We are playing really well just now, just lacking that final touch. With the right coaching Goodwillie could become a Scottish version of Rooney IMO,can't see him getting that at KFC FC though. We won't qualify but I am happy with where we are at right now.
Oh well to hell with fielding all the younguns then. I just heard two games to go last night, obviously must be others in the group who have played less. Still a point over there will represent a good campaign. As long as we get to quarter final/semi stage I'll feel we've achieved what we're capable of, anything after that is a bonus as quite simply there are teams with stronger squads.
Don't quote the spam, it makes it live on after they've been banned/deleted, unless your post is then edited or deleted.
The Fifa rankings are the biggest load of ****, they are nothing to do with Football; The more you bribe Blatter the higher you go!!!
Saw the game against Wales. Played well. People need to realise we do not have the best team in the world and for us to win one of these competitions would be a miracle! We do however, have a very strong team. A team that has done brilliantly in the last few games and a team that is playing hard for their country. We should cheers them on, even when they lose IMHO. They should be a point of pride. Nearly brings a tear to my eye just seeing them all join together and put everything aside for the glory of us, the fans. We seem to have made huge changes to our style of play. As much as I would love to see some good english attacking, that is not what will get us a respectable finish. I'm probably going to get slated, but I think Capello has got his act together. We're looking good! Worth noting that Wales turned up last night as well! Was actually a little worried (not really) in the second half. Thoroughly impressed!
You probably will be slated but Capello has been a very good manager for us. The World Cup was not perfect on his part but I couldn't say anything he did cost us, we're just not good enough. The players made individual errors, he can't sort that for them. Like you I think we're a very strong top 10 international side. Unfortunately there are at least 5 or 6 who are just stronger than us. We think we underachieve? Imagine how the Argies feel with the talent at their disposal!! Capello has shown he is willing to take on board his mistakes and correct them. I won't always agree with him (Gareth Barry) but in the main he gets the job done and there isn't a manager going who you'll agree with 100%. Its too easy to blame the foreign manager. The changes that need to happen in our game to have a successful national team will take many years to implement. Trevor Brooking is trying to push it on but at the end of the day the clubs and the PL are to blame. Everyone jumps all over the FA but in reality they have no power anymore. They get slated for the timing of fixtures. FIFA decides that. They get slated for our appalling coaching standards. Yeah but clubs in countries such as Spain and Germany have bought into the process and supported their FA. The PL is about one thing and that is money, and every club is guilty of it. If we are going to put all these coaches through badges and completely upskill our coaches, then the clubs need to buy in and offer employment. That is what the likes of Munich and Barca did. Once the big guys in, everyone does. I'm hopeful that in 2 or 3 tournaments time we'll see an England team for the first time since 1996 that has a genuine chance of winning something.
England is looking good. The Rooney-Young combination has become one of the better ones around, helped by them now playing for the same club. Bring in Wilshere and maybe another young player or two, and if they weren't England they'd have a chance with anyone except Spain. Capello has been very good outside of the World Cup, but would still say he was awful there. He made a lot of bad choices (Green, Barry) which squandered what should have been a great draw. But he's certainly done very well so far in both his qualifying campaigns. And the future does look bright. Come the next world cup, with Rooney and Young still at their best, and the younger group well into their twenties, they would be rated a serious contender, I think (if they weren't England.)
The lack of passion is due to a stagnating england team... for years we have played the same ****e that claim to have a passion for the team when really they dont. the likes of lampard should not have been getting in the england team.. granted he used to be one of the best but he never seemed to give his best to england.. when his form was ****e he still got into the team something that used to happen with paul scholes.. the whole set up is a farce.. look how long it took carroll to get in the team.. his debut was long over due and it was after alot of pressure he got picked.. this was when he was in beast mode for us.. yet since being at liverpool it seems he can play like **** and get in the team... whats the difference... its the blatant fact he is now a liverpool player so he automatically "becomes good enough".. ashley young is now looking like hes becoming a first team regular.. anything to do with the fact hes a united player now so no thought has to go into picking him. the whole selection process for many years has been a farce. though i will admit it seems some effort is being made to pick true form players and good talent. look at germany in the world cup.. how many players went into that unknowns and came out as name players. we failed because we are afraid to change... we are too arrogant to change.. then you get players like jack wilshere who get a taste of england 1st team then will refuse to play in under 21 tournaments... when you think logically the spanish players.. italians.. germans he would play against are those countries next generation of players... from those tournaments we have the chance to compare the future squads and what we are up against in years to come and build and prepare for that... but we dont. the whole mentality of the england team and players is arrogant.. we think we are better than we are.. just look at the inflated price of our players. everyone sees our mistakes but we are always reluctant to change.. we have too many old men in charge still living off the glory of 66' thinking we are still in the running for world champions.
