International Footy

[dogadug]

Brazil struggled to qualify for the 2002 World Cup and won the thing, though I would agree they were the exception rather than the rule and that right now Argentina look as far away from winning the World Cup as they ever have.

But Argentina will most likely just scrape through, which if they do, they'll have almost a year to sort out the team, and if needs be get a new manager to replace Maradona, ready for the world cup, in which they'd probably be a much better team.

[Joe.]

Our defence is too mistake prone for us to be in with a chance in my opinion.

[dandannieldanok]

But Argentina will most likely just scrape through, which if they do, they'll have almost a year to sort out the team, and if needs be get a new manager to replace Maradona, ready for the world cup, in which they'd probably be a much better team.

They won't sack him if they make the world cup. Despite his apparent lack of managerial quality Maradona is a national hero, and they'd probably be reluctant to sack him even if they didn't make it.

[Joe.]

About Johnson "not being able to defend" - he can. But there's no doubt it's a weak are of his game. However, he's clearly good enough going forward, which is a major boost to an attacking side. It takes a lot of pressure off the winger, which can only be a good thing. He's got another nine months with one of the best teams in the world to improve his defensive game.

[lavrentis]

I think its a bit contradictory to say the "worlds best right back defender" can't defend. He did a good job last night, he can defend fine imo.

[Fox92]

How many 'world class' players do they have?

Who Germany? Well, I count Ballack, Frings, Lahm and perhaps Klose.

Brazil - Kaka, Alves and Lucio are probably the world class players out of the 11.

Italy - Pirlo and De Rossi are perhaps the world class players.

Holland - Snieder, Robben and you could even count Van Nistelrooy who is one of the greatest strikers ever.

Spain - Iker Casiallas is probably the best keeper in the world, Fabregas, Silva, Torres and Villa all count for me.

Yeah I have.

What's the problem with him bombing forward if he's going to set up goals the way he did last night? I love to see attacking full backs, and 3 at the back isn't a problem is it? There's two strikers, the winger is forced to track Johnson. Win win.

Players get beaten sometimes, it's not the end of the world. There should still be people defending the cross shouldn't there? All the attention from last nights goal was on him, when there wasn't a word said on the reactions of the defenders once Green made the first save.

At the end of the day, you don't get bought for £17 million by one of the biggest clubs in the World if you can't defend.

Thats fine to say and I say that alot, but you could easily say that you don't get brought for 7million by a big Premiership club if you can't score - and he couldn't to be honest; Carl Cort.

[Budweiser]

Who Germany? Well, I count Ballack, Frings, Lahm and perhaps Klose.

Brazil - Kaka, Alves and Lucio are probably the world class players out of the 11.

Italy - Pirlo and De Rossi are perhaps the world class players.

Holland - Snieder, Robben and you could even count Van Nistelrooy who is one of the greatest strikers ever.

Spain - Iker Casiallas is probably the best keeper in the world, Fabregas, Silva, Torres and Villa all count for me.

Thats fine to say and I say that alot, but you could easily say that you don't get brought for 7million by a big Premiership club if you can't score - and he couldn't to be honest; Carl Cort.

[Fox92]

Whats wrong with that?

[Darkzzz_]

Who Germany? Well, I count Ballack, Frings, Lahm and perhaps Klose.

Brazil - Kaka, Alves and Lucio are probably the world class players out of the 11.

Italy - Pirlo and De Rossi are perhaps the world class players.

Holland - Snieder, Robben and you could even count Van Nistelrooy who is one of the greatest strikers ever.

Spain - Iker Casiallas is probably the best keeper in the world, Fabregas, Silva, Torres and Villa all count for me.

Thats fine to say and I say that alot, but you could easily say that you don't get brought for 7million by a big Premiership club if you can't score - and he couldn't to be honest; Carl Cort.

Xavi and Iniesta seemed to have disappeared from your list and I still believe Buffon to be the best in the world, kept Italy in their last two games to be honest.

[Joe.]

Who Germany? Well, I count Ballack, Frings, Lahm and perhaps Klose.

Brazil - Kaka, Alves and Lucio are probably the world class players out of the 11.

Italy - Pirlo and De Rossi are perhaps the world class players.

Holland - Snieder, Robben and you could even count Van Nistelrooy who is one of the greatest strikers ever.

Spain - Iker Casiallas is probably the best keeper in the world, Fabregas, Silva, Torres and Villa all count for me.

And the rest. Brazil have got far more world class players than your supposed three. That's pretty much why they're one of the best teams in the world. And Van Nistelrooy world class? Not anymore. And Pirlo? The same again for me. And Ballack. And Klose.

[lildave3]

Alves isn't even a regular in the Brazil team.

[Fox92]

Xavi and Iniesta seemed to have disappeared from your list and I still believe Buffon to be the best in the world, kept Italy in their last two games to be honest.

