The Football Thread

[noodles_leone]

France 1 Brazil 0...

[Banjo]

Titoli,I just did an internet search "england 1966 cheating" and inevitably but amusingly all it brought up were a few jealous Scotsmans spouting off about the Russian linesman.Anyway my conscience is clear
You're probably right about France as favourites now but theres really not much between all 4 remaining sides now and i still feel Germany with the home advantage must be joint favourites.
Titoli do you really think that the trails and pre-season transfers are more important than Italy winning the world cup?

[Banjo]

France 1 Brazil 0...

Thanks for reminding me and well done tonight Noodles Leone.
The current standing remains-

Le Bon       9
Banjo         7
Marco         7
Titoli          6
Half Soldier 2
Firecracker 1

[titoli]

The trial, for me, it sure is: I've been waiting almost all of my football fan's career for it and until 2 months ago I didn't know if it would ever happen, let alone see it.
Actually I can say that, if things go as they should, I could even stop being interested in football (well, I'm joking: but not that much).
About the transfers, the matter is directly connected to the outcome of the trial.

[Banjo]

Hopefully it'll prove to be a fair trial and Fiat etc won't be trying to buy off the judge

[titoli]

If they manage to arrange a trial victory they might end up losing the war because the supporters of other teams would not renew their pay-tv contracts and stadiums would go deserted.  Also, a president might decide to inscribe the team (as I had wished to in the past) in another country's league if the culprits are not punished. Everybody here is curious how things are going to develop. I'll keep you updated.

[Banjo]

I am really gutted by England's exit. But in truth, well we probably didn't deserve to get to the semi's despite our best performance. although, you have to say why did it take us to get to 10 men to start performing.

To me, I stand by my initial critiscism of Sven. The decision to only bring 4 strikers (2 of which weren't fit) slapped us in the face. Rooney was never going to be an out and out striker. and i'm sure it was largely through him playin that role that got him sent off - through frustration.

i just wish i fely more confident in Svens replacement (I have said for ages that Sven was a waste of space). Unfortunately, Maclaren is not the man. Possibly the best ever generation of England players wasted. 

Plus, am I also the only one that though that the much critisced Own Hargreaves was the best England player of the tournament? 
 

I think that pretty much sums up the way how all England supporters feel.I've been enjoying the tournament but none of Englands performances.Especially considering how good they are meant to be,it has been by far the most disappointing and frustrating England campaign i've ever seen in a finals tournament.
Apart from the total cock-up of the squad selection and Sven not being able to settle with a formation/line up that worked i was amazed at the apparent fear and respect we gave Portugal (just look at how France took on Brazil last night!)which obviously disappeared as soon as Rooney was sent off and we went for it-i'm very proud of the 10 men left on the pitch and yes i 'm sorry to say i jumped on the anti-Hargreaves bandwagon but i see now he is a class act.
I fear you may be right Marco about McClaren but at least you'd hope he'd go a different way to Sven and as an Englishman instill a bit more guts in the team.

[Marco Leone]

Well Argentina were my favouites to win it, which is obviously a no-goer!!  Infact all of my last 4 predictions have gone (England, Argies, Ukraine and Brazil.

England and Brazil never really looked at the races.  Both had players that never really lived up to their potential (Lampard and Ronaldinho for starters).

Once the fun and games of the tournament are over (and I'm going to have to say Germany now to win, which I didn't think was possible at the beginning of the tournament) we should each come up with a "team of the tournament" i.e. the best 11 players.

[titoli]

How about Scolari for Eriksson? I heard he might succeed him. Or you're going all the way with McLaren?

[Half Soldier]

The FA in their wisdom named him (Scolari) a few weeks before the start of the World Cup.  Our media swamped him even though he still had a job to do for Portugal.  He, understandably, decided it wasn't for him after all.  Maclaren is from here (York) and the local rag has been spouting about the pride of it all etc etc.  I think he'll be a bit weak as a manager and probably only appointed as a result of the respect he has from the players.  I think he'll lack the passion when it's needed.  A bit like Sven really.

[titoli]

Our media swamped him

Why?

[Half Soldier]

Because thats what they do

[Banjo]

I'm surprised that Scolari didn't latch onto how scummy our press is earlier,even the way they treated loser Sven was totally disgraceful

[Marco Leone]

I'm surprised that Scolari didn't latch onto how scummy our press is earlier,even the way they treated loser Sven was totally disgraceful

Scolari does, in my opinion, play a bit of a dirty game - very evident in both Portugal and his earlier club management in Brazil.  That said, he DOES get results.  I think it would have been a great choice.

[Le Bon]

Maclaren does seem to be a pragmatist like Sven. When you think about it we seem to have got worse not better in tournaments under Sven. We seemed to play better saturday with 10 men, as if the shackles had been released, with more freedom.