The Football.....

[threebikesmcginty]

Strachan yet again speaking more sense than everyone else. It'll hopefully not be long til everyone else just lets him speak.

He's a good old boy, I remember seeing him when he was in charge of the mighty Sky Blues, he put himself on the field against Chelsea, he was 40 at the time and he was the hardest working player on the pitch - he put it down to seaweed and bananas. He was also sold by Alex Ferguson, twice, once at Aberdeen and then AF followed him to Man Utd and sold him again, he must be good if that old **** doesn't like him.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Agree, any time I listen to Strachan he comes across as a guy who loves the game and knows a great deal about it. Most pundits speak in a combination of cliches and spout generic rubbish about "passion" and whatever else - Strachan is one of the few who offers any genuine insight.

I quite like Martin O'Neill as well for similar reasons.

Strachan is a brilliant analyst and a very perceptive one, comes across as a man who fully understands the mentality of the players. Although used as an anchorman Gary Lineker is another whose views are always worth listening to.

As for Shearer and Townsend...

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I didn't catch much of the France v Nigeria game, but what I did see looked fairly uninspiring. Here's hoping the Germany v Algeria game is an action-packed thriller.

 

[Kins]

Are Germany in Green?!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Are Germany in Green?!

No. At the moment it looks like the better team is in green.

Off topic, but the Algerian National Anthem has a very complex time signature.

 

[swee'pea99]

Have to say I can't remember ever having seen any tournament better refereed than this one.

This match being a cracking example. A fair bit of....robust might be the word...tackling going on, but the referee's making a real effort to let the players play and the game flow. Tho' nothing genuinely nasty or dangerous is overlooked. Both the powers that be (who have clearly briefed them accordingly) and the individual referees (who have heard the word, and acted on it) deserve a lot of credit for the way the whole thing's shaping up.

Oh, and respect to Algeria while I'm at it. Usually takes Russians to rattle the hun like that.

 

[400bhp]

Hoddle just said Al Jazeera

 

[AndyRM]

You actually pay attention to the half time offerings from ITV that involve him?!

 

[Kins]

What a great game. Loving these "small" teams in the World Cup.

 

[Danny]

What a great game. Loving these "small" teams in the World Cup.

Does anyone know whether members of the Algerian team have been fasting for Ramadan? They've put in a real shift to keep Germany at bay.

 

[Kins]

Apparently not. They were given exemptions to start after their final game.

Bah!

 

[Kins]

Hell of a finali! Another great game.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Does anyone know whether members of the Algerian team have been fasting for Ramadan? They've put in a real shift to keep Germany at bay.

Maybe if they'd have eaten they might have won?

 

[AndyRM]

I'd have loved Algeria to go through tonight, but they just didn't take their chances. Particularly in the opening quarter when the Germans had very little in the way of response. Although an early goal for Algeria may have put a rocket up German arses.

Germany only looked properly threatening towards the end of the game when most of the Algerians were dead on their feet.

Overall I suspect that the ghost of Camus could have crafted a beautiful response to the game.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Yeah, the best teams both won today although in both cases, it was a close thing and both Nigeria and Algeria looked very good at times and the results could have gone the other way if chances had been taken and it wouldn't have been unfair.