Fez of Mahrez Posted 6 September 2006 Posted 6 September 2006 A pleasure to watch some of the young Welsh lads last night. Got high hopes for Duffy, Bale, Nyatanga, Vaughan and Cotterill to name but five. (My whole family's Welsh.) Cymru am byth. Also nice to see a manager who isn't afraid to use Earnshaw and Bellamy up front together, there are few better sights in international football than those two running at defences. Okay so they're not 100% consistent but who is? A Premiership team with the Welsh attitude (throw the kids in if they're good enough and play with two pacy frontmen) would be lauded to high heavens.
C-man Posted 6 September 2006 Posted 6 September 2006 Two questions. 1. Why was it played at White Hart Lane? 2. Why were there only 22,000? Surely Brazil are a bigger incentve to watch than that figure. I mean its only 3000 more than Leicester vs Southend
Magictv Posted 6 September 2006 Posted 6 September 2006 Two questions. 1. Why was it played at White Hart Lane? 2. Why were there only 22,000? Surely Brazil are a bigger incentve to watch than that figure. I mean its only 3000 more than Leicester vs Southend Because most people couldn't give a toss about paying high prices to watch a meaningless friendly...(I think it was a friendly )
C-man Posted 6 September 2006 Posted 6 September 2006 Because most people couldn't give a toss about paying high prices to watch a meaningless friendly...(I think it was a friendly ) 60,000 people gave a toss about paying high prices to watch a meaningless friendly that was Argentina vs Brazil.
lcfc_jme Posted 6 September 2006 Posted 6 September 2006 60,000 people gave a toss about paying high prices to watch a meaningless friendly that was Argentina vs Brazil. That's viewed as one of the best games possible in world football though, and I guess many fans that weren't from Brazil or Argentina just wanted to watch a high quality of football and enjoy a great game.
C-man Posted 7 September 2006 Posted 7 September 2006 That's viewed as one of the best games possible in world football though, and I guess many fans that weren't from Brazil or Argentina just wanted to watch a high quality of football and enjoy a great game. Whereas Wales is about 3 hours drive max away from London. Most England fans travel that much to see them in friendlies at Old Trafford
Finnegan Posted 7 September 2006 Posted 7 September 2006 To answer some various questions / statements: 1. Why was it played at White Hart Lane? The same reason they played Argentina at the Emirates, the fixture was Brazil's home friendly and so a neutral European ground was chosen as most of the Brazilian players played in this continent. England was chosen most likely as a venue as most of our players play here and Toshack and the FAW would have wanted to minimize travel to try and take advantage, as best as possible, of our week off. 2. Why were there only 22,000? Surely Brazil are a bigger incentve to watch than that figure. I mean its only 3000 more than Leicester vs Southend Tickets were actually greatly more expensive than friendlies at the Millenium Stadium are. £30 top tier, £25 bottom - pretty atrocious really. We were also given a very small allocation of tickets, just a small portion of the north stand and a corner, which considering White Hart Lane isn't MASSIVE is a bit pitiful really. The rest of the ground was likely packed with Brazil's rent a fans, though I wasn't able to get to the game myself (can't afford £25) so I can't tell you for sure. Whereas Wales is about 3 hours drive max away from London. Most England fans travel that much to see them in friendlies at Old Trafford Firstly, as I said, the ticket allocation was rather small and the prices were rather eccentric for a Welsh friendly international. Secondly it was well broadcast that we'd be playing a large portion of our youth team and leaving out some higher profile players (don't laugh ). Thirdly, I believe it was on BBC Wales so that'd probably save a lot of people the journey on a working / school night. Also nice to see a manager who isn't afraid to use Earnshaw and Bellamy up front together Ah, but he is - that's the kicker. Granted, Twatack's a lot better at it than Sparkie was, but it's still greatly infuriating to see our best finisher stumped on the sidelines as Bellamy wastes chance after chance. He's got some mad notion that playing Giggs as a support striker to Bellamy will do the job and leaves Davies in a more central position. Madness. I respect what he's done for our defence, we look a lot more stable and a lot more solid at the back - but IMO it's at the cost of a great potential attacking flair. Surely the best formations are worked around getting all of your best players on the park? It's not like we have any big burley striker to try and squeeze in the side any more and I'm really not convinced we need three centre backs as well as Lewin and Sam. I'm sure the same defensive discipline could be worked in to a 4 - 4 - 2 with Lewin or Bale, Danny Gabs, Collins and either Rickets, Duffy or Rob Edwards IMO. But I'm certainly cheery about the future. If we can't make 08 I'm pretty sure we'll deffo be at 2010. Watch this space, really. PS: The Czech Republic ROBBED us.
