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What would you say to Wayne Rooney if you saw him walking down the street? Now that "the boys have come home", how will they likely be treated by their fellow citizens? The Evangelical Alliance's We Are United campaign is asking for opinions on its We are United Facebook page.
Commentators have been mostly critical about the England squad after they were kicked out of the World Cup's final 16 by losing to Germany 4-1. Phrases like "no-one expected Capello's experienced squad to land at home with such a collective stain on their reputation" (BBC); "the most miserable, abject and forgettable of England World Cup campaigns" (Times); and an especially scathing Daily Mail headline: "England's band of toothless lions skulk home to get back to what they do best... making money"; reflect the national mood.
Some have tried to find someone or something to blame, whether it was the linesman who called the disallowed goal or the injuries the squad faced in the run-up to the World Cup. Others are less forgiving: "The excuse now is that they're tired, but it's their job to play football and they get paid a lot of money to do it," said Stephen Bailey from Ramsgate. Longtime fan Darren Garner, a 26-year-old digger driver: "We're supposed to be Three Lions but we did not seem to have the heart."
And Prime Minister David Cameron took a more objective approach to the result: "At least we can't say we were robbed, we weren't, we were beaten."
So now that England's home how can churches encourage the boys on their return? What would YOU do? Join the conversation over on the We Are United Facebook page.
The Evangelical Alliance is passionate about church unity, and a big part of unity is encouraging and edifying one another. Explore more about what unity can mean beyond just football at We Are United.
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