Group C - England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia

[wpdavid]

Portugal 1 england 0 in '86, struggling though I have to say. Why did you say Tyldesley was re-writing history, I had the sound turned down to avoid Townsend.

He was saying that Robson had the sense to change things around when they weren't working in 1986. Truth is it was forced upon him when Wilkins was suspended and Robson's arm fell off. Perhaps I'm being unfair as he did bring in Steven & Hodge on the flanks as well.

Know what you means about Townsend though. He really has absolutely nothing to say.

 

[Furball]

England lucky that Boogie hasn't got the same attacking license he gets at Rangers.

 

[Neil Pickup]

This is the same position France were in after two games in 2006. They went alright.

 

[cpr]

Oh well, on the plus we know who's now our no 1 keeper......

All our players should be freshly rested for wednesday, because **** all of them played tonight (actually, SWP and Defoe were the best of the outfield)

 

[grecian]

He was saying that Robson had the sense to change things around when they weren't working in 1986. Truth is it was forced upon him when Wilkins was suspended and Robson's arm fell off. Perhaps I'm being unfair as he did bring in Steven & Hodge on the flanks as well.

Know what you means about Townsend though. He really has absolutely nothing to say.

Ahh well, your right those changes were forced on Bobby, but they were unheralded blokes, who may have not been in the squad under another manager. I get quite annoyed about the denigrating of Bobbys management, because the press disliked him, and all this the players forced him to do stuff was fueled by a few egotistical players who had ****e managerial careers themselves.

Oh and I felt that before his death, before anyone accuses me of maudlin rose-tintedness.

It all stems from the same thing in my opinion, as proved by tonight, our players aren't good enough, so a press that screams "we will win this" has to blame someone. Sometimes we have had really poor managers (Revie, Taylor, Keegan, Mclaren), and that just means we're more lousy then other times.

 

[Life on Limbrick]

**** off
Take your wags and stick them where the sun don’t shine, **** off orange boots and back the beard, Stick your braids, Mohawks and eye brow tramlines up your arse.

**** off Cappello you imported idiot, **** off 442, **** off Gerrard on the left, **** off keeping your most creative player on the bench, **** off Emile Hesky’s first touch, **** off Beckham in a suit.

**** off Garth crooks

**** off playing well for your club and then deciding to be a mong when you pull on the three lions, **** off shooting from didstance, **** off rooney, **** off red mist, and all the other **** the sulky bastard thrives on, **** off not closing down, **** off training camps, **** off Southgate and Pearce. **** off players who struggle to make the bench for their club starting for the national side.

**** off having failures as pundits

**** off Eileen Drury

**** off not realising how lucky you are, **** off being a prick, **** off James Corden, get your own mates, not ones you met through Sports relief, **** off Sports relief, **** off baddiel and skinner, **** off to my parents for not having me sooner, **** off pickles the dog,

**** off Leighton Baines, and his nose.

**** off women pretending to care, **** off car flags, **** off highlights shows.

**** off Stuart ‘Hardman’ Pearce being **** scared of his boss, **** off swapping shirts, **** off playing hard done by because you got booed, **** off 2018, **** off wheeling out hurst,

**** off and leave me alone.

 

[wpdavid]

Ahh well, your right those changes were forced on Bobby, but they were unheralded blokes, who may have not been in the squad under another manager. I get quite annoyed about the denigrating of Bobbys management, because the press disliked him, and all this the players forced him to do stuff was fueled by a few egotistical players who had ****e managerial careers themselves.

Oh and I felt that before his death, before anyone accuses me of maudlin rose-tintedness.

It all stems from the same thing in my opinion, as proved by tonight, our players aren't good enough, so a press that screams "we will win this" has to blame someone. Sometimes we have had really poor managers (Revie, Taylor, Keegan, Mclaren), and that just means we're more lousy then other times.

Yes, I wouldn't argue with much of that. I think you're absolutely right about the quality of players nowadays. Surely the myth of the 'golden generation' has been well and truly put to bed now. Fact is we had better players in 1990 & 1998 - by quite some distance in fact.

