Bilic for England! Isn't he only on 50K a year? I'm sure the FA could make him a more attractive offer. And he looks like Lou Reed. England should have a manager who looks like Lou Reed.

Lee, Rutland,

Platini and Bilic are like doctors saying that the patient is sick because he has spots. They are describing the symptom rather than identifying the cause or prescribing the remedy. The reason so few English players play for the Premier League teams (and so few Under 21s start for any teams) is that the players in the current cycle are not good enough technically. This is down to poor coaching and a wrong approach when they were younger. This problem will remain until we stop blaming foreigners for our ills. As Wenger said, we had no foreigners from 1966 to 1996 and still won nothing and even failed to qualifiy for the WC and Euros on occasion.

Simon, London, UK

Bilic is certainly right that England disrespected them. They also fatally under-estimated them. You don't get to be top of the group for nothing. England believed they could play an attacking game and blow Croatia away from the start, but they should have ensured the defense first, especially seeing as the entire first choice back 5 were out injured, and they had a rookie goalkeeper. There is no point in having a team of talented individuals if they can't play as a team. Poor management I'd say.

J Jones, London,

English players couldn't go abroad. They dont speak English everywhere else and you cant expect an English footballer to learn a foreigh language now could you??!!??
English football needs changes form the grass roots upwards.
A change of Manager is just balme culture at its worst.
What do these power merchants at the FA actually do?
I am sick of the whole industry and feel less and less emotion towards it as time goes bu.

James, London,

Would articles like this be written had England qualified for Euro 2008? I think not. It's about time the english press realised that your league and players are over-hyped and simply aren't that great. You always need someone to blame for incapability to do well and now it's teams like Arsenal for not fielding English players.

Wisen up!

Barry Park, Aberdeen, Scotland

The Premiership is just another example of employers bringing in employees trained at another country's expense rather than go to the trouble of training up our own nationals.

Andrew, London, Uk

Um... isn't Croatia's best player a Brazilian / foreigner?

Ben , Southend, England

great. i am brazilian. sorry my english.
in my country the teenagers are playing professional footbal, with all the reponsability and press pression. that´s the secret. the european teams boght the players and his space is always open,

sorry my english, against.

congratulations, all you englands have a lot of dignity, winning or losing.

rodrigo aguiar

aguiar, porto alegre, brazil

This article is mostly from a good program with Bilic on BBc World. He said another thing, that I found very interessting, and would like to read more about. That a foreign player is far cheaper than an English player, of equal quality. I think this problem deserves a seperate article, since it was not tuched upon here.

Jan, Fortaleza,

the number of foreigners in the premier league is an indication that english players arent up to scratch! its not a reason why!

James, maidenhead, UK

Don't be an idiot Ilja.

Bilic is absolutely right in EVERY sence of the word. Good young players in the UK don't stand a chance to all the foreign guys. How are they going to learn high level of football???

Where is the U21 team of England???

I rest my case !!

"and racist comments which, by the way, are being voiced VERY often in Croatia..."

haha I love this sentence!!! :)

Dalma, Split, Croatia

I'd take Slaven Bilic's opinion over yours, thanks.

ab, york,

England newspapers are really 'dishonest' and they put much pressure on the national team...
I always highly regarded Martin Samuel but I am extremely disappointed with that above writing...
How come, he could say Joe Hart is an unused substitute, he didn't play the last week that's it...but apart from that he's been playing week in week out... that the same with others
as long as English are not humble and do not look at issues properly,,, there will be a long way before they win any tournament again

Boban, Manchester, UK

Slaven Bilic is an insufferable hypocrite. It is easy for him to say anything about foreigners now that he is in the English limelight and the press listen to every sentence he blurts out.
What he conveniently forgets is that almost the ENTIRE Croatia team plays in foreign leagues, thus schooling the players in the international quality that beat England last week. Let no one be mistaken that we you saw last week is to 100% down to the ultramodern Croatian football academy...

He should enjoy his well-earned victory but in all otherwise shut his mouth. The road to quality goes via schooling and quality management, not via xenophobe and racist comments which, by the way, are being voiced VERY often in Croatia...

Ilja, Sliema, Malta

Italians win, but are extremely boring; stumbling and luck-struck Germans win too, but at least by fighting hard for their luck; Brazil, Argentine: No win in Europe; Spain, Portugal: No major trophy yet. English teams are undoubtedly the most charismatic and nobody really wants big changes in their traditional way of gameplay - foreign coaches, who bring in their own players (and divers & fakers with them), try, but it won't work for long. Decisive setback occured in 68, letting a 2-0 get out of hand: Today you cannot relax at having achieved the needed result, but you must fight very hard every of the 95 mins - even if the next big game occurs in 3 days! If you don't have the character of just delaying & defending, then don't do it (as in every of your last decisive matches)! And maximize the effectiveness of preparation for big games/tournaments esp. in the fields of team-building and psychology - a vital key, why technically, personally etc. limited teams can win big championships!

Alfred Grof, Linz, Austria

bilic says modrik and corluka could handle the pressure cos they play for dynamo zagreb in the uefa cup, then surely england, with all of its players in the premiership and the vast majority playing in the champions league could handle the pressure just as well.
england didn't lose the other night cos there's too many foreigners in the premiership, it's a bit early and premature for that excuse - but the stats on the U21s above make this look ominous for the future.

mitch, melbourne, australia

there are more south americans,european and african players playing in major leagues in italy,spain,germany and france.to argue that foreign players in england are hurting the performance of the national team is simply not true.franch won the world cup in 1998 in despite a huge comtingent of foreign players in their league and recently the italians have emulated them.last season the top three leading goal scorers were two africans and a portuguesse.the english players are simply not good enough,period.

kgomotso, johannesburg, south africa

The problem with the EPL is not the foreigners, but the lack of quality in England. Brazilians, Africans, and French players play everywhere in Europe. Germany, Italy, Spain, and France can and do field a world class team for their national side, England can't, they don't have many world class players! Period.The Under -21 in those conutry ply their trade all over the world as well. England shoud do the same thing, send the player all over Europe and learn technique, and tactics.

Antoine, Ottawa, Canada