England is a terrible civilization. Their villagers take too long to create. Their building placement is nice, but say you need to get a certain counter building up quick- then you can't build it any faster can you?
Other than that, their soldiers are all too standard. Anyone would rather have soldiers who are a bit weaker but can walk through trees.
China can have a massive economy in no time, and plenty of soldiers to support it. China has special soldiers that are overlooked such as the War Kite, which horses cannot even attack, and the chu ko nu that slaughters a pile of infantry that the enemy is not paying attention to!
Korea can send in a group of 4 or 5 soldiers, massacre all of England's wood cutting villies, getting them for themself and ending the game immediately because England's economy takes forever to restart.
France can raid all game and England won't be able to do anything about it.
The only people who lose to England are idiots who sit there and let England mass gold mining camps around the map, and still the game will be close.
England is terrible. I don't understand why people lose to them. Oh wait, yes I know! It's because people play on very fast speed and reveal map, both of which give England the huge advantage.
Gosailing, you are not an imp noob. I realize you play with real settings instead of those which give a terrible civilization an advantage.