World Cup 2010 - South Africa Thread
- Thread starter Jax
- Start date
I just wanted to elaborate on my previous. The thing that... upsets me the most, is the fact that our defense is usually the best part of our game. And it kinda sucked in today's game. Blowing a 2-0 lead sucks as well.
For what it's worth, Slovenia is a surprisingly (to me) good team. Now that our showdown is over, I'll definitely be watching them.
One of the worst international performances I've seen from any team.
Can't pass; Can't shoot; Can't cross; Can't run cos their knackered.
Yet put these same players into their club shirts and their 'world-class'.
Pathetic.
Can't pass; Can't shoot; Can't cross; Can't run cos their knackered.
Yet put these same players into their club shirts and their 'world-class'.
Pathetic.
This 0:0 is good news for the USA though, if they beat Algeria they are now guaranteed a spot in the 1/8 final.
The look on the keeper's face about says it all. You've got a better chance at making a play on the ball if your eyes are open.
Birsa's was a nice goal, I don't know how he had that much space. Howard never saw it until it was in the back of the net.
I based that on the fact that Italy had a poor start against Paraguay, which is also (partly) why Paraguay got as far as they did on my prediction. As for Brazil, they look worse than 2006 and didn't look brilliant against North Korea, so I wouldn't be surprised if they made a comparatively early exit, while Netherlands have so far been solid in the only game they played, the only top seed to do so aside from Argentina.
Of course, that still doesn't explain entirely why England beat them. Hey, I'm slightly biased. You should have seen my earlier pre-tournament prediction, which I've thrown away now, but let's just say it had England meeting Spain in the final and winning, after beating Brazil in the semis.
Don't really take too much to heart on that, especially since both the teams I support got to at least the semi-final.
absolutely awful performance by England. so much needs to be done.
Lampard should be dropped an never play for england again after that performance what the game was crying out for was to sub lampard for joe cole move him to left wing and put gerrard at the top of a diamond behind rooney & heskey and get the wingers to cross the ball into the box were the algerian keeper looked shakey.
what we did not need is Shawn watch me run and do nothing wright-phillips. or bringing defoe and playing him with rooney a partnership that has never worked for England
Lampard should be dropped an never play for england again after that performance what the game was crying out for was to sub lampard for joe cole move him to left wing and put gerrard at the top of a diamond behind rooney & heskey and get the wingers to cross the ball into the box were the algerian keeper looked shakey.
what we did not need is Shawn watch me run and do nothing wright-phillips. or bringing defoe and playing him with rooney a partnership that has never worked for England
What a disgraceful decision by the Malian ref.
The Germans missing a penalty?! We just witnessed one of the rarest event in football..
The Germans missing a penalty?! We just witnessed one of the rarest event in football..
Avoided the result all day so all the results in MOTD were something of a surprise! England made to look slightly better than reality by the highlights - their true dreadful performance given away by the genuine anger from Shearer and Dixon! Bleah.
Woeful, just woeful, and the people calling for Heskey to be dropped...WTF? Seriously if anyone needs dropping it's Rooney. He's constantly off the pace, never seems to get close to the ball....and it isn't Heskey's fault!
And I do understand that keepers get lambasted for mistakes and have to be more reliable than outfield players, but would people have been calling for Terry to be dropped for that fucking awful backpass if James hadn't been quick enough and confident enough to rush out and get the ball?
I don't know the last time I saw England play so blandly. James is one of the few players to come out with any credit. I thought Heskey did ok, held the ball up which is when Rooney/Lampad/Gerrard should have been running in but never seemed to be in the right place. Thought the fullbacks played well, especially Johnson-maybe we should go to three at the back and let Johnson and Cole provide the width?
Oh and SWP, at least he ran at them, created more disruption than Lennon for me.
I don't know where we go from here. Like the pundits were saying maybe it will be like 90 and we'll change the formation and become a better team?
I'm sure people will blame Heskey (again) but why? I'm not his biggest fan but it wasn't like we were hoofing the ball up to him every time tonight? Was it his fault that Rooney was constantly off the pace? (mind elsewhere Wayne, been tapped up by Real maybe? Or maybe he's just so desperate to impose himself on this WC that he's trying too hard? Doesn't look like it)
Anyway, not over yet but don't like the notion that the groupwinner/second could be drawn by lots if it came down to it!
Oh and re that Rooney comment...way to win the fans Wayne, no matter how frustrated you are turning on the fans is the last thing you ever do, you'll never win.
