England World Cup discussion

**Lionel Ritchie** · 15/05/2006, 2:29 PM

Originally Posted by KarlosIRL

I would personally class them as not good enough for a number of reasons, talent being a part of that but commitment & attitude aslo being highly relevant in the career of top club player. If they are good enough for Arsenal then they would and should be playing for a top 6 team. There's was very little interest in either player from within the top 6 clubs when they were being released in Pennant's case and asked for a move in Upson's.

A pedantic point I know, but just to point out that Pennant's hatrick was in his first start & not on his Arsenal debut.

Pennant is a messer. Waste of considerable talent.

**Stuttgart88** · 17/05/2006, 8:04 AM

Arsenal came in for criticism this year for fielding no English players (Cole & Campbell were injured), not least from Alan Pardew. I think it was Liam Brady who correctly pointed out that it was pointless filling the side with English players if actually winning the league & doing well in the CL is Arsenal's priority. It's all well & good clubs like West Ham having an English core but finishing in the top half is a major success for West Ham, finishing 4th is a major disappointment for Arsenal. There are virtually no English regular international starters outside the top 4 and just look at how much a regular English international costs. Personally I'd prefer if Arsenal had more of a local core as it just makes them easier to relate to, but given the choice, I'd rather just see them do well.

Anyway, different point entirely, does anyone think Paraguay may be a much tougher game for England than they are banking on?

**eirebhoy** · 17/05/2006, 9:27 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Anyway, different point entirely, does anyone think Paraguay may be a much tougher game for England than they are banking on?

Without a doubt. I think England will get out of their group but Paraguay could easily do so too. They're better than Uruguay and Australia (a team Sven wanted to avoid) didn't seem any better than Uruguay in the playoff. From Paraguay's 2 games each against Brazil and Argentina they were only beaten once, in Brazil. They beat Argentina at home and drew away. Jose Cardozo is 35 and still going strong.

**Stuttgart88** · 17/05/2006, 9:39 AM

I did a google search on Paraguay's results and only got selected results. If you have them, can you post their last 12-15 months' results up here pls? Have they had any friendlies since they qualified?

I noticed they beat Argentina & a lot of their players play in Argentina, Spain and Germany & at good clubs too. I just suspect they're being written off too easily over here. "Sure we beat them 3-0 in Mexico '86" and all that.

**Dodge** · 17/05/2006, 9:52 AM

http://www.rsssf.com/tables/2006q-det.html#sam

Full South American Qualifying details at link above. Santa Criz is probably their top player. Would expect England to bea them. I think England will lose to Sweden though meaning they'll finish 2nd in their group and play germany. At that stage the world cup will officially kick off... (Not that I'm not sying for the group games...)

**tetsujin1979** · 17/05/2006, 9:54 AM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

I did a google search on Paraguay's results and only got selected results. If you have them, can you post their last 12-15 months' results up here pls? Have they had any friendlies since they qualified?

Paraguay's results for quite some time available here: http://www.soccerbase.com/results2.sd?teamid=2008
Ah soccerbase, eases the pain.

**Stuttgart88** · 17/05/2006, 10:46 AM

Thanks Dodge & Tets.

**Roo69** · 17/05/2006, 12:12 PM

If everything stays as it is (injuries wise), who should Sven start with in his opening game ? IMO think his best options would be

Robinson

Neville
Ferdinand
Terry
Carragher

Carrick

Beckham
Gerrard
Lampard

J.Cole
Crouch

**DmanDmythDledge** · 17/05/2006, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by Roo69

If everything stays as it is (injuries wise), who should Sven start with in his opening game ? IMO think his best options would be

Robinson

Neville
Ferdinand
Terry
Carragher

Carrick

Beckham
Gerrard
Lampard

J.Cole
Crouch

Crouch ahead of Owen? I'd prefer Gerrard behind the striker myself. Interesting to see Carragher at left back. Was excelent there a few years ago but he could suffer from a lack of games in the position.

**Roo69** · 18/05/2006, 8:20 AM

Originally Posted by dmandmythdledge

Crouch ahead of Owen? I'd prefer Gerrard behind the striker myself. Interesting to see Carragher at left back. Was excelent there a few years ago but he could suffer from a lack of games in the position.

