*Official* English Football Season 2013-14

[sledger]

On a personal level I believe there are probably some question marks that could be put against Wilshere's name. He's apparently been involved in one or two rather unsavoury incidents in nightclubs and so on, and has had to undergo a series of intensive anger management courses, but one could perhaps put these things down to his relatively young age.

Really like him as a player though, and in the interviews I've seen with him he's always come across as a fairly affable and likeable character.

Agree with the above Re: international breaks though, just the worst thing. Really get a sinking feeling in my stomach when I go to look up the Prem fixtures for the weekend and realise that it's one of those weeks. Uppercut absolutely right about the WC though, genuinely the best thing in sport for mine. Not even England being in it can ruin it for me.

 

[grecian]

Not sure about Wilshere as a person but he's definitely a likable player, skillful and dynamic. But a lot of people would have said the same about Rooney early in his career. Maybe he just hasn't been around long enough to piss everyone off.

International breaks are always a pain imo, especially since they moved the games to Friday, now we just get entire weekends with no football at all. World Cups are the best thing ever though.

Well, that's where we'll obviously differ the 2012 Olympics was the best global sporting event since the 1990 World Cup, personally. Not the greatest quality, but the best feeling. General sense of well-being about sport and fellowship.

In general though obviously World Cups are better. Was a rather unique happening too. Yet it doesn't help with my feeling of ennui.

 

[Eds]

Far more worried about this from Wilshere than any of his supposedly controversial comments:

The 21-year-old added: "We have to remember what we are. We are English. We tackle hard, are tough on the pitch and are hard to beat."
"We have great characters. You think of Spain and you think technical but you think of England and you think they are brave and they tackle hard. We have to remember that."

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, this is definitely true in my experience. I think around WC 2010 it really reached critical mass though; not only were there plenty of players who I actively disliked, but the rest of the squad was made up of plodders and/or terrible/dull players (e.g. Crouch, Heskey, SWP, Barry, Upson, Carragher). The upshot of all that being that it was just so hard to get behind the team, not least because you knew full well that as soon as they came up against anyone half-decent it'd be curtains, as proved to be the case.

I think my interest in the England team pretty much tailed off when Beckham was dropped by McDonut to be honest. He and Owen were the two players I liked the most and could really root for, and once they were gone there was just nothing left for me to identify with. There was a certain intensity they played with that just made them very likeable to me, something I never really felt from the majority of other players. There may yet be hope with the next gen of English players though, plenty of whom are good to watch and have yet done nothing too draw much animosity.

Edit: In fact what would sum my feelings up quite well, is that there's been a bit of a lack of character about the England team since Sven left to me. I remember Pothas making a similar observation about the England cricket team during the 2009 Ashes.

I agree with most of this, although I think that my enthusiasm had dropped off well before 2010, think it was already on the wane by 2004 when England were actually pretty decent. I certainly cared more back in 2002 but the only times I think I have really cared a lot about the national side was way back in 96 and 98. We were pretty young then but can remember them very clearly, especially 98.

The paricular side they have now and the whole media atmosphere around it certainly contributes but the fact it does shows that failure of a deeper connection. It may have something to do with the fact that with all the other teams that I support closely I have seen live on countless occasions, while I have never seen the England football team live. I think I could easily not see England play a test match in years and not feel any less of a connection but think it is more important in football. The ritual of going to watch the game becomes the most important thing, rather than certain players or the current team. I think if I followed England like a club (like some of my friends do) I would feel very differently.

 

[BoyBrumby]

In all fairness to Wilshere, he's not wrong.

The situation isn't necessarily desirable, but we're not going to out pass Spain, are we?

You cut your cloth accordingly.

 

[sledger]

To be fair, there's nothing wrong with being brave and tackling hard. Obviously if the implication was that technical ability should take a backseat to this then that would be somewhat concerning, but given the fact that he's one of the most technically proficient England players out there at the moment, you'd have to doubt this was his intention.

