2014 FIFA World Cup

[Gucci Piggy]

1966: Austria won the Eurovision, Atletico Madrid la Liga, Real Madrid the European Cup, Fulham were relegated, was the last time a team came from 2-0 down in the FA Cup Final....

England won the World Cup......

[ThomThomDrum]

And Liverpool won the league.

So Gerrard's slip has cost us the World Cup.

Edited May 27, 2014 by ThomThomDrum

[eFestivals]

good gawd, England were shockingly bad last night.

The only player who came out with full credit is the Ox. Lambert had a fair game too.

Just about everyone else was dreadful.

Special mention goes to Wilshire's normal game of running into a dead end, losing the ball, and falling on his arse. Special congratulations go to Wilshire for playing his normal game and finishing uninjured.

And I don't know whether to laugh or cry for Sterling. It wasn't the best challenge and a red with international refs can never be unexpected for that, but at the same time it wasn't really even a yellow.

[ThomThomDrum]

Valencias reaction was a bit OTT IMO but I think it had more to do with the fact that it was a friendly just before a WC rather than a nasty challenge.

I also think the ref may not have given the red if it was not for the reaction. Had Valenica dusted himself off and got on with it the ref dones nothing IMO. But he reacted the way he did and he had to go for that, so the ref probably thought to himself "ill send the other fella off too, sure what does it matter?"

[eFestivals]

Valencias reaction was a bit OTT IMO but I think it had more to do with the fact that it was a friendly just before a WC rather than a nasty challenge.

yep - that's pretty much how I took it too. It was a training match where training match rules should apply, and Sterling didn't apply them.

I think the poor kid is a bit confused to be honest. It's all new to him, and he's clearly dead keen, but he's being held up as the great English hope (let's face it, there's none from anywhere else) and the game-changing player .... so he went out there and tried to change the game in the limited time he had to do it.

He looked pretty gutted but good on him for keeping his head together, both by not retaliating or walking with his head down. I was pleased to see Gerrard walk him off the pitch too - someone he presumably trusts and admires and will listen to and who will help him keep decent perspective, but who will also help him take on board the lesson of non-English refs.

I know the card means nothing towards to WC, but does it have an impact on whether he can be selected for the next friendly? I'd like to see him get a full game in that one.

[eFestivals]

PS: there's no way we're getting out of the groups.

[zahidf]

Sterling can't play for the next Friendly.

It was a two footed tackle, studs up, and as far i can see, he wasn't going for the ball. Definitely a red!

[LondonTom]

That fracas was great, for a friendly to

While it was a bit of a soft red, its good in a way and gives Sterling and the other younger players a bit of a lesson in that they won't get away with the more physical tackles like they do in the Premier League. Much better for him to get that red in a friendly, learn his lesson and move on than getting hounded by the press as the reason we get knocked out if it was a world cup match.

From the rest of the match, given the defence's performence I still think Roy should have gone with Ashley Cole. I can see why he hasn't but we desperately need some class in the backline (I know it wasn't the "first 11" but still..)

[zahidf]

That fracas was great, for a friendly to

While it was a bit of a soft red, its good in a way and gives Sterling and the other younger players a bit of a lesson in that they won't get away with the more physical tackles like they do in the Premier League. Much better for him to get that red in a friendly, learn his lesson and move on than getting hounded by the press as the reason we get knocked out if it was a world cup match.

From the rest of the match, given the defence's performence I still think Roy should have gone with Ashley Cole. I can see why he hasn't but we desperately need some class in the backline (I know it wasn't the "first 11" but still..)

[Andre91]

The Ox, Barkley and Lambert all put on a great display, especially The Ox. Absolutely gutted about his injury, and hoping that it isn't too bad, he showed exactly why he should start for England last night.

Honestly, I would start Barkley over Rooney. Let Rooney come on as a sub, hopefully with a bit of bite in him to show why he should start (personally I don't think he should start, but he should show why HE believes he should) and not be on the bench, a bit of passion hopefully.

[eFestivals]

Sterling can't play for the next Friendly.

poor sod. That's just about ruined his starting chances then.

It was a two footed tackle, studs up, and as far i can see, he wasn't going for the ball. Definitely a red!

He got the ball and not the man, how wasn't he going for the ball?

It was studs up, but just one foot, and much less reckless than many you'll see.

There's no way that would be a red in the Prem, and mostly he'd probably not have got a card at all (tho I've no problem with a yellow for that).

[eFestivals]

The Ox, Barkley and Lambert all put on a great display, especially The Ox.

I didn't think Barkley was that great, tho he was the only other name I considered including as having had an OK game.

