Re: The EPL thread (I)

by Ash Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:28

Henry wrote:
But its 3 years now since they've put in any sort of performance.

You mean Euro 2004? Even then we were predictably knocked out in the semi finals in a penalty shootout. Personally, I blame Frank Lampard for everything....

QF iirc. and maybe they couldnt play too late in russia due to the cold factor?

by Gary 111 Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:28

Henry wrote:Why was the England v Russia game played so early? Whats the time difference between Russia and England....2 hours? You'd think they could have started it at 8pm Russian time, meaning prime time in Russia, and the English fans being able to catch the game after work.

Its 3 hours, and it does get rather cold in Russia at this time of the year in the evening, but the early kick-off caught me by surprise too.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:30

A good analogy about England is:

Arsenal = your Italys,Brazils etc...

Spurs = England.

Capable of better, but mostly middling.

by Gary 111 Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:30

Henry wrote:
But its 3 years now since they've put in any sort of performance.

You mean Euro 2004? Even then we were predictably knocked out in the semi finals in a penalty shootout. Personally, I blame Frank Lampard for everything....

We at least played some good football in that tournament though. I don't say we have to win, just give it a good go and try to entertain. In 2006 and at times in this tournament we have played like a bunch of cowards.

In 2004 we suffered because of a lack of strength in depth once our best player thus far (Rooney) got the injury. But we at least played good football, the Swiss, Croatia and (first 70 mins) of France were excellent performances.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:32

Aye.

This was Graham Taylor type football with defenders hacking it anywhere up field Everton style rather than playing from the back.

I rarely watch the national side these days under McLaren and today reminded me why!

by Gary 111 Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:33

JKLever wrote:
Gary 111 wrote:

England shouldn't be an average team though, with the players they have. Some of them really dominate in European football. If they weren't so bloody petrified of taking chances and playing with any flair they could be a real force. But its 3 years now since they've put in any sort of performance.

I've been hearing this since I was a kid.
Our media over-rates half our team like crazy. None of our back 4 had the technique of the ruskies defenders.

They're all good players (apart from maybe Lescott who is only the 3rd choice), its just the manager had instructed them to sit so deep and narrow on the edge of the area inviting pressure onto the team.

If we played to our potential it should be an excellent defence - Ferdinand and Campbell have had excellent World Cups in the past and some of Micah Richards performances for Man City this year have been superb.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:35

Oh, theyre all decent defenders Gary and would be superb as man markers but they can't pass for shit.

Only Ferdinand can pick a pass, and even then he needs 5 yards of clear ground!

by Geoffrey Trueman Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:37

It's all Frank Lampards fault.

by Henry Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:38

Sven must have watched the game with a big grin on his face. Suddenly he doesnt seem so bad- He had a perfect record of getting England through to major tournaments at least and now his premier league side is third on the table. Happy days.

by Gary 111 Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:41

Sven always organised the team very well, and was very good at qualifying campaigns. Its just at the crucial times he seemed to lose his bottle. England went into the last World Cup as one of the favourites (quite rightly in my opinion), and went out of it having played just about the 5 most boring games at the whole World Cup.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:44

Gary 111 wrote:Sven always organised the team very well, and was very good at qualifying campaigns. Its just at the crucial times he seemed to lose his bottle. England went into the last World Cup as one of the favourites (quite rightly in my opinion), and went out of it having played just about the 5 most boring games at the whole World Cup.

But thats Svens style, all his teams have played a cautious type of game.

I'd just like to see us pass the ball better and play like a team.

by Henry Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:44

Aye, and despite all the talk from McLaren after the world cup of a 'new direction and approach', he has basically tried to copy Sven as a manager(what did we expect when he'd been Sven's assistant for several years?) and has become a poor mans version of him.

by Gary 111 Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:50

What do we expect when we replace a disappointing manager with his assistant?

The bumbling fools at the FA dug themselves into a massive hole by declaring they would appoint a replacement before the World Cup. It meant some of the best candidates couldn't commit themselves, and also if England had done brilliantly in that tournament by all means appoint the assistant to take over - but if you appoint the assistant beforehand and then bomb out of the tournament early then you just fall flat on your face...

by doremi Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:51

Henry wrote:Guus Hiddink is a genius. He's just got an incredible knack of getting his moderately talented teams to win the big matches. I doubt McLaren will survive this. Is Scholari available now?

It's Scolari. And yeah, Hiddink is a genius.

by Merlin Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:59

Geoffrey Trueman wrote:It's all Frank Lampards fault.

I blame Emile Heskey for getting injured.
Roons and Owen are no way a partnership up front.
And yes, despite all the claims of "flair" in the Engerlund side, they become clueless on how to apply it when attempting attacking runs at the opposition defenders.

JKL had it spot on .... Middlesboro pre- Southgate.
Hire a Div 2 type coach by all means, but don't expect his tactics to be of world class.

by doremi Thu 18 Oct 2007, 03:59

So, are England definitely out?

by doremi Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:02

And if you do need a new manager, the special one is free I think.

On other football news, we need to beat Lebanon by a 4 goal margin or 3-0 to progress to the next round of WC qualifiers in the home leg on the 28th. We have going for a us a good team which plays well a lot of the time and one of the best managers we've ever had.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:02

doremi wrote:So, are England definitely out?

No, Russia have to win in both Israel & Macedonia I think if we beat Croatia at home.

by Henry Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:04

And if you do need a new manager, the special one is free I think

His 'play for 1-0' style is the last thing this England team needs.

by doremi Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:05

Russia should beat Macedonia, and Israel too, though they have a good team. But it's a Hiddink team, so I do expect them to win there as well.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:06

doremi wrote:Russia should beat Macedonia, and Israel too, though they have a good team. But it's a Hiddink team, so I do expect them to win there as well.

Maybe..... but they're far from gimmies, both of them.

by doremi Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:06

Henry wrote:
And if you do need a new manager, the special one is free I think

His 'play for 1-0' style is the last thing this England team needs.

Why would you want Scolari then? Their styles are mostly the same, like the Italians, don't lose and then try and win the thing.

by Merlin Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:07

doremi wrote:So, are England definitely out?

Almost certainly unless Russia blow it in Andora and Israel and Macedonia all win as well ... basically, we're in the hands of others even if we win all our remaining games.

by JKLever Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:15

Merlin wrote:
doremi wrote:So, are England definitely out?
Almost certainly unless Russia blow it in Andora and Israel and Macedonia all win as well ... basically, we're in the hands of others even if we win all our remaining games.

Ah its Andorra rather than Macedonia? Forked then!!!

by doctorspin Thu 18 Oct 2007, 04:15

JKLever wrote:This was Graham Taylor type football with defenders hacking it anywhere up field Everton style rather than playing from the back.

It sounded totally awesome

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