Football 18/19

[eFestivals]

53 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

or to create such a ridiculous amount of chances against Tunisia.

but that was against Paraguay, and where penalties we wouldn't have got at another time gives a flattering result.

We've struggled to make opportunities in all of the other games - and we've been relatively lucky that the few opportunities we've had have gone for us.

If we win we'll have Greece'd our way to it. 

Edited July 9, 2018 by eFestivals

[Hugh Jass]

3 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

the crosses they made (or tried to) were no different to the ones they didn't.

But anyway, if they can keep fluking it, good luck to them. Even better if they do actually play well. Not seen it yet tho.

So you didn't watch the Panama game? A vastly inferior opponent granted, but it's impossible to argue they didn't play well.

[TheGayTent]

We played some decent stuff in 98. Individual errors (against Romania and Argentina) and bad luck (cheating and poor refereeing against Argentina) cost us in that tournament - and Argentina had a very good side that we outplayed. In between that, we played some very good football at a fast pace. 

[eFestivals]

3 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

So you didn't watch the Panama game? A vastly inferior opponent granted, but it's impossible to argue they didn't play well.

yeah, they played well ... but as you say, a vastly inferior opponent.

If we see something of anything similar in other matches feel free to let me know.

 

[Gucci Piggy]

Just now, eFestivals said:

but that was against Tunisia, and where penalties we wouldn't have got at another time gives a flattering result.

We've struggled to make opportunities in all of the other games - and we've been relatively lucky that the few opportunities we've had have gone for us.

If we win we'll have Greece'd our way to it. 

I've seen previous England teams play against worse teams than Tunisia and create much less chances. And we didn't score a penalty against Tunisia, but we should have had two, so that could have easily been 4-1 without even considering all the near misses.

We didn't struggle to create opportunities on Saturday. Although if Sterling was dropped like people are asking for then we may have done.

I don't care if we Greece our way to it, and if we do that it'll still be an improvement on what our previous teams achieved. No one expected us to win the World Cup, and if we'd performed like out recent teams did we could easily be out by now. We have a great chance of making it to the final; even if we had an "easy" run to get there it's still an achievement that no one expected of us (and knocking out Colombia and Croatia is no mean feat).

[Hugh Jass]

I like to imagine the parallel universe World Cup where Fat Sam had never been sacked and an England team with Hart in goal, Wilshire in midfield and Rooney upfront wheezes and scrapes through the group stage before being walloped by Colombia. 

[TheGayTent]

19 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

We didn't struggle to create opportunities on Saturday.

We had two shots on target all game! 

19 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Although if Sterling was dropped like people are asking for then we may have done.

Possible. I could also say we may have won 16-0 had someone else played in Sterling’s place....

[Gucci Piggy]

8 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

We had two shots on target all game! 

How did Sterling miss a load of sitters if he didn't have any chances lol

8 minutes ago, TheGayTent said:

Possible. I could also say we may have won 16-0 had someone else played in Sterling’s place....

Well maybe if we had another option in the squad who's shown evidence of being able to fashion more chances than Sterling does, but we don't.

[eFestivals]

43 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

And we didn't score a penalty against Tunisia

doh, my bit was meant to say Paraguay. 

</goes to edit...>

[lost]

38 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

I like to imagine the parallel universe World Cup where Fat Sam had never been sacked and an England team with Hart in goal, Wilshire in midfield and Rooney upfront wheezes and scrapes through the group stage before being walloped by Colombia. 

This! The team is limited but Southgate deserves credit. I wouldn’t of seen say maguire starting in front of Jones under any of the previous managers

[Gucci Piggy]

Just now, lost said:

This! The team is limited but Southgate deserves credit. I wouldn’t of seen say maguire starting in front of Jones under any of the previous managers

He'd have been 5th choice at best behind Stones, Smalling, Cahill and Jones. And Trippier wouldn't have been starting either.

[eFestivals]

45 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

I don't care if we Greece our way to it, and if we do that it'll still be an improvement on what our previous teams achieved. No one expected us to win the World Cup, and if we'd performed like out recent teams did we could easily be out by now. We have a great chance of making it to the final; even if we had an "easy" run to get there it's still an achievement that no one expected of us (and knocking out Colombia and Croatia is no mean feat).

all that, I've no problem with.

I do have a problem with the idea that it's a fantastic new and different England, because it's much more like England of the past than it is something hugely different.

If were are going to win it, I suspect we're going to have to play one of those two games well, anyhow - so the plaudits might be deserved by the end of it.

[Hugh Jass]

1 minute ago, Gucci Piggy said:

He'd have been 5th choice at best behind Stones, Smalling, Cahill and Jones. And Trippier wouldn't have been starting either.

He would have tried to coax JT out of retirement...

[dentalplan]

Dunno what you lads are on about. Andy Carroll would be on track for the golden boot.

