Tragic Football Stories - Let us Kick Around the misshapen Jabulani that is English football right here

that's a very good answer, i even agree with your 'palliative' argument there and would extend it from the style of play to external factors, so the conduct of hodgson and his lack of chauvinism or hypemanship is laudable

and naturally the second paragraph is something like how i view fitba

I mean, I'd blather on about Tendulkar on ILX but a) not many people care and b) there is literally nothing more to say about him

except that he's slightly overrated ;-)

but then how could he not be given the absurd manner of Indian cricket fans. It would be churlish to put his achievements down to longevity alone as he's clearly a brilliant batsman with every shot in the game and a calm temperament. From a purely selfish point of view, Lara was a more exciting watch & a batsman who relished propelling his team against a strong bowling-attack. Everyone hates Ponting but at his peak he was about as good as Tendulkar at his

blah

far fewer players in top-level cricket so the focus is on a very small population & the same tedious debates are re-hashed. It isn't about who's best, it's about who's wrestling for power in any given match

pretty much agree with you both re: England football, with maybe an extra suggestion that sometimes willing suspension of dislike is a good thing for enjoying a match in a crowd of fans

^this too

http://i.imgur.com/6WRQ4Xl.jpg

is that from the infamous peter taylor friendly

won by gattuso, featuring SETH JOHNSON

no it's not

i'd read what you have to say about tendulkar, it'd make for a nice change from what i read in the indian press where he's obv nothing less than a god.

"I think Andros can be our new Gareth Bale," said defender Vertonghen. "He has so much pace and technique and skills, and he can do it with both feet. I hope he can keep going like this and he can even be our best player.

ah fuck

http://akilahraines00.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/taylor-swift-gif.gif

surprised jim in glasgow hasn't dropped by to say hi

I was watching some kids' footy on a big pitch at the weekend. One team had a routine where their tall lad stood in the middle of the six-yard box while the corner-taker landed crosses plum on his forehead. He just had to stand there and nod them in, nobody could do a thing about it. Other than winning the corners, the other twenty players were entirely redundant. It was poetry.

On the same subject, a little surprised to see Gary Lineker using the phrase 'shut the fuck up' in this New Statesman article. This clip shows adults playing on a scaled-up pitch, as if they were 11-year-olds - a chance missed tbh, the camera angle means you can't really see the absurdity 'til there's a lolsome high-angle shot at 2:44.

surprised jim in glasgow hasn't dropped by to say hi
― imago

Hi

Chile looking dece under sampaoli, missing few of their better players - isla whose been injured long time,and vidal who should be back soon - they looked quite convincing against england.problem is their gung-ho,ultra-offensive style is a real tightrope act when tried against the better sides. not convinced by bielsista tactics,though they do provide entertainment.

surely you would prefer to die gloriously than live (and then die in the quarter-finals) like game mice, or is that condescending towards chile's chances of actually beating top, top teams (c.f. completely outplaying spain for 30 mins and then falling apart hilariously last time around)

Podcast cru sed ingerland lost to chile coz no andros no welbz and b glendenning showef admirable restraint in only snorting ten or fifteen times

Tbf any team missing its talismen is going to struggle. I didn't actually see the game btw, was it as you'd expect?

Who are England's talismans? Or talismen, if you prefer?

I don't think you can have more than one talisman

Usually whoever gets injured from March onwards xp

You need a team full of talismans imo, or is it captains - yes, a team full of captains. Talismanic captains.

First captain, second captain.....whatever

the twelfth captain is the best fans in the world

Usually whoever gets injured from March onwards xp

lol

Expectations for England are considerably lower – and in some cases, bordering on the hostile.
After the England manager Roy Hodgson said he would like to avoid Manaus because of the humid conditions in the middle of the Amazon, the mayor of that city, Arthur Virgílio Neto, said he would also not welcome the England team.
"We Amazonians would also prefer it if England did not come here," he said in a statement. " We will be hoping for a better draw of a team with more sensitive, cultured and educated technicians."

Arthur Virgílio Neto otm

us too arthur, us too

propose we rename the thread "Andy Carroll is a sensitive, cultured and educated technician"

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-carroll/52/991/8

kind of at a loss as to why a foot injury's prevented him from playing

he's at a loss too.

http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Andy+Carroll+England+v+Ghana+International+9LfXudagZsBl.jpg

GET INVOLVED - #bbcworldcup
Sahil: I reckon England's group will be South Korea, Ghana, Spain. Winners: Brazil. England: last 16.

GET INVOLVED - #bbcworldcup
Ben Yorke: Looking forward to the World Cup draw!

http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/71587000/jpg/_71587580_fcd26e9c-5588-43bf-9c28-3e3d81e05280.jpg

1631:
Here he is, fat Ronaldo on stage now. What a World Cup legend! 15 goals in World Cup finals. Five more than Gary Lineker.

I know it's common in bantzerland but should the BBC be using "fat Ronaldo"?

istr his tooth gap being bigger

#shanter

vs Italy 1 point
vs Uruguay savage humuiliation
vs Costa Rica 3 points

4 is probably enough for the group but

down to gd w/italy then, how much of a humiliation will matter

Uruguay were not exactly amazing in qualification.

I reckon England have a decent chance of getting through, they're good at groups and usually despatch minnows - Costa Rica are pretty shabby away from home and could well lose all three. Italy in the heat would be bad except its first up so Italy will probably show exaggerated respect and be happy with a draw. Uruguay have been improving but I can imagine a backs-to-the-wall 0-0. Which would leave the last round as Italy and Uruguay trying to eliminate each other while England sneak through.

easier to imagine a backs to the wal 0-0 against costa rica tbph

"In Ross Barkley I see bits of Michael Ballack, bits of Gazza," added Martinez, who was relegated as Wigan manager on his last visit to the Emirates Stadium.
"The manager of England needs to decide what role Ross has, if any, but we need to give him another 50 starts at least to see his full influence. He could give us something unique as a nation."

REFERS TO ENGLAND AS 'US', GIVE HIM THE JOB FFS

A SPAIN SHALL COME

a sprain shall fall