 10 Sep 1:25PM

  18. All the positives are written below in all the other­ blogs, I can't really add to them except by saying,­ superb performance lads and bring on South Africa. As­ for Scotland, the football in this country has always­ been third rate and they just don't deserve a place­ in any finals, I was over the moon to watch them get­ kicked out last night so, to all you Scots....watch and­ weep YET again whilst the real footballers of this­ proud nation of England show you how it should be done.­ Don't you just love it?

    From John R, on Thu 10 Sep 1:22PM

  19. BURGLARS ENEMY OR SHOULD I SAY ( BITTER JOCK) IT MAKES­ ME LAUGH TO THINK WHERE YOUR HEADS AT COMPARED TO MINE.­ I WOULD HAVE LIKED SCOTLAND TO HAVE QUALIFIED ALONG­ WITH US BUT AS YOU SO RIGHTLY SAID ITS A LITTLE COUNTRY­ FULL OF POEPLE WITH TINY MINDS!!! WITH A 2 TEAM LEAGUE­ WHICH CANT POSSIBLY PRODUCE A SIDE WITH THE ABILITY TO­ COMPETE IN THE TOP TIER OF WORLD FOOTBALL ITS NOT FAIR­ IS IT. THEY SHOULD HAVE A LITTLE TEAMS WORLD CUP FOR­ YOU TO BE COMPETATIVE! THE DAYS OF SCOTLAND QUALIFYING­ FOR MAJOR TOURNAMENTS ARE WELL AND TRULY OVER. THE­ TARTAN ARMY ARE NOW DEFUNCT

    From Phil, on Thu 10 Sep 1:21PM

  20. thank god the scousers bailed us out again , we would­ be totally scr3wed without scousers in the team well­ done Rooney and Gerrard and well done to the city of­ Liverpool too for producing our two most talented­ English players Gerrard and Rooney

    From FoeyP, on Thu 10 Sep 1:15PM
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