Ooops, yes I seem to have missed them two out who are most probably the best midfield pair in the world

[Radovan's Caravan]

Some of your journo's are clogging up the newswires down here. They all appear to lack something in the irony department.

To a man they all concur - Fabio Capello has changed the way that England play. England can now be seen as a passing team.

There is then a collective gleeful rubbing of hands as they all chime that for the first time in a World Cup since 1966 the climatic conditions in South Africa will suit England's style of play.

So what style would that be then mes vieux fruits? Would that be England's newly adopted 'passing' game so beloved in the Med and the tropics?

Or would it be that ancient, artless, ****witted hoofing sport re enacted weekly for the dumb masses of England and euphemistically and reverentially referred to by your ignorant pundits as 'the long ball (bollock more like) game'?

[dandannieldanok]

Some of your journo's are clogging up the newswires down here. They all appear to lack something in the irony department.

To a man they all concur - Fabio Capello has changed the way that England play. England can now be seen as a passing team.

There is then a collective gleeful rubbing of hands as they all chime that for the first time in a World Cup since 1966 the climatic conditions in South Africa will suit England's style of play.

So what style would that be then mes vieux fruits? Would that be England's newly adopted 'passing' game so beloved in the Med and the tropics?

Or would it be that ancient, artless, ****witted hoofing sport re enacted weekly for the dumb masses of England and euphemistically and reverentially referred to by your ignorant pundits as 'the long ball (bollock more like) game'?

No-one has suggested that the climatic conditions will suit our "style of play", instead they've been rightly saying that it will suit our players and their comfort more than some others from warmer countries.

[davieG]

Some of your journo's are clogging up the newswires down here. They all appear to lack something in the irony department.

To a man they all concur - Fabio Capello has changed the way that England play. England can now be seen as a passing team.

There is then a collective gleeful rubbing of hands as they all chime that for the first time in a World Cup since 1966 the climatic conditions in South Africa will suit England's style of play.

So what style would that be then mes vieux fruits? Would that be England's newly adopted 'passing' game so beloved in the Med and the tropics?

Or would it be that ancient, artless, ****witted hoofing sport re enacted weekly for the dumb masses of England and euphemistically and reverentially referred to by your ignorant pundits as 'the long ball (bollock more like) game'?

Eloquent and educated you may be but you are the most boring repetitive poster and the chief cause of mental weariness

We've got the message you don't like or rate English football well done.

I'd guess most on here don't really care what you think about it so please try and post something different.

[Radovan's Caravan]

No-one has suggested that the climatic conditions will suit our "style of play", instead they've been rightly saying that it will suit our players and their comfort more than some others from warmer countries.

Is that so? Well how do you explain this:

'The other reason is the weather. In South Africa it will be cooler even than in England at the same time of year. This will suit the high-tempo game that comes naturally to English players.'

Patrick Barclay (The Times)

Goal.com

Perhaps your most respected high brow observer of the game...

[TrickyTrev]

Have you watched the last two England games?

He bombs forward and we leave 3 at the back every time. Terry was playing RB for most of last night.

He also got skinned on two occasions by Slovenian's on Saturday. his positioning is shocking and eaves us exposed at the back where we will will get done over by semi decent sides.

Presumably he is told to bomb forward, Capello has made it clear that he gets very angry when players do not follow his instructions. The 'Johnson can't defend' parade reminds me of when Ashley Cole first bombed on to the scene, whilst it is true that GJ attacking is the strong suit to his game, his weaknesses are being greatly over exaggerated. It is like people are yearning for a typical English converted centre in a doomed attempt to prove that a full backs first job is to defend. It is one of the most important attacking positions on the pitch, personally I am delighted we finally have two genuinely exciting full backs capable of doing the job.

[Finnegan]

Eloquent and educated you may be but you are the most boring repetitive poster and the chief cause of mental weariness

We've got the message you don't like or rate English football well done.

I'd guess most on here don't really care what you think about it so please try and post something different.

Seriously.

I wouldn't mind but it's clearly a wind up but it's not even like anyone's biting. I can't stand the England football team but you've got to be a complete fucking disabled to not be impressed by the turn around they've had, really. From a bunch of underperforming, no-hope wasters who could barely put two past the likes of Lichenstein to thumping Croatia twice?

Massive achievement, really, and huge turn around.

[TrickyTrev]

Is that so? Well how do you explain this:

'The other reason is the weather. In South Africa it will be cooler even than in England at the same time of year. This will suit the high-tempo game that comes naturally to English players.'

Patrick Barclay (The Times)

Goal.com

Perhaps your most respected high brow observer of the game...

English clubs play pressing defense, as do most European teams since the 80's . It is very hard to do this in 35 degree heat. There is a reason no European team has won the World Cup outside of Europe (or South American team in Europe.) Its a perfectly valid point.

[dandannieldanok]

Is that so? Well how do you explain this:

'The other reason is the weather. In South Africa it will be cooler even than in England at the same time of year. This will suit the high-tempo game that comes naturally to English players.'

