yeah that seems to've been the general opinion
― aka best bum of the o_O's (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 12 June 2011 21:45 (twelve years ago) link
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/13744518.stm
didnt catch the match but lol at all this ^^
― r|t|c, Monday, 13 June 2011 10:59 (twelve years ago) link
At last! Someone identifies the problem. ENGLAND NOT ARROGANT ENOUGH!
― pandemic, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:52 (twelve years ago) link
Not sure I've seen arrogance identified as a Spanish trait before, footballwise - it's usually German, Italian, Dutch, Argentine or French arrogance (never Brazilian, curiously). I guess this is the sign confirming that Spain have finally made it.
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 13 June 2011 11:59 (twelve years ago) link
stuart pearce is so fucking stupid
― http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WhiteAmericanFolks.jpg (nakhchivan), Monday, 13 June 2011 12:00 (twelve years ago) link
idk man, is he
could any of us, even in jest, have come up with such a breathtakingly savant contortion of logic
i wonder
― r|t|c, Monday, 13 June 2011 12:43 (twelve years ago) link
The FA remains convinced that Stuart Pearce is the best man to manage the England's Under-21s despite the team's early exit from the European Championship last night and an FA source has confirmed it has no intention of withdrawing the two-year contract extension that has been on offer to him since before the tournament.
― nakhchivan, Monday, 20 June 2011 14:01 (twelve years ago) link
jobs for the men who can't manage the boys
― beta the drivel you know (darraghmac), Monday, 20 June 2011 14:49 (twelve years ago) link
he did manage them to the final two years ago tho. i don't know what happened in that game tho, not really interested tbh.
― blueski, Monday, 20 June 2011 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
Well I'm scandalised that this guy's still got a job doing reasonably well with a team I never pay any attention to
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 20 June 2011 16:02 (twelve years ago) link
for those who don't want to know what happened to the England U21s in the 2009 final, look away now.
....
THEY GOT FUCKING GUBBED
― j/k lacan (Noodle Vague), Monday, 20 June 2011 16:11 (twelve years ago) link
Did Josh McEachran play at all in this tournament? Was he even in the squad? Looks a better prospect than anyone except Wilshere.
― Matt DC, Monday, 20 June 2011 16:15 (twelve years ago) link
not in the aquad, he's a couple years younger than most of the squad
― mizzell, Monday, 20 June 2011 16:20 (twelve years ago) link
so bbc runs yet another article about the dude who backed ashley young at watford when everyone said he'd never make it.
"When he got to 15 or 16 there was a school of thought at Watford that he wasn't big enough, strong enough or quick enough to make a professional footballer. I felt I knew him best from working with him and thought he had bags and bags of ability. I really felt there was something there and I think you have got to trust the people who work with the players more than anyone else.
"I'm not one of those that believes you have to be six-feet plus to be a good footballer. I just saw a fantastic footballer and luckily they listened to my opinion about Ashley and kept him there.
okay ashley young is not leo messi, but like, you read this and kinda think how many ashley youngs are getting turfed out at 15/16 in england? i mean there are tons of great players who aren't big...it's not rugby.
― MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE LIVING HERE!! (Local Garda), Friday, 24 June 2011 08:51 (twelve years ago) link
isn't he p quick/big now?
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Friday, 24 June 2011 09:01 (twelve years ago) link
he's still tiny but is very quick.
― MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T BE LIVING HERE!! (Local Garda), Friday, 24 June 2011 09:07 (twelve years ago) link
Who's the Watford guy? Not Graham Taylor?
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 24 June 2011 09:11 (twelve years ago) link
http://forward-football.net/Features/chris-cummins/
― some greenzo (onimo), Friday, 24 June 2011 09:17 (twelve years ago) link
Can anyone think of a good centre back who wasn't/isn't particularly tall or physically imposing?
― Chris, Friday, 24 June 2011 15:58 (twelve years ago) link
i always think puyol is tiny and his hair is half his height, dunno if that counts?
― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Friday, 24 June 2011 16:02 (twelve years ago) link
Bobby Moore
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Friday, 24 June 2011 16:05 (twelve years ago) link
Think there must have been plenty of small quick dude/tall jumpy dude combos throughout football history
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Friday, 24 June 2011 16:06 (twelve years ago) link
are you just looking for english centre backs? roberto ayala if not.
― mizzell, Friday, 24 June 2011 16:07 (twelve years ago) link
ok i lied Moore was taller than he looks
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Friday, 24 June 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
Cannavaro
― mizzell, Friday, 24 June 2011 16:08 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah Puyol seems tiny to me too. Wiki says he's 5'10".
x-posts. Any nationality really. Just trying to think of 'unlikely' CBs. Read somewhere that Jay Spearing started out as a CB, and the Ashley Young thing got me thinking.
