Wilshere Flak

[The Year Of The Fox]

It seems like Wilshire is getting a bit of stick for his comments yesterday despite being right in everything he says.

I do wonder what Ozil thought of those comments though.

I don't care what other sports have done or even other national football sides.

If we're gonna be crap let's at least make us 100% English and crap!

[Pride_Of_The_Midlands]

I do wonder what Ozil thought of those comments though.

 

 

Why?

[Finnegan]

Mesut Ozil was born and raised in Gelsenkirchen, Germany.

[The Year Of The Fox]

ok where's his Turkish connection then?

Podolski?

Anyway, my point still stands about the needless flak

[bovril]

He's got a point but all this "we're English, we're hard to beat and tackle hard" stuff is a bit cringeworthy.

[The Horse's Mouth]

Jack the Lad should shut the **** up.

[Finnegan]

ok where's his Turkish connection then?

Podolski?

Anyway, my point still stands about the needless flak

He's third generation Turkish descendant.

Podolski was raised primarily in Germany though was Polish born.

I agree with the heart of what Wilshere said, I'm very liberal with my views on immigration, human migration and cultural identity but when it comes to sport I do think you should have some large link to the country you represent. Ideally, birth.

But he did come across a bit of a twat. This "we're English, we tackle hard, bulldog spirit, etc" stuff was completely contrived and pathetic. It's a shame Januzaj looks like Bambi on ice, I'd have loved for him to have implied some big unit wasn't tough enough because he's not English.

[Guesty]

Kevin Pietersen seems to be having a go at him on Twitter now as well.

 

I do find the hypocrisy of the press quite amusing. When players like Szczesny or Almunia said they might play for England the press took the piss because they're pretty average. But if you're popular and might be a wonderkid like Januzji some journalists find it almost almost blasphemous to say something like Wiltshere did.

[Trav Le Bleu]

This Wilshere Flak sounds like he might be half decent. I say sign him up.

 

What country is he from?

[Corky]

I don't think Januzaj should play for England, however if he was to wait three more years to qualify then I'd have some admiration at missing out on possibly 25 international caps to gain his first with England.

 

In terms of qualifying to play, apart from birth I think it's fine if you have a parent of that nationality or through residency having grown up in a country from primary school age.

[Guest MattP]

Completely right in what he said.

 

Agree with all on the "we're English we tackle" stuff, cringeworthy and shows us again to be behind the rest of the World in football terms.

 

Organisations like Paddy Power are a disgrace as well, even jokingly trying to portray him as a racist for what he said is disgusting.

[The Year Of The Fox]

I didn't hear the, "we're English and hard to beat" crap which is definitely cringeworthy.

He's not being criticised for that though is he?

[Finnegan]

It's not racism unless he comes out and gives an opinion of what "English" is that's particularly offensive. The few quotes I've read made him sound thick as **** (Wilshere always does tbh) but not bigoted.

Obviously if he came out and said, I dunno, Amir Khan or Lenox Lewis shouldn't box under a British flag (I couldn't think of a quick football example, bite me!) that'd be a bit different. But he ain't.

[ealingfox]

Made me laugh because of the 'Jobs for the Boys' air to his comments, especially coming from Jack the Lad.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUTnNKhF-EU

[Corky]

Completely right in what he said.

 

Agree with all on the "we're English we tackle" stuff, cringeworthy and shows us again to be behind the rest of the World in football terms.

 

Organisations like Paddy Power are a disgrace as well, even jokingly trying to portray him as a racist for what he said is disgusting.

 

Just get the Terry Butcher bandaged head picture out and we're sorted.

[kingfox]

The lad should play for Belgium.

 

Wilshere's comments are perfectly acceptable and right in my opinion.

 

End of.

[Guest MattP]

It's not racism unless he comes out and gives an opinion of what "English" is that's particularly offensive. The few quotes I've read made him sound thick as **** (Wilshere always does tbh) but not bigoted.

Obviously if he came out and said, I dunno, Amir Khan or Lenox Lewis shouldn't box under a British flag (I couldn't think of a quick football example, bite me!) that'd be a bit different. But he ain't.

 

It's a damning indictment of modern society in Britain that such comments from Wilshire always end up coming round to even discussing things like this.

 

He's said absolutely nothing wrong, he's expressed an opinion that most people agree with and no doubt some sections of the media will castigate him for it.

[The Year Of The Fox]

Not sure why he's said this at this moment, as well as Redknapps recent comments at such a critical time.

Whilst wilshere has done nothing wrong you knew his comments would be twisted by some media.

[Finnegan]

Don't disagree with that, really.

I do think equal blame sits with both extremes, though. Anyone that's ever written a letter to a primary school asking for Baa Baa Black Sheep not to be sung and anyone who's ever complained about anything less ridiculous than that being "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD!!" is equally culpable for ruining Britain and can go **** off to oingo boingo land together to argue it out for the rest of time and leave the rest of us be to get on with common sense and sensibility.

[purpleronnie]

Don't disagree with that, really.

I do think equal blame sits with both extremes, though. Anyone that's ever written a letter to a primary school asking for Baa Baa Black Sheep not to be sung and anyone who's ever complained about anything less ridiculous than that being "POLITICAL CORRECTNESS GONE MAD!!" is equally culpable for ruining Britain and can go **** off to oingo boingo land together to argue it out for the rest of time and leave the rest of us be to get on with common sense and sensibility.

I'm telling!

[Finnegan]

[Samilktray]

He must be worried Ramsey is gonna get a call up.

[The Year Of The Fox]

This Wilshere Flak sounds like he might be half decent. I say sign him up.

 

What country is he from?

Dunno but hes probably vastly overrated

[Guest Bilo]

He's third generation Turkish descendant.

Podolski was raised primarily in Germany though was Polish born.

I agree with the heart of what Wilshere said, I'm very liberal with my views on immigration, human migration and cultural identity but when it comes to sport I do think you should have some large link to the country you represent. Ideally, birth.

But he did come across a bit of a twat. This "we're English, we tackle hard, bulldog spirit, etc" stuff was completely contrived and pathetic. It's a shame Januzaj looks like Bambi on ice, I'd have loved for him to have implied some big unit wasn't tough enough because he's not English.

 

Pretty much sums it up.

 

I'd hate for football nationality to go the way of rugby union. New Zealand pretty much get the pick of the Pacific Islander talent, leaving the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji out in the dark. I question how much right, brilliant as they are, the likes of Pietersen and Trott have to represent the England cricket team too.

 

I actually think the rules should be tightened up; I believe that a player should play for a country only if they're born there, have at least one parent who was or have been a citizen since before they started their career. 

 

Even the most commonly cited example of a big footballing nation poaching a player from another, that of Zinedine Zidane, involved the player being born in Marseille.

[Corky]

Pretty much sums it up.

 

I'd hate for football nationality to go the way of rugby union. New Zealand pretty much get the pick of the Pacific Islander talent, leaving the likes of Tonga, Samoa and Fiji out in the dark. I question how much right, brilliant as they are, the likes of Pietersen and Trott have to represent the England cricket team too.

 

I actually think the rules should be tightened up; I believe that a player should play for a country only if they're born there, have at least one parent who was or have been a citizen since before they started their career. 

 

Even the most commonly cited example of a big footballing nation poaching a player from another, that of Zinedine Zidane, involved the player being born in Marseille.

 

Pietersen's mother is English.