[quote author=Herr Onceared link=topic=35711.msg940838#msg940838 date=1252528947]
[quote author=Spionkop69 link=topic=35711.msg940630#msg940630 date=1252498764]
[quote author=Ryan link=topic=35711.msg940507#msg940507 date=1252484553]
[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=35711.msg940502#msg940502 date=1252483734]
with the personnel england have plus the savvy of their manager coupled with the competitiveness of their league any less than a semi final place is underacievement. that's not an arrogant view imho. take italy who actually WON the world cup their players aren't as good as the english players put it this way how many of the italians would get in the england first 11? the keeper, pirlo and then...? before anyone mentions totti england have lamprd AND gerrard.
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Yup, and they've had these players togethor for 10 years and won fuck all. Actually haven't even come close to winning anything. Before that, they had great players too, and zip.
Take Rosco's post for example; Terry and Ferdinand - yup, great defenders. But they're past their best and have been part of England's back 4 for years and done zero. Cole? Past his best? The midfield? Lampard, Barry and Gerrard may be wonderful footballers - but England get nothing out of them - they look disjointed, out of position, lacking in cohesion, and get passed off the park byt slightly better than average opposition. Strikers? Well, let's just say that Rooney and Heskey aren't Vill and Torres.
You've always ALWAYS had good players, and dspite insistence to the contrary - have near;y always had good managers too. You'll still fail when it comes to the crunch though. You can't even beat Portugal.
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All of that is true. Can't disagree with any of it.
England has always been a team of individuals who seem hellbent on not playing as a team. The Euro 96 side actually played like a team despite actually not having many if any, "world class" individuals. And Shearer was not world class.
Its all about the team dynamic and we struggle with that tournament in, tournamant out.
Someone said the semis is the minimum we should expect? Why? We are ranked about 10 in the world so why should we "expect" the semis. This is part of the issue for England. They are told they are better than they are by an expectant press and fans and then when they don't achieve the unrealistic goal set for them, they are slaughtered by the same.
I hate the press when it comes to England games, its boring, jingoistic crap that frankly shames us. But they will never, ever change tack.
[/quote]Dont fuckin empower the bitter ballacks.
If football as a sport lasts for another THOUSAND years, our country will still have won at least one more international tournament than his ever will, so let him boo hoo all he fucking likes, Christ his country best player doesnt want to play for them and their best ever manager is English.
Im hoping Ryans 'magic' from this summers ashes thread spills over into this one.
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Don't be such a bellend.
The thread 'Can England win the World Cup?' wasn't started by me, nor were the "were a great chance, come close before, world class players, if the World Cup started tomorrow" posts.
Sorry for interrupting the fawning and misguided optimism in here, my realism obviously isn't what you're after.
