2014 FIFA World Cup

[thetime]

There is no way Woy drops Rooney. He should but I dont think he has the balls to

[eFestivals]

I think Rooney is the England scapegoat of choice this tournament already.

As things stand, isn't it deserved?

He's a striker that doesn't strike, and isn't contributing much else either.

[eFestivals]

2013 - Played 10 Scored 6

2014 - Played 2 Scored 1

Really ? Who is doing so much better ?

Lambert has a better strike rate, I think.

And he contributes more in the rest of the game too. Just as one example.

But Rooney isn't going to be played as the frontman, so there's lots of other possible combinations within all of the midfield which will certainly make differences in how we play even if they're not much 'better'.

What i mean is this. We have a pretty shocking defence, that's going to ship goals in a tournament of this level. So the only way to beat that is to score more goals.

So, for example, if you played Sterling instead of Rooney we wouldn't necessarily be a 'better' team because Sterling has his flaws too, but we'd probably create more chances, and more chances should equal more goals. So we might manage to outscore the opposition (and we're going to need to outscore them I reckon. We concede goals too easily).

[pink_triangle]

As things stand, isn't it deserved?

He's a striker that doesn't strike, and isn't contributing much else either.

Edited June 9, 2014 by pink_triangle

[thetime]

As things stand, isn't it deserved?

He's a striker that doesn't strike, and isn't contributing much else either.

[eFestivals]

Many talk about England as great underachievers, but i think their recent international history is pretty much par for the course.

absolutely!

And this is part of why we shouldn't play Rooney. We'll get a Rooney performance from him, which even at his best isn't going to have us winning.

The only chance we have is if we 'get lucky', because we don't have the best players. What we do actually have is a bunch of good young players who, if given the chance, might 'get lucky'.

What Woy should do is set them up to play in a similar way to how Liverpool did this year, particularly as he's got the core of that team to work with and other players good enough to fill the gaps where there are gaps.

We might not get thru the groups, but we might not get thru the groups anyway. But they'd be a team that the country would get behind and support. And if those young players play like we all know they can on occasion, then who knows?

[eFestivals]

I don't think it's any less or more deserved than any player. You won't find any love in for Rooney from me, it does seem the media have got the bullets ready for him already though.

The problem with Rooney at the mo is that he's not having the good games to compensate for any that might be below standard.

For example: Henderson was getting boo'd at a recent-ish friendly at Wembley (Feb/Mar time I think), while he was probably the best player the other night (tho he didn't have much competition).

Rooney is showing nothing of why he should be included before others. Only he can change that.

[eFestivals]

But that only stacks up if you look at the recent friendlies... If you go back to the competitive qualification games then I think your point is weakened.

no one is doubting that Rooney has been a good player in the past, but it's right now that we need him to be good.

It's not like he was playing well for Utd before he got injured, so even if he does get back to his 'recent-form best' that's not really going to be very much.

I'm not particularly putting other players forward as better than him anyway, just more that they're different than him. I think that doing different will be more advantageous than playing Rooney.

[Jackmypie]

2013 - Played 10 Scored 6

2014 - Played 2 Scored 1

Really ? Who is doing so much better ?

[eFestivals]

No good will come from young players having a bad World Cup experience.

If they don't play very much, it's that already.

[pink_triangle]

absolutely!

And this is part of why we shouldn't play Rooney. We'll get a Rooney performance from him, which even at his best isn't going to have us winning.

The only chance we have is if we 'get lucky', because we don't have the best players. What we do actually have is a bunch of good young players who, if given the chance, might 'get lucky'.

What Woy should do is set them up to play in a similar way to how Liverpool did this year, particularly as he's got the core of that team to work with and other players good enough to fill the gaps where there are gaps.

We might not get thru the groups, but we might not get thru the groups anyway. But they'd be a team that the country would get behind and support. And if those young players play like we all know they can on occasion, then who knows?

[ThomThomDrum]

2013 - Played 10 Scored 6

2014 - Played 2 Scored 1

Really ? Who is doing so much better ?

