I've been so cynical about England recently I've completely lost interest. Tonight I didn't even check the score, happened to want to watch TV at 10.15pm so flicked thro the channels and settled on the highlights. I watched looking for opportunities to criticise and feeling a strange sense of satisfaction at Downing's anonymity. No more! From now on I am going to try to be a good England supporter. This is my son's first tournament since he learnt to say the words "England" and "lion" (he's 3 now). So against Belgium and throughout the Euros I am going to cheer when Downing gets the ball on the wing; say it is a stonewall penalty when Young goes down and stand in breathless anticipation when the ball is crossed towards Carroll. I've been unreasonably optimistic before previous tournaments; up till now I've been unreasonabally pessimistic about this one. I'm now simply going to support England. In Hodgson We Trust. We ****ing Love Andy Carroll.
Seriously? That bunch of infighters? I'm English, so I'll take it for good or for bad, just like City over the years.
I'd find it so much easier to support them if I wasnt constantly being pissed off by the twats with the instruments. Ban the annoying feckers please
I wil be cheering for any team playing England. Crap football dressed up as International football. I can't stand them, if Roy Hodgson wants to pick Andy Carrol to play up front he deserves every bit of abuse which will be coming his way shortly. What kind of example to set to young kids that you don't even have to be able to kick a ball to play for England. England a disgrace on the pitch, off the pitch added with some kind of moron managing them and the countless empty, idealess faces running them. Team England need demolishing, it won't of course because people are still stupid enough to buy shirts and tickets.
I'll always support my country I'm fiercely patriotic but they absolutely infuriate me. We're overrated and not as good as we think calling us a quarter final team would be over doing it a bit, if you believe any of the hype in media then your on drugs.
^What he said^ I got into the habit of watching England back in the 70's when we used to go on school trips to see England at Wembley (no school boy international trips at my school, all full international games) and carried on after I left school going down with a few mates through the early 80's, but as we got older and people were getting married and paying mortgages we went less and less until we now don't go at all, we just concentrate on supporting our respective clubs. We all still watch England games on the TV and if we find ourselves in the same town we will watch games in the pub together, quite frequently there are texts flying across the globe commenting on the match in progress, I think what I'm trying to say is if you have grown up following England it's hard not to however badly we are playing, if you haven't it's easier to switch off.
I want England to do well, but until the England manager has the guts to pick the players he wants, and not the media darlings, we are going to carry on being mediocre at the very best.
This is all very sad but I am afraid I have no interest in England now. I actually bought into the hype for the last World Cup, 100% qualifying record, great players etc. and they performed like donkeys (again). I wouldn't watch them now if they were playing in my back garden. No offence to Woy, he is the best we have, but the excuse for players - jeez!! Terry and Ferdinand disgust me.
Yes very sad.We're not in top rank of nations any more,but in the Championship as it were,a sort of Ipswich Town of International teams,capable of the odd decent result but also capable of getting beaten by the Barnsleys of this world. To be perfectly honest I'm not even convinced we have been there since the war.'66 was a result but,we were at home and even then it was a close run thing.Modern technology tells us what those of us who watched that final knew anyway, the ball didn't cross the line.Without that crucial incorrect decision we most likely would have lost. England are nowhere near as good as that team,or probably more correctly the others are all much better now.It wouldn't surprise me if we go out in the first round.
But... According to FIFA rankings, Engand are 7th, behind only Spain, Germany, Uruguay, Netherlands, Portugal and Brazil! So, sort of what an International Budgie team would aspire to be, sort of like Liverpool, perhaps, but not quite as good, always the Bridesmaid, never the Bride... Seriously tho', about a year ago I tried to watch the whole 90 mins of the 1966 World Cup Final, compared to today's football it was so poor, passes going astray all the time, I stopped watching after about 25 mins, terrible stuff!
Other than be purchased for lunatic money by Liverpool can anyone tell me what Henderson has done to warrant being called up? Even Carroll has had a couple of good games in high profile matches this year - not enough to justify selection ahead of Holt among others in my opinion but Henderson (and Downing obviously)?????? I get the feeling that if Liverpool paid £20m for me I would currently be in the England squad.
This - although I'm loving all this 'I'll cheer anyone playing England' / 'I'm supporting the Dutch' stuff. Now I know where I've been going wrong all these years, and the answer was there all along. Now, who to follow? Spain, Brazil, Germany? Hmm, can't decide, but it's gonna be great when I do. While I'm at it, I may as well ditch the city of my birth and go for the Manchester version instead. After all, there have been some pretty ropey times over the years. What was I thinking! Champions league here we come!