Sloppy England likely to pay the penalty

I gotta tell ya: if England don't improve their level of performance pretty damn quick, then we might be going out of the World Cup at the Group stage. Having watched much of yesterday's final warm-up game against the Platinum Stars of South Africa on BBC's internet streaming, I was completely underwhelmed by England.

Yes, it was a 3-0 win, but better teams are going to take advantage of England's sloppy play, inability to pass and control the ball simply, and their failure to move the ball quickly and competently through midfield.

The most worrying aspect, though, is the way they back off opponents and wait for them to make a mistake. This often only happens at a cross or just outside the England penalty area. That's way too deep. Even Platinum were closing England down much higher up the pitch. If England back off in the same way during the tournament, then they are going to have a long wait before such mistakes are made by the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Spain and Germany. The next time they see the ball could be in the back of their own net.

I'd like to be upbeat about England's chances, but I simply can't be. Years of neglect and foreign imports are finally bringing their payback, and it's not pretty.