The Football Thread - Season 2013/2014 & World Cup

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And what about Ian Wright gaffa :banghead:

Hoddle talked some sense tonight but you could tell he thought he was amongst muppets.

As for the World Cup itself - I'll be cheering on England as strongly as ever but I'm only optimistic because my expectations are on the floor.

There's always a chance though....................

 
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I really think we can do well with this team:

Hart

Johnson
Jagielka
Cahill
Baines

Gerrard
Wilshire

Sterling
Barkley
Lallana

Sturridge

Yes... no Rooney, I think with the squad we have this is the best 11 on form. No chance of it happening though!
 
cambsno said:
I really think we can do well with this team:

Hart

Johnson
Jagielka
Cahill
Baines

Gerrard
Wilshire

Sterling
Barkley
Lallana

Sturridge

Yes... no Rooney, I think with the squad we have this is the best 11 on form. No chance of it happening though!
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Something that keeps being mentioned and it's something Hoddle keeps banging on about is (in this World Cup) it's less about who you start with and more about the last 3rd of the game.

Sterling and Barkley (and to some degree Lallana) may have more influence later in games.

Personally I'd rather see Henderson start alongside Gerrard, against Italy anyway.

Hart

Johnson (for no other reason that we have to)
Cahill
Jagielka
Baines

Lallana (working with Baines on the left)
Gerrard
Henderson
Welbeck

Rooney

Sturridge
 
For me I'd have;

Hart

Johnson (He normally gets some unwarranted stick imho, but he hasn't looked too good in the last few friendlies)
Jagielka
Cahill
Baines

Gerrard
Henderson (He works well with Gerrard, and will have the energy for the whole game, which I don't think Wilshire will have after injury. He normally goes a bit missing when fit anyway imho).

Lallana
Rooney (Oxlade-Chamberlain if he was fit)
Sterling

Sturridge

That could be a young midfield and forward line without Rooney, but I think we need to give youth its head. With expectations so low, it gives the option to take risks. All those young players interchanging with each other could run Italy ragged. I don't think there is any possibility of Rooney being left out though. :rolleyes: Maybe if he does nothing in the first game, as he usually does in World Cups. ;)
 
Edgar Davids being a prat in the Soccer Aid match at OT
 
dinners said:
Which is true of every England player - for some reason people expect more of him.
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When a player is on reportedly £300,000 per week, :eek: I expect him to be a World beater. :thinking: When a player is on £300k per week, at the World Cup, I expect him to be noticeably better than most of the other players there. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.
 
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redhed17 said:
When a player is on reportedly £300,000 per week, :eek: I expect him to be a World beater. :thinking: When a player is on £300k per week, at the World Cup, I expect him to be noticeably better than most of the other players there. I don't think that's an unreasonable expectation.
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There are lots of circumstances that contribute to why different wages and contracts are offered to different players by their employers. Timing has been everything with Rooney / United.

It certainly shouldn't make any difference in terms of comparing expectations of players when playing for England.
 
We should all commit to something:

If England win the 2014 World Cup, I will (on TP)......................................
 
If England win the 2014 World Cup, I will (on TP)...................................... cut my ears off and pull my eyes out:)
 
If England win the 2014 World Cup, I will (on TP) post a photo of myself nekkid on a hill with just my guitar covering my modesty (or leave it poking out like a jack plug) :D
 
Another cock up by Wenger. Could have had fabregas but instead he has made Chelsea stronger. Would have been a great signing.
 
cambsno said:
If England win the 2014 World Cup, I will (on TP) post a photo of myself wearing a Wenger is a God T-shirt
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:) At least I think that's what you said, the wine might be getting to me...
 
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Sir SR said:
It's the right move if he buys de Jong instead
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Sir SR said:
It's the right move if he buys de Jong instead
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Get both!!

A mid of Fabregas, de Jong, Ozil, Ox & Ramsey will take some beating... add Flamini, Podolski and Wilshire to the bench and thats potential league of CL winners!!
 
cambsno said:
Get both!!

A mid of Fabregas, de Jong, Ozil, Ox & Ramsey will take some beating... add Flamini, Podolski and Wilshire to the bench and thats potential league of CL winners!!
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Who's the young Ghanaian German who's supposed to be the next big thing.

He won't halt development of youth.
 
Sir SR said:
Who's the young Ghanaian German who's supposed to be the next big thing.

He won't halt development of youth.
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Gnabry? Looks ok but still a fair way off being up there. Forgot Walcott too, although he could play up top as well.
 
So, 1 game down and we've already seen the 1st stupid penalty awarded.

I've said it before - till we find an alternative rule, penalties (or the desire to get them) will just continue to ruin games.
 
dinners said:
So, 1 game down and we've already seen the 1st stupid penalty awarded.

I've said it before - till we find an alternative rule, penalties (or the desire to get them) will just continue to ruin games.
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Pretty shameful decision and an 'interesting' save. I like penalties myself, very hard for referees now with players diving left right and centre -if all they had to decide was is there contact etc things would be much easier for them.