 

[Pothas]

There's such a rotten atmosphere around the national side, for all kinds of reasons. I'd imagine that by making it harder for people like you two to get behind them it can be sort of self-perpetuating.

Maybe when they move on from the current generation of whoppers there won't be so much animosity. It's surely easier to get behind Baines, Wilshere, Welbeck, Oxlade-Chamberlain etc. than it was Cole, Terry or Rooney.

Must admit that I am unreasonably excited about Ross Barkley. I definetly think that the side will get more likeable but I don't think it will make me really care.

 

[Pothas]

International breaks are always a pain imo, especially since they moved the games to Friday, now we just get entire weekends with no football at all. World Cups are the best thing ever though.

Yeah the Friday thing is awful, Brentford are away this weekend as well which makes it even worse.

World Cups are most definetly the best thing ever, even when the games at mostly crap and we get told that they are not what they used to be, they are still the best thing ever.

 

[sledger]

Must admit that I am unreasonably excited about Ross Barkley. I definetly think that the side will get more likeable but I don't think it will make me really care.

I think perhaps we need another Beckham red card incident. Need to get a good back story going so that we can cultivate the return and revenge of some triumphant hero. I can't remember any game I've been glued to the TV more than the game against Argentina in 2002. I can't remember caring about an England game any more than that one.

That said, I can still remember the horrible crashing out in 96 and 98 really vividly. Horrible feelings, amongst the worst I've ever felt about a sporting event probably.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah the Friday thing is awful, Brentford are away this weekend as well which makes it even worse.

World Cups are most definetly the best thing ever, even when the games at mostly crap and we get told that they are not what they used to be, they are still the best thing ever.

Ha yeah, no amount of Mark Lawrenson's desperate efforts to put a downer on the whole thing can make it not awesome. Brazil should be such a good place for it too, even for the Confeds Cup matches the atmosphere was incredible.

 

[GIMH]

I like the Friday thing for two reasons:

1. It used to be our games that would be moved on international weekends but not anymore
2. When Wales are at home, Chris Coleman releases Fonners back to us for the Saturday game

 

[BoyBrumby]

I love the group stages most, bizarrely enough.

The whole "two games a day for two weeks" is just so orgasmic.

Always feel slightly bereft when we move to the KO stage.

 

[GIMH]

I love the group stages most, bizarrely enough.

The whole "two games a day for two weeks" is just so orgasmic.

Always feel slightly bereft when we move to the KO stage.

Agree, and then when the second round finishes and you have two days with no games at all it leaves you feeling so empty

 

[sledger]

That's the worst time of the tournament imo. Makes you feel like it's already getting towards the end.

 

[Furball]

Far more worried about this from Wilshere than any of his supposedly controversial comments:

The 21-year-old added: "We have to remember what we are. We are English. We tackle hard, are tough on the pitch and are hard to beat."
"We have great characters. You think of Spain and you think technical but you think of England and you think they are brave and they tackle hard. We have to remember that."

It's nothing more than a plea for English football not to lose its identity. It reads more like an anti-diving speech than anything.

 

[Uppercut]

Yeah I agree with everything he says there.

I'm definitely on board with the group stage love. I wouldn't say the knockout stages are anti-climatic because they're usually what you remember but the group stages are by far the most fun.

 

[sledger]

The group stages are reassuring, like the first few days of the summer holidays. You're thrilled that they're underway, but you have the warm feeling of contentment and reassurance that there's plenty more to come.

 

[Pothas]

Love when you see sides play for the first time as well. I know these days we are aware of all the players in the big sides but still get a sense of excitement when Brazil and Italy in particular play their first games. Italy having the potential to be terrible is always part of it.

 

[sledger]

I still remember how ITV got really upset when Brazil went out, and thus didn't appear in the Semi-final, last time round. I remember them whinging about Brazil not being in it more than the match itself.

 

[Pothas]

I remember it well, was one of the worst bits of football broadcasting I have ever seen. Charles was at his most morse and I think Southgate even managed to forget who was playing at one point.