And I do understand that keepers get lambasted for mistakes and have to be more reliable than outfield players, but would people have been calling for Terry to be dropped for that fucking awful backpass if James hadn't been quick enough and confident enough to rush out and get the ball?
I don't know the last time I saw England play so blandly. James is one of the few players to come out with any credit. I thought Heskey did ok, held the ball up which is when Rooney/Lampad/Gerrard should have been running in but never seemed to be in the right place. Thought the fullbacks played well, especially Johnson-maybe we should go to three at the back and let Johnson and Cole provide the width?
Oh and SWP, at least he ran at them, created more disruption than Lennon for me.
I don't know where we go from here. Like the pundits were saying maybe it will be like 90 and we'll change the formation and become a better team?
I'm sure people will blame Heskey (again) but why? I'm not his biggest fan but it wasn't like we were hoofing the ball up to him every time tonight? Was it his fault that Rooney was constantly off the pace? (mind elsewhere Wayne, been tapped up by Real maybe? Or maybe he's just so desperate to impose himself on this WC that he's trying too hard? Doesn't look like it)
Anyway, not over yet but don't like the notion that the groupwinner/second could be drawn by lots if it came down to it!
Oh and re that Rooney comment...way to win the fans Wayne, no matter how frustrated you are turning on the fans is the last thing you ever do, you'll never win.
I had to miss the England/Algeria match, but it doesn't sound like I missed much. England only managing a draw is great news for the United States. Now, with any luck, Slovenia will beat England, or at least hold them to a draw, and hopefully the US does one or the other against Algeria. 
They should both be dropped IMO. Play Defoe and Crouch instead. Not a bad idea considering that they play together at Tottenham and have played together at Pompey as well. They should at least have an understanding.
Probably. Personally I wouldn't play both Terry AND Carragher anyway. Way too immobile a partnership. WE should play either Upson or Dawson.
James did alright but none of the others were without some fault at least. Lampard, if they ever need to replace Waldo in those Where's Waldo books, they can use him as he's almost completely anonymous in most England games. Gerrard, again, can't get the best out of him. Barry started ok but eventually everyone else's ineptitude infected his play. Lennon, one decent cross, not much else.
Personally I still fail to see how our most talented midfielder can't even get into the first XI when clearly we're lacking his skills.
Should have taken Adam Johnson and Walcott. Walcott's not great but he offers more than both SWP and Lennon IMO. I just find it amazing that we continue to play wingers who clearly can't cross a decent ball consistently. Even stranger when you have both Joe Cole and James Milner who can cross balls in for fun.
I get the impression that Capello will persist with a few players that really need to be dropped. It's no more obvious now than it was at the end of the US game, but Capello's almost at a point now where he'll continue to pick them just to prove a point.
I don't think that Heskey had a great game, but to shoulder the blame onto any one person would be wrong, as IMO, James aside I thought we were thoroughly wretched throughout.
Where's the team that qualified with ease, banging in goals for fun? They seem to have been replaced by a bunch of strangers who make Turnip Taylor's team of failures look like Brazil.
To be honest, based on the two performances so far I don't think we deserve to go through. Both Slovenia and the US have shown far more desire in their two games. Our lot look like they're going through the motions.
This must be the first time where we could actually go out of the World Cup and it wouldn't bother me. They've bored me into ambivalence.
Could be the final nail that. Key that we have the fans behind the team for the Slovenia game. As it was the fans would have made their feelings known tonight and then it would be business as usual come the Slovenia game. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm sure it was very frustrating for Wayne to hear the boos, but let's be fair Wayne, they're thoroughly deserved. Unlike you, they've had to pay their way to get over there and follow the team. I think they're perfectly entitled to air their grievance.
For me, there were worrying signs tonight. There's something not right with the players. You can see it in the body language and attitude. Personally, I didn't think that our performance against Algeria was any better than France's against Mexico.
Amazing game by the United States. I was so proud we came back to tie, but I still am left with a bitter feeling. I'm a fan of the NBA and MLB, so I'm used to bad officiating. But that call cost us the game. We should have four points right now. Combine that with the yellow card for the "hand ball" against Findley (where it hit his face and was nowhere near his hands) and the refs could cost us from advancing. It was a fun two games, but who knows what could happen from here.
On the other side of the coin, truly dreadful game by England. If they want to remind people that they invented the sport, they're going to have to play better than that.
On the other side of the coin, truly dreadful game by England. If they want to remind people that they invented the sport, they're going to have to play better than that.