Agree, completely, unfortunately. Awful defending....Problem is, that was what we used to be reasonably good at.....
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The 2011-2012 Football Thread
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Agree, completely, unfortunately. Awful defending....Problem is, that was what we used to be reasonably good at.....
Croatia have been better but are very lucky to be 3-1 up. I have always found Croatia to be a dirty, ill-tempered, smack-talking national team. So I will enjoy watching them get knocked out when the time comes. But they are a good team - just not good enough to go through the group stage.
Ireland - well, their game plan was good but defensive errors have undone them. Given was terribly unlucky on the third goal. I'm hoping to see Ireland pull one back before the end.
Good point. Lalas is a clown though. It was funny to watch Ballack glare every time Lalas interrupted him with some "analysis". I think by the end he wanted to nut him.
Ireland - well, their game plan was good but defensive errors have undone them. Given was terribly unlucky on the third goal. I'm hoping to see Ireland pull one back before the end.
Good point. Lalas is a clown though. It was funny to watch Ballack glare every time Lalas interrupted him with some "analysis". I think by the end he wanted to nut him.
It'll be hard for us to manage to pull one (or two) back from play; set pieces are better for us. Generally, (but not tonight) we're better at defence than offence, and we're poor at scoring from play.
Given deserves better - he is a great player and his defence have let him down badly.
Croatia - well, a beautiful country, and a skillful if nasty football team. Since the mid 1990s, I have visited Croatia several times, and I have monitored a number of elections in that country; I have to say that there is an authentically ugly strain of fascism deep in the DNA of the body politic which is profoundly unpleasant. Meanwhile, the suspicion grows that we are outclassed and outplayed by a better - if nastier - team. Clever even at fouling......
Given deserves better - he is a great player and his defence have let him down badly.
Croatia - well, a beautiful country, and a skillful if nasty football team. Since the mid 1990s, I have visited Croatia several times, and I have monitored a number of elections in that country; I have to say that there is an authentically ugly strain of fascism deep in the DNA of the body politic which is profoundly unpleasant. Meanwhile, the suspicion grows that we are outclassed and outplayed by a better - if nastier - team. Clever even at fouling......
I've grown up with a lot of Croatian kids, generally the sons and daughters of first-generation immigrants. Many settled in my neighborhood and they have a cultural center/restaurant/butcher/football pitch right across the street from the house I grew up in.
They love their football and take it very, very seriously. But they have a very nasty streak in their game and I also witnessed some very ugly Serb-Croat tensions between immigrants here. I think there really is a link between their political strife and their combative football.You should have seen when the Serb and Croat amateur adult teams faced off - there were plenty of fights and the police almost always got called in.
to be honest the irish game leaves me clueless how they managed to qualify while teams like serbia, switzerland, slovakia, turkey are sitting at home
apart of free kicks + headers absolutely chanceless on the attack
edit: IMHO Ireland shouldn't complain about "nasty" croatia after elbowing their keeper in the 5 meter box and after refusing to play the ball out when a croatian was lying on the ground ... hardly a beacon of sportsmanship .. especially the elbows were flying frequently
apart of free kicks + headers absolutely chanceless on the attack
edit: IMHO Ireland shouldn't complain about "nasty" croatia after elbowing their keeper in the 5 meter box and after refusing to play the ball out when a croatian was lying on the ground ... hardly a beacon of sportsmanship .. especially the elbows were flying frequently
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I hear you and I agree with you about how seriously they take their football. Actually, I've been in the Balkans a lot since the mid 1990s and have monitored many elections in the region since the end of the war. Even then, I remember seeing school kids in Bosnia and Croatia play extraordinarily skillful games of football on concrete school yards - in buildings which we would have requisitioned for training and seminars. Admittedly, even the 10 year olds that I witnessed playing in poverty stricken war-torn towns displayed a level of aptitude, athleticism, elegant ball-control, and skill and ease on the ball that you simply never see in the British Isles (unfortunately).
Re politics, there is a dark vicious and ugly underbelly to Croat political culture which has never been adequately addressed, in my view, not least the loathsome legacy of anti-Semitism and fascism. At least the Serbs (for a variety of reasons) have - to some extent - faced up to (or been compelled to face up to) their horrors and the horrors and murderous policies espoused by their Government in the 1990s.
Ireland have been very stout in defense, and that got them through qualification. But their defending really let them down today. It probably should have been 1-1 but for the mistakes.
Croatia's keeper looks a little tentative. Against Spain or Italy they will be broken down.
Essentially, it boils down to the fact that we have an excellent manager and we played to our limited strengths (mainly we defended well)- as a team - to the best of our (unfortunately) limited ability. That enabled us to qualify, but we lack a critical mass of really good players, sad to say.
It was different in the 1990s, when Jack Charlton actually had quite a number of good players to choose from when selecting his team.
Disappointed with Ireland today. Would have loved them to win. Saying that though, the Irish always put on a good show, and I will never write them off. Though Spain and Italy both seem to be firing on all cylinders. Di Natale was awesome when he came on. My one positive of the day was that I have St Ledger in my fantasy team!
Now my mind turns to England, I am starting to feel those pre game nerves that I always get. We have a weaker squad than we did in the world cup, but the team seems more together. Lets see how we play tomorrow. COME ON ENGLAND!!
Now my mind turns to England, I am starting to feel those pre game nerves that I always get. We have a weaker squad than we did in the world cup, but the team seems more together. Lets see how we play tomorrow. COME ON ENGLAND!!
