Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

That wasn't just a bad game, that was the worst England performance I've seen in many, many years and your precious Utd striker was probably the worst player on the pitch last night. I'd rather watch North Korea again than that crap last night.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

at least the dutch done what the english couldn't do which is beating an opponent who aren't too bad themselve and yes i know england beat them in a friendly but only due to two own goals

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Again, not a very convincing win against a dogged defence. Then again, two games played, 6 points, scored 3, conceded none. Can't complain...

I think van Marwijk should play Eliah from the off though, unless Robben is available that is.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I'm not a fan of football, I really couldn't care less if they win or lose... BUT, last night I found myself jumping from my chair effin' and jeffin' at that ultra weak performance. It makes me wonder what the real die-hard fans must be going through!

Anyway, it's only a game. :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Anelka sent home for insulting the French coach... I wonder if Rooney will follow him in insulting Capello

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...10/8749698.stm

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I disagree with this, the best English players in the main play for the best clubs and don't look out of place doing so, where we go wrong is in always having a manager that tries to accomodate people, so we end up with square pegs in round holes and in having a £800 million white elephant of a stadium when that money could have been plouged into youth football, decent coaches, coaching kids how to express themselves on the park rather than athletes gaining points for some crappy kids league. Also each club is given money for Youth development, how much of this cash actually goes on youth development, whenever cash is tight the youth is the first thing to suffer as managers are sacked or hired on what they are achieving now not in five years.

---------- Post added at 18:20 ---------- Previous post was at 18:18 ----------

Except there hasn't been any of the 'usual hype' this time around hence the lack of any real interest in Any one but England, it's all been pretty subdued.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Rooney insulted Capello?

Meanwhile...

Yeah, sounds like Wayne Rooney.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The best English players may play for the best clubs, but there aren't enough of them, many of the best clubs are 'top heavy' with non English players.

I couldn't agree more about the youth development :)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

And would you leave van der vaart out okay he wasn't too great but give him a decent free kick and he'll score. Elia is quick but is he really a goal scorer

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I like Van der Vaart, but he's not a winger and he keeps coming inside rather than try to pass the defender. I think VdV is a better choice when there's more space. Against teams that defend like Japan and Denmark you need the pace and width of a player like Robben or Eliah.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

What would be the point of getting rid of foreign players and replacing them with sub standard English ones, it wouldn't really give the England manager much of a selection headache, we'd still end up taking the same old players and our league co fed whatever it's called ranking thingy would drop to.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

and another point about too many foreign players is that the english are too expensive for even a league 1 player you say 1.5 mil so why do you think managers go abroad for the new players instead home grown

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

It seemed to work in 1966?

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

What when we left our best player (Greaves) out for the benefit of the team and it had plenty of time to continue working until the advent of the Premier League and didn't.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

No it didn't continue working - but does that mean the concept is wrong?

In the 2006 World Cup there were 80 players who were with Premier League clubs - 21 were in the England squad.

We can only discuss 'what if' in the context of the thread & my opinion can't be 'proven', but I would still rather the Premier League restricted the number of foreign players & allowed more English ones the chance to develop.

- otherwise we just have to 'agree to disagree' :)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

How much longer until Arsene Wenger is blamed for England's situation?

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Fabio Capello has committed to England until after Euro 2012: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...10/8718890.stm sorry if this has already been posted.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Are you serious? Not the usual hype? Are we living in different countries? It's been exactly the same this year as it always is.

---------- Post added at 23:36 ---------- Previous post was at 23:34 ----------

I'm sure the law status it has to be a Man United player who gets the blame first.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I agree 100% well said :tu:

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

This guy says it well.

http://timesonline.typepad.com/thega...ne-rooney.html

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I don't think it has and if anything it should have been considering alot foreign betting exchanges had England down as second favourites to win it....

---------- Post added at 05:41 ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 ----------

I doubt we have ever had a more talented squad of players since the days of Finney, Matthews, Mortenson, Lawton and Mannion. This so called 'golden generation' has won or come near to winning nothing which tells me the problem is more to do with the managers more than the team, rather than selecting the best players perhaps we should be selecting the best team, just like we did in '66.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Not yet but after the fans you know Capello will be next ;)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Ahh. John Terry has had to come out and say people are rallying around Capello and there's no falling out. Which usually means there has been a big falling out.

