ponsaelius

I dunno like, that first game today made me want to put my head through a wall until the goal saved me. Then again the first half of the North Korea game was captivating, as a neutral. I still think the negatives of 0-0s are far more freqent than the positives.

I was particularly thinking of Blackburn and Stoke when suggesting this It's not only the games that finished 0-0, but games where a team set out to get this and possibly failed or nicked a goal. Aye, exactly, it would change the whole physchology of how teams go into games. You'd still get the odd really cagey game but for the most part it absolutely forces teams to go for it. Don't want any of that s*** about 'solid defensive displays are part of football'. Yes they are, but setting out to achieve a 0-0 draw is contradictory to the entire competitiveness of the sport. It's s***.

Was just about to post this. Would have solved most of the s*** games in this tournament so far. For example the Japan - Netherlands game today. Japan spent the entire match until the goal playing for the 0-0, then Sneijder scores a bit of a fluke and bam the game bursts into life. Japan actually genuinely looked like creating chances and scoring, as did the Dutch due to the new space created. I'm left thinking why the boring twats didn't just go for it from the off.

Looking forward to tomorrow's games. Rory Fallon vs Cannavaro, now that's a World Cup match up

Bit of a cunts trick that like.

Watching African teams is so frustrating.

Ffs it was a handball on the goalline, nothing wrong with that decision.

So true.

If we don't score early we're fucked.

1. Denmark 10 6 3 1 16 5 +11 21 2. Portugal 10 5 4 1 17 5 +12 19 3. Sweden 10 5 3 2 13 5 +8 18 4. Hungary 10 5 1 4 10 8 +2 16 5. Albania 10 1 4 5 6 13 −7 7 6. Malta 10 0 1 9 0 26 −26 1

I sort of feel the same. After every performance like that (Newcastle aswell) I just want the next game to come as soon as possible to put it right.

Glad to see I'm not the only one who has alot of time for Beckham. He's played for 3 of the clubs I genuinely despise yet I still love the guy.

Don't see why people feel the need to criticise Beckham ffs. He's injured, missing out on what would have been his last swansong as a professional player. Yet he isn't sulking and moaning, he's gone along with the team on invite and is there in person as a regular supporter would be. He isn't getting paid, he isn't detrimental to the team, what the fuck is the problem? The man can do no wrong in my eyes, one of the few properly commited England players over the last decade. Not to mention he seems like a genuinely decent bloke.

Rafa trying to replace Alonso with Barry was just: all round though.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster. Lampard, Gerrard, Barry can't do the basics? Howay man. Lampard and Gerrard can't. been saying that for years. there's a reason their club managers surround them with the likes of Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas, Hamann, Sissoko, McAllister, Essien, Makelele, Tiago, Mikel, Ballack etc etc. Let Steve and Frank take care of running forward, taking shots and spraying long range, risky passes. leave the real midfield work of postional discipline, negotiating congested areas of the pitch with good first touch and intelligent short passing and tracking back for tackles and interceptions to others. i don't really think this issue was the major problem tonight though, as we had barry in there, poor as he was, and gerrard was shunted out wide. we had our fair share of possession and pushed algeria back most the time, especially in the 2nd half, but the cohesion to work up fluid attacks just wasn't there, not in the slightest. Absolute nonsense. Completely disregarding the stats which had Lamapard and Gerrard respectively as the top 2 creative players in the league in 08-09 and Lampard once again leading the way last season. Players need to be used corrently, you only need to look at Messi for Argentina to see that. Exactly, both of those players performed well because they had the set-up and players around them in order to get the very best out of them. Neither Gerrard or Lampard are complete enough midfielders, and the set up needs to be right to get the best out of them. England however don't have the players to put behind them in order to get the best out of them - hence why they're both shoehorned repeatedly into the same line-up and it repeatedly fails to work.

They had Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and David Beckham. Players who could do the basics, complete footballers who can do everything and have what's required to maintain possession. Lampard, Gerrard and Barry cannot.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster. Lampard, Gerrard, Barry can't do the basics? Howay man. Lampard and Gerrard can't. been saying that for years. there's a reason their club managers surround them with the likes of Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas, Hamann, Sissoko, McAllister, Essien, Makelele, Tiago, Mikel, Ballack etc etc. Let Steve and Frank take care of running forward, taking shots and spraying long range, risky passes. leave the real midfield work of postional discipline, negotiating congested areas of the pitch with good first touch and intelligent short passing and tracking back for tackles and interceptions to others. i don't really think this issue was the major problem tonight though, as we had barry in there, poor as he was, and gerrard was shunted out wide. we had our fair share of possession and pushed algeria back most the time, especially in the 2nd half, but the cohesion to work up fluid attacks just wasn't there, not in the slightest. Exactly what I'm trying to say, you worded it better than I could.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster. Lampard, Gerrard, Barry can't do the basics? Howay man. They're all desperately limited technically and rely on other players at club level to give them the platform to use their strengths. Their ability to do the basics in trapping the ball, passing economically, retaining the football, playing triangles etc is non-existant. That's why in an international situation where the necessity to treasure the ball and break teams down is impossible. Often we overpower teams but even Mexico and Japan were able to maintain possession and do the basics better than we were, it's absolutely f***ing embarrasing. Honestly think changing the system could solve the majority of these problems. A midfield of Barry, Lennon, Cole, Gerrard, Lampard would have it in them to dominate the majority of teams on the tournament imo, especially the likes of f***ing Algeria. Putting in an extra man in midfield would help against most teams at this tournament. Against anybody decent and we would not be able to keep the ball whatever we did. Joe Cole has to play however.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster. Lampard, Gerrard, Barry can't do the basics? Howay man. They're all desperately limited technically and rely on other players at club level to give them the platform to use their strengths. Their ability to do the basics in trapping the ball, passing economically, retaining the football, playing triangles etc is non-existant. That's why in an international situation where the necessity to treasure the ball and break teams down is impossible. Often we overpower teams but even Mexico and Japan were able to maintain possession and do the basics better than we were, it's absolutely f***ing embarrasing. Do you think then, based upon that, that a Gerrard, Lampard or Rooney wouldn't get in many of the other 32 teams? Spain apart they'd walk into pretty much every other team imho. Rooney yes. Lampard and Gerrard wouldn't get into Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Netherlands at all. And even if they were to there would have to be compensations made to include them in the same line-up.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster. Lampard, Gerrard, Barry can't do the basics? Howay man. They're all desperately limited technically and rely on other players at club level to give them the platform to use their strengths. Their ability to do the basics in trapping the ball, passing economically, retaining the football, playing triangles etc is non-existant. That's why in an international situation where the necessity to treasure the ball and break teams down is impossible. Often we overpower teams but even Mexico and Japan were able to maintain possession and do the basics better than we were, it's absolutely fucking embarrasing.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us. Nonsense, tbh. Have you seen any of these players play for their clubs? The players in the England team lack the technical and tactical diversity to fit into a system together. Their deficiencies in terms of trapping the ball, maintaining possession and controlling the ball are cancelled out when playing for their clubs as they are surrounded by players who have the skillsets do this. When you try to mould all of them into a team they look useless because they can't do any of the simple basics that should be learned from a youngster.

For what? To beat f***ing Algeria and Slovenia? Rubbish. Both those teams are better on the ball than us.

The players just aren't good enough.

Exactly, I posted something similar a few pages back.

In all honestly, Slovenia deserve to go through this group. Their passing and genuine ability on the ball was streets ahead of England today - it's a fucking mystery how. A bunch of nomarks captained by a man without a club and yet they looked lightyears ahead of us today.