Agreeing with you. I don't understand why I can't get myself going to really support England in this tournament.
Bloody hell flt though you were a super positive happy clapper Yes we probably will go out to the first team of substance we meet but that's always been the case (in my lifetime at least)! Yeah we lack a bit of quality in the final 3rd but Wales couldn't of complained if that finished 3/4-1 imo.
I think it's a combination of fans' behaviour abroad (it gets wearing at every tournament), Hodgson being rather uninspiring, and the fact I can't bear people like Sturridge and Vardy for most of the year. It's hard to switch myself on to suddenly like them. As has been said though, my problem. So I'll stop being boring about it!
I'm not going to get too carried away, by this win, simply because the first goal needed an assist from a Welsh defender, and the "pass" that set Sturridge up, looked like a poor touch from someone who was trying to work an opening for himself. However, as long as Roy learns from this, we can improve. For me the midfield needs a tweak. I would keep the same three, Dier, Rooney and Alli, but would definitely try Lallana or Wilshire at the top of a diamond, behind Vardy and Sturridge, and leave the width provision to the full backs. IIRC, Kane's form dipped at the end of the season, as it did at the end of last season, so he could be suffering from Pochettino-itis. Knackered.
I think the England team over the years have helped us manage our expectations somewhat. I'm also so fed up with the hooligan nonsense now a bit of me just wishes the FA called us home after Russia. Then I think don't let the buggers get you down and Sturridge (of all people) got me going a bit at the end there.
Fair enough. That wasn't really aimed at you specifically to be fair but your post just helped me make a general point Honest question though, if/when we get to 1/4s will you get more excited?
I must say I get in a lull approaching tournaments but once they start the English comes out in me. Just a shame that I always feel more pessimistic about England, so used to failure I suppose.
Probably yes, but for the reasons I stated above, not as much as a Saints win in the Capital One Cup second round for instance.
Yeah, I agree. I will never understand these thugs who call themselves "supporters". I understand passion and disappointment (what the hell, I'm a long standing Saints supporter) but not attacking other fans. If countries (and teams) were kicked out because of it, I wonder if it would help - or just give them an excuse to kick off somewhere else? But, I'm English (a bit if a mongrel if you must know) and I'll support them, even if I know it's a lost cause!!
Actually yeah, thinking a bit harder about this, it's exactly this. The last England game I went to was about 6 years ago against Mexico. I was SO utterly sickened by the xenophobia and racism on the way to the ground, at the ground, and on the way back that I vowed never to go to another England match. It made me ashamed to be English, and the re-emergence of the hooligan element at this tournament (whether provoked or not) just makes me think "you don't deserve to win a thing". So yeah, that's why I can't do it. The booing of the anthems, all that. Just can't associate with that at all.
That's a good question and it's something that I've often asked myself. However, I'm not typical as I am half English, half Italian. However, when Italy play I'm very much Italian. Fervent.! I even find myself leaning slightly towards Italy when they play England, although whoever wins I'm pleased and disappointed at the same time. I think I lean towards Italy in these contests because they have hardly ever let me down. Historically, where I feel vague about England is the lack of enterprise and originality England managers have shown. Consequently, the England game has lagged behind the Continental game for at least 25 years. The only one who showed some originality was Alf Ramsey and he won with it, but unfortunately it set the style for the next 25 years. Probably only Venables properly started to change the way things happened, and he left out my hero No.7 in his prime, prefer safer players yet again. Too little risk. Too little originality. Roy has been the best manager of recent years, there's no denying. But he has also been affected by the English disease of being a bit too safe. So we have our expectations again and they always remain unfulfilled. It doesn't help in the slightest that the media lead the expectations, only for everyone to be let down yet again as England underwhelm. It's happened so many times that I can completely understand if people don't get too excited these days. I've been there.
Exactly. I had the embarrassment of standing with a load of US supporters in the World Cup game in South Africa, when a mindless dickhead who was out of his head on drink (though they were only selling Budweiser, so quite how he managed it I don't know) attacked them without provocation. He squared up to the Americans (average age 60+) and yelled "come on then. Do you want to start something?" I had to apologize to them afterwards ( after the stewards had kicked him out). I'll never go to another England football game, either.
Hence why I want Russia to go out at the group stage, and any team whose fans are basically so openly ****ers. On the flip side of that, it's why I'd love N Ireland, Iceland and the like to do well.
And yes, there is that element. But that just wants me to disassociate myself with all football supporters. As said before, my non-football friends can't fathom my liking for the game and regularly point to knuckle dragging, bent-nosed fans as a way to illustrate my error in following the game. Thing is, I'm used to that after so many years, so I can block it out. But I can't deny they have a point.
I love football though. I just don't want those types of people to feel any sense of superiority or joy.
Although, in mitigation, there are lots of real England fans there, the Russians have sent an invasion party of trained psychos, ably assisted by the French. The French police are doing as well as their army did in two world wars , except in this case they're gassing us (nice subtle approach to crowd control ) AND England fans come with a rep and do rather draw attention to themselves, especially as they think they are world beer drinking champions but actually can't hold their beer. And then there's the British press who immediately assume we started it !!! But, I'm always ready to support England if they show some skill and passion, which they have so far in this tournament. The changes made all the difference, we've got a few good players, Rooney is looking good as Captain and midfielder and they all clearly care. Agree with all the comments about Sterling and liked the fact that Walker ran at them every time he got the ball. Not perfect ... but not bad at all.
