*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[GIMH]

In a word: yes. Anything which might lead to fewer fouls is, for me.

If a defender thinks he can't legitimately tackle an attacker so chooses not to lunge in then I personally don't think the game is losing much.

I don't think it's as simple as that though. If it's 90% that you'll time it right, then you start doubting yourself, and either decide against it, or it's too late you've been skinned.

I don't think fouling is a huge problem in the game; I don't like two-footed tackles or shirt-tugging, and the cynical trips mentioned by Uppercut. But late accidental tackles, I genuinenly think that to eradicate them we'd have to eradicate so many legitimate tackles that it just wouldn't be worth it.

I could come round to sin bins if they were for diving, mind

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well with sin-bins you could use video technology... but they won't.

Nice (read horrible) defending on that goal. James didn't exactly make himself big and dropped as easy a catch as you can get earlier.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Norway 1 Germany 0

I know it's only a friendly, but Verbeek-tactics seems to work for Egil Olsen, too.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Absolutely dire watching England trying to pass it about.

Technically so piss poor, can't string two forward passes together. When they finally get into a vaguely promising position they screw it up with bad control or an overhit pass.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Someone tell the midfielders to get up the pitch when we have the ball ffs. So irritating watching them continually run back to get the ball.

 

[aussie]

We missed Hargreaves in the mid-field. Carrick & Barry passing game was constantly twarted by Senna.

Was worried about James, when i say how Kuyt beat him last week. He really looks shaky in goal. Green could very well & become number one come the qualifiers.

Downing didn't look out of his depth. But playing at a struggling Middlesbrough didn't help him 2nite. Young should have started.


Heskey also was useless without Rooney & Johnson going forward was awful. Brown's solidity for now
at RB will be the best option in the future i guess.

If we where at full-strenght 2nite i reckon we could have beaten Spain, playing to our strenghts. England tried to beat Spain at their own game thats what costed them.

 

[aussie]

Very surprised at Argentina beating France 2-0 also. France definately looked stronger on paper especially in attack...

 

[Pothas]

You being serious? Don't understand why it is a surprise

 

[Uppercut]

I hope England fans aren't too upset about being beaten by the best team in the world.

 

[Uppercut]

If we where at full-strenght 2nite i reckon we could have beaten Spain, playing to our strenghts. England tried to beat Spain at their own game thats what costed them.

Unlikely, especially away from home. "Could" have done, yes, anyone can beat anyone in football, but wouldn't very often, even at full strength. And that's not to say England are a bad side at all- Spain are just awesome. You can't reasonably expect to beat a team like that, and it's arrogant to think you can.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

If an English player puts his foot up = foul
If anyone else puts their foot up = not a foul

Always thought that was a strange rule.

Applies to Australia vs. any Asian side as well.

 

[aussie]

Unlikely, especially away from home. "Could" have done, yes, anyone can beat anyone in football, but wouldn't very often, even at full strength. And that's not to say England are a bad side at all- Spain are just awesome. You can't reasonably expect to beat a team like that, and it's arrogant to think you can.

Spain are brilliant. But seeing alot of them from Euro 2008 to now. I honestly think a full-strenght team could have defeated them.

Spain play a tight 4-1-3-2 formation. A mid-field engine from Heaven. As i mentioned at the top, the fact Capello started with Carrick/Barry. Meant he wanted England to emulate Spain in the centre of the park & it back-fired. Mainly because we gave away too much & when Carrick/Barry got it Senna was cutting almost everything out.

If we had:

- Hargreaves to break up X-men's passing movement

- Our three most skill-full & paciest players in Cole & Stevie G to attack Spain down the flanks, along with Rooney (whose presence would have made Heskey more effective). We could have surprised them.

You being serious? Don't understand why it is a surprise.

Well i know France aren't on top of the world ATM & haven't been for a while. But looking at the teams on paper: http://http://www.football-lineups.com/match/36449

Surely with Henry, Anelka (although he has eased at bit for Chelsea), Ribery. Leading the line in great goal-scoring form againts an Argentina defense still taking shape after the retirement of Ayala. Wasn't expecting such a one-sided scoreline TBH.

Would love to see the game..

 

[superkingdave]

First England match i've seen in 2 years. Not much to be optimistic about, Spain didn't get out of 3rd gear all night. What is up with Ashley Cole, he's terrible going forwards these days, used to be alright. Yeah Downing was crap, England still can't pass and David Pleat still makes it impossible to watch the whole match with his crap, seriously why is this guy still allowed on tv?

