The World Cup Thread *******
- Thread starter alo
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don_quixote
Trent End
what a game, what a winner, what a team. as far as i can see argentina barely ever hit and hope, they play mostly on the floor, have brilliant vision and passing and they also score great goals. also, when tackled they dont stay down, barely chat back to the ref and there only seemed to be one player who was timewasting yesterday (scaloni), whereas the rest of the team didnt even run the ball into the corner.
simply the most adorable team i've ever watched. and if youre still not convinced it's all about tevez.
simply the most adorable team i've ever watched. and if youre still not convinced it's all about tevez.
don_quixote
Trent End
also - as far as i can tell there's no egos in the team - riquelme, messi and crespo are getting headlines but i dont think theyre grabbing the limelight
F
foret
Guest
very strange seeing scaloni alongside riquelme and messi
and it showed, he was way below the rest of the team; similar to borghetti for mexico
jose pekerman looks like one of the best managers there - you can see that he's known some of those players for over 10 years, but taking scaloni over zanetti, well.......
i'm really looking forward to the england game for the first time since argentina last november and the subseuqent injuries to owen and rooney, because eriksson looks like he'll play arguably the best team he can - maybe aaron lennon would fit the formation more easily but alongside a midfield that might be vaguely coherent, beckham could show his talents extend to more than free kicks
and if england score 2 or 3 by the 60/70m then maybe we could see theo walcott as a sub for rooney instead of that freakish fouling cunt
and carrick could show how good he is, and free up gerrard and lampard, and they might actually play with some semblance of tactics too! and they'll keep the formation, and get to the semis at least
the portugal/holland game will be interesting too - holland are playing well but they don't have very many 'world class' players, as van basten has admitted - i think the portugal team is stronger in defence and a lot better in midfield, and they've been significantly undervalued
and it showed, he was way below the rest of the team; similar to borghetti for mexico
jose pekerman looks like one of the best managers there - you can see that he's known some of those players for over 10 years, but taking scaloni over zanetti, well.......
i'm really looking forward to the england game for the first time since argentina last november and the subseuqent injuries to owen and rooney, because eriksson looks like he'll play arguably the best team he can - maybe aaron lennon would fit the formation more easily but alongside a midfield that might be vaguely coherent, beckham could show his talents extend to more than free kicks
and if england score 2 or 3 by the 60/70m then maybe we could see theo walcott as a sub for rooney instead of that freakish fouling cunt
and carrick could show how good he is, and free up gerrard and lampard, and they might actually play with some semblance of tactics too! and they'll keep the formation, and get to the semis at least
the portugal/holland game will be interesting too - holland are playing well but they don't have very many 'world class' players, as van basten has admitted - i think the portugal team is stronger in defence and a lot better in midfield, and they've been significantly undervalued
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Comments on the England game? I thought this was one of our worst yet, utterly unconvinced by the bizarre formation... Sven still stabbing around in the dark, desperately hoping to combat an injury situation that exposes his own lack of flexibility and inability to create a balanced team on the fly. Given Rooney's chief strength lies in his speed and energy, why play him as the only man up front? We were lucky to get away with a 1-0 victory I think.
F
foret
Guest
there aren't any other strikers though, crouch is abysmal
any team playing shit like him will get caught out sooner or later
any team playing shit like him will get caught out sooner or later
F
foret
Guest
abysmal sums up someone whose physical abnormality is his primary attribute (although he still needs to foul defenders to score)
liverpool had the third worst conversion rate last year, and he played a large part in that
they got caught out in the second round of the cl against benfica when they failed to score across both legs
crouch wouldn't get into the d team for argentina or brazil, and selecting him above defoe was fucking stupid
liverpool had the third worst conversion rate last year, and he played a large part in that
they got caught out in the second round of the cl against benfica when they failed to score across both legs
crouch wouldn't get into the d team for argentina or brazil, and selecting him above defoe was fucking stupid
don_quixote
Trent End
i'd really like to see england play the ball to crouch on the floor.
it isnt going to happen.
so whatever, so long as we keep winning i dont really see the point in the whining. typical attitude, but we've avoid embarrassment now and any further is a bonus.
it isnt going to happen.
so whatever, so long as we keep winning i dont really see the point in the whining. typical attitude, but we've avoid embarrassment now and any further is a bonus.
IdleRich
IdleRich
I don't really agree with that, I thought it was our best performance yet although they still aren't firing on all cylinders. You can't really say England were lucky to get through, apart from one bad scare in the first half England completely snuffed out the Ecuador threat, they just didn't have the talent to threaten England's goal once they had gone behind. The match finished with a whimper rather than a big charge by the South Americans which was a result of the defensive superiority of England.
On the other hand they still weren't really linking going forward until the last twenty minutes or so when Gerrard started to look like himself and they might have grabbed a couple more goals, Joe Cole didn't play too well and Rooney was isolated in the first half. He looks like he means business though and an amazing piece of skill by the touchline was a signal of intent.
Missed the England game because i was working.
I have been working every England game bar one in fact- Nightmare! While johnny-come-carlsberg-2-4-the-price-of-1-at-asda gets to see to see them all because their on the fucking weekends! I reckon this is a conspiricy on the part of the bloated, consumer choice before common sense British leisure industry, but thats bitterness (and business) for you.
