World Cup 2014 - Official Thread

[Dan]

I give up, absolutely ridiculous. That starting Eleven isn't great, far from it.

We'll see come the World Cup, hopefully a lot of you will remember this debate and comeback and say you were wrong when England beat them.

 

Who's doing the 'vilifying' now eh? Blinkered stuff from you as per usual.

[Manwell Pablo]

I give up, absolutely ridiculous. That starting Eleven isn't great, far from it.

We'll see come the World Cup, hopefully a lot of you will remember this debate and comeback and say you were wrong when England beat them.

 

Again......no one is saying it is.

 

It's just better than ours. 

 

We could well beat them, hopefully we do, to put it into perspective it'll be the best result we've had at a major tournament since beating Argentina though so don't hold your breath. 

[Uncle Albert]

I've never said the word 'vilifying' in any post regarding this?

Fool.

[Dan]

I've never said the word 'vilifying' in any post regarding this?

Fool.

 

Bert referring to someone (most likely me) for 'vilifying' you on this topic when it's pretty clear who's the main one at it.

 

I could imagine us drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica in he World Cup and you coming out with "we clearly looked the better side"

[Bert]

Wasn't referring to anyone, was a general consensus.

[Uncle Albert]

Bert referring to someone (most likely me) for 'vilifying' you on this topic when it's pretty clear who's the main one at it.

 

I could imagine us drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica in he World Cup and you coming out with "we clearly looked the better side"

I can imagine who you are in real life but I'll hold back as I can't be arsed getting banned off here again.

[MC Prussian]

I can imagine who you are in real life but I'll hold back as I can't be arsed getting banned off here again.

We were actually on track for a really interesting debate regarding England's place in the football world and then you spoil it again by acting in such a childish way.

 

Really?

[Dan]

I can imagine who you are in real life but I'll hold back as I can't be arsed getting banned off here again.

 

What's that even supposed to mean?

 

Go for it then Sherlock.

[Uncle Albert]

We were actually on track for a really interesting debate regarding England's place in the football world and then you spoil it again by acting in such a childish way.

Really?

Bollocks.

We've been discussing it for 2 days and got nowhere, if he wants to have digs at me then I'll return them.

[Donut]

I've never said the word 'vilifying' in any post regarding this?

Fool.

 

 

You dont use the term "vilifying" buy you vilify all and sundry by calling them out and insulting them in the posts you make.

 

This post has an interesting discussion about our relative strength and that our rivals and its being reduced to rubble by petty chatroom style threats.

[MC Prussian]

Bollocks.

We've been discussing it for 2 days and got nowhere, if he wants to have digs at me then I'll return them.

You're proving the point I made earlier.

 

There's always the PM option, you know...

[Stadt]

Croatia's Simunic will miss the World Cup with a 10 game ban for leading a fascist chant

[Charnwood Norris]

Rooney, Gerrard, Cole, Baines, Townsend would get into the current Italy team.

 

They have better goalkeeper and centre backs, with Pirlo and De Rossi and Balotelli.   

 

Thats 5 players a piece.  I would say we are even with Italy at this moment.

 

They were pretty poor in qualifying. Nearly beaten by Bulgaria, drew with Armenia, Denmark and Czech - weaker teams than Montenegro and Ukraine in my opinion.   They have lost friendlies with African nations in recent years, we have never lost to an African side. They also drew 2-2 with Haiti in a friendly in the summer - a tiny island that were ranked below Estonia at the time. 

[Father Ted]

Gerrard would never get into that team. This may be controversial I know (and I await the backlash and essay from Uncle Albert) but for me, I wouldn't start all games with Gerrard starting. The problem with him is that everything must go through him and without him, other midfielders can express themselves more. It was a very valid point made by Danny Mills on MOTD2 about Jordan Henderson last night about how he flourished without Gerrard in there with him. I'm not saying Gerrard hasn't got the leadership or set piece qualities but he isn't the driving force he was 5 years ago. The only problem with dropping him is that the alternatives really aren't much. Perhaps if Barry keeps up his Everton form, along with Barkley there could be something there. I wouldn't take Lampard either. 

[Donut]

Rooney, Gerrard, Cole, Baines, Townsend would get into the current Italy team.

 

They have better goalkeeper and centre backs, with Pirlo and De Rossi and Balotelli.   

 

Thats 5 players a piece.  I would say we are even with Italy at this moment.

 

They were pretty poor in qualifying. Nearly beaten by Bulgaria, drew with Armenia, Denmark and Czech - weaker teams than Montenegro and Ukraine in my opinion.   They have lost friendlies with African nations in recent years, we have never lost to an African side. They also drew 2-2 with Haiti in a friendly in the summer - a tiny island that were ranked below Estonia at the time. 

 

Well, not together though so its not really 5-5 and they wouldnt play with a back 4 anyway so im not sure they be all that effective. Townsend as well? not sure.

 

Only time will tell

[Charnwood Norris]

Gerrard would never get into that team. This may be controversial I know (and I await the backlash and essay from Uncle Albert) but for me, I wouldn't start all games with Gerrard starting. The problem with him is that everything must go through him and without him, other midfielders can express themselves more. It was a very valid point made by Danny Mills on MOTD2 about Jordan Henderson last night about how he flourished without Gerrard in there with him. I'm not saying Gerrard hasn't got the leadership or set piece qualities but he isn't the driving force he was 5 years ago. The only problem with dropping him is that the alternatives really aren't much. Perhaps if Barry keeps up his Everton form, along with Barkley there could be something there. I wouldn't take Lampard either. 

