[Closed] Crunch time for England - the countdown begins (warning - world cup content)

I agree, I have 1 game left of being behind the team.. surely they can't play as badly today! As long as I see effort and desire I can accept we might just not be good enough.

.. surely they can't play as badly today!

this lot of muppets?

Win today & it's Ghana, Germany or Serbia, 2 of those we can beat & it's about time we had the Germans, then it'd be Uraguay or South Korea in the quarters & you've got to fancy our chances against them.....

Do you really believe all or indeed any of that? Good going on the postivity if you do.

I think England will scrape a win somehow against Slovenia. However in the second round just assuming you can beat teams no longer cuts the mustard.

That's why there's been 44 years of hurt - a lethal combination of sense of entitlement, blind optimism, superiority complex and jingoism. "We don't really have to worry about country X cos we exported football around the world and now hav the richest league in the world{manned by many many foreign players of course and funded by foreign investors} oh and we one the thing in 1966 so we fully expect to do so everytime we qualify no matter how disjointd our squad and management appear to be, how badly our team is performing as a whole or our star player in particular".

Not sure why you think England should fancy their chances against South Korea or Uruguay in the quarter finals - both have been brimming over with invention, energy and more importantly goals - but you never know eh?

Good Luck England - but lets not assume anything...

I've also still got faith in our boys to do the business. Late lunch for me today, first half radio 5 live, second half watched on the box. At the end of the day these lads haven't got a choice on whether they want to put in a performance or not, it's a must! They're very capable, they just haven't had the drive or passion which really ***ks me off taking into account the rarity of the occasion and what this tournament means to our footballing nation. We are good enough to beat anyone on our day when firing on all cylinders, we just haven't had "that day" in this tournament yet. No doubt mentally it'll be the toughest game of the tournament for the England squad, but i'm still hanging on to my belief. They need to get out on the pitch today, and unleash the frustration by tearing apart slovenia, forget the media, forget the "pub parade" of haters and just play the game as you intended to play it when you arrived in South Africa. One and a half hours stand between success or a very ugly return to british soil, they've got to want it as much as we do. . . .surely?

We COULD and SHOULD beat those teams mentioned. Whether or not we will is anyone's guess, unfortunately. But it doesn't stop me being cheerfully optimistic and getting a buzz from anticipation today.

Come on lads! You can do it!

a lethal combination of sense of entitlement, blind optimism, superiority complex and jingoism

Seriously, I've never met anyone who EXPECTS us to do well. Many think we ought to do well, and so we ought. But that's not the same as expectation. The reason there's been 44 years of hurt is that most of us really really really really want to win. Simple 🙂

(warning - world cup content)

.....yet still people will come into the thread to moan.

Anyways.

I have faith that a win can be scraped today. It doesn't stop the frustration of seeing what are good quality players, as well as a good manager, just playing shit. Have loved watching the WC as always. The only downsides have been watching the England games. It is painful even though I kinda expected it to happen.

Oh and you know what? Having 'passion' and 'spirit' doesn't make you magically play better. It's about concentration and clicking together. And having tons of pressure heaped on you doesn't help that in the least. I think the team desperately wanted to win both these last two matches, as much as any other team.

Couldnt agree more romster - no more excuses, no more whingeing, just get out there and do what you went there to do. I'm wearing lucky socks, lucky kecks, and I havent shaved since the tournament began. Needless to say, the wife's hoping they get knocked out today. 😉

Incidentally who is everyones backup teams? 😉

Chile for me I think.

Slovenia.

France! Oh.... hang on a minute? 😀

Ghana beat Germany, Serbia beat Aussies, Italy draw, England draw. World Cup without the big European nations.
OR
England beat Slovenia, the rest remains as above, England go to the final.

FIFA World rankings

8 [b]England[/b]
9 France
10 Croatia
11 Russia
12 Egypt
13 Greece
14 [b]USA[/b]
15 [b]Serbia[/b]
16 [b]Uruguay[/b]
...
25 [b]Slovenia[/b]
...
30 [b]Algeria[/b]
31 Paraguay
32 [b]Ghana[/b]

England [i]could [/i]beat Serbia and Uruguay beat there's no reason to think they [i]should[/i]. The best they should have done against USA was 1 - nil.

And they should beat Ghana and Slovenia but then they should have have beaten Algeria shouldn't they? I expect them to win this afternoon and then struggle in the knock out whoever they play against.

IanMunro:
Slovenia.

Ahh bless! You just couldn't resist.

🙂

.....yet still people will come into the thread to moan.

I think we will pull it out of the bag today - a strong performance and 3-1.

Passion and spirit is what brings a side together mol at this level, it goes a long long, and if you haven't got it, you suffer just as we have so i disagree with what your saying tbh. We don't need one inspirational captain out there today, we need 6, 7 or even more who are going to acknowledge the fact this isn't a domestic competition, it's on the world stage and only comes round in their careers maybe 3 or 4 times. Play with integrity and fight for everything, that's all i've ever asked of any english footballer and your country will be behind you. . . . . .i believe.

I don't think anyone is moaning as such

....by moan I mean the usual suspects who feel the need to express their dislike of football in every thread as opposed to just ignoring the thread and doing something more constructive.