Speaking of the fans and Rooney, a video clip of Rooney demonstrating the concept:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa2cxhki3QU

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Well, well, well.... NZ 1-0 up against Italy. Shocking offside descision but its final I suppose.

I've not been following Italy but going off of what the commentator was saying about them, sounds like they are misfiring as badly as us.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I am getting more and more irate by poor referring. The World Cup started well, good decisions mostly, but now we have bizarre red cards and the American goal which was ruled out for heaven knows what reason.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Leaked pep talk script for the next england match.

"If you don't win this one you fly back with easyjet"

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Yeah, you're right. The referring did start off very good and then has tailed off dramatically. I think from the outset the referees have been told from up-high to be zero tolerance. I think referees should be strict but it is getting a little out of hand.


Meanwhile France continue imploding. There has been an on-field bust up on the training ground and the Team Director has been sent home. Given the way they qualified I think the world is entitled to a little shadenfreude on Ireland's behalf.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Amazing. New Zealand have held Italy to a 1-1 draw!

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The divers, sorry Italians couldn't beat New Zealand :D,

So they must win their last game.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I don`t think there are any easy games in a world cup. The teams from bigger footballing nations such as England, France, Italy and Spain, etc, don`t seem to play as teams as much as some of the lesser nations. I wonder if this is because most of the players from the smaller nations play their football overseas. So getting together with the national team is a good time to chat about the country and play football!!!

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The John Terry news conference here....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...up_2010/video/

He seems to be of the opinion that England are going through :erm:

Well I hope he is proved to be right

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

That report was a bit wrong. Apparently the players refused to take the field for training as a protest to the FFF (French FA). All will be well tomorrow allegedly.

Meanwhile if you thought Beckham and Rooney had it bad, read this:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...10/8750418.stm

I thought I had it bad with my 1,000 daily 419 e-mails from Nigeria.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Fair play to John Terry for being pretty upfront and honest about the situation (seems weird calling a Terry honest :confused:)

He finks sod it :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I wonder if it's a consequence of physical and mental draining after a long season. I would imagine that International football is no longer as important to the players as it used to be and after a hard season for their clubs getting together with a new team for a few weeks is just not a task they can do easily.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

That's what people were saying after Greece won the European Cup.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Was it offside, came of an Italian to make the NZ player 'active' imo....

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...10/8750672.stm

Yeah, because just what the team need at the moment is more pressure.

Or maybe the sword above Capello's head is just the kick up the arse our players need to start playing some football.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The French are doing what they do good at...

Protesting:-


http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wor...nds_Into_Farce

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

And its just got worse. Kaka got sent off for a second-bookable offence due to horrendus act of cheating and deception by Ivory Coast.

Absolutely disgraceful.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

To be fair, the Brazilians were doing quite a bit of that, so they got a taste of their own medicine imo. Oh, and two handballs in the second goal. Cracking game though :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

We hear the same old garbage from the England squad, l will tell you what will happen on the Sloveania game, the same team will play and Slovenia will beat us, and we will come home, sorry lads, but they have been pathetic, they are supposed to be the cream of English football, and yet they have not scored very many goals.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Yeah some of the Brazilian players went down like a train had hit them when a IC player touched them

PS. like you sig

"We love all you, the players and the red white blue."

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Oxo are introducing a new white cube with a red cross through it in support of the England team, it will be called "The laughing stock". :)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I posted this in the Joke Thread Yesterday!!! :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Being the cream of [Insert Nation Here] football is only worth something is your good enough in the first place :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I'm not singling out the Ivory Coast here but its the referrees which should be on top of this. As Damien said they standard is plummetting.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Makes you wonder whether the refs themselves should be issued RED or YELLOW cards after the game..

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I don't know if they showed it on the UK broadcast, but here they showed the ref clearly discussing and laughing about a handball with Luis Fabiano, as they ran back to kick-off.

