England v Croatia

We just need a decent attack minded manager.

We have a great selection of players to choose from. But we have a manager who chose the option of playing long balls up to a big bloke up front.

We have great players who can pass and play football - but we choose to hoof the ball up like a division 2 club which resulted in us playing like a division 2 club (No offence intended).

We need a manager that can bloody balance out the team and make us play proper football - a passing style of football.

We need a manager that plays to our strengths and that can research an opposition team properly and then implement a logical strategy to beat them - unlike MacLaren.

I'm just shocked at McLaren - his decisions were very poor!

I really can't believe the pitch aswell - pay so much for a national football stadium and they fuck up on the fundementals of having a decent football pitch! disgraceful. If it is true aswell that the roof at wembly only covers the stands (As someone said earlier) that is diabolical. For the money they paid we should have a ray gun that pops out of the top and zaps the clouds and makes it stop raining!!

I'm so dissapointed about the match last night - poor managerial decisions, poor players with no fight or hunger - just very very Poor!

Something has to be done to the root of the problem of english football and that is training our youth differently and more effectively. If this isn't done it doesn't matter if we have god managing our team - we still won't win.

One last thing that makes me very very sad - I heard that each england player will recieve a bonus of around 100K - 200K each. What a kick in the nuts for every english supporter out there - it makes me feel very sick! if I was an England player I wouldn't accept it - they do not have the fucking right to accept it and it shouldn't have been offered in the first place.

They should donate that money to grass routes football.

I'm very depressed at the moment - the FA need to do something positive, they need to listen to the English fans aswell.
 
Hargreaves fits that role, as someone else said Alonso does for Liverpool. The English way of playing is straight attack though, that's what the EPL is known for, not for the slow, thought out plays. I prefer the slow play and working up chances rather than constantly bombing forward but the English mentality has to change and I can't see it changing soon.
 
One last thing that makes me very very sad - I heard that each england player will recieve a bonus of around 100K - 200K each. What a kick in the nuts for every english supporter out there - it makes me feel very sick! if I was an England player I wouldn't accept it - they do not have the fucking right to accept it and it shouldn't have been offered in the first place.

They should donate that money to grass routes football.

:shock: Surely not, I would be ashamed to pick that up if I were an England player. A bonus for what though? Failing to get our country through to the finals. The FA is fucked up, right from the top all the way down to the England team. They are all on one big jolly up!

Disgraceful.
 
The problem is the grass roots set up...

I hate all this "too many foreign imports" bollox

typical english attitude....

if england (like france did) use this to kick start the youth set up, england as a footballing country might get some where...

all over the pitch croatia we're technically better than england....

that has feck all to do with how many non english players are @ arsenal FFS

england rely on players with natural talent and technique (j.cole rooney lampard rio to name a select few)

technique can be taught..

this hell for leather attitude/style of play that england think is bouns is a joke and has won them feck all..

time for the fa to fix up!
 
The foreign qouta thing is not the way forward I agree.

If English players were better - they would play in the premiership.

But I would say that - I'm a Gooner :)
 
You really need to look at what i said.
Take any team and then take their 5 best players out and see how a good side becomes average that is fact and i defy anyone to disagree.
Take italys 2 best strikers and 2 best defenders and gattuso out and let us see how good they still are would they have beaten scotland ? erm no because the strikers wouldn't have scored would they because they wouldn't have been playing.
How good are any team with their first choice strikers and 3 best defenders out probably about 2 in the whole world brazil and maybe argentina that's about it.
 
English players are too egotistical to learn and just rest on their laurels.
English players are overpriced and do not go abroad to develop their technical ability.
 
You really need to look at what i said.
Take any team and then take their 5 best players out and see how a good side becomes average that is fact and i defy anyone to disagree.
Take italys 2 best strikers and 2 best defenders and gattuso out and let us see how good they still are would they have beaten scotland ? erm no because the strikers wouldn't have scored would they because they wouldn't have been playing.
How good are any team with their first choice strikers and 3 best defenders out probably about 2 in the whole world brazil and maybe argentina that's about it.

Sorry mate, but that is nonsense.

Italy's 2nd team on paper is still better than Scotland and it would be the same for the top nations, including England.

Please tell me you are not being serious about the Italy strikers not playing therefore not scoring example?!:shock:
Who says they wouldn't have started with 2 different strikers and won 3-0?
 
