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22 November 2007
England fail to qualify for Euro 2008
Last night's defeat by Croatia was the final nail in the coffin for England's Euro 2008 hopes.
The 3-2 massacre has led to calls for manager Steve Mclaren to resign. His much-disputed starting line-up was largely blamed for the team's failure. David Beckham was kept back until the second half, and regular goalie Paul Robinson was replaced by newbie Scott Carson, in his first game in an international competition.
The continuous rain did not help matters either.
All they needed was a draw, yet our national team could not even manage that.
The first Croatian goal slipped right through Carsons fingers, showing his obvious inexperience. After just 14 minutes, Croatia were already 2-0 up.
In a desperate bid to save the day, Mclaren finally put Beckham on as a substitute at half time. Becks set up a beautiful goal for Peter Crouch, equalizing the score, but it was not enough. The England defence was full of holes, allowing a third goal through from the Croats.
Although Mclaren refused to resign after the match, the FA meet today to discuss the manager's future, it is likely that he will be sacked.
Possible candidates for the job include former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho (5/1), Aston Villa manager Martin ONeill (11/2), former England striker Alan Shearer (12/1) and the current assistant manager Terry Venables (40/1).
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