Football World Cup talk

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  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Yup, a few around now... What possesses people to do that? Might as well have a red flashing neon sign saying I'm a brainless muppet
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    BpsYbLTCYAAe4Pg.jpg
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    Not a bad result, eh?
    _
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    Fluke win.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,503
    You may accuse me of falling victim to hype but I actually think that England are going to do it tonight.
    I think that they will win by being the more cohesive side whilst Italy will be a disarrayed bunch of individuals.

    This depends on England being a team and not centring on a certain Mr. Rooney but the opportunity is there!
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • nathancom
    nathancom Posts: 1,567
    I think Sterling could really frighten the Italian defence. His fast direct skillful running at defences is going to create chances.
  • Cygnus
    Cygnus Posts: 1,879
    I think it's going to be 0-0 because Italy are a boring side and Hodgson plays defensively.
  • MaxwellBygraves
    MaxwellBygraves Posts: 1,353
    Haven't seen an international game where a team like Spain was completely demolished in a while. They looked like lost amateurs for the second half.

    I've had a good week so far (successfully offered a new job, passed some qualifications) so if England can beat Italy it will be one of the best weeks in a long while. Don't let me down lads :wink:
    "That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college! " - Homer
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Not a bad result, eh?

    Maybe they should have tried playing football four years ago instead of just kicking people.
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,834
    verylonglegs wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Not a bad result, eh?

    Maybe they should have tried playing football four years ago instead of just kicking people.
    If Holland keep playing like that they could win it - for the first time :wink:
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • Cygnus
    Cygnus Posts: 1,879
    MaxwellBygraves wrote:
    Haven't seen an international game where a team like Spain was completely demolished in a while. They looked like lost amateurs for the second half.
    I can't say I'm surprised. Spain are an aging side, they have seven players in their 30's including Torres and a few in their very late 20's.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,660
    verylonglegs wrote:
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Not a bad result, eh?

    Maybe they should have tried playing football four years ago instead of just kicking people.
    S'more than England could do.

    And they'd have won it had Robben not missed that sitter.
    _
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,503
    Well, well, well.....

    Good result for England or making the group tighter?
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    johnfinch wrote:
    They (Uruguay) won 2 away matches in South America during qualification. Letting in 4 goals against teams like Bolivia and conceding 25 goals in 16 games tells me that their defence is vulnerable.

    GOLO.jpg
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    PBlakeney wrote:
    Well, well, well.....

    Good result for England or making the group tighter?

    Yeah, I'm getting really fired up for this match now. F**KING COME ON ENGLAND!!!!
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    That's the most mediocre England team I've ever seen.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,503
    ThomThom wrote:
    That's the most mediocre England team I've ever seen.
    You have obviously not been watching for long. Lots of promise there.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Is there? That defense is laughable.

    Got Pirloed tonight.
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    i watched the Holland game and thought " England haven't anyone or anything to match that team" we are indeed mediocre at best, living off 1966 and dreams that our players can still cut it at international level, they clearly cant.

    How they ll cope against a Uruguay desparate to avenge their defeat against Costa Coffee is anyone's guess.
  • pblakeney
    pblakeney Posts: 27,503
    ThomThom wrote:
    Is there? That defense is laughable.

    Got Pirloed tonight.
    I thought it was one of the best performances since '96 in a major finals.
    The youngsters showed more pace, spirit and invention than the "Golden Age".
    Some more playing time together to get organised and it looks promising for the Euros.
    The above may be fact, or fiction, I may be serious, I may be jesting.
    I am not sure. You have no chance.
    Veronese68 wrote:
    PB is the most sensible person on here.
  • nathancom
    nathancom Posts: 1,567
    Not sure how England got Pirlo'd at all. It was a very tight game with England improving significantly on Euro 2012. The Italian goalkeeper was probably man of the match.
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    The attack is very promising. For such an inexperienced bunch they did very well against an Italian defence which was as organised as ever. The defence... well, I can't say I'm particularly optimistic about the future of our back line. Apart from Shaw and Cahill, I can't see any long term quality in there at all.

    Still, I'd prefer to watch England play like that than the utter crap we've seen over the last 18 years.
  • verylonglegs
    verylonglegs Posts: 4,023
    I have to agree about it not being that bad, it was much more appealing to watch than the side even just two years previous at Euro2012. If you want mediocre try watching a national side with Keith Curle, Carlton Palmer and Andy Sinton playing.
  • mamba80
    mamba80 Posts: 5,032
    johnfinch wrote:
    The attack is very promising. For such an inexperienced bunch they did very well against an Italian defence which was as organised as ever. The defence... well, I can't say I'm particularly optimistic about the future of our back line. Apart from Shaw and Cahill, I can't see any long term quality in there at all.

    Still, I'd prefer to watch England play like that than the utter crap we've seen over the last 18 years.

    what do you mean "inexperienced?" have we fielded the u23 side? these are guys earning more in a week than any of us earn in a year!
    the thing is we ve not got long term, a few more days and we ll be going home, at this rate - what does it matter how England play? they lost and that's what counts.
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 9,108
    edited June 2014
    Tactically we got it wrong - most of our best moments were down to individual ability but too often nobody there to finish it off. I'd play Milner and Stirling wide, Sturridge up front with a.n. other, centre mid could stay the same with Barkley an option if we want to go more positive. I think Milner could combine with Bains and we'd have more width down the left and more natural cover.

    Edit - I might even start with Wilshere in midfield alongside Gerrard.
    [Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]
  • Stevo_666
    Stevo_666 Posts: 61,834
    In the end the better defence won it, though if England are as bad as some people are saying then Italy will struggle later on in the competition as it was quite evenly matched for a fair bit of the game.
    "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars: the rest of it I just squandered." [George Best]
  • finchy
    finchy Posts: 6,686
    mamba80 wrote:
    what do you mean "inexperienced?" have we fielded the u23 side?

    I mean that many of our midfield and forwards have only really stepped into the England team in the last year or so.
    mamba80 wrote:
    these are guys earning more in a week than any of us earn in a year!

    Yes, and so are the Italians, Brazilians, Germans and just about all the other players at the World Cup. It doesn't make any difference how much they earn, they're still young and they still have to get the experience somehow
    mamba80 wrote:
    the thing is we ve not got long term, a few more days and we ll be going home, at this rate - what does it matter how England play? they lost and that's what counts.

    This tournament might just have to serve as a learning curve for our young players. Let's face it, we were never going to win the thing, but if England show that they can attack decent defences then that's promising for the future. Don't forget that Italy are consistently one of the best teams in the world. If we lose like that against Costa Rica I wouldn't be so happy. The last time I watched England v Italy, I just sat there despondently because I could see they could have played all night and not created a decent chance, but last night I kept hope until the end.
  • tuneskyline
    tuneskyline Posts: 370
    I am supporting the Ivory coast and that was a good start.

    Did anyone notice in the England game how many times Steven G gave the ball away. He was rubbish. Italy had total control.
    First England player had cramp at 63mins. There is something very wrong with their conditioning.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    Meanwhile the Uruguay 1 Costa Rica 3 match was a joy to watch. :)

    Uruguay is hard to spell. You really have to think about it.
  • mfin
    mfin Posts: 6,729
    England were flat footed in the second half, if England can ever learn to close people down when they haven't got possession then they will get somewhere. The same flat footedness showed in no movement at all going forward in the second half.

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