 

[Scaly piscine]

That was pathetic. One of the worst England performances I've seen for years. Rooney, Johnson and Heskey stood out with particularly ****e performances, but no-one really came out of the game looking good. James and Barry had ok games, but nothing to shout about. Awful performance. Capello really needs to ditch the 4-4-2 AFAIC. Drop Heskey, have Gerrard playing through the middle just behind Rooney with Wright-Phillips and Cole on the wings.

I'm a better footballer than Wright-Phillips. The guy's a joke. The only thing he did when he came on was look completely gormless then overhit his first touch and fall over. Fortunately for him the referee was equally gormless and gave a free kick virtually every time someone fell over, particularly when it was that Algerian forward. How the **** that frog in the blender got on the pitch *again* is beyond belief. And what the hell is the point in bringing on Crouch for 10 minutes. England were ****ing atrocious for the entire match and he's about the only one who has a reasonable shot at scoring with that ****house service from midfield.

Algeria could barely string three passes together, all you had to do was breath on them and they'd give it away. So England sat off them all day with the crocked donkey centre backs frantically running (or some approximation) back to the 18 yard line each and every time Algeria got the ball. Just unbelievable how abysmal that game was.

 

[shivfan]

My God, England were awful!

Algeria looked like the better side out there....

I really can't see England beating Slovenia, or even getting out of the group stages. If by some fluke they make it to the knockout stage, I'm betting on Germany or Ghana or Serbia or whoever they play to win that match, even if it goes to penalties.

 

[grecian]

I like Noel Gallagher, but am turning it over because Brand is being hilarious again.

 

[silentstriker]

USA wins, USA goes through. Simple as that - I like it.

 

[Furball]

This is the same position France were in after two games in 2006. They went alright.

France also had an all time great player having one last hurrah on the big stage.

 

[Pothas]

Oh England, got to see the funny side really.

Still probably scrap through but that was so dire.

 

[silentstriker]

So it's possible for England to win and not go through...that sucks.

As far as I can tell, these are the scenarios:

1. US wins and England loses: (1) Slovenia (2) US
2. US wins and England draws (1) & (2) Slovenia and US, based on tiebreakers
3. US wins and England wins (1) & (2) England and US, based on tiebreakers
4. US draws and England loses: (1) Slovenia (2) US
5. US draws and England draws: (1) Slovenia and (2) England/US based on tiebreakers
6. US draws and England wins: (1) England (2) Slovenia
7. US loses and England loses: (1) Slovenia (2) Algeria
8. US loses and England draws: (1) Slovenia (2) England
9. US loses and England wins: (1) England (2) Slovenia

 

[roseboy64]

Capello too stubborn. No Joe Cole or even Carrick, no matter how crap he's been this season, to change up the system. Milner even.

 

[sledger]

Capello too stubborn. No Joe Cole or even Carrick, no matter how crap he's been this season, to change up the system. Milner even.

Great logic. The system is crap, so let's put a crap player into it and see what happens. Would suggest Joe Cole should get a game soon though, dire.

 

[roseboy64]

Great logic. The system is crap, so let's put a crap player into it and see what happens. Would suggest Joe Cole should get a game soon though, dire.

Yeah because Lampard and Gerrard were brilliant. Barry the only midfielder who did anything decent.

 

[grecian]

Great logic. The system is crap, so let's put a crap player into it and see what happens. Would suggest Joe Cole should get a game soon though, dire.

I hate to say this but Roseboy is right, to have a possession footballer in for one of gerrard or arbuckle would actually work better.

Cole should play as well though, carrick and cole in, lumps and lennon out, imho.

 

[sledger]

Not neccesarily saying Rose was wrong on this occasion, but you know it's a dire situation when you have to apply the logic I cited.

On another note, am not entirely sure why so many people are surprised at the turn of events. England always play terribly first up and then as soon as they play well go out.

 

[roseboy64]

BTW I wasn't particularly calling for Carrick but he needed to change it up and brought on like for like with the exception of Defoe. But then he brought on Crouch so it changed back.