World Cup 2010

[eFestivals]

after Neils much vaunted england cant win it because they are a team of individuals lament, and yet the player he most wanted to go (im paraphrasing here neil, apologies) couldnt play for the team

lovely

Lennon ain't going to make them any more of a team.

So we might as well have taken the individual who brings the most individual impact after Rooney.

[Langdale Wolf]

Corrected for you.

[ampersand]

No, perfectly reasonable. Joining in with the carnival atmosphere - it's a good idea.

Not quite as pathetic as wearing a shirt of a team that has absolutely no connection to your own nation, yet you wear one anyway to exhibit your hatred and petty jealousy of a superior country as they're in the same group.

Edited June 2, 2010 by ampersand

[Tugger2k]

Yeah, Barca stopped Walcott in his tracks.

Even in the 2nd game they were shit scared of him and didn't know how to handle him.

Lennon doesn't often try going past anyone (whereas Walcott tries most times) - he only really ever runs when there's an empty pitch in front of him. Lennon also rarely goes for the line, he puts his crosses in from the same place on the pitch as G.Johnson does, or plays the safe ball backwards, neither of which adds anything much to the attacking options.

Lennon is very decent player, but he's a squad player for England, he doesn't bring enough. Hopefully Pat will show he thinks the same, by starting with Cole and Milner at the sides.

[Cardboard Box City]

So we might as well have taken the individual who brings the most individual impact after Rooney.

[eFestivals]

Out of interest, how many of Crouch's 38 caps have been, IYO, against good teams?

none where he's started, from memory.

[eFestivals]

I remember he got a brace against Greece just after they won the Euro cup and that's about it for big teams.

two years after, not just after.

[Langdale Wolf]

and the connection is an spl player. we don't have much to shout about, as you know

[eFestivals]

Is it just an ordinary stamp you keep your football knowledge on the back of?

Still more than the microdot that 'boro fans have.

[Tugger2k]

Lennon ain't going to make them any more of a team.

So we might as well have taken the individual who brings the most individual impact after Rooney.

[Langdale Wolf]

just done the bbc predictor and i had

1.holland

2.spain

3.germany

4.serbia

[eFestivals]

you mean like he didnt vs croatia.

he didn't have to. He'd already done enough against them in the first match for the 2nd not to matter.

And I do love how you keep mentioning the home match against Croatia - the one match for England where Lennon has shone, yet still failed to shine at anything like the level that Walcott did in the first match when they were a better team (that loss to England when Theo destroyed them destroyed them).

dear oh dear mate, make your mind up. we wont win because don fabio hasnt got them playing as a team. bloody hell fabio, take the bloke the most unable to play within a team!!!

Pat won't get them playing as a team unless he dumps half the squad. Too few are team players. So having decided to go with skillful individuals instead, Walcott would have been the better bet.

If you can't get the consistency that's defo within that, that's you prob.

Edited June 2, 2010 by eFestivals

[ampersand]

Of COURSE it is mate. Of course it is.

So it's just a complete coincidence that the team you chose happen to be in our group?

And I thought you were an ex-Celtic fan? So your 'claim' that the connection is a Rangers player just doesn't ring true.

So I call 'bitter pathetic jealousy' on that one.

Edited June 2, 2010 by ampersand

[minute5072]

well it just so happens that if it was the two usa players, they're in your group too

ki plays for one of the korea's and i don't particularly like him as a player or character.

pernis plays for slovakia, but he's crap and won't play.

bamba for ivory coast, and similar.

bougherra is the only option cos i really really like him as a player and character. and i have no feelings either way for celtic or rangers, so that's irelevant

which got me thinking, celtic fans won't be able to support england, usa or algeria in group c, so they're supporting the probable whipping boys

now go talk about weather

[ampersand]

Don't forget ex-St Johnstone "legend" Rachid "Deirdre" Djebaili

Our ex keeper Mark Paston is playing for NZ and I think there's a motherwell player, McGlinchey maybe who's playing for them. Get em supported

[Tugger2k]

http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundia...io-english.html

i like it full screen mode

[Cardboard Box City]

Very nice, but you still need to look up the UK times of games.

[TheGayTent]

none where he's started, from memory.

[ampersand]

Oh, and el-Ampersadji - where is the predictor? Got a link?

[eFestivals]

So you discount his record of 21 goals in 38 games on the basis that he hasn't proved (or disproved) himself against good opposition?

I'm saying it's a great record - but that it's easy for a player of his level to have that record when that record has been achieved against lowly teams.

Just as players often prove themselves as able to bang them in in the Champs but can't do it in the Prem, this might well turn out to be a similar situation.

In fact, hasn't Crouch's domestic playing seen a similar thing? That he scores against the weaker teams but not the better ones? There'll be a reason why he's had so many clubs while being clearly a very decent player at some levels, so perhaps that's it?

(I don't know that it's it, but have a feeling his record ain't great against the better sides)

[beLIEveR]

If a player scored 21 goals in 18 League Cup starts and 20 sub appearances during his career, most people would be largely indifferent but conceed that it's a remarkable stat.

Why is it any different for Peter Crouch? The quality of the opposition varied wildly, but the fact remains that he's scored 21 goals in 18 starts. Andorra aside, every one of those teams is good enough to play in the Football League at some level.

[ampersand]

I'm saying it's a great record - but that it's easy for a player of his level to have that record when that record has been achieved against lowly teams.

[eFestivals]

If a player scored 21 goals in 18 League Cup starts and 20 sub appearances during his career, most people would be largely indifferent but conceed that it's a remarkable stat.

Why is it any different for Peter Crouch? The quality of the opposition varied wildly, but the fact remains that he's scored 21 goals in 18 starts. Andorra aside, every one of those teams is good enough to play in the Football League at some level.

I'm not trying to knock him - as the saying goes, he's got a great touch for a big man.

But "football league a some level" says it all. It's one thing scoring a hatrick against (say) Aldershot, but another thing entirely to manage the same against (say) Man Utd.

It's certainly the case that he's not been tested against the better international sides.

He has, however, been tested against the better european club sides - and that resulted in his manager selling him on. While Mussolini ain't the world's smartest manager, he ain't so dumb as to sell a near world class player for a relative pittance.

[eFestivals]

see kris boyd!

yep - there's a reason why the top teams aren't queuing up to take "Scotland's best ever striker".

[beLIEveR]

But "football league a some level" says it all. It's one thing scoring a hatrick against (say) Aldershot, but another thing entirely to manage the same against (say) Man Utd.

It's certainly the case that he's not been tested against the better international sides.