David Weiner is a Sydney-based lawyer and sports journalist.

The Germans belted out “Ole Ole” as they stroked pass after taunting pass for three minutes. The Poms cheered when the ball went out.

That just about says it all.

We arrived in Bloemfontein hoping to be part of one of those World Cup classic matches. Germany v England. Blood and guts. Hatred, history and a rivalry that seeps through the veins.

Yet it was all rather subdued. The “In-ger-land In-ger-land” chant you normally hear through the television was a mere whimper compared to the heaving call of “Deutschland, Deutschland” – and while a few cheeky references to the war and “5-1 to England – even Heskey scored” (alluding to last year’s win...oh how the tables turned) could be heard at bars around the venue before kick-off, it disappeared very quickly.

When I ran the observation by some disillusioned Poms after the match, it all made sense.

“We were nervous, really nervous,” one confirmed. “This team was only capable of going so far – the problem was; we knew it before the game.”

How was right they proved to be.

Germany was another class.

While England trudged along the pitch, looking burdened by the weight of expectation and scrutiny, Germany gave a master class on movement and interplay.

For the Aussies watching from the terraces, it felt like déjà vu. Had England bothered watching our match?

There was Thomas Muller, taunting Ashley Cole and Matthew Upson like he did to Scott Chipperfield and Craig Moore. Mesut Ozil – a revelation at this tournament – was his partner in crime, sitting in free space between midfield and defence, causing the English nightmares. Yet while Vince Grella and co couldn’t keep up, it seemed Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard weren’t even set up to contain him; either caught too far forward, or failing to track and help their isolated defenders.

Bastien Schweinsteiger was again ruthless in the middle of the park – and given too much time to dictate terms, and if that wasn’t hard enough to handle, Phillip Lahm chimed in at will down the right flank. That doesn’t even mention the threat posed by Klose or Podolski.

England had no answer. Germany had width, movement, penetration (but you could ride a bus between Terry and Upson yesterday) and, above all, were ruthless. Their clash with Argentina is nothing but mouth watering.

On the flip side, the abysmal attacking contribution of the Three Lions’ key men will be dissected, scrutinised and lamented by the English for all eternity.

In general play, (besides the controversial disallowed goal and second half free kick that smacked the cross bar) Frank Lampard was peripheral, lost in his deeper midfield role; Steven Gerrard tried hard but was isolated; and Wayne Rooney will rue a tournament where he could neither score, nor provide, and lost his predatory instinct, lost in two minds.

Simply, they were a shambles. Sure, if Lampard’s goal had been given, it might’ve set us up for a classic. But it would’ve masked England’s serious problems.

This is a bunch of individuals simply not fit for success together.

Debate will long range over the length of the Premier League, the depth of English talent, the tactics of the coach, England’s ability to keep the ball, lack of a left side player, the role of Becks, the Wags, the media, off-field discipline, Wayne Bridge...

But Sven-Goran Erikson and Steve McLaren will no doubt have wry grins on their faces this morning.

Coincidentally, I was in England in February 2008 when Fabio Capello took the poisoned chalice amidst much fanfare and desperate hope. But after a scratchy 2-1 win over Switzerland at Wembley in his first match, the crowd and press bemoaned “new coach, same old England”. The analysis read very much like this:

“We have a coach who is a proven winner. He hasn’t failed anywhere. If he cannot succeed with this bunch of players, maybe we will finally know it is time to give up on this group of England players.”

It seems I might have been at Capello’s first and last game as England manager.

And yes, it is time to give up.