Honestly, I would start Barkley over Rooney. Let Rooney come on as a sub, hopefully with a bit of bite in him to show why he should start (personally I don't think he should start, but he should show why HE believes he should) and not be on the bench, a bit of passion hopefully.

I didn't see Friday's match, but heard Rooney was dreadful then. How did he compare last night against Friday?

[Andre91]

I didn't think Barkley was that great, tho he was the only other name I considered including as having had an OK game.

I didn't see Friday's match, but heard Rooney was dreadful then. How did he compare last night against Friday?

Edited June 5, 2014 by Andre91

[eFestivals]

While it was a bit of a soft red, its good in a way and gives Sterling and the other younger players a bit of a lesson in that they won't get away with the more physical tackles like they do in the Premier League. Much better for him to get that red in a friendly, learn his lesson and move on than getting hounded by the press as the reason we get knocked out if it was a world cup match.

yep, agree with that. It's the sort of big factor which can end up making the difference between winning and not (not that we'll win).

From the rest of the match, given the defence's performence I still think Roy should have gone with Ashley Cole.

yep, me too. I'd still play Cole in the WC before Baines.

[eFestivals]

I think Italy ( Who haven't won their last 11 games) are in much worse shape than England at the moment. I'd say England have a decent chance of getting past the group stages.

two teams higher in the rankings than us, and another who are WC regulars not much worse than Ecuador and who normally do OK in WC's.

Yeah, we'll go thru.

[zahidf]

two teams higher in the rankings than us, and another who are WC regulars not much worse than Ecuador and who normally do OK in WC's.

Yeah, we'll go thru.

[pink_triangle]

I'm sure Cahill and the first 11 will be more than enough.

I think Italy ( Who haven't won their last 11 games) are in much worse shape than England at the moment. I'd say England have a decent chance of getting past the group stages.

[pink_triangle]

On current form though, England are doing much better than those teams in terms of recent results. Ok, i know it's only friendlies but still...

[dentalplan]

two teams higher in the rankings than us, and another who are WC regulars not much worse than Ecuador and who normally do OK in WC's.

Yeah, we'll go thru.

[eFestivals]

According to BBC south American expert Tim Vickery. Italy have chosen the stupidest base in relation to their matches of all the teams in the tournaments. There is a rumour the wife of a senior member of the Italian FA insisted on a beach location which will cause loads of travelling. Uruguay arent great and anyone who saw him in the premiership last season knows Lugano is well past it. England also arent that great, while Costa Rica probably arent the whipping boys that many are making out. It will probably go down to who is the least worst.

I havent watched england friendlies, but I think anyone drawing significant conclusions regarding team selection from them are overreacting. I have seen bits of recent international friendlies and all have been played in a half arsed way, typical of players who dont want to get injured.

Italy often look shit, but have a habit of winning when it matters (at least, much more so than England).

Uruguay are as good as being the home team, and south American teams always do well on home turf.

Costa Rica are WC almost-constants, and are NEVER the whipping boys (Scotland fans can put people right about them. )

Unless Woy is going to have sudden change of management style, we're toast.

Edited June 5, 2014 by eFestivals

[Essex_George]

Saw my first car with plastic England flags in the windows today, world cup fever has arrived!

[eFestivals]

So you are the one person in the country who thinks we have some real world beaters in the squad that the manager is the reason we won't make it out of the group as it stands?

Maybe, just maybe, you are being a bit harsh on Roy....

I think he did well with us at Euro 2012. I think we did better than the squad probably deserved. He set them up as well as you could of expected.

Nope, not that at all.

I think that with players more picked on form than reputation, and encouraged to be more adventurous and less cautious with their play, they stand a chance of getting lucky and causing England to go further than they might deserve to go on paper.

I think his cautious approach gets to mean that England will play at around that "on paper" level, and so will go out in the groups. Cos that's what "on paper" suggests will happen.

I actually think, because of how the group is, that this is one WC where England should be adventurous, because there's no "if we keep it together and play at our normal levels we should just go thru" about it this time.

[thetime]

England should of ditched the failing players like Rooney, Gerrard, lampard and had a team full of youngsters.

Would be good grounding for 2016 and 2018, would benefit them no end. We all know the likes of Barkley and sterling won't start, same old story in a few weeks.

Rooney may be dropped? Rooney should of never played for England again after slaughtering the fans in the last world cup.

[pink_triangle]

England should of ditched the failing players like Rooney, Gerrard, lampard and had a team full of youngsters.

.

[dentalplan]

Costa Rica are WC almost-constants, and are NEVER the whipping boys (Scotland fans can put people right about them. )