I've just looked at it objectively and we've not a chance at this WC

[Ombudsam]

Before people start jizzing off and saying schit like England are only 8th favourites you can f*ck off now.

 

There's not an earthly Brazil or Argentina aren't going to win this thing, we're third behind them but a distant third. I figure that our biggest hope is to rely on our top quality defence. Sit deep and try and get the pace of rooney Cole and Owen away to cause problems, this is because we can't do that slow slow quick slow football that the rest can, and english players like playing at that hundred miles an hour tempo but we'll be f*cked by the quarters if we do that. At least it's in europe so we can live with the temperature

 

This realisation is depressing. I don't want to go there knowing we'll probably bow out at the quarters or semis. Hope the players don't have my attitude

 

Anyway here's hoping we bring it back. It'll be a great day.

[Bailo]

I hope "we" go out in the 1st round.

 

C'mon SPAIN!!

[Ombudsam]

I hope "we" go out in the 1st round.

 

C'mon SPAIN!!

 

why do you want spain to win?

[Stevie H]

think all of spain, france, italy, holland, czech republic and germany are well capable of knocking england out, never mind brasil and argentina.

[Figaro]

Seeing as FIFA only arrange the damn thing to fill their coffers and marketing rules supreme...

 

Plus the fact that that Tw*t Platini is involved...

 

One of the semi-finalists will be an African team, one a Latin American team and the other two will be Europeans...

 

That will leave a Germany V Brazil or Argentina final

[Bailo]

why do you want spain to win?

Coz Xabi, Luis, Nando and Pepe will all be playing.

 

I hate Ingerlund, the only thing that would make me care about them would be if Owen or Rooney were ruled out of the WC and Crouchy was a guaranteed starter.

[matty]

England go exactly the same way in every tournament. A scrappy draw, an easy win, then a tense win to secure qualification. Second round routine win, then a plucky defeat to the first decent team they play.

 

Gerrard will have a rubbish tournament, Rooney will have a disciplinary problem, Ferdinand will gift a soft goal to someone.

[Ombudsam]

think all of spain, france, italy, holland, czech republic and germany are well capable of knocking england out, never mind brasil and argentina.

 

yeah but england are better than all of those teams so it's more likely that england will win in a game against them

 

Coz Xabi, Luis, Nando and Pepe will all be playing.

 

I hate Ingerlund, the only thing that would make me care about them would be if Owen or Rooney were ruled out of the WC and Crouchy was a guaranteed starter.

 

but Crouch, Gerrard and carra play for england and there are a million reasons to despise spain.

[Gilps]

England go exactly the same way in every tournament. A scrappy draw, an easy win, then a tense win to secure qualification. Second round routine win, then a plucky defeat to the first decent team they play.

 

Gerrard will have a rubbish tournament, Rooney will have a disciplinary problem, Ferdinand will gift a soft goal to someone.

 

Don't forget that the defeat to the first decent team must include one slightly dubious refereeing decision against England, so we can all cling to that and claim we woz robbed again and ignore the fact we were very much second best in the match.

[Stevie H]

England go exactly the same way in every tournament. A scrappy draw, an easy win, then a tense win to secure qualification. Second round routine win, then a plucky defeat to the first decent team they play.

 

Gerrard will have a rubbish tournament, Rooney will have a disciplinary problem, Ferdinand will gift a soft goal to someone.

 

get on it at bill hill. spot on that.

[yellow jumper]

yes i think we are better than them. You're just naming very good teams, you're not naming ones better than England. It's like saying, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Internazionale, Lyon, Bayern Munich are all better than Chelsea just because you don't like chelsea. They are all very good teams with a chance of beating chelsea but chelsea are better than them.

 

chelsea are a good analogy, although they're probably a bit more cynical and well-organised. they certainly looked like an england team on wednesday night. tabloid outrage at refereeing injustices and all.

 

they've lost at betis this season. were comprehensively beaten by barca. and struggled in both ties against us. their away record in europe is generally pretty poor. it's hard to see how they are better than ac milan?

 

england will huff and puff. but until they've learn how to slow games down (as you say) and control a midfield against the most technically gifted sides they'll not amount to much more than quarter finalists.

 

on paper argentina have the best all-round talent i think.

[matty]

like that matters. we'd already beaten 4-0 and we ended up topping the group

 

It did matter at the time because we hadn't won the group by then, and it was a highly competitive and important match when it was played. You can't look at these things with hindsight and say the s*** performance didn't matter. Christ Sammy.

 

Eriksson is woeful tactically. When the 70 yard balls start getting hoofed upfield because he's run out of ideas and doesn't have the guts to play people where they should be playing, you'll remember that fact.

[Gunga Din]

the main reason i dont want England to win the thing is because of the press, who are still banging on about the last one they won 40 years ago. the fact that they have a clueless manager should ensure that it doesnt happen anyway

[Stevie H]

It did matter at the time because we hadn't won the group by then, and it was a highly competitive and important match when it was played. You can't look at these things with hindsight and say the s*** performance didn't matter. Christ Sammy.

