England and the World Cup

[Guest]

Have you not seen Wales play?

Wales have several players who play in the premiership (including three from West Ham)

You said it

[John Geraghty]

Not a hope my friends. I'm sorry but its just not your year...again. As somebody wrote in an Irish paper a few days ago as one of the top 50 reasons why it would be bad if England won the world cup "They won it on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 rising, it would be horrible if they won it on the 90th".

The match against Hungary was a good result for a an average sgowing, though some might say that its a god sign when a team plays badly and still wins.

Good team on paper, but the prayers of most Irishmen will be against you I'm afraid.

There are a few who will support England over here, such as the labour leader Pat Rabitte.

Most people seem to be supporting Poland due to the fact that there are 100,000 poles living here at the moment.

Crouch the dancing robot is a good coat stand, but I'm afraid he's not up to the task.

I ask you to please disregard the fact thatIreland didn't qualify!

John

[Guest]

Another £1 wasted. I have just drawn England it the staff sweepstake

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Not a hope my friends. I'm sorry but its just not your year...again. As somebody wrote in an Irish paper a few days ago as one of the top 50 reasons why it would be bad if England won the world cup "They won it on the 50th anniversary of the 1916 rising, it would be horrible if they won it on the 90th".

John

I'm quite sure that my compatriot John Geraghty is saying this with tongue in cheek. I am an ardent Irish nationalist and anti-imperialist, but one of my favorite sporting memories is the 1966 world cup. Who can forget Geoff Hurst's goal that won the game?

Of course, England had an unfair advantage -- they had Jack Charlton, (not to mention his brother, Bobby), who did the work of ten ordinary men. And no Irishman or woman will ever forget the contribution that Jack Charlton made to building our national team and inspiring us to hope for the future. As they say in Dublin, his checks will never be cashed.

Since Ireland did not qualify this year, my hopes are pinned on perfidious Albion.

Edited June 11, 2006 by J. Raymond Carroll

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Since Ireland did not qualify this year, my hopes are pinned on perfidious Albion.

Then Mr Carroll your hopes are assuredly dashed. Every two years this country undergoes a form of collective, organised amnesia, howling tattoed mobs bedecked in the Union flag trawl the streets looking for foreign types to bash, when Engerlund are pummled by a better team in, Oh lets say the quarter finals. Pin your hopes on Brazil, they will win it anyway.

[J. Raymond Carroll]

Every two years this country undergoes a form of collective, organised amnesia, howling tattoed mobs bedecked in the Union flag trawl the streets looking for foreign types to bash, when Engerlund are pummled by a better team in, Oh lets say the quarter finals. Pin your hopes on Brazil, they will win it anyway.

Stephen could be right about Brazil, they are past masters of the beautiful game. We get so little soccer news here in America (right now the newspapers are full of baseball, a kids game that we used to call "rounders" when I was growing up. The leading players are on steroids) that I am not up to speed on current status of the world cup teams. I do hope that Wayne Rooney will recover in time. With a nice Gaelic name like that, he should be pretty good.

I can understand Stephen's disgust with hooliganism (another Gaelic name) among some soccer fans. Many years ago I lived in Fulham, mid way between the Fulham and Chesea? stadiums (stadia?). I remember on Saturdays being terrified by the mobs of young fans when taking the subway from Fulham Broadway.

I expect that the German police will keep order, though.

P.S. I wish I owned a whorehouse there.

[Francesca Akhtar]

Then Mr Carroll your hopes are assuredly dashed. Every two years this country undergoes a form of collective, organised amnesia, howling tattoed mobs bedecked in the Union flag trawl the streets looking for foreign types to bash, when Engerlund are pummled by a better team in, Oh lets say the quarter finals.

I shall be staying out of Croydon town centre if that happens in case there's a repeat of Euro 2004 when the place was smashed up by these idiots.

Pin your hopes on Brazil, they will win it anyway.

Noooooooooo! I will *not* allow them to win it for the 5th time! Period.

[Guest Stephen Turner]

Francesca, I of course meant to say Italy. Am I back in your good books now?

[Francesca Akhtar]

Francesca, I of course meant to say Italy. Am I back in your good books now?

yes

I just hope if they dont win its someone other than Brazil. Also because I thinkits nice to see another country apart from the usual lot win. I'd like to see Spain, Mexico or Portugal win otherwise.

[John Simkin]

Eriksson’s decision to take only two fit strikers (and one of them a boy of 17) is beginning to prove very costly. When Owen showed that he is still far from fit against Paraguay, Eriksson failed to replace him with Walcott, his only other fit striker. In the press conference afterwards Eriksson said that he considered using Walcott: “But for the first game in the World Cup, that needs more time, more training.” If he was not ready to play on Saturday, then surely he should not have been included in the squad in the first place.

[Guest]

Eriksson’s decision to take only two fit strikers (and one of them a boy of 17) is beginning to prove very costly.

Indeed - played 1 won 1

[David Richardson]

Don't you lot get it? Svennis is Sweden's secret 5th columnist, trying to make sure that Sweden qualify for the next round!

[John Simkin]

Don't you lot get it? Svennis is Sweden's secret 5th columnist, trying to make sure that Sweden qualify for the next round!

Even I would not go as far as that. But I remember Ferguson rejecting the possibility of managing England with the words: "If we had to play Scotland, I would want England to lose."

[Christopher T. George]

Eriksson’s decision to take only two fit strikers (and one of them a boy of 17) is beginning to prove very costly. When Owen showed that he is still far from fit against Paraguay, Eriksson failed to replace him with Walcott, his only other fit striker. In the press conference afterwards Eriksson said that he considered using Walcott: “But for the first game in the World Cup, that needs more time, more training.” If he was not ready to play on Saturday, then surely he should not have been included in the squad in the first place.

Hi everyone

I agree that Eriksson seems to once again be showing he is unfit to be England manager. If the team itself doesn't shoot itself in the foot Eriksson will do it with his odd decisions, his cautiousness, and keeping to players who are either not fit or not in form. I think Ashley Cole looks a bad choice to have on the field -- Wayne Bridge would be better in that position. There's a good article on Soccernet by Richard Jolly, "A Tale of Two Owens" on Sven's reliance on out of form and unfit Michael Owen and unproven Owen Hargreaves.

Chris

Edited June 13, 2006 by Christopher T. George

[John Simkin]

Don't you lot get it? Svennis is Sweden's secret 5th columnist, trying to make sure that Sweden qualify for the next round!

If one accepts this theory we can expect Eriksson to try and beat Trinidad today. He can then field a weak team against Sweden on Tuesday. This will help Sweden qualify if they beat England. However, they also need to beat Paraguay as well today.