Steven gerrard acted like he didn't give a crap in his interview which is probably true.
I think they wanted the summer off.
Roy Keane said this in his interview on sky sports that the england team has ego's in it and watching the players interviews he saw players that didn't care.
I think to them international football is like going on a work outing.
 
Sorry mate, but that is nonsense.

Italy's 2nd team on paper is still better than Scotland and it would be the same for the top nations, including England.

Please tell me you are not being serious about the Italy strikers not playing therefore not scoring example?!:shock:
Who says they wouldn't have started with 2 different strikers and won 3-0?


I agree. Italy's depth has always been very strong. No Gattuso means De Rossi plays, another world class midfielder. No Toni or Di Natale, no problem we have Lucarelli, Inzaghi or Quagliarella. We recently lost Totti and Nesta, who are world class but we still cope and defend well. When you watch Italy play, there is always motivation or passion.
 
Sorry mate, but that is nonsense.

Italy's 2nd team on paper is still better than Scotland and it would be the same for the top nations, including England.

Please tell me you are not being serious about the Italy strikers not playing therefore not scoring example?!:shock:
Who says they wouldn't have started with 2 different strikers and won 3-0?

No way i disagree take out italys top 5 players completely different level of team.
Scotland are crap so that's a bad analogy but italy are not capable of beating croatia if you take their top 5 away.
 
No that's not the best solution for me!Look at The two last world cup finalist!!what was their main strength? a big strong defence!

We have a good defence - when they are fit. But we need something extra attacking wise. Our options are limited up front. At the moment Crouch (Going on his strike rate) is our best striker. But when he plays just because he is 7ft tall we hoof it up to him - lets be a bit more ambitious.

There hasn't been a game for years where I have thought - that was a great display I really enjoyed that England performance. Probably last time was when we beat Germany 5-1.

International football isn't enjoyable as a whole anymore - it will always play second string to club football from now on I think.
 
Italys second string strikers are crap just like englands they just look good because they are in top club teams and get tap ins like inzaghe.
Inzaghe wouldn't make a dent unless he's surrounded by players like kaka etc.
I am not saying take out any sides top 5 and they become crap i am saying take them out and you go from world class to average but still decent/good in international football but not world beaters.
 
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Hah, nice one. They get tap ins yet Inzaghi has one of the best international records, Quagliarella has scored in half/more international games hes played and Lucarelli is a 20 goal + striker who played for Livorno and Shakhtar... barely world class..

Theres also a difference. We tend to call up on form strikers, not strikers who are in poor form who have fallen off their high horses.
 
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Hah, nice one. They get tap ins yet Inzaghi has one of the best international records, Quagliarella has scored in half/more international games hes played and Lucarelli is a 20 goal + striker who played for Livorno and Shakhtar... barely world class..

against who ? lets see how many goals inzaghe has got against top sides in important games shall we ?
 
Italys second string strikers are crap just like englands they just look good because they are in top club teams and get tap ins like inzaghe.
Inzaghe wouldn't make a dent unless he's surrounded by players like kaka etc.
I am not saying take out any sides top 5 and they become crap i am saying take them out and you go from world class to average but still decent/good in international football but not world beaters.

I see your point. Basically a player is as good as those surrounding him much of the time. Obviously if you put Rooney in the Tranmere team he'll be amazing anyway. But put Rooney at West Ham and he won't have the same impact he does at Man Utd with the quality around him to supply him.
 
You are talking rubbish take out gillardino toni gattuso pirlo
and Zambrotta =italy no longer world beaters and if you can't see that you are just naive.
they are still a good side but world beaters no
 
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I see your point. Basically a player is as good as those surrounding him much of the time. Obviously if you put Rooney in the Tranmere team he'll be amazing anyway. But put Rooney at West Ham and he won't have the same impact he does at Man Utd with the quality around him to supply him.

yes just look at tevez as an example
do you think france would have won the world cup without petit zidane vierra desailly
and henry ? if you do you my friends cannot see the truth staring you in the face.
 
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But the fact remains they do play in those teams, so the argument is flawed from the start.

Are you having a giggle Striker Pro?

Is he having a giggle?!

Take out all 11 Italy players and tehy'll have 1 more that will STILL be better than the Scotland team.

Mascherano never played at West Ham and Tevez is now starting to show the form he hit at the end of his West Ham season.
 