Barry and Osman have both been better than Lampard and Gerrard so far this season.   Both are what 32 years old?  Thats the thing.

But we miss goal threat without Lampard, he also seems to up a gear in big games and is probably our best penalty taker.

[Charnwood Norris]

Well, not together though so its not really 5-5 and they wouldnt play with a back 4 anyway so im not sure they be all that effective. Townsend as well? not sure.

 

Only time will tell

 

I was just saying that 5 of our players would get into the Italy team at the moment, and 5 of theres would get into our team.

[Dan]

Rooney, Gerrard, Cole, Baines, Townsend would get into the current Italy team.

 

They have better goalkeeper and centre backs, with Pirlo and De Rossi and Balotelli.   

 

Thats 5 players a piece.  I would say we are even with Italy at this moment.

 

They were pretty poor in qualifying. Nearly beaten by Bulgaria, drew with Armenia, Denmark and Czech - weaker teams than Montenegro and Ukraine in my opinion.   They have lost friendlies with African nations in recent years, we have never lost to an African side. They also drew 2-2 with Haiti in a friendly in the summer - a tiny island that were ranked below Estonia at the time. 

 

Townsend?! Disagree. Baines/Cole both would I agree but that doesn't make it 5-5. Gerrard in my opinion wouldn't now, Rooney probably would.

 

How many of theirs would get into ours? Buffon, Abate, Chiellini, Bonucci/Barzagli, Pirlo, Insigne and Balotelli all have a case. Insigne would walk into our side but Italy don't really use wingers.

 

Gerrard would never get into that team. This may be controversial I know (and I await the backlash and essay from Uncle Albert) but for me, I wouldn't start all games with Gerrard starting. The problem with him is that everything must go through him and without him, other midfielders can express themselves more. It was a very valid point made by Danny Mills on MOTD2 about Jordan Henderson last night about how he flourished without Gerrard in there with him. I'm not saying Gerrard hasn't got the leadership or set piece qualities but he isn't the driving force he was 5 years ago. The only problem with dropping him is that the alternatives really aren't much. Perhaps if Barry keeps up his Everton form, along with Barkley there could be something there. I wouldn't take Lampard either. 

 

Henderson's really grown on me. Rodgers is exactly the type of manager I like to see in the Premier League - progressive, ambitious and gives a chance to youngsters. It's a shame he's in a minority.

[Uncle Albert]

Gareth Barry and Leon Osman have been better than Steven Gerrard this season? Wow. I'm done.

If that's what you have to contend with in this thread than..

[Kitchandro]

Did you watch either Japan or Italy at the confeds? Clearly better than us.

 

You don't need no stat to back that up.

[Kitchandro]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25408303

 

 

Josip Simunic: Croatia defender banned for 10 matches

Croatia defender Josip Simunic will miss the 2014 World Cup after being given a 10-match ban by Fifa for discriminatory behaviour.

Dinamo Zagreb's Simunic, 35, led Croatia fans in a chant with pro-Nazi connotations following their 2-0 World Cup play-off win over Iceland.

"The salute was discriminatory and offended the dignity of a group of persons," Fifa said in a statement.

[Donut]

Simunic is a filthy pond life player, players like him tarnish the world cup. Hacking challenges, and Infamously got the 3 yellow cards from Graeme Poll didnt he?

[Father Ted]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/25408303

Perhaps people will begin to open their eyes and realise that Croatia is the most pro-Nazi country in the world still going. Dangerous. I'm glad they've thrown the book at Simunic, effectively confirms his international retirement, he should have got ten games alone for his tackle on Sulejmani.

[bovril]

Perhaps people will begin to open their eyes and realise that Croatia is the most pro-Nazi country in the world still going. Dangerous. I'm glad they've thrown the book at Simunic, effectively confirms his international retirement, he should have got ten games alone for his tackle on Sulejmani.

You're right. Croatia always comes under much less scrutiny than other countries in the Balkans. Maybe it's this image of sun-kissed islands or the (erroneous) view of them as the victims of the big bad Serbs. Everytime I'm there they seem to be extremely aggressive and nationalistic.

Always been a good team though. Can you imagine how good Yugo could have been? We may even have seen a Balkan World Cup winner.....

[Father Ted]

You're right. Croatia always comes under much less scrutiny than other countries in the Balkans. Maybe it's this image of sun-kissed islands or the (erroneous) view of them as the victims of the big bad Serbs. Everytime I'm there they seem to be extremely aggressive and nationalistic.

Always been a good team though. Can you imagine how good Yugo could have been? We may even have seen a Balkan World Cup winner.....

Spot on really, the atrocities in the war were done by all sides, not one side played fairly, NATO and the media were against the Serbs and so that's why we're always made to be the bad guy! 

 

Would be one hell of a team that I reckon would be up there as one of the best. Italia '90 was their best chance with the majority of the Red Star European Cup winning side.

 

Imagine combining the likes of Ivanovic, Kolarov, Subotic, Nastasic, Matic, Kuzmanovic, Tosic (Serbia) Srna, Corluka, Lovren, Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Kovacic, Mandzukic, Olic (Croatia) Begovic, Spahic, Pjanic, Misimovic, Lulic, Rahimic, Ibisevic, Dzeko (Bosnia) Pandev (Macedonia) Handanovic, Birsa, Matavz (Slovenia) Savic, Bakic, Jovetic, Vucinic (Montenegro).

 

That would be one hell of a squad.