Daniel Taylor wrote in The Guardian: ‘The chances of Theo Walcott playing in Saturday's quarter-final against Portugal can accurately be described as somewhere between minuscule and non-existent.'
Just two months after Eriksson said, "It was probably not logical to go for Walcott but I did it by feelings" (The Sun), when the England coach was asked this week about the constant chopping and changing in the England side, he said, "Of course there was a plan. There's always a reason behind everything."
Well here's my feeling. You're time will be up not a moment too soon, on Saturday, and the only people who are going to be disappointed are those taken in by the nonsense you and most of your players have been feeding us in post match interviews over the last couple of weeks.
After four unmemorable World Cup performances by the tame lions, Oliver Kay in The Times wrote, ‘If self-awareness and self-criticism are signs of weakness, then this England squad is a pretty strong lot. A siege mentality runs through this England squad and only time will tell whether it is their greatest strength or one of their biggest shortcomings.'
Paul Robinson in a more honest tone, explained: "The pitches have been hard because they're not being watered, it's slowed our passing game down and we've not got a rhythm going." (The Times)
While England has regularly pointed out they remain in the tournament, along with Ukraine they remain the only side in the last eight not to have beaten a European nation along the way. There's also been a lack of passion shown on the pitch right from the start, something that cannot be said for their opponents in the next round.
Despite missing Deco and Costinha through suspension, Portugal will be fairly confident of repeating the outcome the last time the two sides met, at Euro 2004. In reality, they will probably do a lot better. Indeed, the English press this week felt it necessary to help their team out, so badly was something else required. According to the Portuguese FA, the backpage of The Sun on Wednesday that ran with the story, ‘Target Rotten Robbo, Portugal claim Robinson is struggling', was based on "a fake interview" with Paris St. Germain striker Pauleta. (The Times)
Alfonso Moro, Portugal's head of press described the report, which came from an interview in Spain, via a London agency that insisted it was entirely accurate, as a "fabrication, which had made things unbearable for us". (Daily Telegraph)
England will certainly have the Dutch supporting them on Saturday regardless. Following their controversial second round defeat at the hands, and the foreheads of the Portuguese last Sunday, Luiz Felipe Scolari's players afterwards blamed the referee, Russian Valentin Ivanov for losing control of the game. They succeeded where Spain were victims in similar circumstances against France. It's doubtful though whether or not Raymond Domenach had been putting newspaper headlines accounted to Spanish players under the hotel room doors of his players the night before the game.
Kay added, ‘Portugal's siege mentality could be turned into a source of strength. But who are the English to be affronted by such fun and games? Some will be, but others might find Scolari's unique approach to public and media relations and to motivating his team a refreshing and invigorating change from the coldness and apparent inertia of Eriksson.'
"For many years Portugal did not see a team to dignify the name of Portugal, fighting so much and doing so much for Portugal," said Scolari after reaching the quarter finals. (The Times)
Pauleta said, "After we went down to 10 men against Holland, the pressure increased. It was another game of suffering like the many we've had before. It was what we were used to. The referee should have given Holland red cards for two fouls on Ronaldo in the first few minutes. But we won and that was the most important thing." (The Sun) Now where have we heard that closing line before?