England World Cup discussion

**CraftyToePoke** · 04/06/2006, 4:28 PM

Originally Posted by shakermaker1982

I live in England and would simply have to leave my home and work for 4 weeks if they won the bloody thing.

The people on the whole are sound but it's just the hooligan element and arrogant press that make me cheer on every team they ever play.

thats about the size of it, that and the sheer arrogance of them in relation to their group games, fair enough they will probably emerge from the group, but to treat their opponents with such disrespect makes me want them to loose, badly........every fuc&in time.

i regularly hear comments like ''if we dont thrash paraguay and sweeden then we will never win it''...........and this attitude makes me sick, the assumed superiority over fine footballing nations such as these, based purely on the fact that ''they are england'' is pompous nonsense and i hate it. its the height of ignorance/arrogance and all that is wrong with the national phsyche of this place.

id dearly love to see them flop, and flop with a fully fit rooney as well, so theres nowhere to hide and not a crumb of comfort to be had for them.

**TheOwl** · 04/06/2006, 4:52 PM

I will support all 31 teams OTHER than England.

For many, many reasons....

**Gather round** · 04/06/2006, 6:14 PM

Originally Posted by gonzo

As a point of information, Germany & Italy are below Eng.in the FIFA rankings, so guess they are then the underdogs? For purposes of objectivity though, U.S.A & Mexico are above them...........

Fair enough- I'd only have Germany as favourite in that game as they're at home.

**Stuttgart88** · 05/06/2006, 9:56 AM

Did anyone else notice and cringe at this, which I noticed in the Indo's website this morning? It doesn't say who wrote the article on the website.

http://www.unison.ie/sportsdesk/stor...=12&si=1627595

"WE could go all the way this time. We could win this thing, and to make it even sweeter, we could do it on German soil."

"The higher ground awaits us, a place where we can take pleasure in England faring well in the country whose nazis they defeated, with the Irish actually on board this time. "

As I said above, part of me thinks I'm being churlish not supporting England and I applaud the magnaminity of those above who say they will. When all is said and done it's simply whether you want one footy team to win, or another.

In the Indo article the writer cheekily mentions "we". Big deal. But here it all goes again: what is the significance of German soil for an Irishman (in fact what's the significance for an Englishman either? It's a football tournament). And even this Irishman can't mention the Germans without mentioning the Nazis. Looks like this writer has been fully infected with the English disease. Whatever his justifiable sporting reasons for supporting England, he's clearly jumped on the xenophobic bandwagon too. Shame on him.

Even the Queen said it, in a different context: "There are sinister forces at work in this country". It's a pity this writer is happy to embrace all this.

I've also pasted a link from this weekend's Guardian / Observer. Not what I referred to in my above post but it makes interesting reading. It's by an Englishman who won't be supporting England. Personally I think it's over the top, but does contain many home truths.

http://football.guardian.co.uk/world...789928,00.html

**Stuttgart88** · 05/06/2006, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

i regularly hear comments like ''if we dont thrash paraguay and sweeden then we will never win it''...........and this attitude makes me sick, the assumed superiority over fine footballing nations such as these, based purely on the fact that ''they are england'' is pompous nonsense and i hate it.

The funny thing is, before November they were slating their own team on the back of losing to Norn Iron & Denmark and scraping a win in Cardiff. Then they score a friendly win over Argentina. From that moment on they've been almost certain to win it! But Paraguay, who they play first, beat and drew with Argentina in COMPETITIVE games! Honestly, the arrogance. In fact this morning is the first time I've read ANYTHING about the opposition.

**CraftyToePoke** · 05/06/2006, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

The funny thing is, before November they were slating their own team on the back of losing to Norn Iron & Denmark and scraping a win in Cardiff. Then they score a friendly win over Argentina. From that moment on they've been almost certain to win it! But Paraguay, who they play first, beat and drew with Argentina in COMPETITIVE games! Honestly, the arrogance. In fact this morning is the first time I've read ANYTHING about the opposition.

wasnt aware the paraguyans had done the argientinians, this brings great hope stutt, good tidings,nice one. the sweedes are capable too. and heres hoping the 11 carry the attitude of the nation generally onto the pitch with them, and get dumped out in the group stages, what a joy that would be to behold. i wouldnt want to be living anywhere else then, i can tell you

**superfrank** · 05/06/2006, 11:26 AM

I won't be supporting England but they are certainly not, by far, the last team I would want to see winning.