The refereeing started off really well, but since the second set of matches it's become awful.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Yes, the commentators were laughing about it, suggesting the ref asked him if it was a handball, and Fabiano going 'no way gov, my name is Tiery Henri'.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Also, where is the outrage ala Thierry Henry? Are the British press going to gorge themselves on faux outrage like they did on behalf of Ireland? There aren't any sneaky Frenchmen or plucky Irishmen involved so i doubt it.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Middle Earth and the World Cup 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B2LP...layer_embedded

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

While i agree to an extent, they said something during the Brazil game last night about how many qualifiers Brazil wen`t through to reach the world cup. I think it was 16 matches, plus all the traveling to South America. The fatigue excuse just doesn`t wash it with me as most of the players representing the top nations play in europe, play a similar number of games but can at least still do the basics like trap, look for a player in space (that is if one has bothered to move into space) and pass.

I hope things click into place for the Slovenia game, not holding my breath though :rolleyes:

Maybe a not so fancied team like the Dutch could win it this year, nobody has been raving about them and they have quietly gone about winning their games. They look to have a good spirit in the camp for a change and some pretty decent players.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Sky sports reports:- on Monday Spain meet Honduras at Jo'berg, on Tuesday Greece meet Argentina at Polokwana, and on Wednesday England meet France at the airport.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Portugal win 7 - 0 against N. Korea :shocked:

Sorry but it started to get boring.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Ivory Coast will need a proper goalfest to finish second in that group :)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

if I was from NK I wouldnt want to get back into the country after that.....

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/v...-algeria-brick

:)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Nice coming from a Dutchman.:erm::D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

No malice intended. Just a funny concept that makes for very entertaining videos. :)

More here: http://legofussball.eu/

Mostly with German commentary.

Meanwhile, as if things weren't bad enough for France, some of the players are considering boycotting the match against South Africa.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...10/8752637.stm

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

*BREAKING NEWS*

England have announced they have a new coach!

It'll be unveiled on Wednesday night when the team are on it going to the airport to fly home...

:D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

"GOAL"

to South Africa, go on my son and stuff the French

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Bafana Bafana!!

Well chuffed for them as Adrian Chiles said it would be a crime for them to go out. I hope they make it.

And Lloris punches as well as Almunia. No wonder Arsenal are after him :rofl:

And France down to 10 men! Yesss!

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

France is definately not having a good day :)

Thank gawd for Picture in Picture, able to watch both games at once :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

LOL 10 man france are going home :D

No goals plz.

How many Irish are celebrating this.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Lloris is a good keeper normally. He is the reason France were not several goals down against Ireland (contrary to popular opinion, Ireland were not on their way though when Henry hand-balled)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

2-0!!!!! Yes!!!!

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

2 nil

:D

:cleader::cleader:

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Yup. I did start him in my fantasy team. But I thought it was funny and so used a bit of creative license :p:

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Uruguay score

---------- Post added at 15:52 ---------- Previous post was at 15:45 ----------

If both Uruguay and SA score they both go through

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

SA just hit the post with an excellent shot. So unlucky.

---------- Post added at 16:16 ---------- Previous post was at 16:10 ----------

SA really giving this a go. Would be heart breaking to see them go out.

---------- Post added at 16:17 ---------- Previous post was at 16:16 ----------

Another fantastic shot and great save from Lloris.

Can't take my eyes off the game ATM.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The french are to leave the staduim and drive straight to the airport and fly home 2nd class on a Boeing 737 in disgrace, and NOT return to there 5* hotel :D

So much for a team that arrive that arrived on an Airbus A380.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Wor...t_South_Africa_

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Balls, France just scored. Dream really is all but over for SA :(

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Hopefully they won't need to give England a lift...

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

We wouldn't see them though if we did as we would be in 1st class

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

do think that england will be on a plane out tomorrow evening or capello would have done the unthinkable and change his mind about something

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Ireland were robbed of any chance because of their cheating ways, they got what they deserved today, humiliation.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The best bit is that it sticks one right up Platini. :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Au revoir les Frogs :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I wouldn't whant to be a french player when they arrive home tomorrow.

How many of them will never play for france again?

