England v Ecuador

[Thracian]

.... and the number times we caused them a real problem.

I'll start with the Beckham free-kick. Is that the thread closed?

[dandannieldanok]

Under the circumstances (the heat, the injuries, the actual quality of the squad - as opposed to the over hyped "it's the best team in generations" bullshit we get from the press etc) we did ok. Not a brilliant performance but I think we're moving in the right direction. We have to be realistic. We've got an average squad, we're not as good as....lists....Italy, Argentina, Brazil etc etc, we've got a tactically nieve manager who lacks passion....but we're in the last 8 and they will be 24 teams that aren't.

Get behind the team, stop moaning. Try running around for 10 mins in 35c let alone 90. Get real.

I agree with what you are saying but isn't it a footballer's job to run around for 90 minutes and be fully prepared for indifferent temperatures?

[Chairman of the Bored]

This tournament has produced some of the highest quality of football seen at the World Cup in decades.

Umm, Ultra, not sure about that. Argentina vs Mexico was a cracker and there have been one or two excellent goals, but....the quality of defending has been poor and no one team has been good in every game it has played.

Nothing will ever beat 1970. That was THE great World Cup. That's my personal benchmark and this one comes nowhere near at the moment.

[Chairman of the Bored]

I agree with what you are saying but isn't it a footballer's job to run around for 90 minutes and be fully prepared for indifferent temperatures?

Agreed. But we're not going to replicate the type of performances we see in the Prem every week. It's simply not possible.

England are treating the World Cup like a domestic cup compy at the moment. Let's just do enough to win. When they fail, I might be a little more critical. In the meantime......

[Daggers]

Don't forget in qualifying for the finals Ecuador beat Brazil so even though we beat them they weren't exactly push overs

That is as trite as the oft quoted "they'll adapt to the temperature better than us"

Anyone that has been to Quito will tell you

a) it's bloody cold and

b) there's no air

That's why Ecuador play games in Quito. They are not very good ~ and on the performances so far [for everyone that forgot to remove their rose tinted glasses] neither are we.

[Ricey]

I'm sorry. That bore no relaion to the football I used to love and get thrilled about. I would rather they buy a facsimile World Cup to display somewhere that gives an impression of importance and achievement if that's the only way they'll convince themselves they can do anything but turn my beloved game into something of inconsequence.

You are welcome to it Anish. You really are. The words "they know not what they do" come to mind. People will do anything for money and this is just another example.

If I had my way I would banish SGE to somewhere like the Galapogas Islands where he can play to his hearts content with the lizards, turtles and puffins or whatever else they have there. Anything to keep him away from football.

He transforms the potential thrills of football into something akin to the card game of patience - just one long banal routine.

Even if he wins the World Cup with this sort of offering I shall get no satisfaction from it.

It will be on a par with watching a flop film from the world's great actors. As an advertisement for football SGE manages to turn every England scene into a the equivalent third rate horror - except the good guy just manages to win.

I respect your love for attacking football, but against Ecuador in that heat knowing (if we won) we would face a stern test in 6 days time there was no way we were going to attack for 90 minutes.

We did enough today, nobody played awfully (some under-par) and the formation worked well.

Relax.

[Chairman of the Bored]

I respect your love for attacking football, but against Ecuador in that heat knowing (if we won) we would face a stern test in 6 days time there was no way we were going to attack for 90 minutes.

We did enough today, nobody played awfully (some under-par) and the formation worked well.

Relax.

I'll buy into that. We did enough today. Last 8. Bring on the Dutch.

[Steven]

I respect your love for attacking football, but against Ecuador in that heat knowing (if we won) we would face a stern test in 6 days time there was no way we were going to attack for 90 minutes.

We did enough today, nobody played awfully (some under-par) and the formation worked well.

Relax.

They have six days to physically recover, and I think playing against indifferent opposition does not serve us well. We will need to lift our game more than either Portugal and or the Netherlands. <_<

[Head Honcho]

I'll buy into that. We did enough today. Last 8. Bring on the Dutch.

I'd prefer the Portuguese

[Anish]

I'm an argumentative sod but I couldn't agree more with that.

And if by some quirk of fate they do win, that will be worse becuase it will give carte blanche for everyone else to follow suit and play football the Sven way.

And, for me at least, I fear a 50-year association with the game will be finally ended. There are already too many Svens in football - and while there are fans like Anish they will always have a job I guess.

You don't have a clue.

I have criticised Sven for many years and I continue to believe that he's a piss poor manager who will achieve nothing noteworthy.

I don't believe we have the squad that's good enough to win the World Cup with Sven or anyone else. The English game isn't suited to possession football, which is what it takes to win the World Cup these days.

Just because I don't join in with the Sven bashing after every match it doesn't mean I accept lacklustre performances. But this wasn't one of them in my opinion.

[Chairman of the Bored]

I'd prefer the Portuguese

Either / or. I just think the Orange will do it tonight. I fancy a Ronaldo red card and lots of tears plus a big Phil explosion.

[Ultra]

I respect your love for attacking football, but against Ecuador in that heat knowing (if we won) we would face a stern test in 6 days time there was no way we were going to attack for 90 minutes.

Aaah, the little darlings. £100k+ a week to stay in peak physical condition and they're not up to one game a week..

