World Cup 2018

[roverandout]

10 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Seen it all before....young talent, planning ahead, new generation,  it'll be better next time, jam tomorrow etc etc. Apart from 1990 (when a good England team was very unlucky)  and the 1996 Euros (which we should have won), it's been one catastrophic failure after another.

Some of us have been waiting since 1966 for the ship to come in. Time for England to deliver

2004/06 we were a little unlucky..we had a great squad back then..but since then we have been sh#t

[RevidgeBlue]

37 minutes ago, roverandout said:

We have plenty coming through..sessingnon..sancho..foden..gomes...and some exciting young players already in the squad...belgium have peaked now..after this generation they wont have anyone else anywhere near this level..our chances should be judged in 4 years..no kneejerk reactions..let southgate keep bringing these young lads through and in a few years i believe we will be genuine challengers

 

Ps..italy dont produce great dribblers and they have been to plenty of major finals

For me we have some very good young players but the wrong man in charge and that will continue to be the case should he still be in charge when most of this lot are at their peak in 4 years time.

[Husky]

27 minutes ago, jim mk2 said:

 

Seen it all before....young talent, planning ahead, new generation,  it'll be better next time, jam tomorrow etc etc. Apart from 1990 (when a good England team was very unlucky)  and the 1996 Euros (which we should have won), it's been one catastrophic failure after another.

Some of us have been waiting since 1966 for the ship to come in. Time for England to deliver

I agree almost entirely. Though I'd also say we were unlucky in 1998 too. After that it's been pretty dire - not helped by some simply shockingly inadequate managers.

The time is always NOW. No fecking excuses about the next generation . . .as we all know there will be more excuses should we fail in 2020 - like - players can't handle the heat of Qatar etc. - whilst most of the rest of us shiver in what could be the worst World Cup ever for the European football watcher. Fan zone in the sleet and howling wind anyone?

And just to link everything together like a top pro . . here's a youngster at 18 years old (that arguably never got any better) back in the aforementioned 1998:

If you're good enough, you're old enough

 

Edited July 2, 2018 by Husky

[SBlue]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

For me we have some very good young players but the wrong man in charge and that will continue to be the case should he still be in charge when most of this lot are at their peak in 4 years time.

Any recommendations?

[roverandout]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

For me we have some very good young players but the wrong man in charge and that will continue to be the case should he still be in charge when most of this lot are at their peak in 4 years time.

So who do you think would be a more suitable candidate? Southgate knows alot of these kids...southgate has given england a better platform with moving away from the traditional 4 4 2 which i believe has held us back..he reminds me in someways of hoddle..who was ahead of his time

[RevidgeBlue]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

Any recommendations?

Would you want Southgate in charge of Rovers? I Wouldn't. His only attribute is he is a bland FA yes man who will never say anything controversial or ruffle any feathers and from the FA's point of view was the ideal man to come in and pour oil on troubled waters after the big Sam scandal.

[Husky]

It's all about 1998. It's coming home . . .

This makes pretty interesting reading.

"It’s almost easier to deal with a game of that magnitude if you’re younger. Certainly in my case, with my mentality. I had only made my England debut at Wembley against Chile in the February and a few months later it was the World Cup, so it was the norm in my mind. 

If I played this game again when I was 28, I might be sitting there thinking: ‘Jeez! This is some game to play.’ Later on in your career, you start analysing things more, you think ‘Who am I playing against today?’ Back then, I wouldn’t have had a clue who the Argentina players were, I was just going on the pitch thinking: ‘I’m gonna score a goal!’"

Also there's talk of the dreaded 4-4-2 formation towards the end.

[Silas]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Would you want Southgate in charge of Rovers? I Wouldn't. His only attribute is he is a bland FA yes man who will never say anything controversial or ruffle any feathers and from the FA's point of view was the ideal man to come in and pour oil on troubled waters after the big Sam scandal.

Sorry, but that wasn't a recommendation,  way to avoid the question.

I wasn't in full support when Southgate got the job, but the way he and his team have conducted themselves, both on and off the pitch, over the last few months has won my support in a big way.

Will it fall flat tomorrow night, or over the next few weeks,  well we shall see.

But Southgate has made some big balls decisions, and to still be calling him a yes man at this stage is pretty unfounded.

Here's one for you, I bet if Sam was in charge Rooney would still be on the roster. Sam is the ultimate pleaser of heirachy,  he just unfortunately for him committed the ultimate sin, publicly embarrassing the FA. There's no coming back from that. 

Southgate seems to me like a man playing the cards in front him, i.e. all in and either hero or bust. Whereas Sam would hav still been playing "the percentages " at this point.

Something in this World Cup in particular is not the road to go down. 

[SBlue]

8 minutes ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Would you want Southgate in charge of Rovers? I Wouldn't. His only attribute is he is a bland FA yes man who will never say anything controversial or ruffle any feathers and from the FA's point of view was the ideal man to come in and pour oil on troubled waters after the big Sam scandal.

I’ll take that as a no then.

But to follow your diversion - I think we could, and have, done worse.

Genuinely interested to hear who you think should be England manager?

[roversfan99]

Brilliant game tonight, Japan as naive as they were technically excellent with Kagawa and Inui in particular. Keeper was a joke. Wanted Japan to go through but at least this way weve set up a hell of a quarter final.

[RevidgeBlue]

17 minutes ago, S8 & Blue said:

I’ll take that as a no then.

But to follow your diversion - I think we could, and have, done worse.