You are talking rubbish take out gillardino toni gattuso pirlo
and Zambrotta =italy no longer world beaters and if you can't see that you are just naive.


Firstly, Gilardino doesnt play for Italy.

Zambrotta does NOT = Italy. Infact, he was the poorest player against Scotland. If I was to remove 5 players, our weakpoint wouldbe the center backs and Pirlo. We've got cover for every position. You're calling me naive? I'm defending my team that you're clearly underrating because you don't know the abilities of some of the players that aren't household names. Without Zambrotta we've got players such as Pasqual, Chiellini, Oddo and Panucci who would be great cover and all have international experience.

Anyway I'm not going to argue with your opinion, so I'm out.
 
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Firstly, Gilardino doesnt play for Italy.

Zambrotta does NOT = Italy. Infact, he was the poorest player against Scotland. If I was to remove 5 players, our weakpoint wouldbe the center backs and Pirlo. We've got cover for every position. You're calling me naive? I'm defending my team that you're clearly underrating because you don't know the abilities of some of the players that aren't household names. Without Zambrotta we've got players such as Pasqual, Chiellini, Oddo and Panucci who would be great cover and all have international experience.

Forget it mate.
I think he's on a wind-up.
 
No i am serious take out who you consider italys best 5 and you have a team that can beat the likes of scotland but are not world beaters.

Italy squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio), Marco Amelia (Livorno)

Defenders: Massimo Oddo (Lazio), Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Palermo)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Simone Barone (Palermo), Francesco Totti (Roma)

Forwards: Luca Toni (Fiorentina), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese)

right lets take out
Marco Materazzi
Gennaro Gattuso
Luca Toni
Alessandro Nesta
Fabio Cannavaro
And you wouldn't have won the world cup FACT
 
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No i am serious take out who you consider italys best 5 and you have a team that can beat the likes of scotland but are not world beaters.

Italy squad:

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Angelo Peruzzi (Lazio), Marco Amelia (Livorno)

Defenders: Massimo Oddo (Lazio), Cristian Zaccardo (Palermo), Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan), Andrea Barzagli (Palermo), Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan), Fabio Cannavaro (Juventus), Gianluca Zambrotta (Juventus), Fabio Grosso (Palermo)

Midfielders: Mauro Camoranesi (Juventus), Gennaro Gattuso (AC Milan), Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan), Simone Perrotta (Roma), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Simone Barone (Palermo), Francesco Totti (Roma)

Forwards: Luca Toni (Fiorentina), Alberto Gilardino (AC Milan), Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan), Alessandro Del Piero (Juventus), Vincenzo Iaquinta (Udinese)

right lets take out
Marco Materazzi
Gennaro Gattuso
Luca Toni
Alessandro Nesta
Fabio Cannavaro
And you wouldn't have won the world cup FACT



what a load of bull! whats that all about, if this if that ! fact is ,italy did win the world cup! :roll:
 
No i am serious take out who you consider italys best 5 and you have a team that can beat the likes of scotland but are not world beaters.

Yes mate, but that is exactly the same for every single nation in the world!
The status quo remains which completely and utterly flaws your argument.

It's like saying:

'on their day, West Ham will beat Man Utd'

But in reality if everyon is on their day, Man Utd would annhialate us.


I see very little point in what you are saying
 
Firstly, Gilardino doesnt play for Italy.

Zambrotta does NOT = Italy. Infact, he was the poorest player against Scotland. If I was to remove 5 players, our weakpoint wouldbe the center backs and Pirlo. We've got cover for every position. You're calling me naive? I'm defending my team that you're clearly underrating because you don't know the abilities of some of the players that aren't household names. Without Zambrotta we've got players such as Pasqual, Chiellini, Oddo and Panucci who would be great cover and all have international experience.

Anyway I'm not going to argue with your opinion, so I'm out.

Milanista am I right in thinking that unlike england, italy pick the in-form players,regardless how "popular" they are?
 
Milanista am I right in thinking that unlike england, italy pick the in-form players,regardless how "popular" they are?

I'll answer that for him if Milanista doesn't mind, that is. Yes, it's true. Lippi started the trend with the likes of Iaquinta, Barzagli and Grosso and Donadoni is building on that. For me peronally, Italy has a tremendous team with "newcomers" such as Pasqual, Palladino and Chiellini that could evolve into world class players.
 
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