**Stuttgart88** · 05/06/2006, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by CraftyToePoke

this brings great hope

Don't get too carried away yet though. England are a quality proposition from set-pieces. From what I saw of Paraguay vs Norway last week, the Paraguayans defend corners & set-pieces about as well as Jamaica.

**Pauro 76** · 05/06/2006, 12:28 PM

Two reasons why im not rooting for England winning the thing. The hype and arrogance of the English media. The tennis player Andy Murray (who�s Scottish), joked about wearing a Paraguay shirt for his next match, it was a light hearted comment, next thing you know, newspaper columnists having a right go at him, with their pompous �we pay your wages� etc. It was a throwaway comment, but so many got on their high horse about it. Not to mention the whole �Mars/Believe� ad campaign over here. Arrogance beyond belief. Although I wouldnt like to see them win it, i certainly dont wish them to flunk it in the first round. We go on about the arrogance of the English media, but some of our papers are just as bad with the anti English thing. (Roy Curtis of the Sunday World for example...)

**micls** · 05/06/2006, 12:42 PM

Id like to see England win in that i have relatives etc who live there but dunno if i could handle the media afterwards. Il probably cheer for them but wont be hugely bothered either way

**sligoman** · 06/06/2006, 1:13 AM

This is the start of it now

...
---------------------------------
Some 200 hooligans ordered to hand over their passports by May 30 have failed to do so, the British Home Office announced.

The order was given to stop known troublemakers heading to Germany for the World Cup but even though several have ignored the order, a spokesperson for the Home Office said there was nothing to suggest those hooligans would be able to arrive in Germany.

"No banning order subjects travelled to Portugal for the 2004 (European Championships) tournament and there is no expectation banned individuals will be able to travel to Germany," said the spokesperson.

Read more...

**the 12 th man** · 06/06/2006, 9:35 AM

I'd have thought the German Police would be on top of this and be prepared for any trouble makers at the finals.Hopefully the expected flashpoints can be anticipated and Policed accordingly.

**Stuttgart88** · 06/06/2006, 9:49 AM

Paraphrasing the English sports pages this week:

It's only a matter of time, victory is certain.

Our swashbuckling heroes will be too strong for our third world opposition.

Our most potent stars are on their game and are certain to be remembered among the world's greats. It's their destiny.

Then:

Ooops. Where did that defeat come from? And what happened our star player's ankle? IT'S ALL GONE WRONG!

Yep, it's happened already. Except it was in the cricket! England took a commanding lead early on & the papers were saying that Kevin Pietersen will be as good as Viv Richards. In the second innings Pietersen made a negligible score & Muralitharan took 8 wickets for only 50-something runs for Sri Lanka to win resoundingly. And Andrew Flintoff is injured now.

My colleague in work says that Murali is a cheat.

Hopefully a precedent has been set!

**superfrank** · 06/06/2006, 10:01 AM

Look lads you know the rules. ONE thread for English football discussion. Please don't make ny job any harder when it's going to be a lot busier round here.

**geysir** · 07/06/2006, 12:24 AM

Anyone remember the Argentina England game from France�98. The camera closely panned the Engerland supporters, on their feet in the 2nd half, in full voice and there right in the middle of them was Mick Jagger.

**drinkfeckarse** · 07/06/2006, 1:52 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

My colleague in work says that Murali is a cheat.

The fact that the powers that be have ruled his technique as legal would suggest that your colleague would be wrong Stuttgart, is he English by any chance

**DmanDmythDledge** · 08/06/2006, 12:47 PM

Ericcson says that Rooney's injury has fully healed and is only lacking match fitness.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nd/5059286.stm

I don't think a player of Rooney's ability will have a problem regaining match fitness. Remember against Fenerbache on his debut for Man Utd- hadn't played in 2/3 months and scored a hat-trick.

Also Gerrard at 50/50- http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...nd/5058442.stm

**Stuttgart88** · 08/06/2006, 1:06 PM

Rooney was fully fit against Northern Ireland too

**Stuttgart88** · 08/06/2006, 1:17 PM

Andreas Isaksson, Sweden's goalie, is to miss their first game with concussion after a shot hit him on the head in training. In rugby it'd be a mandatory 3 week absence. Rami Shabaan - remember him? - to deputise against T&T.

Everything's going England's way...