Genuinely interested to hear who you think should be England manager?

Have you got all night? I'd take just about anyone ahead of Southgate. His managerial record at senior level prior to taking the job was roughly comparable to Steve Kean. 

Do you think a top Club side in the Premier League would employ him?

[SBlue]

Just now, RevidgeBlue said:

Have you got all night? I'd take just about anyone ahead of Southgate. His managerial record at senior level prior to taking the job was roughly comparable to Steve Kean. 

Do you think a top Club side in the Premier League would employ him?

 

I think he’ll be in with a shout of a upper Championship side AT LEAST if the idiots end up hounding him out.

But a TOP club?

If you think we’re playing in those circles, do you think Pep, Mourinho, Klopp, Pochettino et al would take on the Croatia job, hypothetically?

Our national team position is no more attractive than theirs - AT BEST.

Third and final time I’ll be bothered... Who do you want?

I really want some ideas.

I can take all night, but two or three replacements would do. 

 

 

 

[speeeeeeedie]

Catching up on today's posts and some got me thinking about England's World Cup exploits in my lifetime. Looking back England have had some bad luck, and idiotic individual mistakes.

1982 - went out without losing a game. Weird format, but a 0-0 against West Germany in the 2nd group stage allowed them to advance to the semis.

1986 - Maradona's hand of God. England didn't start playing until 2-0 down.

1990 - lost on pens in the semis to the winners. 

1994 - didn't qualify. Did I not like that.

1998 - 2nd round penalty loss to Argentina. Played with 10 men for a long stretch due to Beckham's sending off. Robbed of a winner early in extra time. 

2002 - Quarter final loss to Brazil, the eventual winners. Beckham bottling a tackle and Seaman nailed to the floor caused the goals. I'll leave the fact that they played with 10 men for ages out of it. Probably about right.

2006 - QF penalty loss to Portugal. Again played with 10 men. This time Rooney was the offender.

2010 - first knockout round defeat to Germany. Completely outplayed, but had a potential equalizer disallowed just before half time.

2014 - out without wining a game. 

 

[Norbert Rassragr]

I was a massive critic of the appointment of Southgate, because is stank of jobs for the boys, and he was pants at Boro. However he has done a lot better than capello and hodgson already, and by tomorrow he may have got the team to the quarter finals at least.

Perhaps he has studied, and learned from previous errors. Time will tell.

[Paul]

Before the game it's hugely exaggerated hype lead by, much to my disappointment, the idiot trio of Ferdinand, Shearer and Lineker. Why we can't have decent commentators on football who express real opinions instead of talking nonsense all night I don't know - the Beeb should do better. It's the time of year when it's almost wall to wall tennis in my house, the commentary and analysis adds to the experience - I'm not a great tennis fan but my wife is -  unlike football which just makes me want to throw rocks at the screen. Surely these expert pundits understand how stupid they sound?

After the game, if we lose, it will be all potential, great experience, Qatar etc. Nonsense. The team is either good enough or not. I'll stick by my view this side is no better than a mid to low table PL team and lacks creativity and excitement. This is the first England game I've planned to watch in the WC, hopefully they will do enough to keep me watching for the full 90 minutes but I have low expectations on this.

As an aside, apologies if this is seen as a diversion, anyone else see a link between the Club Revenue Generator thread and England? For me England have been a huge disappointment for decades and the FA's approach to fleecing the fans, largely making the side inaccessible to fans in the north turn me off. One consequence of this is all I've seen of this side has been very poor. I have no expectations about tonight other than another, "glorious," failure and more media bollocks. I fully accept the team may well be better than I've seen.

It's up to England to prove it on the pitch

If we win the country, lead by the BBC, will go in to hyperdrive

Edited July 3, 2018 by Paul

[gumboots]

Why are you planning to watch it in the toilet? 

[Paul]

Just now, gumboots said:

Why are you planning to watch it in the toilet? 

???

[Paul]

Just now, gumboots said:

Why are you planning to watch it in the toilet? 

Sorry - engaged brain. Got it! I'm getting old, senile and probably grumpy!

[Mattyblue]

Good job it’s on ITV then!

[Paul]

Just now, Mattyblue said:

Good job it’s on ITV then!

I know but that won't stop the BBC  I've just been reading about our 7% chance of winning the WC and Colombia's 2%. I mean come on.

Edited July 3, 2018 by Paul

[philipl]

Belgium v Japan best game yet although I missed Portugal v Spain.

De Bruyne nightmare first half and when the number of final balls Belgium had cut out don't find their targets, have to suspect coaching is at fault. Belgium were set up to play Brazil not Japan in their game plan..

Today I fancy Switzerland to win a war of attrition and England to go to penalties. Come on we all know what's going to happen.... 

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

I thought Belgium were lucky last night . The usual cracks were starting to appear in the team ( players gesticulating at each other when passes were misplaced etc ) when they got that fluke opening goal that enabled them to get back into the game

Edited July 3, 2018 by Tyrone Shoelaces

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

8 hours ago, S8 & Blue said:

Any recommendations?

I'll give you one - Sean Dyche. Kill two birds with one stone. Weaken the Dingles and get a proper manager in charge.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

An estimated 30,000 Columbian fans at the Tournament!

[joey_big_nose]

1 hour ago, Paul said:

I know but that won't stop the BBC  I've just been reading about our 7% chance of winning the WC and Colombia's 2%. I mean come on.

Sounds about right to me!