Can England win the World Cup?
| We don’t like victory, let alone easy victory. |
Of course England can win the world cup, but we won't. It would be possibly the worst thing that could ever happen to the English game. There seemed, after the glory of our Brazil-esque performance against Germany a sense of disappointment that lingered amongst everyone English. Why hadn't we scraped through the game? Why hadn't the Germans thrashed us?
We don't like victory, let alone easy victory. We love failing. Almost getting there, but being kicked down by someone better as our grasp on a competition tightens, is bizarrely pleasurable. So no we'll get near, very near, but fail.
Ben Baginsky, 15, London
I think England is in with a chance. I like some of the players, like Beckham and Owen. Their skill on the ball plays a big part in helping England win. Lots of people have started to support them since the win over Germany. They'll probably win as long as they work as a team and communicate with each other when they get into difficulty.
Jodie Pearce, 11, Plymouth
I don't think people should be jumping to conclusions just because England beat Germany. England has improved but that doesn't mean we're the best. It takes time, practise and effort - not one big win against the Germans. England supporters should keep an open mind. We're not there yet, but I'm sure we can get there. The England football team still have work to do. If they let standards slip because they're convinced they can do it, they'll fall flat on their faces.
Keshia Harvey, 13, London
Considering England's recent performance they should be in with a very good chance. If they train hard and 'keep a cool head' they ought to be able to get into at least the second round. With some of our star players in top form, they will be in great condition for their place in the World Cup. Hopefully Eriksson will bring out the best in our players as he did against Germany and Albania.
Matthew Scott, 14, Plymouth
I think that England is in with a good chance of winning at last. And this is all because of our new coach Sven Goran Eriksson. England look good for the future, thanks to our new, young soccer heroes – Owen, Gerrard, Fowler and Beckham.
But I don't think we should get complacent. There's still a long way to go. I'm not a big football fan, but the 5-1 win against Germany was definitely a reason to be proud of our national team and our country.
Annabel McLeod, 15, London
About the team
This Answer the question panel are members of Children's Express. The column was published as part of Teen Talk, the Children's Express page in New Nation.
