Germany vs England

**Dodge** · 28/06/2010, 3:28 PM

I watched the match on the BBC yesterday and the commentator trotted out that "man for man, you'd only take 1 or 2 Germans, wouldn't you?"

Embaressing lack of knowledge shown up again

**pineapple stu** · 28/06/2010, 3:35 PM

Originally Posted by Charlie Darwin

Ah, I went to see yous a few times when a couple of people I knew were in the team and you played some awful football. The team this year might actually be weaker but they put in better performances.

Oh, football style? "Proper" football has always been the aim of the club. We've achieved it with varying success. Martin Moran had us playing lovely stuff (1999-2001). Pete got us playing good stuff at times, but the gap between us and some of the over-spending teams was enormous at times, so we had no choice but to go more defensive really. Doolin - well...

Originally Posted by Dodge

I watched the match on the BBC yesterday and the commentator trotted out that "man for man, you'd only take 1 or 2 Germans, wouldn't you?"

Embaressing lack of knowledge shown up again

I enjoyed the English free-kick just before the Germans' third goal. "A flimsy looking wall there from Germany - only four in it". The wall blocked the free and Germany went straight down the pitch and scored.

**OwlsFan** · 28/06/2010, 3:41 PM

Every country probably thinks their own players are better than most others. We don't know what the Germans were saying pre-match about their (they were probably right though). God knows we suffer from it here. Not long ago I heard my friend Dunphy saying we had 5 or 6 "world class players" (Given, Dunne, O'Shea, Duff, Doyle and another I can't recall) in the team. Given apart, the others are journeymen Premiership players so let's not throw stones at our friends across the water. The BBC panel went all gilesish/dunphyish at the end. "Hopeless", "ridiculous", "scandalous defending", "terrible", filled the airwaves.

**Stuttgart88** · 28/06/2010, 4:03 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

I enjoyed the English free-kick just before the Germans' third goal. "A flimsy looking wall there from Germany - only four in it". The wall blocked the free and Germany went straight down the pitch and scored.

That was funny alright.

I watched UCD for several years (I was studying there and I was boycotting Tolka!) and they have always been a great example of playing the right way. They had lovely attacking players in my day, Peter Hanrahan, Mark McKenna (quality), Mick Kavanagh...

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/06/2010, 4:07 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Every country probably thinks their own players are better than most others. We don't know what the Germans were saying pre-match about their (they were probably right though). God knows we suffer from it here. Not long ago I heard my friend Dunphy saying we had 5 or 6 "world class players" (Given, Dunne, O'Shea, Duff, Doyle and another I can't recall) in the team. Given apart, the others are journeymen Premiership players so let's not throw stones at our friends across the water. The BBC panel went all gilesish/dunphyish at the end. "Hopeless", "ridiculous", "scandalous defending", "terrible", filled the airwaves.

I'd be careful about describing a players who's never moved clubs as a "journeyman".

**tetsujin1979** · 28/06/2010, 4:23 PM

Originally Posted by OwlsFan

Given, Dunne, O'Shea, Duff, Doyle and another I can't recall

Hard to call O'Shea and Duff journeymen. Duff's only played for four clubs in thirteen years of professional football. Only the 11 trophies between them (not counting the community shield)

**OwlsFan** · 28/06/2010, 4:25 PM

I think the term journeyman in professional sport refers to a player who has some experience but is not regarded as one of the top players. I don't think it means someone who has been to a lot of clubs. At least that's not the sense in which I used it.

**Dodge** · 28/06/2010, 9:00 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Roy Keane was just priceless on Sky Sports News. I normally have no time for his rent-a-gob comments, but he was just asked about the team spirit, the manager and all that at England, especially given his experience in '02. Cue ice cold stare, followed by "what sources? what comments?" and then saying his "issue" was about lack of organisation and being accused of faking injury, but adding he had no issue with the team. Please don't use this post to start another Saipan debate!

He then went on to support Capello ("great manager", "genius 6 weeks ago") and said - as we all know - that good players don't necessarily make good teams. The next bit was best though: you've got to blame the players. Who are these world class players anyway? Rooney, yes - great season. James - no, didn't have a great season. Johnson, no. Terry, poor season - Chelsea's attackers won the league not him. Upson - nearly got relegated, Green - nearly got relegated. Cole - in fairness, just back from injury. Gerrard - poor season, Heskey - 3 goals, says it all, Milner - good season, Barry - poor season. So who are these "great" players? I didn't see any!

He was bang on really - pretty much saying what Dodge said!

**ArdeeBhoy** · 28/06/2010, 9:20 PM

Hmm.

Like that clown would know anything about The World Cup!

**Dodge** · 28/06/2010, 9:23 PM

Originally Posted by ArdeeBhoy

Like that clown would know anything about The World Cup!

Yep, he was only Ireland's player of the tournament in 1994

**tricky_colour** · 28/06/2010, 9:45 PM

Apparently the English players were not happy with the training pitch, bit hard

Well nice to see Roy back on the telly, always has an opinion.

Was that today? Seems like it was, should be on again if that's the case/

**elroy** · 28/06/2010, 9:52 PM

Gerrard and Lampard do not play well together for England. Will Capello now bite the bullet and drop one of them?!?

The team needs serious freshening up! New GK, perhaps its time for them to start phasing Terry out (he was awful yday), need to find a decent holding midfielder, proper wingers (Lennon and Milner have the potential to step upto the mark) and a suitable partner for Rooney.

**Charlie Darwin** · 28/06/2010, 10:51 PM

I have a feeling Capello will drop the entire team and go back to Italy. This "two weeks" business seems to be a piece of theater set up to make it look like the FA is agonising over the decision to sack him.

**back of the net** · 29/06/2010, 9:29 PM

Forget about Goal line technology - this is the way forward

http://www.balls.ie/2010/06/29/ze-ge...ego-what-else/

On the Roy comments -- think he said it y'day. I have no time for the verbal nonsense he has been spouting to the media regulary for the last while BUT my mate told me to listen to what he said on capello and the english team y'day and i have to say he was absolutely right this time.

The fact that he said to the english media , was even better - im sure they didnt like it but thats makes it even better

**tetsujin1979** · 29/06/2010, 10:45 PM

Tom Humphries on the failure of the Premier League to produce English players, compared to the young German players getting game time in the Bundesliga: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...273557820.html