[eFestivals]

17 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Well maybe if we had another option in the squad who's shown evidence of being able to fashion more chances than Sterling does, but we don't.

aside from his bad misses in front of a near-open goal i thought Sterling had his best game on Saturday. I'm happy enough for him to keep his place.

Can't for the life of me understand why Southgate is happy for the rest of the team to carry Alli tho.

[Hugh Jass]

4-4-2

Hart; Walker, Terry, Smalling, Rose, Walcott, Dier, Henderson, Wilshire, Rooney, Kane

Carroll and Defoe to come on when we're chasing the game.

[eFestivals]

1 minute ago, Hugh Jass said:

4-4-2

Hart; Walker, Terry, Smalling, Rose, Walcott, Dier, Henderson, Wilshire, Rooney, Kane

Carroll and Defoe to come on when we're chasing the game.

oh c'mon ... Rooney couldn't even get much of a game at Everton. Sam might have been bad, but that wouldn't have happened.

[jyoung]

It's a time of enjoyment. It feels different, in my opinion. The whole set up. Everything about it. From the way the team is portrayed, the way they interact with the media and the fans, to the performances on the pitch. Grinding out results in a World Cup against tough, physical teams intent on giving us a hard game. How often have we fallen at the first hurdle?

There's no point in overreacting and I don't think anyone is under any illusions here. We're on a run. Pure and simple. But that's not the say this could be the catalyst for a lot of positive change in the English game.  I don't think we're Germany 2.0 or anything but we're a bloody lot better than we have been. It feels better too. And that's what matters, that's why we watch football.

[Hugh Jass]

3 minutes ago, eFestivals said:

oh c'mon ... Rooney couldn't even get much of a game at Everton. Sam might have been bad, but that wouldn't have happened.

This is the man who said "it's not my place to tell Wayne Rooney where to play". He'd be fucking captain!

[JoeyT]

1 minute ago, jyoung said:

It's a time of enjoyment. It feels different, in my opinion. The whole set up. Everything about it. From the way the team is portrayed, the way they interact with the media and the fans, to the performances on the pitch. Grinding out results in a World Cup against tough, physical teams intent on giving us a hard game. How often have we fallen at the first hurdle?

There's no point in overreacting and I don't think anyone is under any illusions here. We're on a run. Pure and simple. But that's not the say this could be the catalyst for a lot of positive change in the English game.  I don't think we're Germany 2.0 or anything but we're a bloody lot better than we have been. It feels better too. And that's what matters, that's why we watch football.

Great post.

Saturday will go down as one of my favourite days of the last few years.

Has anyone broached the subject of work next Monday with their bosses?

 

[Hugh Jass]

7 minutes ago, jyoung said:

It's a time of enjoyment. It feels different, in my opinion. The whole set up. Everything about it. From the way the team is portrayed, the way they interact with the media and the fans, to the performances on the pitch. Grinding out results in a World Cup against tough, physical teams intent on giving us a hard game. How often have we fallen at the first hurdle?

There's no point in overreacting and I don't think anyone is under any illusions here. We're on a run. Pure and simple. But that's not the say this could be the catalyst for a lot of positive change in the English game.  I don't think we're Germany 2.0 or anything but we're a bloody lot better than we have been. It feels better too. And that's what matters, that's why we watch football.

Precisely. We would should be enjoying this, not looking to say "yeah, but..." at every opportunity.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Hugh Jass

[TheGayTent]

28 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

How did Sterling miss a load of sitters if he didn't have any chances lol

 

Having missed sitters previously, you’re suggesting he’s got even worse and isn’t even getting into positions to miss sitters now? 

28 minutes ago, Gucci Piggy said:

Well maybe if we had another option in the squad who's shown evidence of being able to fashion more chances than Sterling does, but we don't.

You can’t prove a negative. 

[Hugh Jass]

2 minutes ago, JoeyT said:

Great post.

Saturday will go down as one of my favourite days of the last few years.

Has anyone broached the subject of work next Monday with their bosses?

 

Three months ago I agreed to a date of July 15th for my daughter's christening. When Mrs Jass asked me if there was anything happening that day I replied "think it's the World Cup final that day, but I wouldn't worry too much..."

[jyoung]

6 minutes ago, Hugh Jass said:

Three months ago I agreed to a date of July 15th for my daughter's christening. When Mrs Jass asked me if there was anything happening that day I replied "think it's the World Cup final that day, but I wouldn't worry too much..."

Oh no.

[Hugh Jass]

2 minutes ago, jyoung said:

Oh no.

The more I think about it the better it'll be. The formalities will be done by 1 and we have a room reserved in our local pub that has a big screen.

What better place to watch England in the WC Final than surrounded by family and mates?

(They'd better fucking win on Wednesday now)