Fez of Mahrez Posted 7 September 2006 Author Posted 7 September 2006 Ah, but he is - that's the kicker. Granted, Twatack's a lot better at it than Sparkie was, but it's still greatly infuriating to see our best finisher stumped on the sidelines as Bellamy wastes chance after chance. He's got some mad notion that playing Giggs as a support striker to Bellamy will do the job and leaves Davies in a more central position. Madness. I respect what he's done for our defence, we look a lot more stable and a lot more solid at the back - but IMO it's at the cost of a great potential attacking flair. Surely the best formations are worked around getting all of your best players on the park? It's not like we have any big burley striker to try and squeeze in the side any more and I'm really not convinced we need three centre backs as well as Lewin and Sam. Fair enough, I can't profess to knowing what Toshack has played in the recent past, just was impressed with the way they played at WHL.
Finnegan Posted 7 September 2006 Posted 7 September 2006 Allegedly, he's vowed to start Earnie, Bellamy and Giggs in our forthcoming fixtures, though. So if that's true I'm optimistic. I take it you consider yourself an England fan?
Fez of Mahrez Posted 8 September 2006 Author Posted 8 September 2006 Allegedly, he's vowed to start Earnie, Bellamy and Giggs in our forthcoming fixtures, though. So if that's true I'm optimistic. I take it you consider yourself an England fan? Haha, I'm taking the fifth. Basically with my whole family being Welsh I feel a real affinity for them and try and catch as many of their games as I can but it's difficult sometimes, particularly not having Sky. I certainly supported Wales against England in the qualifiers but generally I support England, yes... I hate the whole fans-and-media attitude though. I would never wear an England shirt, display a St Georges Cross etc. I'm not going to keep anyone else happy but I am content with my strange little arrangement with both nations.
Finnegan Posted 8 September 2006 Posted 8 September 2006 Which score? Brazil beat Wales (u21s ) 2 - 0 with a strong second half display. Czech Reoublic, however, robbed us. 2 - 1. & Fez, that's a weird set up you've got there. Like following Rangers and Celtic, Swansea and Cardiff or Israel and Palestine! But we can't help our genetic make-up, I suppose, or where our folks brought us up.
Manwell Pablo Posted 8 September 2006 Posted 8 September 2006 Which score? Brazil beat Wales (u21s ) 2 - 0 with a strong second half display. Czech Reoublic, however, robbed us. 2 - 1. & Fez, that's a weird set up you've got there. Like following Rangers and Celtic, Swansea and Cardiff or Israel and Palestine! But we can't help our genetic make-up, I suppose, or where our folks brought us up. Not really, they hate each other you see. Where as you hate us, and we really couldn't care less about you, as your not very important . If he suppourted Germany or Scotland as well as England then he may possible have a weird set up.
Finnegan Posted 8 September 2006 Posted 8 September 2006 Hah! We're better than Scotland, you should care more. Though yes, certainly, the Wales / England rivalry is a little weak and a lot more one-sided in football than it is in rugby. The Northern Irish seem to dislike us more than you do. In fact, a large portion of English people I've encountered seem to like to see Wales do well. Most odd. But from a Welsh perspective, the above comparissons are fair. Supporting England, as a Welshman, is a sin.
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