I hope none of those who theatened not to play don't

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The last final act of the French? For Domennach to refuse to shake the other manager's hand.

Given everything that has gone on and now that... Good riddance to them.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Like loads of other teams, England have dived to win penalties in World Cup finals, scored goals after handballs and so on. The only reason France got such a vitriolic reaction was because of the timing and the teams involved. (People hate France, Like Ireland).

Ireland got a mystifying penalty during their last group game for qualifying. Although it ultimately mattered for nothing, at the time it could well have been important in getting them to the play-offs. Keane was not touched, at all, but the ref thought he saw something (heaven knows what) and Ireland were more than to take it. It's only after they were the victims of an awful decision that it's suddenly a massive injustice which the cheating French should have admitted too. Like all teams, they are happy for decisions to go their way but aghast when it goes the opposite way.

Fair enough but the continued nastiness towards the French and the team is really getting ridiculous.

---------- Post added at 17:18 ---------- Previous post was at 17:16 ----------

Domennach is hated by the French as well. He is a moron. Simple as that.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

I do think its verging on racism and probably wrong although most people would say they brought it on themselves. I think the best thing from the French point of view is that there will be a complete rebirth of their team and they can draw a line under it all.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Xenophobia more than Racism and yes, they certainly haven't happened matters with 1) the manor in which they qualified and 2) the manor in which they subsequently conducted themselves in that aftermath and during the world cup.

Yes, From the French point of view the FFF should get their act together and replace the manager with Laurent Blanc. Pretty sure that's already confirmed. It was clear for a while Raymond Domenech was not up to the job but the FFF did nothing about it. A team of that quality should not have had difficulty qualifying and finish bottom of that group. Disaster. Someone at the FFF should be fired as well.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Wondered when you'd resort to that, talk about knowing your wrong, other teams doing something similar is no defence at all for what they did.

Not really, I wouldn't want England to win a World Cup like that, the '66 in of the bar goal has been the subject of so much controversy over the years and that wasn't even cheating....

---------- Post added at 17:39 ---------- Previous post was at 17:37 ----------

Domenech has resigned, imo Blanc is to young for international management, he has years ahead to take on what is basically a part time role.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

No and nor was I excusing what they did. I was saying there is no defence for the reaction from other people towards the French pointing out the much milder treatment other countries get when they get wrongly awarded goals.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

It's uefa I'm against. The decision to seed the playoffs was made to help the French.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

There hasn't been such a blatent case of cheating that I can remember since Harold Schumacher and Battiston and Schumacher was rightly vilified for it, can you remember any and I dont just mean soft pens or diving, I am talking about blatent cheating, Rivaldo springs to mind with that ludicrous play acting although no action was taken apart from to book him IIRC. Oh yeah Maradonna of course, twice doh how could I forget.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

They (Fifa and Uefa) are always doing that. They are also constantly tinkering with the seeding procedure to make sure the big countries become group heads in the actual tournament.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Well what about the handball from Brazil the other day? Seems the only difference to me is that Brazil would have won anyway whereas the French game would have gone to penalties.

Also Owen's Dive? It was a dive, it was cheating to get a penalty, what's the difference?

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Can I suggest that people get back topic please, which is the 2010 world cup ;)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Anyone else think that the stadium announcer for ARG v GRE sounds like Darth Vader?

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

ITV Maradona interview :rofl:

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

More like Eddie Murphy's dad in 'Coming to America' :rofl:

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Same guy ;)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Really? How freaky :D

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Definitely the Atraxi buddy ;)

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

James Earl Jones

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

If anyone is missing out on the game you can recreate the atmosphere and browse cableforum with appropriate background noises.

http://www.vuvuzela-time.co.uk/www.cableforum.co.uk

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

The omens are good for today's game. I have always had a sneaking feeling that England play better on the Beeb but never had any stats to back it up.

Those figures are in one of todays papers and confirm my suspicions.

England on BBC win 62% of their games, on ITV it sinks to a miserable 30%.

Another thing that I feel is a good sign , they will be playing in red. :cool:

Jim.

Re: FIFA World Cup 2010 South Africa
 

Cheers Jim. I'd take anything however tenuous today!