Group C (England, Algeria, Slovenia, USA! USA! USA!)

[Craig_H]

Lazy work Shaggs

[Fernandinho]

atleast my team is gonna make it out of the group stage : COME ON USA

[Shaggy]

England squad numbers revealed. David James #1, Crouch 9, Lennon 7, Joe Cole 11.

[-V-]

David James number 1 LOL. Good luck

[Craig_H]

Ah, he's not that bad.

[lancinleeds]

Slovenia, yay!

[Shaggy]

Wayne Rooney will find his temperament under even greater scrutiny in England’s opening World Cup fixture on Saturday.

It emerged last night that the match officials have taken a crash course in English swearwords as part of a crackdown on abusive language.

Rooney has already been warned about his temperament by Fabio Capello, the England manager, and by Jeff Selogilwe, the South African referee who booked him and accused him of using foul and abusive language during the final warm-up match, against Platinum Stars on Monday.

Now the temperamental striker will be alarmed to learn that Carlos Eugênio Simon, who will referee England’s first group C match against the United States in Rustenburg, and his assistants have been given a list of 20 English profanities to clamp down on.

Simon’s appointment as a World Cup referee has already attracted controversy after his suspension from Brazilian football last year amid accusations of incompetence.

Roberto Braatz, one of Simon’s two assistant referees in South Africa, said: “We can’t do this in 11 different languages, but at least we have to know the swearwords in English.”

Altemir Hausmann, the other assistant referee, said: “We have to learn what kind of words the players say. All players swear and we know we will hear a few ‘son of a . . .’ ”

Rooney’s conduct has been under scrutiny in the past two warm-up matches — a tangle with Marcus Tanaka, the Japan defender, went unpunished in the match in Graz on May 30 before he was booked for dissent on Monday — but Emile Heskey, his likely strike partner on Saturday, jumped to his defence yesterday.

“A lot was made of it but at times Wayne’s passion has been misread for anger,” Heskey said. “When he came on the pitch [against Platinum Stars] he got the lads going. We probably needed that because we were a little bit flat. He picked us up and gave us the boost we needed.

“It’s not anger. He just wants to win. He is so passionate and he wears everything on his sleeve.”

Joe Cole, who is looking for a new club after his release by Chelsea, has become the first England player to predict that they can win the World Cup.

“I’m convinced we can do it,” Cole said. “I’ve got faith in the boys. This squad has got the experience of being in tournaments before, it’s got a fit Wayne Rooney, a fit Steven Gerrard and everyone is coming to that right age. If we can have that bit of luck that you are going to need, then we can go all the way.”

After confirmation yesterday that Cole — along with Michael Ballack and Juliano Belletti — is to be released by Chelsea when his contract expires on June 30, the midfield player said that he would not discuss his future until after the World Cup.

“Chelsea is not a distraction,” he said. “I am fully focused on winning the World Cup with England. My agent is looking after it and I don’t want to be told what is happening until after the World Cup. I am fully focused on England and what I have got to do out here.

“I wasn’t in the England squad for 20 months before the Japan game so it was a long time.

“I have always acquitted myself well for England. I am proud of my England career up to date. What I need now is a nice medal. That is the plan.”

[Matt]

Oh aye, I can just imagine a crimson Rooney storming up to the ref, arms windmilling all over the place, screaming "Son of a...!"

[Craig_H]

He should call them bellends. I bet bellends isnt on their list.

[-V-]

He should call them bellends. I bet bellends isnt on their list.

But you can't say bellend without saying ****ing bellend

[Craig_H]

Ballsing bellend?

[Mostar]

But you can't say bellend without saying ****ing bellend

[little dave hedgehog]

we'll smash you!




is this better you bald headed limey ****?

[Reece]

Yep, much better. You Yankee doodle dandy.

[little dave hedgehog]

so anyways, i hope you make arrangements to cry into your pints of overly flavorful northern ale. or will you be oo busy apologizing to everybody within a 30 meter radius for failing to keep a stiff upper lip, what what?