That's why there's been 44 years of hurt - a lethal combination of sense of entitlement, blind optimism, superiority complex and jingoism. "We don't really have to worry about country X cos we exported football around the world and now hav the richest league in the world

We are higher ranked than both Uruguay and South Korea, Uruguay have looked dangerous, South Korea hard working. Player for player we are better than both (although Forlan and Suarez would be in the England if they were Er English!)

Anyway gotta win 2 games first.

Nz could go all the way you know and at 2000-1 that's a tasty return.

Back on earth, would be great to see England play to their potential. They have been shockingly poor which belies their squad and ranking. Best of luck, I'll MySky and watch at 6am as I'm up the next night for NZs huge game.

This team showed in qualifying that they could play pretty well together as a unit. They just need to re-discover that form again. I reckon they will today.

If you were in that squad, would you fancy getting off the plane at Heathrow? Capello just has to remind them of the reception they'd get

in an odd way, the trials of the past few days (the Algeria performance, Rooney's outburst, Terry's failed coup(!)) will in my opinion knit the squad closer and that siege mentality can be a positive thing. As long as the leaders on the pitch (yes - Terry, Rooney, Gerrard, James, etc.) can turn those tensions into spirit instead of nerves then we should have too much for Slovenia.

Besides - never mind the reception at Heathrow, I'd be more terrified of walking off after having underperformed or underachieved to find this bloke waiting in the dressing room:

[img] [/img]

the mans a legend 🙂

I love that Carlsberg "join the immortals" advert where they have Pearce, Botham etc yelling support at the team.

They should do it for real - pick a few successful guys - Pearce, Botham, Flintoff, Charlton, Stiles, Hamilton, Button, Lennox Lewis etc and stand them either side of the tunnel holding flags and screaming 🙂

Pearce is standing next to Fabio in the dugout already.

not sure i care either way, its the biggest match England have played in four years.

im gonna enjoy it

i am dreading it, almost can't bear to watch with the potential for massive disappointment if we go out.

Tim - Member
the mans a legend

I love that Carlsberg "join the immortals" advert where they have Pearce, Botham etc yelling support at the team.

They should do it for real - pick a few successful guys - Pearce, Botham, Flintoff, Charlton, Stiles, Hamilton, Button, Lennox Lewis etc and stand them either side of the tunnel holding flags and screaming

At this rate we could do with having them out on the pitch!! Imagine Lennox in goal, in a one on one situation you wouldn't put your money on any striker! Still hope the lads finally turn it around and get a win maybe thats all thats needed to sort it out and if they do it would at least make The Sun's ads on the telly seam less stupid.

Iain

Iain Gillam - Member

Tim - Member
the mans a legend

I love that Carlsberg "join the immortals" advert where they have Pearce, Botham etc yelling support at the team.

They should do it for real - pick a few successful guys - Pearce, Botham, Flintoff, Charlton, Stiles, Hamilton, Button, Lennox Lewis etc and stand them either side of the tunnel holding flags and screaming

At this rate we could do with having them out on the pitch!! Imagine Lennox in goal, in a one on one situation you wouldn't put your money on any striker! Still hope the lads finally turn it around and get a win maybe thats all thats needed to sort it out and if they do it would at least make The Sun's ads on the telly seam less stupid.

Iain

Lewis might actually be able to sort out the play acting thats ruining all the matches - if a striker tried to beat him to the ball whilst punching a corner away. Get down and stay down 🙂

also, he could probably score from THEIR corner if he timed it right 🙂

I think the wheels will finally come off the wagon and we're going to bomb out.

Sorry, but there it is.

Getting nervous here...

3-1 Slovenia @ 100/1 😉

Well if they are gonna thrash us by that score, you may as well have something to cheer about....

M_F, I'm not English 😉

I am about to stroll across the road to watch the game at the pub.
Not sure what to expect...

M_F, I'm not English

i think we'll win but in all honesty I'm not THAT bothered.

Club football is where real support matters, this is just pantomime.

If it goes horribly wrong it will be painfully delicious to watch and the national descent into introspection will be amusing to observe.

2-0 england

^ +1 (sorry)

0-0 😀

My back-up team is Brazil, what with me living in Brazil right now, and it is a revelation living in a country with both the massive expectations, but also where there is a very hight chance of a place in the finals! The whole country seems to shut down for the Brazil games, it's an amazing atmosphere. They also do daily late night comedy shows just ripping the p out of everyone, and with Brazil not suffering from the stifling political correctness, it's very very funny.

We're going to win. I'm having too good a day for it to be any other way.

If not I'll learn to tango and become an argentinian.

Whatever happens to the match nobody should blame the manager but the lazy players.

👿

Smoky Barbecue Kettle Chips, Jalapeno houmous and Heskey's not on the field. Everything's going well.

I think the wheels will finally come off the wagon and we're going to bomb out.

Sorry, but there it is.

Well, I called that one wrong eh?

Well, i just love it when a plan comes together. A much better performance got us through that one, massive result boys well done. Now get back to the hotel, put your feet up tonight, relax the body and mind and start preparations for the second round tomorrow. Passion and pride restored. Every game from here to the final, is the final. I still believe . . . .