France are a better team. If England play their 4-4-2 they need to hope that both forwards contribute. Lumping it up to Carroll might actually work against some teams - and might become necessary if England find themselves losing the battle for possession. Also, the assumption seems to be that when Rooney becomes available he will make a big impact. He didn't do that in South Africa, so it may be a dangerous assumption...Who knows? Maybe one of the other forwards will step up big.
Everyone who I have spoken to thinks he will come back and get sent off! But he simply must turn up to this tournament, something he hasn't done yet for England.
My big issue is with Stuart Downing. I personally do not rate him one bit. I think it was a poor decision including him in the squad at all. Ashley Young is absolutely key, he is one of the best players in the world if you ask me, utter, utter class. We seem to be setting up to be hard to beat and I hope it comes off for Roy.
Are you English mate?
Nope, American, with quite a mixed ancestry.
I know the English team best apart from my own USA though (thanks to the television presence of the Premier League), so naturally I keep an eye on them. At their best. England have pace in certain areas, can counterattack/longball it well, and defend stoutly. I doubt they will enjoy much possession against the better teams, but I feel like they could have a surprisingly good tournament if they avoid any further injuries and play to their strengths.
Rooney does need to step it up. At his best he is unplayable but he hasn't done that in a big tournament for quite a while. Young is very good (when he isn't diving), but I think England's best shot is good teamwork above all else. Downing is definitely a weakness, based on recent form for Liverpool.
Nice to see Americans enjoying football. Do you get decent coverage of euro 2012 over there?Nope, American, with quite a mixed ancestry.
I know the English team best apart from my own USA though (thanks to the television presence of the Premier League), so naturally I keep an eye on them. At their best. England have pace in certain areas, can counterattack/longball it well, and defend stoutly. I doubt they will enjoy much possession against the better teams, but I feel like they could have a surprisingly good tournament if they avoid any further injuries and play to their strengths.
Rooney does need to step it up. At his best he is unplayable but he hasn't done that in a big tournament for quite a while. Young is very good (when he isn't diving), but I think England's best shot is good teamwork above all else. Downing is definitely a weakness, based on recent form for Liverpool.
I think Roy is going to make us quite defensive against France, which makes sense with Wayne not playing I suppose. So hitting France on the counter will be our best chance - Again, Ashley Young will be vital for this. When he plays for United he knocks the ball around with Nani/Rooney/Valencia/Anderson etc really quickly and they are the best in the world at breaking down midfields like that, knocking the ball around in triangles. I could talk all day about how good Young is.
In honesty, Englands greatest foe is our own media and press. They are vile, negative and love to get on our own players backs, even making some of the players hate the public. They pile pressure on the players and manager and cause psychological damage to the team which no other national teams have to deal with.
Euro coverage in the US is handled by ESPN and is pretty good these days, though since I am at UTC -9 right now the matches are at inconvenient times. The quality of the commentators is generally good, though the in-studio team is insufferable at times (see my rants above).
Looking at it from the outside, I boil England's problems down to three primary actors:
- Rampant, vicious tabloid journalism
- The incompetence of the FA
- A lack of real team spirit, largely brought about by factors 1 and 2.
Notice that I did not include "bad managers" as one of the factors. I don't think managers have been the problem, even though they've taken most of the blame.
Looks like Chelski will keep RDM at the helm after all...at least until the end of next season when he will then be sacked for failing to win the EPL and CL.
Guess they couldn't seduce Guardiola.
...which i'm kind of happy about, since it keeps my pipe dream of Guardiola replacing Wenger is viable.
Guess they couldn't seduce Guardiola.
...which i'm kind of happy about, since it keeps my pipe dream of Guardiola replacing Wenger is viable.
You're exactly right mate.
Bit of brilliant news just come out, Oxlade Chaimberlain is starting instead of Downing. When I saw the news i jumped for joy. Game on!
Hopefully Ox, Young and Welbeck will interchange and not let the defenders settle. Get at Mexes and Evra. Also hope Roy has told Ox to stop trying too hard.
Think both sides will score, so 0-0 then.
Fizzoid - Hodgson - let the face rubbing begin.
Cheers,
OW
Think both sides will score, so 0-0 then.
Fizzoid - Hodgson - let the face rubbing begin.
Cheers,
OW
France are dominating possession as expected and have created a few good chances. England have yet to make any real attack.
EDIT: First promising counterattack of the game...and Ashley Young fell down. They need to get about testing the French keeper.
EDIT2: Oh dear, Milner. That was a tap-in.
EDIT3 Two good goals. France are being a little frustrated by England's tactics. England are defending stoutly as expected but need to be more rapid and precise in their counterattacks.
EDIT: First promising counterattack of the game...and Ashley Young fell down. They need to get about testing the French keeper.
EDIT2: Oh dear, Milner. That was a tap-in.
EDIT3 Two good goals. France are being a little frustrated by England's tactics. England are defending stoutly as expected but need to be more rapid and precise in their counterattacks.
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france dominating possession perhaps too much for england .. the last 10 minutes they have increased the pressure continuously
they were closer to scoring their 2nd than England IMHO
and yeah Milner needed to score that one ... if your side is a full scale attacking side like Spain or Holland it's OK to miss one of the dozens sitters but when playing a counter attacking strategy you have to use the few you can get
they were closer to scoring their 2nd than England IMHO
and yeah Milner needed to score that one ... if your side is a full scale attacking side like Spain or Holland it's OK to miss one of the dozens sitters but when playing a counter attacking strategy you have to use the few you can get
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