[pink_triangle]

and I cant really recall him ever having a top class tournament since Euro 2004.

[eFestivals]

Sturridge missing an easy header the other night is a good example of why I wouldn't be in a rush to drop Rooney.

I wouldn't worry too much about that.

Sturridge isn't the greatest striker that ever lived and it would be foolish to expect him to score in every game, but he is pretty reliable. Cos he fluffed those the other night, he won't fluff them next time - that's how I see it.

We need goals from elsewhere on the field, and we stand more chance of getting them if Rooney isn't there because we'll create more chances. He's too slow, and he's too cautious for retaining the ball.

[grumpyhack]

Interesting the Beeb are sending more people to cover Glastonbury than the World Cup.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jun/06/bbc-staff-glastonbury-world-cup-brazil-2014?CMP=ema_546

[eFestivals]

not really.

It's much cheaper to send people to cover Glastonbury, there's fewer locally bought-in services needed for it so more BBC staff needed for it, and there's more things going in simultaneously at Glasto than the WC.

[eFestivals]

If anything it makes me question why the fuck they need to send 272 people to Brazil when the bulk for the broadcasting isn't done by the BBC unlike at Glastonbury?? Sounds more like a jolly to me...

yup - that's what I was getting at.

But still, it's nothing on the Met Police ... who every year find a reason to go to "look for Maddie" when the weather perks up. This year they've made a holiday for 50, and even managed to make it coincide with a Portuguese public holiday, so they get 2 days paid 'work' sitting on the beach.

[zahidf]

Ace letter in Football 365: a glossary of terms...

'You've clearly not been taking your "how to read football speak in the media" classes seriously enough. Allow me to educate you:

Manager speak: "We're not interesting in [insert name of world class star]" = He's not interested in joining us.

"This performance is all about the team today" = Without my genius and tactics those Neanderthals on the pitch wouldn't be able to distinguish their arse from their elbow.

"The team spirit is excellent so I'm sure we'll bounce back from this defeat" = They all like each other enough to go and get smashed in the town centre three days before a game which is something.

Player speak: "I'm just focussing on my football" = I like my club and while I want to leave, I'd like them to get a hefty transfer fee.

[Having not played all season] "I'm focussed on staking a claim in the first team" = Nobody has made an offer for me. My agent has shipped me out to half the planet.

Commentator speak: "He'll be disappointed with himself more than anything" = I know him and don't want to say how utterly **** that was because we're mates.

"They always say 2-0 is a dangerous lead" = I am so utterly devoid of tactical knowledge that this is the best I can muster regarding why the switch from a 4-5-1 to a 4-3-3 has had such a dramatic impact on a club's on pitch fortunes.

"It wasn't like that in your playing days hey [insert name of ex-pro seated next to him] = I've just had the producer in my ear telling me 'to make the ****ing pro who we're paying £10,000 to be here say something. Try and extract some ****ing value from that lump of useless clay'.

[jump]

The Maddie thing is becoming something of a tried joke. All these years later and they are still spending money on it.

Edited June 9, 2014 by jump

[pink_triangle]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27760858

That great footballing mind Pele thinks England are just as likely to win the world cup as the hosts, I wonder how many of the other nations he has said the same to their national media!

[ThomThomDrum]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27760858

That great footballing mind Pele thinks England are just as likely to win the world cup as the hosts, I wonder how many of the other nations he has said the same to their national media!

[Andre91]

Pele really is a media whore isn't he I understand why Brazilians revere Garrincha over him.

Edited June 9, 2014 by Andre91

[jump]

He says that at every World Cup.

[thetime]

What's people reasons for choosing sterling over wellbeck?

Both scored 9 goals last season with wellbeck playing 8 less games, also wellbeck has a good ratio of scoring a goal every 3 games for England.

[LondonTom]

Interesting the Beeb are sending more people to cover Glastonbury than the World Cup.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2014/jun/06/bbc-staff-glastonbury-world-cup-brazil-2014?CMP=ema_546