Patrick Barclay (The Times)

Goal.com

Perhaps your most respected high brow observer of the game...

"High-tempo" isn't necessarily a style of play, it's a facet of our play and most of the other top nations too.

[Radovan's Caravan]

Seriously.

I wouldn't mind but it's clearly a wind up but it's not even like anyone's biting. I can't stand the England football team but you've got to be a complete fucking disabled to not be impressed by the turn around they've had, really. From a bunch of underperforming, no-hope wasters who could barely put two past the likes of Lichenstein to thumping Croatia twice?

Massive achievement, really, and huge turn around.

This blob of vicarious bile anything to do with events in Cardiff last night ?

MASSIVE achievement eh? Are you not damning England with hyperbole (good on you if your true intention is to insult them!)? Did they just win the World Cup when I wasn't looking? Or have they just done what every other major footballing power does routinely - QUALIFY automatically with a game or two in hand?

When you start thumping the likes of France, Germany, Italy, Holland etc in the knock out phase of a major tournament it might be appropriate to use colourful terms to describe a victory - but not a superlative like 'massive.' No, an adjective like that is used to connote a giant killing act - defeating the masters of the game in a major final.

And as we all know 'giant killers' never get that far in a World Cup.

[dandannieldanok]

This blob of vicarious bile anything to do with events in Cardiff last night ?

MASSIVE achievement eh? Are you not damning England with hyperbole (good on you if your true intention is to insult them!)? Did they just win the World Cup when I wasn't looking? Or have they just done what every other major footballing power does routinely - QUALIFY automatically with a game or two in hand?

Take a closer look at the qualifying campaigns of Argentina, France, and Portugal before saying this. It would just be easier for you to come out and say you hate England and think we're useless.

[Radovan's Caravan]

Eloquent and educated you may be but you are the most boring repetitive poster and the chief cause of mental weariness

We've got the message you don't like or rate English football well done.

I'd guess most on here don't really care what you think about it so please try and post something different.

That would raise a few guffaws/hoots of derision in a few common rooms - but thanks for the ego boost.

Somwhat odd don't you think that a very boring poster such as yours truly seems to attract an awful lot of 'fan mail'?

[Finnegan]

This blob of vicarious bile anything to do with events in Cardiff last night ?

MASSIVE achievement eh? Are you not damning England with hyperbole (good on you if your true intention is to insult them!)? Did they just win the World Cup when I wasn't looking? Or have they just done what every other major footballing power does routinely - QUALIFY automatically with a game or two in hand?

When you start thumping the likes of France, Germany, Italy, Holland etc in the knock out phase of a major tournament it might be appropriate to use colourful terms to describe a victory - but not a superlative like 'massive.' No, an adjective like that is used to connote a giant killing act - defeating the masters of the game in a major final.

And as we all know 'giant killers' never get that far in a World Cup.

I think we were brilliant in Cardiff last night, in all fairness. Relative to our standards I think we battled well and could have taken a point from the game (as, by Hiddink's admission, we very well could have done in Moscow) and didn't deserve a two goal losing margin. It was a performance to be proud of.

About, hm, eighteen months ago I posted a hugely, hugely scathing tirade about the English football team when someone had the audacity to take the piss out of the Welsh. I wrote some empassioned rant about how the English should be ashamed of their awful under achievements and how they're shameless prima donnas and overpayed, unemotional, uninspired garbage.

But things have changed and the important word here is relativity. Wales were shit last night by the standards of international super stardom - but you have to look at our recent trends and think, well, in all fairness we were excellent given what's at our disposal and where we've been. You can't judge England and Capello's impact purely on the sum of their parts; you have to look beyond that to what's been literally about a decade or more of a diabolical English side. A team whose own fans hated watching them, a team lambasted for being boring, a team who made hard work of even the most pointless opposition.

Like or loathe the English, Capello has come in and stripped the side of it's ego and built it up afresh with renewed confidence and vigor. They now go out and smash sides as they rightfully should. Yes, the game in Spain was a wake up call and I was cheering on the Spanish that night - delighted to see the English shown for what they are - a second tier international outfit. But relative to where the English have been and where they were when Capello took over? Yeah I think 'massive achievement' is a fair description.

You're either on the wind up (in which case I salute you, because you've far more persistence and determination than me - I'd have given up long ago when barely any of these lads were biting at your somewhat boring drivel) or you're a ridiculously bitter, ridiculously jealous little man trying your best to pretend the English don't have very good cause to be - finally - celebrating their national team with the same enthusiasm as their tabloids.

[Brainy]

Is that so? Well how do you explain this:

'The other reason is the weather. In South Africa it will be cooler even than in England at the same time of year. This will suit the high-tempo game that comes naturally to English players.'

Patrick Barclay (The Times)

Goal.com

Perhaps your most respected high brow observer of the game...

I haven't given Patrick Barclay permission to speak on my behalf