Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Well I think sven should stay, he has a great record over his years as england manager, and long term it will pay of if people get of his back. Has noone thought about the cost of sacking him, who replaces him, the transition period we enter with a new manager. We shouldnt have lost but if we get behind him we will recover and qualify. If we lose 4 competitive games in a row maybe I would understand but someome please tell me what is our losing streak currently?

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

I must admit it was fun listening to that...sitting next to a Welshman. The walls are still ringing from the sheer amount of chortling that went on...

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

No, I just live here, unfortunately :D

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Great night last night! At the final whistle we left the bar and went down to the ground, great atmosphere outside, people singing in the street, people driving through Belfast honking their horns.

Will have to change the famous chant now! ;)

My eyes have seen the glory of Belfast 05,
When the mighty Northern Ireland showed the world what we could do,
Lawrie is our leader and were coming after you and this is what we sing,
We're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland,
We're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland,
We're not Brazil we're Northern Ireland,
but its all the same to me!


Watch out Wales, we are after you next!


http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/im...ber05/lead.jpg

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Why couldn't have England played as crap as that on saturday???

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

They did. ;)

Face it, Wales just aren't as good as the MIGHTY Norn Iron. :p:

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Oi! I'm used to comments like that from the Saesneg but not from you guys! We ought to be united against them! :D

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Although let's be honest - England were totally crap in both matches (and I don't want to take anything away from Northern Ireland).

I've been saying for ages that England were going to get found out by a 'weaker' team, and that's what happened last night. Having said that, can anyone explain to me why we played a 4-5-1 formation, when Owen and Rooney were playing? Anything in particular wrong with 4-4-2, when it suits English football better?

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

I tell you one thing, if I was England's manager I would have hauled Rooney's **** off the pitch after he told the captain and pretty much every other player to **** off.

I chuckled when I heard Sven say he wouldn't resign. Of course he won't! If he resigns he loses out on all that lovely compensation he would get if he was sacked.
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To be honest even England playing poorly should be able to beat a team with players from Plymouth and Southampton Reserves.

That said we were well organised, we got into them from the first whistle and the players never gave up. And as Sanchez said by half time every Northern Ireland player believed. Maybe England thought they just had to turn up to get the 3 points. Maybe that was their biggest mistake.

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

I can only agree - even though England had by far the majority of the possession throughout the game, I thought Northern Ireland defended well, and pretty much marked Wright-Phillips out of the game. Other than that, I think you're right in that your boys had the belief and, believe me, it showed.

As for Rooney, well what can you say? He should have been sent off for that flying punch but, failing that, he should have been hauled off. I know his aggression is part of his game, but it's not going to be alot of help if he spends every other match suspended.

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

It's the bit that'll stop him using the other parts of his game, like strength, vision, superb decision making, shooting and sheer football intelligence. Maybe he needs a few anger management lessons from Sir Alex and Roy Keane.

Mind you, being put out on the left wing and being told by Sven after the game that 'they were all playing where they play for their clubs' would rile anyone. He's a second striker, a No. 10, pure and simple, and if you play him there he'll be the best in the world in three years time (after Bergkamp retires, of course).

Give them a bit of credit - they had four (count 'em) Premiership players*, which is no worse than many international teams, and are on an upwards roll (unlike Wales, of course). 116th in the world is a reflection of how crap they were the last few years, not recently.

Just for fun, here are the tabloid headlines:

Daily Mail: Sack the Swede
Daily Star: Sack the Swede
The Mirror: Sack the clot
The Sun: Taxi for Eriksson

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

NI's fans should celebrate while they can, it's not like they'll ever get past the first round of the World Cup anyway :D

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

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The back page of the Sun was "Trashes" :p:

Anyway, I'm was pointing out our lack of depth, our first choice right back can't even get in the first team of a Championship side.
But I agree we are on an upwards roll. We have some promising players. Steve Davis looks like he could develop into a good player and I think Healy can get better, wouldn't be surprised if a prem club comes in for him. Have a few concerns about the goalkeeping, Taylor is 34? now, hopefully he will play on for a few more years as I've lost faith in Carroll.

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

:)

Re: The Football Thread 2005/2006 Season
 

Shocking News.

Apparently police in Belfast found a dead man wearing a full England kit. They replaced it with a bra, thong and suspenders to save his family from further embarrassment.