 

Eriksson is woeful tactically. When the 70 yard balls start getting hoofed upfield because he's run out of ideas and doesn't have the guts to play people where they should be playing, you'll remember that fact.

 

gerrard could and should be one of the best players at the world cup, but he'll end up being england's utility man playing three or four different positions in a game.

[yellow jumper]

France are will probably have to play the shambolic Boumsong or the over-rated Mexes alongside the excellent Gallas.

 

At full-back you've got Neville who is fairly steady and experienced however much of a dislikeable little c*** he is, and Cole who is rated as one of the best left-backs in Europe. Thuram is still quality but on the wane and Lizerazu has now packed in.

 

i think france still have the players to do really well. gallas, thuram, zebina, sagnol sounds like a decent back four, particularily when you consider makele/ viera in front of them. they just seem to have a bizzare selection policy.

[Ombudsam]

they've lost at betis this season. were comprehensively beaten by barca. and struggled in both ties against us. their away record in europe is generally pretty poor. it's hard to see how they are better than ac milan?

 

england will huff and puff. but until they've learn how to slow games down (as you say) and control a midfield against the most technically gifted sides they'll not amount to much more than quarter finalists.

 

on paper argentina have the best all-round talent i think.

 

Milan barely qualified out of their group george

 

on the rest of it I obviously agree with you saying we have to learn how to control the game and slow it down but the difference me and most is i don't hold foreign players up in mythical esteem as technically better to england players who are all hoofers. There are teams that we will struggle against but they really aren't that many

 

 

It did matter at the time because we hadn't won the group by then, and it was a highly competitive and important match when it was played. You can't look at these things with hindsight and say the s*** performance didn't matter.

 

If it was a Liverpool match Anny would have said "It was a schit performance. it happens get over it" and he would have been right. Games like that happen.

[matty]

 

If it was a Liverpool match Anny would have said "It was a schit performance. it happens get over it" and he would have been right. Games like that happen.

 

It was the equivalent of Liverpool getting turned over by Stevenage Borough.

 

And it's not as though the other performances were impressive. Drawing with Macedonia, etc. I don't think England are s***, but they've achieved nothing to say that they go to the World Cup with any better credentials than the teams Stevie H mentioned earlier.

 

granted, Italy, Spain, Holland, Czechs are all as prone to off days, but that doesn't mean we'll do them. Eriksson's been blessed with a fine generation of players - he doesn't know how to use them.

[crisps]

Ferdinand will gift a soft goal to someone.

 

even in his holding role?

[smicer07]

England have no chance. Come on Spain.

[yellow jumper]

Milan barely qualified out of their group george

 

we barely qualified out of ours last season. they've had a dodgy season, but two finals and a quarter-final in three years makes them a more established threat than chelsea. their midweek performance at bayern suggested they're coming into some form too.

[Ostrich Man]

the main reason i dont want England to win the thing is because of the press, who are still banging on about the last one they won 40 years ago. the fact that they have a clueless manager should ensure that it doesnt happen anyway

thats your main reason wayne??

 

My main reason is because theyre England.....fans, press etc all come into the equation sure....but its England....f*** em.

[Ombudsam]

It was the equivalent of Liverpool getting turned over by Stevenage Borough.

 

And it's not as though the other performances were impressive. Drawing with Macedonia, etc. I don't think England are s***, but they've achieved nothing to say that they go to the World Cup with any better credentials than the teams Stevie H mentioned earlier.

 

granted, Italy, Spain, Holland, Czechs are all as prone to off days, but that doesn't mean we'll do them. Eriksson's been blessed with a fine generation of players - he doesn't know how to use them.

 

we were impressive in other games notably twice against the only other team that was gonna be a threat.

 

I'm just looking at the teams, players and performances and like i said the two teams that are better than england are argentina and brazil and that is by some distance. We genuinely have a better team than all the others imo

 

England have no chance. Come on Spain.

 

I don't get this love in with spain. They're no more likely to have loads of Liverpool players than england

 

 

we barely qualified out of ours last season. they've had a dodgy season, but two finals and a quarter-final in three years makes them a more established threat than chelsea. their midweek performance at bayern suggested they're coming into some form too.

 

But this season i have seen lots of Milan and lots of chelsea and for my money chelsea have performed better this season. That;s about the best method i can use to judge who is better this season

[smicer07]

Portugal, Spain, Italy, Holland, Argentina, Brazil, France would all beat the England team in a knockout match.

[Cobs]

It was the equivalent of Liverpool getting turned over by Stevenage Borough.

 

 

or the Champions of Europe getting beaten by Burnley.............

 

 

England are capabale of beating any side in the World in a one off match. What they have consistently failed to show is that they can beat a top class side one day and then go and beat another a few days later and that's the reason i can't see them winning the WC. There's no team they should fear though - including Brazil.

[Ombudsam]

thats your main reason wayne??

 

My main reason is because theyre England.....fans, press etc all come into the equation sure....but its England....f*** em.

 

see, that is an attitude i understand and respect even if i disagree obviously