 

[Scaly piscine]

- Our three most skill-full & paciest players in Cole & Stevie G to attack Spain down the flanks, along with Rooney (whose presence would have made Heskey more effective). We could have surprised them.

Joe Cole and Gerrard are a recipe for a narrow midfield, which just means England have even less time and space to pass it and zero delivery into the box.

Spain just sat back, looked good and given they kept being presented the ball on a plate didn't really create much. That's pretty much what they've always been like. The main difference is other national sides are piss poor so it makes Spain look better than they are.

England aren't good enough to pass it around for long, they pretty much only looked like a threat when someone like Downing delivered a cross or longer ball (most of the main chances came from him) - otherwise they simply can't string enough passes together to work an opening.

But this is pretty much how it has been for a while. England have to play a simple game to look a threat, the midfield still kills the forward progress by being too close to the defense and love to face towards their own goal, resulting in them pinging the ball back to the player that just passed to them. England are poor technically but they could make things a lot easier for themselves if they had more outlets - hoofing it up to Heskey/Crouch should not be the primary mode of attack.

 

[Uppercut]

Spain are brilliant. But seeing alot of them from Euro 2008 to now. I honestly think a full-strenght team could have defeated them.

Spain play a tight 4-1-3-2 formation. A mid-field engine from Heaven. As i mentioned at the top, the fact Capello started with Carrick/Barry. Meant he wanted England to emulate Spain in the centre of the park & it back-fired. Mainly because we gave away too much & when Carrick/Barry got it Senna was cutting almost everything out.

If we had:

- Hargreaves to break up X-men's passing movement

- Our three most skill-full & paciest players in Cole & Stevie G to attack Spain down the flanks, along with Rooney (whose presence would have made Heskey more effective). We could have surprised them.

Nah mate Spain are just awesome. Far better players who work far better together in a team. Rooney, Heskey and Stevie G back in the side sounds great until you remember that the Spanish equivalent is Villa, Torres and Iniesta. Even if you dispute that the three Spanish players are better (they are though), their recent performances when playing for their respective countries are absolutely incomparable.

 

[grecian]

Spain infinitely better then us. It could well have been different if Gerrard had been fit and him Lampard had played in their normal way for England. Could of easily been 4 or 5 to Spain, IMHO.

Pointless talking about Hargreaves, he's out for so long he may never come back looking like he once did. Anyway Carrick's better, in my opinion.....

 

[TT Boy]

Aussie, you are talking through your hat, son…Every couple of years Spain play us and give us a footballing lesson. Last time Lampard was given the run around and a masterclass from Xavi and last night it was Carrick’s turn to get manshamed.

But **** knows what has happened if Carlton Cole is getting a gig. I played football with him once when I was 12; he was 15 or something and built like a brick ****house. Leon Knight was a better park player than him…

 

[TT Boy]

Well i know France aren't on top of the world ATM & haven't been for a while. But looking at the teams on paper: http://http://www.football-lineups.com/match/36449

Surely with Henry, Anelka (although he has eased at bit for Chelsea), Ribery. Leading the line in great goal-scoring form againts an Argentina defense still taking shape after the retirement of Ayala. Wasn't expecting such a one-sided scoreline TBH.

Would love to see the game..

You forgot that Raymond Domenech is the French coach? Like Bernard Laporte did with the French rugby side, Domenech has coached all the flair out of the team and apparently most of the young upstarts (Nasri...) couldn't give a toss about champion players such as Henry.

 

[Pothas]

Well i know France aren't on top of the world ATM & haven't been for a while. But looking at the teams on paper: http://http://www.football-lineups.com/match/36449

Surely with Henry, Anelka (although he has eased at bit for Chelsea), Ribery. Leading the line in great goal-scoring form againts an Argentina defense still taking shape after the retirement of Ayala. Wasn't expecting such a one-sided scoreline TBH.

Would love to see the game..

But Argentina have the best player in the world plus Agüero and then Tezez on the bench is I better than France's atack , If you then add a superior central midefeald partnership of Gago and Mascherano I can't see why you are so surprised

 

[Magrat Garlick]

But Argentina have the best player in the world plus Agüero and then Tezez on the bench is I better than France's atack , If you then add a superior central midefeald partnership of Gago and Mascherano I can't see why you are so surprised

but, but, but, only one of them is in The Best League In The World™