Ahh well, I don't complain, I don't really care about them, I just can't get passionate about England like I do with Newcsatle
The performance was dire, and it was typical England. They knew they were better, so thought they would just walk the game. Wales showed fantastic passion which England haven't proven they have under Capello. As soon as we get an English manager like Pearce then we'll be ok. Anyone remember the u21s when they lost on penalties to Holland? The passion Pearce showed, huddling them round in the centre circle bigging the lads up. That's what we need. Once England show that passion, I may take a real interest, but now, they just don't excite me.
While it's true that we only played well in parts, I think we're forgetting the small fact that we won another competitive international fixture. Complain all you like about whichever segment of the Football Association you hate, or which coach has been there too long. It wont be changing while we're still getting good results. I agree that Frank Lampard had a poor game and looks like a player on the slide but decisions like that are down to the manager - I don't think we'll see a great deal more of Frank until he reclaims some form in the league. We had Darren Bent, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Glen Johnson and a few others missing and yet we still had enough to beat an improving Wales side. I will never stop supporting my country the way I will never stop supporting Newcastle United - both give me horrible times but there are enough good ones to make it worthwhile. I hated the fact we've had to put up with ****e managers like Graeme Souness, Sam Allardyce and Joe ****ing Kinnear!!! ... but I could never stop following the results of my beloved Toon - the same goes for the Three Lions, no matter who is the manager, Sven, Fabio or even Steve McClaren, I will scream my best for the England boys. It surprises me that so many on here find it so hard to keep the excitement level going as far as international football is concerned. Most of the reasons given thus far don't make alot of sense. If you apply the answers given to your domestic club, it sometimes sounds a little hypocritical.
A manager should not have to instill passion in you for you to feel passionate about playing for your country. That is down to the players and players alone. And to be honest I think people are unfair on the players, they are passionate about playing for their countries but international football is unforgiving. Our problem lies in ability, and in the main, technical ability. I think our younger crop of players that Pearce and Capello have nurtured along show much better technical ability. They also take real pride in representing their country. Sure we flopped badly in the summer and didn't get out of the group stage, but that side was shorn of its top talent. The margins were tight and they would have made the difference. Problem is the PL clubs only see their own needs. If Carroll, Wiltshire and others had got themself there England would have been a threat. Now if they go and win that, it instills a culture of winning they can carry through to the seniors. The clubs and FIFA are the problem. While they keep withdrawing players and FIFA keep arranging crazy schedules, we'll continue to stutter whether we have an Italian, an Englishman or someone from outer *****lia. The clubs are looking after number one because its all about money. The PL set about diluting the FA's power a long time ago. This has resulted in a weak FA, and playing for your country not being as important as playing in the PL. Its just too easy to blame foreign managers etc. Until we wake up and actually look at our real problems we won't move forward. We have a problem in this country with being critical of ourselves which is viewed as arrogance in the rest of the world. I would have to agree to an extent when it comes to football. We need to face up to the fact other countries have taken the game we invented, and found a better way to play it. We now need to step our game up. If we do, our natural fighting spirit and passion could give us the edge.
England are sh...it, basically, have been sh....it for a long time, and will continue to be sh...it for a long time to come
I simply cannot understand the mentality of "we invented this game so we must be the best at it". Arrogance doesn't even come close to those who have that approach. You have to earn a result against whoever you are facing, everytime. It makes me laugh that you have some people slating the FIFA rankings and then you have others suggesting that we have 'easy' qualifying groups! If the rankings are a nonsense then how can you tell how good your opponent really is in recent times?
Yes mate, we know, you keep repeating yourself... You keep looking for bites, that makes you a WUM - kindly **** off you pathetic little prick...
