England National football team thread

[StinkyBoHoon]

I definitely can accept we will never win anything. I what can't accept is you lot winning anything.

nah, germans would have won that game easy. not that I've ever watched it or even read about it because it's not a pleasant memory.

erm, I never saw the six nations... honest. erm... ANDY MURRAY!

 

[Lee1981]

. ANDY MURRAY! Is a ****.

Much better

 

[War]

Haa its always funny how english, scots, welsh folks could hate each other guts via football - but in other sports seemingly come together quite easily.

I don't follow tennis, but it was quite amusing to watch the news @ last years wimbledon final when prime minister cameron, beckham and a whole host of "english" celebs/dignitaries were cheering for murray as if he was english.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

Haa its always funny how english, scots, welsh folks could hate each other guts via football - but in other sports seemingly come together quite easily.

I don't follow tennis, but it was quite amusing to watch the news @ last years wimbledon final when prime minister cameron, beckham and a whole host of "english" celebs/dignitaries were cheering for murray as if he was english.

I was cheering for him in the Olympics because he was representing Team GB. Couldn't care less otherwise.

 

[puddleduck]

Not actually true though War. Most of the time English fans actually cheer on Wales and Ireland (Scotland not so much) whilst all three normally root for whoever England are playing.

I've always backed Murray even when people loved to hate him. People's opinions and how the media portrays someone are inexorably linked. Until he gave them the emotional side they all wanted the media were always quick to slate him.

 

[War]

Oh ok, well i don't know how things are portrayed in the tennis world. But for example we can recall how when in the idea was brought up for a team GB football team for the olympics, all the home nations created almost opposition to it, citing ridiculously that FIFA would suddenly revoke their independent statuses.

 

[puddleduck]

Again though, as I said most English fans were behind the idea. It was the other nations that were against it. Scotland most so as they always are.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I wasn't in favour of the olympic team, if you go back a few months on one of the football threads there's a pretty good example why. I'm not having a go at him but War just casually proposed that the olympic squad should be a chance for the english team to test young players at international level. it wasn't some terrible attack on the other teams but we all knew fine well that really, the british team was viewed by the public as just the english team playing under another identity. it's just football, but in a footballing context the whole of the idea of the rivalry with england is quite important to scotland, probably far more important than it is to england. so yeah, for us to put aside that and give up our footballing identity to play a supporting role in a competition as unimportant as the olympics was never going to happen.

(I do agree that trying to make out it was because there was threat to our future was silly)

on the murray thing, I think there is a far more sinister dimension. (also, given federer was cheered and murray was booed at london recently suggests the tide of support hasn't really changed too much) people didn't like murray because a) he moaned on court and was scruffy or b) he was boring and had no personality or c) he was a defensive palyer or d) he sincerely hated all english people, but it definitely wasn't because he was scottish, no way. it seemed to me a little like the press liked the whole idea of "we support everyone." but instead of just coming out and admitting there was some sporting rivalry they had to delude themselves with numerous reasons for their dislike. It's really not very nice, they performed repeated character assassinations on him just to preserve their own haughty image of themselves. I'd rather they just said "we don't support him because he's a scottish ****."

anyway, I didn't really want to take this down such a serious road, I was just chucking in a bit of banter, which is cool I think, don't think masterblaster was deeply offended (as a man u fan he owes everything to SAF anyway ) and I don't think anyone from here is a massive xenophobic git, except lee obviously.

 

[MasterBlaster76]

anyway, I didn't really want to take this down such a serious road, I was just chucking in a bit of banter, which is cool I think, don't think masterblaster was deeply offended (as a man u fan he owes everything to SAF anyway ) and I don't think anyone from here is a massive xenophobic git, except lee obviously.

Banter's cool man, it's natural between England and Scotland fans.

 

[puddleduck]

Nothing natural about Scotland fans...

 

[Lee1981]

I don't think anyone from here is a massive xenophobic git, except lee obviously.

Hmmm, don't know what xenophobic means,, but if it means dislike of the old sweaty socks yes I probably am one.

On a serious note, I don't mind the Scottish, I dislike Andy Murray and its nothing to do with the fact he is a scot, he is just twat.

I respect that he has become a very good player, a lot better than I thought he could become, so fair play. Still a twat though.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Nothing natural about Scotland fans...

stop looking up our kilts.

 

[War]

Roy Hodgson and Sir Alex Ferguson need to agree on what is best for Manchester United all-rounder Phil Jones - Telegraph

Smart choice would certainly be for him not to play the under 21's - he already had that experience in 2011. Should be in the senior team.

 

[War]

I'm not having a go at him but War just casually proposed that the olympic squad should be a chance for the english team to test young players at international level. it wasn't some terrible attack on the other teams but we all knew fine well that really, the british team was viewed by the public as just the english team playing under another identity. it's just football, but in a footballing context the whole of the idea of the rivalry with england is quite important to scotland, probably far more important than it is to england. so yeah, for us to put aside that and give up our footballing identity to play a supporting role in a competition as unimportant as the olympics was never going to happen.

(I do agree that trying to make out it was because there was threat to our future was silly).

Yea it was a chance to test to chest the england yougster & other scottish/home nation ones too. Never viewed it as english team playing under another identity nor did the olympic committee.

But yes i can understand why the scots would view the rivalry with England as that important to have been reluctant to join.

Since we are on the topic, what do you think about the scotland team now under gordon strachan for the remainder of the 2014 world cup qualifiers?

I sort have been surprised to see them at the bottom of the table to be honest. When scotland almost qualified for euro 2008 when they beat france & almost beat italy - i saw a team that was getting back to the solidity of the late 90s.

A possible full strength once all are fit (below) really should have been challenging belgium, croatia & serbia much harder in that group i would have thought:

-----------------------------McGregor-----------------------------

Hutton--------------Berra--------------Mulgrew----------Fox/Wallace

-------------------------------Brown-------------------------------

Morrison-----------D Fletcher----------Adam---Commons/Maloney/Naismith

--------------------------------S Fletcher-------------------------------

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

we've been really poor which is why we're last, I can understand why a manager would come into our setup and think that the best way to achieve results was with an extremely strict, disciplined approach, which is what Levein did. the problem is though unless you have 11 completely dedicated, focused workers there are going to be lapses in concentration and mistakes. It worked for mcleish because, although he had worse players, there were a lot more guys that had bags of experience and had to take charge of games week in week out for their SPL clubs, now we have quite a few premiership guys but they're a lot younger and to an extent get by being bit parts around stronger players. fletcher's weird illness has definitely not helped matters, plus we haven't really found another McFadden, a guy that comes alive when he's selected for the national team.

Think perhaps we should stop being seduced by the EPL brand of approval with every selection, why do naismith and maloney get picked when they've managed 7 goals between them in 48 matches? why not look at leigh griffiths who's notched 16 for hibs? that's at least some scoring form and more importantly, he leads the line each week, doesn't get by coming on as a sub or playing a supporting role. Johnny Russell is clearly talented too but it looks like no one's interested until he's either playing for celtic or an EPL team.

despite guys like wilson, russell, griffiths, rhodes showing some promise I'm reluctant to get too excited, our young talent has too often spectacularly failed to live up to any promise and stumbled when making the step up (hutton and goodwillie have both had fairly rubbish EPL adventures and adam was rubbish when given the chance to perform at liverpool)

apparently Islam Feruz, signed up chelsea recently, is quite hotly tipped too but we'll see.