Has Owen recovered from injury ? Carragher has to play, fantastic defender and he has played there before, brings a real steel to the liverpool and england defence when he plays. But in saying tyhat, after Ashley Coles' preformance last night..........

**Stuttgart88** · 18/05/2006, 10:26 AM

Some of the stuff Sven has been saying is unreal. He doesn't appear to have a clue what he's doing. I still think England are capable of doing well despite him though.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 18/05/2006, 12:38 PM

Originally Posted by Roo69

Has Owen recovered from injury?

Ye, he is fully fit now. Eriksson says he's at 100% now.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 25/05/2006, 8:21 PM

Just watching the B international tonight. Lennon has being amazing down the right. Too bad Goldenballs is in his place or he would be pushing to start in the WC.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 25/05/2006, 8:40 PM

Walcott has made an impession. Went on a good run and had a good effort saved.

**DmanDmythDledge** · 25/05/2006, 8:41 PM

Oh ye it's 2-1 to Belarus. Jenas scored after 35mins and England were leading at half-time.

**eirebhoy** · 25/05/2006, 9:15 PM

Robert Green injured and out of the world cup, very unfortunate. Looks like they started 3 of the Spurs midfield.

Anyone ever heard of the ref (D McKeown (Ireland))?

**R�iteoir** · 25/05/2006, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

Anyone ever heard of the ref (D McKeown (Ireland))?

That quote sums up a lot of what is wrong with this country nowadays - let me guess - you have no interest whatsoever in Irish Domestic Football

tbh Dave is one of the better referees in the eL - he had a very good game (bordering on excellent tonight)

On the handball shout - if you see the replays (and also according to one of my England supporting mates) he had Crouch stood in his eyeline for the handball - in this situation it's Marc's shout on this one - Dave was even looking across to him asking for help.

**eirebhoy** · 26/05/2006, 7:09 AM

Originally Posted by R�iteoir

That quote sums up a lot of what is wrong with this country nowadays - let me guess - you have no interest whatsoever in Irish Domestic Football

Would ye cop on ffs. For someone that doesn't seem to post in the Ireland forum you have no right to tell people who/what they can and can't support. If someone came onto the Ireland forum asking about a player that's relatively unknown then he'd get as much info as possible, he wouldn't be told to f off because he knows nothing about a Burnley bit part player. I watch every televised Eircom league game I can. I've been to Richmond park a few times over the last couple of years with my nephew and tbh, I couldn't tell you the name of 1 ref. I'll have to start studying a bit more if I'm to pass this test of yours.

I don't know where you live but I live in an area of Dublin where you'd find pretty much no fans of Eircom league sides. You might find a few that have "immigrated" from Ringsend but other than that it's all premiership/Cetlic fans. There's no one club that people can associate with and it's tough to actually start supporting an EL club unless it has been bred into you. I took it upon myself to go to a few Pats matches as they'd be the closest team to me but I've grown very little affection to them. Maybe I will in the years to come but it's not a thing of just switching on a switch in your head and you suddenly support someone. It's different when you're from, say, Cork or Sligo as you have a team representing a county that you have a lot off affection to (As I said a few times, in Cork Roy Keane is Corkman, in Dublin Damien Duff is an Irishman).

This is completely off topic but I can't believe you'd make an assumption like that and I had to respond.

**superfrank** · 26/05/2006, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by eirebhoy

tbh, I couldn't tell you the name of 1 ref.

In fairness Reiteoir, I can't distinguish between the two McKeowns myself. Kelly, Buttimer, Hancock, and Daly as well as the McKeowns are the only eircom League officials I can think of off the top of my head.

Now, as a warning to others: eirebhoy was defending himself. I don't want this debate to got down the whole Premiership/Celtic/el road. It stops now.

**tetsujin1979** · 26/05/2006, 10:21 AM

Rooney potentially 6 weeks away from training according to Sky Sports, so he'll miss the group stages
http://home.skysports.com/worldcup/a...F+GROUP+STAGES