My fellow Englishmen...

[morgieb]

Think it's far worse not qualifying tbh, something we've had plenty of experience with. Though it's all about your expectations I guess. We want to qualify more than anything for the football WC, but in other sports, if we aren't winning the whole thing, it isn't good enough.

Yeah would probably agree with this. England would obviously have a different perspective though I guess.

 

[silentstriker]

They lost to Croatia though.

I would say qualifying and embarrassing yourselves is a lot worse than just not qualifying.

How is not qualifying less embarrassing than doing badly? That makes no sense.

 

[Furball]

How is not qualifying less embarrassing than doing badly? That makes no sense.

It's a lot harder to qualify from Europe than it is from North America and since every man and his dog watches the World Cup I'd rather we didn't embarass ourselves in front of the entire world.

 

[silentstriker]

Yea but you're a worse team if you don't qualify than if you did qualify and then do badly....That's like saying coming in last in the Olympics 100m is embarrassing so it's better to just sit on your couch. Like fear of embarrassment is so high that it's not even worth trying...

 

[Burgey]

It's the English condition.

 

[superkingdave]

I find I enjoy tournaments more when England aren't in them.

Hughes at Wembley in 94 the worst moment in football tbh. Coach broke down on the way back to Oldham, got back at 3am woke up at half 6 for school, got there and found out it was an inset day...

 

[Goughy]

Any team can be **** over 3 games in a tournament. Nothing to be too embarrassed about. Far worse to be **** for a prolonged 2 year period in qualifying. Tournaments need a bit of luck. We were **** in the group stage in Italia 90 and were just fortunate the other teams were more **** and we ended up in the semis.

 

[wpdavid]

Leon against West Germany in 1970 is still the worst. At the risk of sounding all Nick Hornby about it, the first time your heart gets broken is the one that sticks with you forever, and I've certainly never forgiven the Germans. 2-0 up, then Bonetti lets in a couple of duffers, Ramsey gets his substitutions all wrong, and Gerd ****ing Muller finishes us off in extra time.
More recently, losing on penalties after failing to see of a thoroughly moderate German side in 1996 hurt because it was such a wasted opportunity to actually win something. Ditto losing to Brazil in 2002. Although in that WC, we'd have probably lost to the Germans if we'd reached the final anyway.

Worst experience at club level was Palace's 1993 relegation. Did a lap of honour after winning our final game only to be overtaken by Oldham's games in hand. Final game of the season saw us at Arsenal, where we always got spanked, with Oldham needing to see off Southampton. IIRC Le Tissier got a hat-trick but Southampton conceded four, whilst we did what we always did at Highbury.

 

[superkingdave]

I think we were dead and buried going into March that year, won 6 and drew 3 of the last 12 including Man U and Liverpool

Completely the opposite of the season after when we were in a decent position before the FA cup semi, then took 3 points from the last 7 games after it

Although IIRC we got knocked out of a cup in both years by Tranmere

 

[cpr]

I remember watching the Italia 90 semi and how gutting it was for a 7 year old. Obviously Beckham being a mong in 98 wasn't great, and Franks 'goal' against Germany was painful - though to be fair we were than disgraceful in that tournament its irrelevant.

As a Utd fan, i'd be taking the piscuit throwing too many hats into this ring, though I do remember my dads pained face at the famous 5-1. Watching us throw away the title to Leeds is never comfortable, and the 10-0-0 formation of West Ham 3 years later.... Thought in 2009 we had a chance at the CL, 2011 was just hope rather than belief mind.

 

[GIMH]

I think we were dead and buried going into March that year, won 6 and drew 3 of the last 12 including Man U and Liverpool

Completely the opposite of the season after when we were in a decent position before the FA cup semi, then took 3 points from the last 7 games after it

Although IIRC we got knocked out of a cup in both years by Tranmere

We had a cracking side at the time though. Should have gone up both years.

 

[silentstriker]

It's a lot harder to qualify from Europe than it is from North America and since every man and his dog watches the World Cup I'd rather we didn't embarass ourselves in front of the entire world.

Yea but you're a worse team if you don't qualify than if you did qualify and then do badly....That's like saying coming in last in the Olympics 100m is embarrassing so it's better to just sit on your couch. Like fear of embarrassment is so high that it's not even worth trying...

Maybe you're right after all..