We did enough today, nobody played awfully (some under-par) and the formation worked well.

Relax.

What game were you watching? Terry couldn't make a header to save his life, nor Lampard a pass. There was no co-ordination whatsoever. For long spells it was like watching the FOXES in the final dismal weeks of the Levein era.

And as for the formation "working well", explain why Lampard and Gerrard stayed far too deep and left Rooney isolated on his own.

The Portugal-Holland game tonight is effectively a quarter-final, because neither of them has ANYTHING to fear from us..

[Thracian]

I respect your love for attacking football, but against Ecuador in that heat knowing (if we won) we would face a stern test in 6 days time there was no way we were going to attack for 90 minutes.

We did enough today, nobody played awfully (some under-par) and the formation worked well.

Relax.

I wonder what you'd have all said if Ecuador have scored their near tap in and we'd have lost 1-0 or equalised and gone out on penalties with that apology for football.

I understand the need for controlled football in intense heat and that is the point - it wasn't controlled. Apart from passes to people in negative spaces we barely played a single offensive pass accurately all night.

Steven got it right when he asked how often we troubled Ecuador. Once was the answer. They missed their chance we took ours. Instant servicing. But hardly satisfying. A bit like a quickie with a whore (I imagine!).

If that's what we're going to get for our money it's hardly worth rushing home for.

[dandannieldanok]

I wonder what you'd have all said if Ecuador have scored their near tap in and we'd have lost 1-0 or equalised and gone out on penalties with that apology for football.

I understand the need for controlled football in intense heat and that is the point - it wasn't controlled. Apart from passes to people in negative spaces we barely played a single offensive pass accurately all night.

Steven got it right when he asked how often we troubled Ecuador. Once was the answer. They missed their chance we took ours. Instant servicing. But hardly satisfying. A bit like a quickie with a whore (I imagine!).

The point is if that's what we're going to get for our money it's hardly worth rushing home for.

I agree, why couldn't England learn from Germany and play like they have done, high tempo, killing the game off before it had barely begun, I feel the heat is an excuse used to often.

[Head Honcho]

I wonder what you'd have all said if Ecuador have scored their near tap in and we'd have lost 1-0 or equalised and gone out on penalties with that apology for football.

I understand the need for controlled football in intense heat and that is the point - it wasn't controlled. Apart from passes to people in negative spaces we barely played a single offensive pass accurately all night.

Steven got it right when he asked how often we troubled Ecuador. Once was the answer. They missed their chance we took ours. Instant servicing. But hardly satisfying. A bit like a quickie with a whore (I imagine!).

The point is if that's what we're going to get for our money it's hardly worth rushing home for.

........but they didn't!

However!

I do worry about England's inability to break teams down, this is going to be their undoing in the long run.

[dandannieldanok]

........but they didn't!

However!

I do worry about England's inability to break teams down, this is going to be their undoing in the long run.

In the next game don't you mean when the quality of oppenent suddenly rises!

[Steven]

........but they didn't!

However!

I do worry about England's inability to break teams down, this is going to be their undoing in the long run.

The nail on the head.

[Head Honcho]

In the next game don't you mean when the quality of oppenent suddenly rises!

Maybe!

But I don't think England need to any more worried about Holland or Portugal they they are about England.

Brazil and Argentina.

.............well that's a different matter

[Steven]

Maybe!

But I don't think England need to any more worried about Holland or Portugal they they are about England.

Brazil and Argentina.

.............well that's a different matter

Did you mean than?

[Thracian]

Ignoring all I abhor about SGE's approach to football the biggest worry to me tactically is that whenever England get ahead they attempt to shut up shop. This is SGE's achilles heel and I think it will be his undoing this time (in one of the next two matches).

[shen]

You don't have a clue.

I have criticised Sven for many years and I continue to believe that he's a piss poor manager who will achieve nothing noteworthy.

I don't believe we have the squad that's good enough to win the World Cup with Sven or anyone else. The English game isn't suited to possession football, which is what it takes to win the World Cup these days.

Just because I don't join in with the Sven bashing after every match it doesn't mean I accept lacklustre performances. But this wasn't one of them in my opinion.

Explain to me why it isn't? Or rather, explain why the English style has to be ever so predictably direct all the time? They've shown a few glimpses of being able to make fast combinations and sharp passes, yet they always resort to a defensive mid knocking it long to one of the wings and often crossing to no-one in the box. Technically and physically, the English are up there among the best, but tactically there's still a lot to be desired...

[Head Honcho]

Did you mean than?

Couple of typo's in that one

[C-man]

Focking hell, you ungracious gits.

Until we lose, shut up and stop moaning, because we're still in the World Cup, and therefore still have a chance of winning.

The above is obviously not aimed at some of you, who i'm sure thought today's performance was reasonably good.

[Steven]

Focking hell, you ungracious gits.

Until we lose, shut up and stop moaning, because we're still in the World Cup, and therefore still have a chance of winning.

The above is obviously not aimed at some of you, who i'm sure thought today's performance was reasonably good.

By this logic so have the Faroes when the qualifiers start.

[Bert]

Typical English, some people wouldn't be happy if we won 5-0 with 75% of the possesion, just be hapy that we're through and get behind the team.