Phil McNulty actually referred to "hostile environment" >:[ https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44706526
― shaqiri tip (nashwan), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 12:05 (five years ago) link
LOL lefties conflating England with the UK, one of the all-time bugbears of everyone else in the UK.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 12:07 (five years ago) link
“Instead, England won and while there can be no guarantees, being in a half of draw that now includes Sweden, Russia and Croatia is unquestionably preferable to one containing Brazil, Uruguay, France and Belgium.”
Yes it’s good England stayed out of the bracket with Belgium.
― One bad call from barely losing to (Alex in SF), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 12:47 (five years ago) link
would love a rematch personally - wish they'd met in the first group game
― shaqiri tip (nashwan), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 12:50 (five years ago) link
I am not much of a football fan, and regularly turn into a prick every four years, so I won't shite up the thread too much, but there were a couple of things. These opinions are probably present elsewhere on ILX, 4 or 8 or 12 years ago - soz.
I followed (from afar) Jack's Army in Germany '88 and Italia '90, and it was great to feel the buzz from scraping through where we clearly shouldn't - the first team to progress to the quarter finals without winning a match in 90 or 120 minutes! So it was bemusing to see how the English team seemed to avoid that buzz in favour of ridiculous expectations.
I mean, I'm 30 years older now, I get it - but it still seems weird.
And of course any competition in 2018 pitting ENG vs BEL has some trails, I saw an article on BBC Sport saying "England are the sole team in their half of the draw to have won the World Cup and only Sweden, in 1958, have ever reached the final. Last-16 opponents Colombia have only been to the quarter-finals once, in 2014" and it's just this still-there nonsense about however long it is since we were on top we're still a big dog.
I realise this disgruntlement is made more awkward by the reports that this is actually a half-way decent team, and I hold you all responsible.
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 12:51 (five years ago) link
xp okay but if Belgium win a second time Brexit's off, right?
I saw an article on BBC Sport saying "England are the sole team in their half of the draw to have won the World Cup and only Sweden, in 1958, have ever reached the final. Last-16 opponents Colombia have only been to the quarter-finals once, in 2014" and it's just this still-there nonsense about however long it is since we were on top we're still a big dog.
honestly think this speaks more to rolling sports news' zeal for filling bandwidth with pointless historical stats than empty jingoism, altho I don't doubt there's enough of the latter in there also. if Tunisia were in the QFs instead of England that passage would prob still have been written in alternate form
― Pardew to Megson: "you've stolen my New Orleans bounce" (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:15 (five years ago) link
The stats are certainly wasted on the speak-to-gut far-right phonies who don't even remember England winning a single shootout before.
― shaqiri tip (nashwan), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:19 (five years ago) link
Is there a Nultism for Beginners Guide we can resort to here?
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:21 (five years ago) link
If I recall correctly the BBC's advert for their coverage of Ireland vs Norway at USA 94 was a comedy musical number with When Irish Eyes Are Smiling having the lyrics changed from "sure they'll steal your heart away" to "they'll be sure to beat Norway"
Sort of nominal support but through a lens of comically exaggerated caterwauling Irishness
I remember this, but remember nothing at all of the subsequent goalless draw, which I gather is to my advantage
― Dadjokke (Sgt. Biscuits), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:33 (five years ago) link
Scholes, innit?
― The shard-borne beetle with his drowsy hums (Chinaski), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 11:53 (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Scholes?
― groovypanda, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 11:54 (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Daniel Sturridge has signed for Chelsea
― Dadjokke (Sgt. Biscuits), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:34 (five years ago) link
as someone who's been on (very amateur) radio and does a podcast*, i'm EXTREMELY WELL AWARE that the twin dangers are the thing yr trying to say coming out desperately wrong and problematic versus the dead air that results when you try and be careful and clear, so on the whole i'm more entertained than angry at the weird nonsense that pops out of commentator mouths. yes sometimes it speaks to bad stuff and tired unthought clogging up their souls, as often i think it's just inadvertent dada poetry
caveat: i only engage with football once every four years so (a) i'm not jaded but (b) i have no idea what i'm talking about
•subscribe to my patreon
― mark s, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 13:40 (five years ago) link
It was part of an entire article on "There's no big dogs left on this side" - I'm sure the TBC would be writing something similar, and I hope the Colombian press were writing the same, but I suspect there's only one that would have "NEVER IN DOUBT" on the tabloids after a win on penalties.
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:10 (five years ago) link
feeling lost w/out a match to watch rn
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:12 (five years ago) link
NEVER IN DOUBT works quite well as a headline in this context because its modern use as regards narrow football results such as this one is like 75% ironic 25% chestbeating
― Pardew to Megson: "you've stolen my New Orleans bounce" (DJ Mencap), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:16 (five years ago) link
"...cold England..."
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:23 (five years ago) link
Not at the moment!
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:25 (five years ago) link
If I was an England fan I'd be excited, they're on the way to the World Cup final, Sweden are nothing and they can definitely beat either Russia or Croatia.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:27 (five years ago) link
Croatia?
