england team - do you give a shit?

[spider-Neil]

if you were born in england and the answer is no, then why are you ambivalent about the england team?
also, what do you think england can do so you become interested in the team again (other than the obvious answer of 'win the world cup')?

 

[spider-Neil]

if you talk to any fan in the lower leagues or even in the bottom half of the table, they are massive england fans but a big problem for support from 'big' clubs is international football is seen as a distraction. that said, abroad (spain for example) real and barca have the biggest teams in world football but there is still huge support for the spainish team.

 

[Judge Jules]

This argument doesn't have to take place at the extremes. You can want England to do well but still see LFC as top priority. That's where I stand and I'm sure I'm not alone.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

I always had a soft spot for the Three Lions ... but not in the last few years ... They usually play boring footy and don't really give their younger talents who aren't playing for the top teams ...

 

[Richey]

I'm not a huge fan of England. I want them to do well obviously but club football is just much more important, and I associate the England team with weeks throughout the season when Liverpool are not playing, which are boring weeks - and weeks where my only real concern is that our players don't go getting injured.

If I enjoyed watching England then it might make up for it slightly but I don't and haven't for years.

Part of the problem is that England are not interesting to watch, but other issues are that I can't bring myself to cheer on cuntish players who I hate the rest of the year, especially if I am in the pub standing with equally cuntish fans of horrible clubs who I also hate the rest of the year.

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=Judge Jules link=topic=46771.msg1394981#msg1394981 date=1315307806]
This argument doesn't have to take place at the extremes. You can want England to do well but still see LFC as top priority. That's where I stand and I'm sure I'm not alone.
[/quote]

You're not alone.

 

[keniget]

I used to care a lot more about the international side. But...

- I'm tired of watching manager after manager make the same old mistakes (despite in some cases promising exactly not to do that)

- I'm tired of watching the same old players capitulate in the same old manner year after year

- I'm tired of the media and the FA spouting the same old nonsense and realizing that nothing is going to change

But worse than all that, the games are just boring. Every run up to a major tournament is the same - we always play sides like Wales, Poland etc. who in some cases are okay but are usually not up to the task of beating us even when we're struggling (which we always are). So where is the attraction? There is none. It's just shit team vs slightly less glamorous shit team year on year. Proper channel 5 stuff if we're honest.

You're essentially waiting for the major tournaments to come around and they're always a disappointment. Not just because England are crap but because in most cases the big stars just don't perform as well at international level as they do at club level. Messi plays in a dysfunctional Argentina team. Brazil are in a long transitional phase it would seem, Italy's big stars are all fading, Ronaldo plays in a Portugal side that will never be good enough for him, France have lost all their big names... we're just left with Spain and a maybe the odd surprise package. Meh.

 

[Woland]

It's the whole John Terryness of everything. I just can't stand it. I didn't mind England before all the players turned out to be a bunch of high profile shit stains who think the world of themselves.

 

[Buddha]

All of the above.

And the FA is run by quite possibly the most inept committee anywhere in the world who have appointed a succession of shit, one-dimensional, recent managers (and now I read that Hodgson is under consideration to succeed Capello).

No interest in England at all, except for checking the match report to make sure none of our players were injured (again).

 

[spider-Neil]

[quote author=keniget link=topic=46771.msg1394988#msg1394988 date=1315308907]
I used to care a lot more about the international side. But...

- I'm tired of watching manager after manager make the same old mistakes (despite in some cases promising exactly not to do that)

- I'm tired of watching the same old players capitulate in the same old manner year after year

- I'm tired of the media and the FA spouting the same old nonsense and realizing that nothing is going to change

But worse than all that, the games are just boring. Every run up to a major tournament is the same - we always play sides like Wales, Poland etc. who in some cases are okay but are usually not up to the task of beating us even when we're struggling (which we always are). So where is the attraction? There is none. It's just shit team vs slightly less glamorous shit team year on year. Proper channel 5 stuff if we're honest.

You're essentially waiting for the major tournaments to come around and they're always a disappointment. Not just because England are crap but because in most cases the big stars just don't perform as well at international level as they do at club level. Messi plays in a dysfunctional Argentina team. Brazil are in a long transitional phase it would seem, Italy's big stars are all fading, Ronaldo plays in a Portugal side that will never be good enough for him, France have lost all their big names... we're just left with Spain and a maybe the odd surprise package. Meh.
[/quote]

excellent post

 

[spider-Neil]

england at the world cup/euros

game 1:
* score an early goal.
* conceed sloppy equaliser
* cling on for dear life for a point

game 2:
* humiliation

game 3: make or break to get to the knock phase
* get through (probably by a jammy goal)

knock out phase
* a defeat but in a 'heroic' manner
* controversial decision which costs the team

rinse and repeat...

 

[robinhood]

Not really.


I'd like them to be decent, but I don't care if they're not.

 

[themn]

[quote author=Krump link=topic=46771.msg1394992#msg1394992 date=1315309239]
It's the whole John Terryness of everything. I just can't stand it. I didn't mind England before all the players turned out to be a bunch of high profile shit stains who think the world of themselves.
[/quote]

Fucking this !

