England old boys hope for best

Who will be broken hearted when England meet Germany this time?

Defeat at the hands of Portugal has put even greater significance on England's next Euro 2000 match against Germany on Saturday.

BBC Sport Online enlisted the services of six former England internationals to bring you their preview of the big game.

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Chris Waddle

It's always a tight affair. They're an ageing team but they've still got some quality there. I think it'll be a draw.

Chris Waddle: Missed a penalty against Germany at Italia '90

It's very difficult to see Germany getting beaten - they have this never-say-die attitude. If the team works together, work for each other, they'll be very difficult to beat.

So often there's been problems prior to a tournament, yet when they're actually there they've put it behind them.

Having said that, it's the weakest German team there's been since I was a kid. The writing was on the wall in the 1998 World Cup, and they haven't changed a great deal since then.

It's a good time to be playing them in that sense - and also because the longer the tournament goes on, the more tired they'll be, with so many old hands in the team.

England will be very determined. Having gone out to them in the semis at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96, we want to get our own back. I think the players feel they're good enough to do the job.

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Paul Parker

We've got to go and win two games - but looking at the perfomance against Portugal you start thinking how?

Paul Parker: On the losing side in the 1990 World Cup

We relied on one of the best crossers in the game - Beckham - doing his job and long throw-ins.

The Germans aren't what they used to be but we should be worried about ourselves.

I think we need to change our system and Nick Barmby needs to come in as he's someone who adds imagination and can go past people.

Maybe we also need to tighten things up in midfield and play Dennis Wise alongside Paul Ince.

We have problems in attack as well. The biggest trouble is that we don't have Andy Cole there. He's scored and made goals against all the top European defences and how many other strikers in this country can say that?

If we come away with a draw then we have done well, but we need to win.

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Mark Hateley

It's the worst scenario possible. The last thing you want is to be needing a victory against Germany.

Mark Hateley: England centre-forward of the 1980s

There will be major pressure on the players and everyone concerned. It was well documented that the most important thing was to not lose the first game.

The Germans are a pretty poor outfit at the moment. Watching them in the first 15 minutes against Romania they could have been three or four down.

They were a team in disarray but they still came away with a draw.

At stages they were as poor defensively as England. Lothar Matthaus was supposed to be a sweeper but he was playing in midfield and on the left and wasn't chasing back with the runners.

That's the encouraging thing for England but whether they play the same system remains to be seen.

It will be a nervy game and though all of the matches so far have been exciting this could be the first one to be much tighter.

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Ray Wilkins

They're all massive games once one game goes wrong. Then you're playing catch up and going into games knowing that you need to win.

Ray Wilkins: Midfield star and one-time England captain

I'd like to think that whichever lads play will perform to a standard and if you're in danger of going out then you have to go out with all guns blazing.

Defensively the Germans looked abysmal against Romania - but the problem with them is that they don't know how to lose.

They're very difficult to play against and they have players of proven ability.

Unfortunately we don't have a good record against them - but it's time to be broken.

It will be a hard game to win but I think there will be chances at either end and I'm predicting a draw.

It would be delightful if we could win but a draw would mean we would have to win against Romania - and then hope.

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Alan Mullery

People are saying this is the worst German side there has been but I don't believe that. You will always get something out of them.

Alan Mullery knows all about facing Germany

You look at their ability over the years and they still have it, though they are perhaps relying too heavily on experience.

Lothar Matthaus still has the ability but he's 39 and I would have thought they could have found a younger player in a similar mould from within the Bundesliga.

I feel we can just have the edge and beat them, but it will be very tight.

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Gary Stevens

My experience of tournament football goes back to the World Cup in 1986 with England when we lost the first game (to Portugal), drew the second and then beat Poland to progress so as important as this game seems we don't necessarily need to win it.

Gary Stevens: Ex-Spurs, Brighton and England

If we do it's a big plus. If we draw we might be dependent on other results eventually.

I don't think the players should build this game up as any bigger than the match against Portugal.

The Germans are nothing like as intricate as the Portuguese. They play in a more similar style to ourselves so it could be an easier game for us.

However you only have to look at our record against them in major competition since 1966 and we need to break that.

I don't think Kevin Keegan will change from a 4-4-2 formation, but will bring in Martin Keown if Tony Adams is not fit.

We need to play to our strengths and lets be honest we scored twice against Portugal and I think they'll hand out heavier defeats to other nations.

I believe England will beat Germany, I really do. I think it will be another open game and I can see England scoring goals with David Beckham providing and the likes of Shearer and Scholes getting on the end of his crosses.