*Official* English Football Season 2007-08

[The Baconator]

Putting the current situation aside for the moment, who are people going to be supporting next year, if bothering to follow the tournament at all? Going with the Swedes here.

 

[Matteh]

Germany for obvious reasons.

 

[aussie]

Both Gerrard and Lampard have been poor for sure, but when Gerrard played alongside Barry they did the business.

They did the buisness yea but from my memory of those games Gerrard wasn't really that great, he made a few runs but was virtually invisible. It was Barry who totally ran the show from mid-field.

Lampard hasn't looked the part in an England shirt for two years now IMO, and I don't think excellent club form is good enough if he obviously isn't performing on the international stage. Gerrard-Barry works for me, or Gerrard-Hargreaves

Two years? na man. His bad run started in the World Cup cause prior to the WC he was our leading scorer in WC qualifying but as soon he set foot in Germany he lost his radar & then began a year of unfair bashing from the fans & media towards him IMO. Especially when Stevie G has been equally as bad but i don't know everyone has left him alone.

If you compare their careers Lamps overall has had more of an impact for England than Stevie G. Lamps as we both know was our star of Euro 2004 & was the best player in 2006 WC qualifying, Stevie G workrate on the pitch as always been first rate (if you look past his blunder vs France in Euro 2004 & Russia recently) since he doesn't have Lamps goal-scoring pedigree but he still isn't the same inspirational player that helped liverpool win the CL & FA Cup recently. But i guess we can blame that on bad tactics by Sven & McClaren since he never really got to play that commanding role for England as he does for Liverpool, he spends alot of time playing as a defensive mid-fielder trying to give Lampard room when in truth one of two should have played and not both.

ATM i won't argue about who would work best in England's mid-field since i don't think anyone can be sure what England's best mid-field combination is really we can only speculate. We got a year until WC qualifiers & hopefully a rough but tactically sound coach who will scream at the players from the touchline when they do crap & not afraid to drop stars will be chosen like Capello, fingers crossed also that we don't get grouped with two European powerhouses since i see our woeful performances in qualifying means we aren't one of the top seeds & that the premiership is shaken up stop all these foreigners from coming in & get a bloodclath winter break FFS...

 

[aussie]

Putting the current situation aside for the moment, who are people going to be supporting next year, if bothering to follow the tournament at all? Going with the Swedes here.

Spain because really admire the talent within their ranks, but if they flop again on the international stage will fall back on the solid Azzuri.

 

[aussie]

More luck than judgement in that appointment now you point it out, if someone has not managed before, there's no way you should be thrusting them straight into international management. Or even top-level club management for that matter, should start outside the Prem.

All true, but given England's current situation is it really vital that we bring in someone with a vast amount of Managerial Experience? Instead what about someone who has a bit of passion, desire & belief in English football and a bit of pride in representing their country. Shearer fits that description even though he doesn't have much managing experience to date, he could be a wild card choice that works brilliantly at the end or fails, but if selected even though i have Capello as my choice i won't be disgusted TBH.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Lamps as we both know was our star of Euro 2004

Never.

 

[Tom Halsey]

All true, but given England's current situation is it really vital that we bring in someone with a vast amount of Managerial Experience?

Yes.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Putting the current situation aside for the moment, who are people going to be supporting next year, if bothering to follow the tournament at all? Going with the Swedes here.

Spain for me. One obviously rules out teams who knock us out (bye-bye, Croatia, Russia, Holland, Germany & Portugal), teams we never beat (see ya Sweden & Romania), the too **** (so long Austria, Switzerland & Greece) & the too good (au revoir Italy & France) which leaves us with Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey & Poland.

Poland are tempting because we always beat them and Turkey generally come second to us too, but as a Gooner Espana with Cesc seems the only way to go.

 

[headhunter]

The too **** (so long Austria, Switzerland & Greece) .

Switzerland are a pretty decent side and with home advantage I wouldn't be surprised if they make it to the QF or possibly further with some luck.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

the too **** (so long Austria, Switzerland & Greece)

Didn't they qualify? itstl.

 

[Matteh]

Austria and Switzerland qualified by default, Greece won Euro 2004, so fairplay.

 

[roseboy64]

I aint English but I am a little sad that they are out,because its not the same without them at the big tournaments. I love the way media builds up every English game, and the team disappoints almost every single time,until they are out in one of the knock out games on penalties offcourse and then the media,fans rightly condemn the performances only to forget about it later, and try to have fun again at the next game at Wembley and the cycle repeats. Meanwhile the FA and the players pocket hefty sum of money and think there's always next time. And unfortunately, this cycle,also repeats.

But still there are 16 teams, of which Spain is one. One parallel to draw between Spain and England... Good leagues, Underperforming National teams.

By the way cant decide which team to support at the Euros... Italy or Germany? Maybe Spain...

If you don't want the team you're supporting to win....

 

[roseboy64]

I just looked on the BBC site at those heat-map things, very revealing. Wayne Bridge's looked virtually the same as Joe Cole's, no wonder our defence was **** poor. Bridge hasn't been an England-quality left-back since he played for Southampton, since he joined Chelsea he's gotten lazy and complacent.

He's barely played though.

 

[Barney Rubble]

He's barely played though.

Well, I never said the two weren't connected. He's suffered for lack of games, without a doubt, but at the end of the day if you stagnate as a player it's no-one's fault than your own. If he wanted to improve he should have left Chelsea when he realised he wasn't first-choice.

 

[grecian]

Why do opposition fans boo players?

Hey. I'm not arguing for decencies sake, I'm the most vindictive spiteful football supporter in the world, schaudenfreude could be my middle name, if my parents or I could spell it.

Yet booing oppo players is the most counter-productive thing I've seen in sport, as soon as I'd heard that geordies had started booing Gerrard, you just knew he would score.

Happens constantly at the park. Has it ever happened otherwise. Has a player gone "oh mummy I'm being booed, I'll prove them all right by playing crap". NO, it just gets them fired up, FFS.

BTW, Cappelo's the only choice, imho, but our player's just ain't good enough, get over it.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Ref's just absolutely swallowed a decision in the Geordies/Scousers dust up. Given just pulled off a very blatant hand-ball several yards out of his area and nothing. Shocker.

Newcastle look dogplop too, it must be said. Alladyce for England!

 

[jammay123]

Putting the current situation aside for the moment, who are people going to be supporting next year, if bothering to follow the tournament at all? Going with the Swedes here.

im gonna support the czech republc for euro 2008. no secific reason really only i reckon they have a decent chance to win it and they will be underdogs

 

[roseboy64]

Well, I never said the two weren't connected. He's suffered for lack of games, without a doubt, but at the end of the day if you stagnate as a player it's no-one's fault than your own. If he wanted to improve he should have left Chelsea when he realised he wasn't first-choice.

That is true.

 

[Matteh]

im gonna support the czech republc for euro 2008. no secific reason really only i reckon they have a decent chance to win it and they will be underdogs

The Czechs always do quite well at the Euros.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Ffs United. Unlikely to be title-deciding exactly but still gutted given how results are atm.