― Chris, Friday, 24 June 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
Baresi wasn't the tallest
― Number None, Friday, 24 June 2011 16:39 (twelve years ago) link
'The greatest full-backs of all time' seems to be the answer here
― Ismael Klata, Friday, 24 June 2011 16:43 (twelve years ago) link
ivan cordoba
― mizzell, Friday, 24 June 2011 17:42 (twelve years ago) link
anthony gardner
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Friday, 24 June 2011 17:49 (twelve years ago) link
Three Lions of Africa, examining England's World Cup failure in South Africa, will be broadcast at 1930 BST on Tuesday, 28 June. Former Football Association executive director David Davies will present the programme and host a studio discussion immediately afterwards.
a) what a fucking lame titleb) didn't lineker already do this programme six months ago?
― blueski, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:03 (twelve years ago) link
hey blueski
i. Yeahii. Yeah but can't be overstressed innit
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:44 (twelve years ago) link
''One mistake and you could be absolutely slaughtered,'' Carragher told BBC Radio 5 live. ''At your club, you know you will not be criticised as much and perhaps three days later there will be another game.
''With England, it could be months before you have another fixture. There is a fear at times when playing for England.''
He added: ''The intensity of the press does get to the players. Sometimes I think players would prefer the press guy to think they had played well, rather than the manager.''
Carragher also claimed the players were bored in South Africa where they spent most of their day in a hotel, saying: ''You stay in a hotel all day but you are at a World Cup for a long time and should be able to experience different things.
''I wouldn't want players holed up. Take away the boredom, embrace the country we are in more. You never see anything.''
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/930750/jamie-carragher:-england-suffer-from-fear-factor?cc=5901
― mizzell, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:50 (twelve years ago) link
So still a chance Scotland can nick him then?
― R. Stornoway (Tom D.), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:52 (twelve years ago) link
don't make any mistakes, pro tip. You're playing slovakia and algeria.
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:53 (twelve years ago) link
" One mistake and the ref could take action, if a limb is severed he might even book you. It's not like at home, where they understand that, as an England international, you've already proven yourself enough and ought to be supported in your half-arsed efforts"
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 15:55 (twelve years ago) link
See, I think this is an interesting admission because I have always surmised that this is England's weakness; a certain timidity born of the disconnect between England's self-image and how good (or poor) they actually are then magnified by a relentless press. It's a terrible timidity, too. Just look at the difference in style of play in '10 between the Germans and the English.
― in an arrangement that mimics idiocy (Michael White), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:16 (twelve years ago) link
knowing how good you are is a pretty important part of preparing correctly, i don't know how much leeway i'd give there.
And they rarely manage expectations going into the things. Next time, let's have wazza saying 'just happy to get out of the group, when you look at the players we have you've got to be realistic havent you'
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:26 (twelve years ago) link
yeah they completely contribute to their own stupid hype, but really if we can't find 23 professional footballers who can deal with the pressure of playing in a World Cup then maybe we shd give up and stick to darts or something
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:28 (twelve years ago) link
Imagine it without the hype though, it wouldn't be very entertaining.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:30 (twelve years ago) link
i don't know the Scots always seemed to enjoy themselves
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:30 (twelve years ago) link
Managing expectations would be a good thing but also telling them (and the English collectively) to just go for it; you're not as good as you think you are but thinking that you're hot shit when you're not actually makes you play worse. It's okay to try and hold onto a 3-0 lead but England have a tendency to try and hold onto 1-0 leads for 60+ minutes which is psychological madness.
― in an arrangement that mimics idiocy (Michael White), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:33 (twelve years ago) link
yeah well they're like us, just happy to be there
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:33 (twelve years ago) link
Why isn't this a problem in English rugby or cricket so much?
Is it because the English expectations in those sports are more democratic and more reasonable?
― in an arrangement that mimics idiocy (Michael White), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:34 (twelve years ago) link
supporting Scotland is no fun
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
xp to mw
I agree, yeah. The most common complaint against england in a tournament is their sudden and disastrous attempts to become italians.
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:35 (twelve years ago) link
in the case of cricket: because they learnt from years of being terrible and made some of the infrastructural changes necessary to improve. also no actual Englishes in the team.
Rugby also seems to give more of a shit about improving the national game but in England that goes in cycles plus they all use horrible business-speak so fuck em
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
xp to mw again it's cos you're the only country that plays them tbh
― Chunks on strippers is the game of my frog (darraghmac), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:36 (twelve years ago) link
there is little incentive or will for the English FA to try to improve the game as a whole because the balance of power is massively in favour of the clubs who are only interested in the sport as a profitable spectacle - there isn't that much money in international football. or interest: i suspect like the majority of fans (probably the vast majority of fans north of the Watford Gap) i care way more about my club than i do about the vicissitudes of Lol England
― SB OK (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 28 June 2011 16:39 (twelve years ago) link