Sports editor TERESA PHILLIPS was among the millions shattered by England's defeat by Portugal earlier this week.

WELL, it happens every time. You get all excited, throw on your Three Lions shirt and settle down to watch what you hope will be a convincing victory on the way to tournament glory.

Only to be let down by a bunch of preening professionals, few of whom earn less than £1 million a year. And we're supposed to accept the excuses and nod along loyally when the manager says he'll lift his troops before the next game.

I've had enough - and I'm sure a lot of you are in the same boat. What is it about people when they get the England job? Graham Taylor went peculiar and Kevin Keegan appears to have squandered all his tactical nouse.

I can see what he is trying to do by selecting old stagers like David Seaman and Tony Adams. If we struggle, no-one can accuse him of pensioning off experienced players too early. But I think Euro 2000 is one tournament too far for these guys.

We needed pace at the back to counter the nippy Portuguese, not Tortoises R Us. Gareth Southgate, who likes to get forward, was stuck on the bench and Rio Ferdinand is stuck at home.

Once this tournament is over, and that's probably going to be sooner than we'd like, Keegan has got to focus on the future. Let's have the likes of Lampard, Hendrie, Barry and Gerrard given a chance to gain valuable experience in time for Japan. Obviously, the Bowyer and Woodgate situation is still up in the air.

So will England rally in time for the Charleroi showdown? My heart says yes, my head that we'll be on the Wednesday flight back home.