FOLLOWING my stinking hangover brought on by those bloody Paddys who trashed the beachside hut last night, I had hoped England would make me feel better - but all they really did was send me back to sleep, but, perhaps, that wasn't a bad thing.

I saw enough of the game to know that it won't go down as an all-time classic, but, quite frankly, who gives a toss? The mission, which looked so decidedly dodgy after the Swedish shambles, has been accomplished. The pretty stuff can what for the Danes on Saturday.

Can we look forward to an easy time of it at the weekend? Probably not, but we should not be unduly worried by the bacon boys, even if they did screw the Frogs. Unltimately, it'll be just like an English league game. Half their team play in the Premiership, they play a rigid 4-4-2, are well organised and disciplined, have pace down the flanks, and have a striker in top form.

Apart from the Argies' victory, Sven's men haven't given us too much to get excited about. We have yet to score a goal from open play, Golden Balls and little Michael are not yet back to their best...it sounds as if we should be worried thinking about it!

However, we are now into that area of the tournament us Brits love. The good old knockout stuff, which tends to raise our game unless it finishes in another 12-yard test!

I'm quitely confident, and the plus side about finishing second in the group is we don't have to play in the heat of the day. The down side is we will probably have to play the samba boys one round earlier than we could, perhaps should have done.

I feel a bit sorry for the South Africans after Paraguay squeezed them out by a single goal, but if you look at their crap keeper, it's no surprise they didn't get through.

Tomorrow, Brazil should wrap up Group C, but the injury-hit Itai's face a bit of a battle to avoid being the third big name to fall.

However, I can't finish today's session from the sand (I'll have a session IN the sand with Mrs P later - lucky lady!!) without a mention of those poor buggers from South America.

Look, I know all these so-called pundits are saying the tournament is the poorer for the Frogs and now the Argies crashing out, but, come on, get real! The bottom line is it must give us a better chance of getting further...I nearly said winning...although with all these dark horses around, **** knows what's going to happen yet. Keep the faith.

June 12, 2002 18:30