I did see someone on another forum with an interesting idea, which was penalties for stopping goal scoring opportunities anywhere on the pitch, and if someone dives to try and get a penalty where the other player would be sent off, red card for them and penalty the other way. Would create lots of issues but an interesting concept.
 
akr said:
Pretty shameful decision and an 'interesting' save. I like penalties myself, very hard for referees now with players diving left right and centre -if all they had to decide was is there contact etc things would be much easier for them.

I did see someone on another forum with an interesting idea, which was penalties for stopping goal scoring opportunities anywhere on the pitch, and if someone dives to try and get a penalty where the other player would be sent off, red card for them and penalty the other way. Would create lots of issues but an interesting concept.
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Interesting.

Penalties are just so cheap. Easily won and a 90% chance of gaining a goal in a sport where so few goals are scored. No wonder players do what they do.

Almost every game has penalty issues and it just ruins games.

Even a nailed on legit penalty - is it really worth the same as a goal worked in open play after overcoming the other team or spending 20 mins pressing them back ?

I'd just like to see the end of them full stop but I've no idea how.

I'd like to see something like:

Incident outside or on edge of box - play on or award free kick. - Normal rules.

Incident in the box where ref thinks nothing happened - game continues - Normal rules.

Incident in the box that ref thinks could be a penalty - ref raises arm but game continues.

If arm was raised - 3 folk watching quickly evaluate.

If the 3 folk see no pen - the game continues and nobody is the wiser.

If the 3 folk see it was a pen - the game is stopped and the penalty is awarded.

If the 3 folk see it was a cheating dive - the game continues and at the next pause in play the cheat gets booked.

Sounds complicated but it's not. It could be invisible, quick and deter cheats.
 
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Blatter probably ordered a Brazil win!

Simple rule on diving. If caught then that player gets a 10 game ban. Then if they do it again it's 20 games. It will only take a couple of players punished for it to stop.
 
Derek Rixon said:
England???
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There's no pressure on England in this tournament, no golden generation, if they beat Italy then I think they will progress beyond the group stages. Whilst they will not win it I am hoping they will do the country proud. If they flop completely then I dread the press response to Hodgson forget the Turnip and the wally with the brolly if it goes badly then there will be a whole new level of abuse
 
Oh and i still think Brazil are the favourites despite a lukewarm opening game
 
Based on the way the groups are and who would then meet who in the KO rounds I'll say the semis will be:

Brazil v Spain
Argentina v Germany
 
dinners said:
Based on the way the groups are and who would then meet who in the KO rounds I'll say the semis will be:

Brazil v Spain
Argentina v Germany
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Isn't there always one team in the semis not expected there, Croatia or Turkey or Korea in recent years?

England have an easy 2nd round if they get out of group. A relatively easy quarter and who knows...
 
cambsno said:
Another cock up by Wenger. Could have had fabregas but instead he has made Chelsea stronger. Would have been a great signing.
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When has Wenger ever spent big on a player in decline ?, and remember his mantra of "I will only buy somebody who is better than what we have". I would argue that Ramsay, Cazorla and Ozil are better.

Wenger is justified on both these points, and I'd rather he spent the money on Guizemann or somebody similar. Yes, it's bloody painful to see him in a Chelsea shirt, but we don't "need" him, it's the sentiment of the Arsenal fans driving the "Bring back Cesc" campaign, not our need for another expensive attack minded midfielder.
 
Jelster said:
When has Wenger ever spent big on a player in decline ?, and remember his mantra of "I will only buy somebody who is better than what we have". I would argue that Ramsay, Cazorla and Ozil are better.

Wenger is justified on both these points, and I'd rather he spent the money on Guizemann or somebody similar. Yes, it's bloody painful to see him in a Chelsea shirt, but we don't "need" him, it's the sentiment of the Arsenal fans driving the "Bring back Cesc" campaign, not our need for another expensive attack minded midfielder.
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Tell me one game against big side (Man U, City, Chelsea...) when Cazorla has been good? He is a 'flat track bully' - looks good against West Brom or Villa but always goes missing against the big sides.

Lets be honest, Ramsay has had a great 6 months but most fans would have been happy to see him go a year ago. Great improvement but does spend time out injured. Arteta is knocking on, Wilshire injury prone too. Look at City or Chelsea, they have 6 or 7 mids all good enough to be 1st choices - we need similar.

In decline??? He is 27, about to be at his peak. £30m is a steal for a world class player who we know will excel in the Prem.
 
Just differences of opinion Simon, I honestly don't think he is as good as he was, and he can't play the holding role, which is what we need. We have Ramsey, Ozil, Ox, Cazorla, Rosicky, and Wilshire that can all play forward midfield, do we need another when that money can be spent elsewhere ?
 
Really enjoyed watching Spain get a spanking tonight.

Good to see RVP looking like himself again too.
 
Jelster said:
Just differences of opinion Simon, I honestly don't think he is as good as he was, and he can't play the holding role, which is what we need. We have Ramsey, Ozil, Ox, Cazorla, Rosicky, and Wilshire that can all play forward midfield, do we need another when that money can be spent elsewhere ?
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Good point bu
dinners said:
Really enjoyed watching Spain get a spanking tonight.

Good to see RVP looking like himself again too.
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Me too - can't stand their diving and cheating.
 
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