As mentioned earlier, Ledley King and Wayne Rooney were big plusses. As with most penalties, if you send the keeer the wrong way it's a 'well taken penalty'. If it's saved it tends to be 'a nice height for the goalie'. Beckham's penalty wasn't bad at all but it was a pretty outstanding save by Barthez.
Biggest mistake was sending Heskey on in the first place, let alone having him trying to tackle near the opposing penalty box! Next biggest mistake was removing Rooney. He was terrorising the French.
James perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch but I felt the referee took the common sense line with both James and Silvestre. James didn't have much time to think after that appalling back pass by Gerrard and Silvestre's challenge was mistimed because Rooney had him for speed. I think a penalty award in these cases is sufficient punishment. It's then up to the penalty take to make the most of it! Zidane sent James the wrong way, Beckham's was brilliantly saved. C'est la vie!
England certainly played better (at least in the first half) than they have done in recent games, but I said at the start that they won't win Euro 2004. Neither, on yesterday's showing, will France.