The Football.....

[Inertia]

quite possibly. put the wind up one no hoper by cosying up to another. shrewd. really shrewd. trouble is you end up hiring a no hoper either way.

I think you guys are seriously overestimating the FAs tactical ability

 

[GrumpyGregry]

He's at least cultivated a good relationship with the press over the years and hacks invested their own reputation in finding excuses for his Liverpool debacle. His good friend Alex Ferguson will say nice things about him if things get rough. In practice this means he probably won't be photoshopped into a root vegetable before the quarter finals.

FTFY

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I take your point, but we're at a peculiar stage in our game. We have, possibly, only two star players - Rooney (who Shevchenko describes as the most complete player in the world, but more on that later) and Hart. The rest, including the big egos, are, not exactly disposable, but, then again, not exactly automatic picks.

Take the defence. Terry is getting on - and this is his last chance for a World Cup. Ditto Cole. Ferdinand, whatever his faults, is a team player. Lescott, Richards, Cahill and Kyle Walker will be desperate to get in to the side.

Then there's the midfield. I presume Wilshere is out. Lampard and Parker could play, but they're not essential - and I think Parker would be picked to do the job he does, in any case. Walcott and Lennon can't be faulted for application, and seem refreshingly free of ego. Rodwell likewise.

Up front it's Rooney, who, these days, is really a kind of advanced midfielder, and pick one or two from Defoe, Crouch, Bent and Sturridge.

Now that's not the kind of team that quickens the blood. If Rooney is unable to play (he's out of the first two games) or is out of sorts we're not going anywhere anyway. But plenty of managers have come in, had a clear-out (Klinsmann, Blanc) and got decent results - and, to reiterate, decent results are the best we can hope for. Spain and Germany are better than England.

Don't tell me; tell the football media, the pundits and the lager swilling hordes in their replica kit, all of whom seem to think the current squad are god-like geniuses.

I start from a simple premise when it comes to rugby, soccer and cricket teams, insofar as I understand the latter two, "How many of ours would start for them?" The answer is always a compelling "far too few".

(anyway I'm still pouting over the toons dreadful first half at Wigan)

 

[dellzeqq]

Oh, and no place for diving's Ashley Young in your team? He could be the new Michael Owen (ie winning very important penalties)

no, sorry. It's a pride thing. I still shudder when I recall shouting penalty before Owen fell over....
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1r3vUuA78
at 5mins 3 seconds

 

[ceepeebee]

Oh don't be sorry, I quite agree! See my previous comments on finding it very hard to support the England football team these days. I wish it weren't so but..... Well... Look at them. Any team with terry in is a team I'm not sure about, to pick out one obvious candidate.

 

[User482]

I think that the choice of manager will make precious little difference - we simply don't have good enough players at the moment. The only advantage of choosing Redknapp is that his cosy relationship with the media would buy a little more time before the press stick the knife in.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

no, sorry. It's a pride thing. I still shudder when I recall shouting penalty before Owen fell over....
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td1r3vUuA78
at 5mins 3 seconds

One of the many splendid cases for a television match official....

 

[musa]

They have no structure or dynamics in the team. They can't play in a team neither. Rooney and Hart might as well play 'Goal to Goal'

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

"I think that the choice of manager will make precious little difference - we simply don't have good enough players at the moment."

Totally agree User482.

We are a good quarter final team and that's it.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

I don't think Hodgson is a serious choice. The FA know damn well he's going to fail so he's there to bide time, be a scapegoat and to have a further excuse for the forthcoming debacle, whilst failing to sort out the real problems - misguided coaching, players wages and egos, and the fact that this year no-one cares; there's zero expectation and the Olympics will be far more exciting of a media magnet.

It'll be Big Brother Olympic Village Edition! Who wants to watch Rooney underperform again? Or watch a dirty chav shake hands with the captain of some unknown (to him at least) nation, only for them to go on and beat us! I know who I'll be cheering for and it won't be England.

Good luck Roy, you're going to need it.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The problem for Hodgson is that the first bad result will bring the inevitable "It should have been 'Arry" headlines in the press. TBH, if you weigh the expectetions of the fans and the media against the talent available to the England manager anyone who takes the job must be bonkers.

 

[on the road]

The problem for Hodgson is that the first bad result will bring the inevitable "It should have been 'Arry" headlines in the press.

Now that will be ironic, it was the press that got him the Liverpool job, saying how good he was and all that. So if he was good enough for Liverpool then surely he must be good enough for England

 

[Doseone]

I'm pretty underwhelmed with RH, but then again I wasn't sure that HR was going to be the messiah either. I'm not sure it's going to make all that much difference. Silk purses and sows ears etc. We've got no world class strikers, we haven't even got many Premier League class strikers. If we get out of our group we've over achieved.

 

[rollinstok]

Who else thinks Vincent Kompany should have been sent off for scoring tonight ?
Lets not forget he quite rightly got a yellow for being kicked in the foot
How dare he.. the audacity of the man. I'm not a City supporter but I do know the rules of the modern game.

 

[Cletus Van Damme]

I watched the second half, first football match I have seen for over a year. Nothing changed really Ferguson going nuts at the Man City manager lol. Pleased with the result, but if City do go on to win this I can't help but think what hard work they have made of it as they are the best team.