 

[robinhood]

It's true.


John Terry is (the symbol for) everything that's wrong with Britain.

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=spider-neil link=topic=46771.msg1395004#msg1395004 date=1315310620]
england at the world cup/euros

game 1:
* score an early goal.
* conceed sloppy equaliser
* cling on for dear life for a point

game 2:
* humiliation

game 3: make or break to get to the knock phase
* get through (probably by a jammy goal)

knock out phase
* a defeat but in a 'heroic' manner
* controversial decision which costs the team

rinse and repeat...
[/quote]

In terms of a the last 3 world cup finals that's only really true at the last one.

Prior to that England had reached the last 8 on two occasions and lost to Argentina in the round of 16. This is our level. The quarters should be considered as what we should achieve given our squad.

As for controversial decisions, yeah we have had a few go against us and its pretty galling to see refs chalking off goals on 2 occasions where no foul occurred in 1998 and 2006. But c'est la vie.

Until we accept we are not a top 4 side in the world, which we are not, then hype and over-expectation will naturally lead to disappointment! That's why the world rankings are bonkers!

 

[rubans]

Yes, despite the failure after failure in each tournament, when the next big one starts, can't wait.
Qualifying games just become very boring but maybe when I was younger England made a meal of it more.
The atmosphere is unique for a world cup something club football can't replicate in that sense, 32 nations in one country with millions of visiting fans. Day after day of games, Wall Charts, Panini sticker book, 442 worldcup special , media coverage, every little injury update, unknown youngsters coming on to the world stage, African countries playing vibrant football and causing upsets. When England get to the latter stages, the country is watching, despite some of the moronic fans things have improved.
I hope international football despite idiotic FIFA stays strong, it's important to club football it does since they form a symbiotic relationship and I want the younger generation to enjoy the innocence (it still has some 🙂 ) of it without worrying about how much Suarez gets or how much Man City or Chelsea will spend next season.
International football at its best is fantastic, loved worldcup 90, euro 2002, France 98, and even USA 94. German 2006 wasn't bad either. I think Brazil 2014 will be special, when an established footballing nation hosts it, theres always something magical about it and FIFA's policy of lesser established tournament getting it hasn't always meant a better tournament.

 

[Gary25]

Stoke away, that's all i'm worried about short-term.

 

[Squiggles]

I used to care, but now I prefer to sit back and laugh at how shit England are.

There would have to be a lot of upheaval for that to change.

 

[Fabio]

I hate the amount of cunts who play for england personally

Added to the fact roy and 'arry are potential managers on waiting

Fuck em

 

[Frogfish]

Again ! Are we really doing this again ? Not like every England match answers all these questions.

 

[Jay]

exactly! too many arrogant cunts.

Pretty much everything to do with the England team bores the shit out of me.

 

[spider-Neil]

weren't the players always arrogant, though?
I mean, back in the day didn't greaves, hunt and charlton etc have 'some' arrogance?

 

[peterhague]

i care much less than i used to. i don't like a lot of the players, and the football is usually pretty unattractive, and i hate a lot of our fans, by which i mean the people who actually go to the games. i think the worst thing, though, is that the whole international jamboree is just too intrusive. too many friendlies and meaningless qualifiers against joke opposition to really spark interest imo.

 

[Oncy]

I do.

 

[localny]

So much hot air around a country that has delivered so little internationally. I want to see 'em do well, but if they do, god help us with all the ott commentary

 

[SaintGeorge67]

I'm the same as Krump and themn.

 

[Spionkop69]

[quote author=localny link=topic=46771.msg1395070#msg1395070 date=1315322776]
So much hot air around a country that has delivered so little internationally. I want to see 'em do well, but if they do, god help us with all the ott commentary
[/quote]

You know what, most England fans (well the rational, non-burberry wearing ones) think the same. Another thing we can blame on the media.

 

[Oncy]

Fuck all you H8erz!

ENGLAND TILL I DIE, IM ENGLAND TILL I DIE.....

I love international football, and although a lot of the critiscism is well founded, im still hyped whenever England play. And world cups are something else. Its better than the champions league for me because its in one Month.

When i was a kid playing football my dream (when playing in the street) was always Liverpool in the FA cup final, followed by England at the world cup.
Nowadays it would be Liverpool to win that fucking league then England to win the world cup.
I digress.I love England though. Cant help it.

 

[MomoWASright]

I could never support a team that had Garry Neville in it.

I could never support a side that had John Terry in it.

I support Liverpool, not any one else so England can fuck right off. They treat our players like shit as per Gerrard last season.

The media big them up just to knock them down when they fail. The Euros where England failed to qualify was the best International tournament in ages. No half time "analysis" that was 5 minutes about the previous half and 10 talking to David James about how he fills his time off!

I hate the fucking band that follow them round. I hate the cunts that boo the opposition's national anthem.

International footy is just shit.

 

[Dylan]

I do not.

I hate everything about the England team - the players and their plastic patriotism, the WAG thing, the hype, the flags, the chants. I just hate it. I love tournaments - World Cup and the Euros - but that's more about the event than supporting Ingurland.