UEFA European Championship Qualifying

I wonder if some of these performances from the likes of Germany, Holland and Spain are putting England's recent results into some kind of context for the England haters on here?

 

Commentator just indicated in this game the big difference is between the centre-halves - the Dutch pair keep getting out-muscled off the ball (sounds like us), whilst the Icelandic pair are holding firm & steady breaking up attacks.

20 mins for the Dutch to pull this match out of the fire - I wonder if they will bring on Fer?

 

If Holland lose they will be 6 points behind the two leaders in their group. If that was England, they would be getting slaughtered!!
As it is, England have 9 points from 3 games and haven't conceded a goal......................yet they still get slaughtered by some.

 

I just wish we had the grit of a few of those Icelandic players in our squad.

Leroy Fer on - 12 min to play.

 

Commentator - "Dutch compete like those fencers with a cork on the end of their sword, they're never going to do any real damage like that!"

 

Commentator "Leroy Fer is winning every ball that comes in" - I wonder why did they leave it so late to bring him on as it obviously wasn't working for them?

"Why didn't they start him?" adds the commentator.

 

No, those teams are just a little bit tired after feasting on all the success they've had recently, like a lion after gorging himself on a recent kill; they'll be ok after a lie-in 😎

 

Come on Wales, hang on boys.

 

Likewise for Iceland - 3 games, 9 points, 8 goals, 0 conceded.

 

Well done Wales.

 

The Dutch and the Deutsch are getting saughtered in their respective homelands Col, quite rightly.

Well done Wales.

 

Yes but the point I'm making is that England get slaughtered even when they're winning. Some highly rated nations have been slipping up against opposition that are thought to be far inferior.
England should get more credit imo, but it seems to be the in vogue thing to knock them.

 

The problem is that England often qualify comfortably but always falter when there's any significant pressure. The Germans and Dutch nearly always do better than us when it counts (and so do some of these inferior teams).

I can't heap praise on a team four months after such a spineless capitulation when I've seen them do it before.

 

Italy also have 9 pts from their 3 games, but 2-1 home to Azerbaijan and 1-0 in Malta today against 10 men is hardly convincing.

 

Some of the qualifying groups and the fact that third-placed teams are still in with a shout via play-offs are producing complacency in a big way and contributing to the lack-lustre performances of the 'big' countries. It must be hard to motivate players who probably would rather be somewhere else when faced with such exotic opponents as San Marino etc. No wonder Raheem Sterling was 'tired' but you can bet he won't be tired next time he flashes the cash in some tarty night-club...

 

I support England in the same way that I support rangers. No matter how crap they've been I still support them! Presumably you still support rangers after all their recent and not so recent capitulations?

 

No one would doubt your fervour and loyalty. The point is that qualifying is a no win situation and rightly so It would be like us spending 21 months of every 24 in league one with the other 3 months in the Premiership and thinking that doing well in the former is particularly praiseworthy.

 

I wasn't trying to prove my loyalty.

Point missed mate.

 

What are you trying to prove - that England has a great side? -No they don't but if you think so, fantastic, only thing is history will tell you that once you face anything with any modicum of ability you're out.
But hey, big, big congratulations-
I think you'll find that the old fervor that people had for their national teams is steadily dying out - Living here in probably the most patriotic of countries EVER, it is apparent that the appetite has gone - it was always going to happen, first the disillusionment with club football due to the greed and then Internationally and guess what due to the greed.

But England - sorry mate - they're not good. But kudos for still loving them, you're a strong man.

 

My point is being ever more spectacularly missed!

I give up!