Anyway: I would just like to say that the Argentina /Mexico game was fucking incredible!
the best world cup game i remember seeing since Sweden /Argentina at USA 94'. Obviously less goals, but for movement, the control of the ball, the tension, the wonder goal at the end, it was great. If Mexico had had a decent striker that looked like he was half interested they could have pulled off a grand result. Still i won't begrudge Argentina they look like a class team. --Don't you just love Messi's style? Like a teenager thats been called on to the pitch not from the bench, but directly from his bedroom after listening to an hour of System Of A Down.
Portugal/Holland:
Note to FIFA: If every fart, breath, and snotty nose wipe with a scratty tissue is penalised with a free kick, and every theatrical dive rewarded with one, yellow cards being thrown around like confetti, do you expect the game to be A: Ruined, or B: Ruined as it descends into chaos?
As for England, 5live described the game based on the 1st 45 minutes, as the worst of the tournament so far. But, who knows? It would be great to get one back on Portugal either way.
I have been working every England game bar one in fact- Nightmare! While johnny-come-carlsberg-2-4-the-price-of-1-at-asda gets to see to see them all because their on the fucking weekends! I reckon this is a conspiricy on the part of the bloated, consumer choice before common sense British leisure industry, but thats bitterness (and business) for you.
Anyway: I would just like to say that the Argentina /Mexico game was fucking incredible!
the best world cup game i remember seeing since Sweden /Argentina at USA 94'. Obviously less goals, but for movement, the control of the ball, the tension, the wonder goal at the end, it was great. If Mexico had had a decent striker that looked like he was half interested they could have pulled off a grand result. Still i won't begrudge Argentina they look like a class team. --Don't you just love Messi's style? Like a teenager thats been called on to the pitch not from the bench, but directly from his bedroom after listening to an hour of System Of A Down.
Portugal/Holland:
Note to FIFA: If every fart, breath, and snotty nose wipe with a scratty tissue is penalised with a free kick, and every theatrical dive rewarded with one, yellow cards being thrown around like confetti, do you expect the game to be A: Ruined, or B: Ruined as it descends into chaos?
As for England, 5live described the game based on the 1st 45 minutes, as the worst of the tournament so far. But, who knows? It would be great to get one back on Portugal either way.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
alo said:
Who, of the England supporters here, would be satisfied if England won the WC with the kind of abject display (strangely reminiscent of how the Rugby WC wins were achieved) shown yesterday?
Call me a dreamer, but that would sicken me.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
IdleRich said:
Um, were you watching a version of the match taking place in your head? When precisely did these golden chances occur?
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
don_quixote said:
Jesus , why do some of you people watch football at all? Why not just follow it on Ceefax if that's your attitude?
IT'S MEANT TO BE ENTERTAINMENT, NOT AN EXCUSE FOR EVERYONE IN THE COUNTRY TO SPOUT JINGOISTIC SHITE.
IdleRich
IdleRich
Me.
Well, after Rooney skinned that guy on the wing and cut it back to Lampard just outside the six-yard box I felt that he ought to have done better.
Likewise when Lamps had the ball in the area a few minutes later and he tried to square it to Rooney who wasn't expecting it, I think a player on top of his game would have probably had a go.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
Fair enough for the Rooney cut-back, but Lampard is playing like someone who has just won a Kit Kat competition to take part in a World Cup match. I didn't see any other real chances, but then again I was lapsing in and out of a coma.
As for your privileging of victory over performance, maybe I could just text you the results of the QF and you could spend 90 minutes doing something else you enjoy more than watching football, whilst still getting the patriotic buzz of knowing England are showing the rest of the world what for.
Winning in style is the only way it's worth winning. And I would have said the same vis-a-vis France in 1998 (taking out the beauty of Zidane's play), so it's not an anti-England backlash.
As for your privileging of victory over performance, maybe I could just text you the results of the QF and you could spend 90 minutes doing something else you enjoy more than watching football, whilst still getting the patriotic buzz of knowing England are showing the rest of the world what for.
Winning in style is the only way it's worth winning. And I would have said the same vis-a-vis France in 1998 (taking out the beauty of Zidane's play), so it's not an anti-England backlash.
F
foret
Guest
baboon2004 said:
totally
england can go fuck themselves if they revert to type, bring on crouch and play longball crap again (not that they'll need my help)
at least yesterday's formation showed some ambition even if gerrard and especially lampard play at about 40% of capacity - a 4/1/4/1 needs the wingers more advanced
england are still a disgrace in most respects, the fans and the team deserve each other
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baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
foret said:
Thank you - someone else who enjoys football as spectacle!
For once, England has a fantastic crop of players - genuinely skilful and passionate - and as a result there can only be one person to blame for the completely passionless/skill-free nature of these performances (with very few exceptions). He was the man who looked to have been ceremoniously stuffed for the occasion, so little emotion did he (as ever) show.
I'd genuinely rather see us play as Mexico did -with heart, flair and a complete disrespect for reputation - and lose, than play as we are and win.
Only thing I have to disagree with is your demonisation of Crouch. He has been poor thus far, but he has by no means stuck out as a result.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
Mind you, Holland fans might say much the same kind of thing this morning. How could a side with Robben and van Persie on fire create so few clear-cut chances?