World Cup 2010

luka

luka

Well-known member
ghana might have played below par but that showed an enormous amount of guts by the aussies. you got to give it to them, it was a huge performance. maybe the best of the tournament.
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
mutiny

Just remembered the Times is now registration only, so edited highlights

Suggestions of tension between Fabio Capello and his team hardened yesterday with reports from within the England camp that senior players are unhappy with aspects of the Italian’s preparation, his team selection and tactics.

Having allowed their reservations to stray beyond the team room, the players have undermined their relationship with the manager and raised doubts over his future.

After England’s abject performance in the scoreless draw against Algeria on Friday, Capello was asked to comment on his position and merely said that after two games at the World Cup, he could not yet consider the question. Bookmakers have made Harry Redknapp and Roy Hodgson favourites to succeed Capello should England fail to beat Slovenia at Port Elizabeth on Wednesday and the FA move to replace the manager...

Some senior players believe Capello got his team selection and tactics wrong by picking Emile Heskey as Wayne Rooney’s strike partner and opting for a 4-4-2 formation. According to sources, the players would prefer Joe Cole, inset, to be picked on the left side of a 4-2-3-1 formation that would see Gareth Barry and Frank Lampard play as holding midfielders and Steven Gerrard directly behind Rooney.

The players also believe Capello’s decision to announce his team only two hours before kick-off militates against good preparation. First indications that they were unhappy came from goalkeeper David James, who said in a candid interview after Friday’s game that he knew he was in the team just minutes before boarding the team coach to the stadium. When told that Capello attributed England’s poor performances in South Africa mainly to stage fright, James hinted that he didn’t agree.

Senior players are believed to be surprised by the Italian’s use of Shaun Wright-Phillips as a substitute in the team’s opening two games and his refusal to involve Cole in midfield...

On what was supposed to be a day for players to spend time with their partners, some gathered in the team room at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town and Gerrard was seen to address his teammates at one point. Capello only returned to the hotel in early evening.
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luka

luka

Well-known member
- the general lack of enthusiasm and slow-wittedness might in part be a consequence of life behind the Capello curtain being so dull: no wine, women and song to keep the mind active and break cycles of negative thinking or familiarity/contempt dynamics within the camp.
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i think biscuits was on the right track with this. they are spoilt children.
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
If they get their way and he does change tactics, this had better spark a major improvement in Rooney. Southgate (who is a fairly wise commentator once you get past his scare-the-children face) was making the point that he was scarcely fit enough to be on the field against Algeria, never mind playing as lone striker. Someone also needs to remind Lennon that he's there to take people on. He was one of the better players against USA, on Friday he was among the worst.
 
hucks

hucks

Your Message Here
crackerjack said:
If they get their way and he does change tactics, this had better spark a major improvement in Rooney. Southgate (who is a fairly wise commentator once you get past his scare-the-children face) was making the point that he was scarcely fit enough to be on the field against Algeria, never mind playing as lone striker.
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He played badly enough to be dropped, not have the team built around him. I'd drop him, Heskey and Lampard, bring in Crouch, Cole and Carrick. Even if dropping Rooney is to much, Carrick for Lampard is essential. We need to keep the ball moving, and that's what Carrick does.
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
hucks said:
He played badly enough to be dropped, not have the team built around him. I'd drop him, Heskey and Lampard, bring in Crouch, Cole and Carrick. Even if dropping Rooney is to much, Carrick for Lampard is essential. We need to keep the ball moving, and that's what Carrick does.
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That would leave you with Crouch and Heskey as the front line, which would be good for comedians if nothing else.

I kind of agree with you re. Roo, but it won't happen. Carrick is another who seems to get better with every game he doesn't play in. He's looked like a broken man last few times I've seen him. Though he couldn't do worse than Lampard so far.
 
hucks

hucks

Your Message Here
crackerjack said:
That would leave you with Crouch and Heskey as the front line, which would be good for comedians if nothing else.

I kind of agree with you re. Roo, but it won't happen. Carrick is another who seems to get better with every game he doesn't play in. He's looked like a broken man last few times I've seen him. Though he couldn't do worse than Lampard so far.
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Yeah, and, as a mate has just pointed out to me, if it's a psychological problem with England, you wouldn't turn to Carrick to solve it.
 
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don_quixote

Trent End
maybe a certain england player hasn't been spending time with his partner because ALLEGEDLY she has been having it off with a certain rotund derby county player and the certain england player ALLEGEDLY got a 16 year old pregnant?
 
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crackerjack

Well-known member
don_quixote said:
maybe a certain england player hasn't been spending time with his partner because ALLEGEDLY she has been having it off with a certain rotund derby county player and the certain england player ALLEGEDLY got a 16 year old pregnant?
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Briiliant. When all else fails turn to popbitch:)
 
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baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Paraguay are loking pretty tidy.

Wouldnt' want to face either Holland or Denmark in the second round though - Denmark on song look a damn good side.
 
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don_quixote

Trent End
really starting to get a feeling about south american teams now, they are all beginning to look rather tasty. chile vs swiss tomorrow could be the breaking point.

i'm not sure what the difference is - european leagues are at the end of their seasons and south american leagues are mid-season. do we have tired europeans? or are south american tactics winning the day? uruguay and chile play 3 man defences which are pretty much extinct in western europe.
 
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scottdisco

rip this joint please
good questions.

tbf, purely wrt Group F, even before the tournament started, Paraguay and Italy were the two likely qualifiers there. (though ever since i became a Valdez fanboy in '06 i've had a soft spot for Paraguay tbh.)

Dutch could be European 'most likely', i still think what computer_rock said up-thread about Spain's one-trackiness may be ultimately OTM. Navas and Pedro and Fabregas starting for them next would be a good look, although Suisse are by far the best organised team in that group on the evidence thus far, so i am sure the matches between all the Spanish speakers will entertain.
 
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