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:29 (five years ago) link
kind of hilarious the noise Colombia are making about Mark Geiger. yes, he was shit, but he was most of the reason you inexplicably finished with 11 men
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:33 (five years ago) link
a Croatia final would be kinda cool
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:39 (five years ago) link
(xp) Isn't that who they're scheduled to meet in the semis?
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:40 (five years ago) link
i thought he was just questioning the confidence of them easily beating Croatia
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:42 (five years ago) link
Croatia can beat Southgate's England
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:43 (five years ago) link
If I hated the thought of England going all the way I would definitely be talking up their chances against similar quality opposition (in tournament context you understand) too.
― shaqiri tip (nashwan), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:43 (five years ago) link
Who said anything about easily? Southgate's England can beat Croatia, that seems pretty obvious to me.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:45 (five years ago) link
tom d engaging in some subtle jinxing here
― imago, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:49 (five years ago) link
England are too much a work in progress to inspire much confidence for me, although, frankly, the same might be said for any of these contenders. Is a France vs England final possible?
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:51 (five years ago) link
Cat. Bag.(xp)
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:52 (five years ago) link
(xp) They're not that good, but neither are Croatia.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:53 (five years ago) link
Not sure of the starting forwards then new_legs sub combo for England but Southgate hasn't inspired me much yet
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:54 (five years ago) link
If Belgium do what, on paper, they're capable of, they should go all the way
― Et Dieu crea l' (Michael White), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 14:58 (five years ago) link
England might do something on paper
― fuck the NRA (Neanderthal), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 15:05 (five years ago) link
Sort of nominal support but through a lens of comically exaggerated caterwauling
this is our culture you're talking about
― ogmor, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 15:12 (five years ago) link
The only teams who have looked particularly convincing in the knockouts are France, Brazil and Uruguay and the winner is pretty obviously going to come from one of those three. I've booked Friday afternoon off because that game looks like an absolute belter.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 16:03 (five years ago) link
Brazil and Uruguay conceding just the single goal so far still too.
― shaqiri tip (nashwan), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 16:08 (five years ago) link
and France conceding FAR too many
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 16:14 (five years ago) link
A lot of people also seem to be forgetting that Sweden finished top of Germany's group and knocked out the Netherlands and Italy in qualifying. A bit of luck on the day and any of the teams on this side of the draw are capable of reaching the final.
― groovypanda, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 17:04 (five years ago) link
Their performances make it easy to forget tbf.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 17:10 (five years ago) link
A lot of people also seem to be forgetting that Sweden finished top of Germany's group and knocked out the Netherlands and Italy in qualifying
otoh they were the only team beaten by germany in their group, were beaten and drew against the netherlands in qualifying, and only just knocked out italy after a draw and a one nil
― I'd Rather Kecak (NickB), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 21:43 (five years ago) link
Also these are pretty much the worst Italian and Dutch teams of our lifetimes.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 4 July 2018 21:50 (five years ago) link
And possibly the worst Swedish side too.
― Alan Alba (Tom D.), Wednesday, 4 July 2018 22:09 (five years ago) link
david goldblatt on the englishness of the england team
https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/alternative-nation-180705052626559.html
he's also got a cracking podcast which has had some good content from round the world for the wc
https://gameofourlives.fm/
― ogmor, Thursday, 5 July 2018 08:52 (five years ago) link
bar the obligatory tacked-on remoaning that's a good piece, there are definitely aspects of it that have crossed my mind in the run-up to the tournament. this
The football so far is not the stuff of which a new epic or enlightened English narrative can be weaved
little diamond of realness really gives the article legit credibility.
― Neymar, Mr Nice Guy (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 5 July 2018 09:00 (five years ago) link
I saw some wank-stain from the Mail saying lefty Corbynistas aren't getting behind Ingland because they are snobbish about working class culture. Anyway commiserations to w/c ppl suffering the double blow of needing charity food-banks to get by and also being financially excluded from "their own culture" as well!
― calzino, Thursday, 5 July 2018 09:55 (five years ago) link
i remember when football was working class culture then Joy Division made that England Rap record and Ray Parlour had a perm and it was gone, gone
― Neymar, Mr Nice Guy (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 5 July 2018 09:56 (five years ago) link
also what the fuck would the Mail know about football or culture also loving your club more than England is a long honourable football tradition, would still swap a 10-0 annihilation of England on Saturday for a good season for Wolves in the Prem
― Neymar, Mr Nice Guy (Noodle Vague), Thursday, 5 July 2018 09:57 (five years ago) link
I remember the good old days when you'd get beaten to death if you wore face paint or a jester hat!
― calzino, Thursday, 5 July 2018 10:04 (five years ago) link
I always imagine if I was an ISIS hostage kept in a cage for months, I'd be dying to know how Town are doing in the league. International football.. meh whatever!
― calzino, Thursday, 5 July 2018 10:10 (five years ago) link