Football/Futbol/Soccer thread

[SKS]

Sorry if I offend anyone here, but the England squad is pathetic. Such great names and they barely qualify for the World Cup. Danny Welbeck is complete shite. Leighton Baines is sick though, I like him. I feel like England as a country always hypes up their damn national team but they never win anything anyway.

[PorkChop]

Sorry if I offend anyone here, but the England squad is pathetic. Such great names and they barely qualify for the World Cup. Danny Welbeck is complete shite. Leighton Baines is sick though, I like him. I feel like England as a country always hypes up their damn national team but they never win anything anyway.

Agreed.

[Viazon]

Sorry if I offend anyone here, but the England squad is pathetic. Such great names and they barely qualify for the World Cup. Danny Welbeck is complete shite. Leighton Baines is sick though, I like him. I feel like England as a country always hypes up their damn national team but they never win anything anyway.

That is exactly what we do here. They hype them up to standards they could never achieve and then get angry when they don't achieve them.

[Daz]

The last time we had a really strong team to challenge for a trophy was probably Euro 1996. Maybe 1998. Since then we've had players like Owen Hagreaves in the squad and in one particular tournament, was arguably our strongest player ... which says a lot. Last competition, we had to rely on Andy Carroll of all people to help get us out of the group stages. Andy Carroll shouldn't be anywhere near the England team on his best day quite frankly.

I think England as a nation are more pessimistic towards the national team nowadays so perhaps, without the pressure there, we might actually turn up at the World Cup in Brazil and bloody try but I'm not gonna hold my breath

[prophet]

Yeah expectation surrounding the National team has definitely lowered but personally I love the buzz surrounding a World Cup or the Euro's. Without sounding patronizing nobody from the US really understands how it feels here when a big tournament is on and it's really the media that hype the team up to stupid lengths. Anyone with a half-decent working knowledge of Football is a realist on England's chances to actually win anything. The World Cup will likely be won by Brazil, Argentina or Uruguay because the climate will stifle a lot of the European teams.

I feel like as a country we're all so negative towards the National team for no reason at all. Everyone loves to have a pop at England because they're all so passionate about their clubs. When I was a kid I LOVED watching England play - it always brought everyone together and as a nation we were so passionate. Nowadays it's always a 'Club or Country' thing but I for one don't understand why we can't be both. Perhaps I'm just old-fashioned (and it saddens me that being a passionate England fan is old-fashioned these days)

I'm realistic about our chances next year. We won't win. We'll likely struggle to get out of the group then go out on penalties to a lesser team - that's just what we do. I've still put a fiver on us to win it though because I'm damn proud to support my country.

At least we're not Scotland...or Wales...or Ireland...

[AkydefGoldberg]

This time round, there does seem to be an acceptance that there isn't going to be the "WE CAN WIN THE WORLD CUP!!!" talk due to the WC 2010. There seems to be pragamatism and realism in fans, media expectations but in a way should help England's players. Each tournament they've been expected to do so well and failed, hopefully downplaying expectations might release that bit of pressure and they might do better than a knock-out round exit that happened in 2010. If they get to the quarters, it'd be an achievement considering it's in South America where one of those teams will win for me.

P.S Hodgson needs to work on his half time team talks. Players probably didn't understand it until he said feed the monkey lol. Glad the FA took quick action and Roy apologised for any offence quickly unlike other players involved in race cases.

[Daz]

This time round, there does seem to be an acceptance that there isn't going to be the "WE CAN WIN THE WORLD CUP!!!" talk due to the WC 2010. There seems to be pragamatism and realism in fans, media expectations but in a way should help England's players. Each tournament they've been expected to do so well and failed, hopefully downplaying expectations might release that bit of pressure and they might do better than a knock-out round exit that happened in 2010. If they get to the quarters, it'd be an achievement considering it's in South America where one of those teams will win for me.

P.S Hodgson needs to work on his half time team talks. Players probably didn't understand it until he said feed the monkey lol. Glad the FA took quick action and Roy apologised for any offence quickly unlike other players involved in race cases.

i find everything about that story entirely ridiculous. how can someone in a position like england manager be so careless in his choice of phrasing? it's also rather funny to see how we as a nation are so quick to sweep it under the rug as not to take the shine off qualifying on tuesday.

[prophet]

P.S Hodgson needs to work on his half time team talks. Players probably didn't understand it until he said feed the monkey lol. Glad the FA took quick action and Roy apologised for any offence quickly unlike other players involved in race cases.

Disagree with this.

Hodgson didn't mean any offence and none was taken, as confirmed by Townsend and Rooney. Typical English tabloids shit-stirring and causing bother where there isn't any. If they're behind the team as much as they claim to be they'd get off Roy's back.

[PorkChop]

P.S Hodgson needs to work on his half time team talks. Players probably didn't understand it until he said feed the monkey lol. Glad the FA took quick action and Roy apologised for any offence quickly unlike other players involved in race cases.

Disagree with this.

Hodgson didn't mean any offence and none was taken, as confirmed by Townsend and Rooney. Typical English tabloids shit-stirring and causing bother where there isn't any. If they're behind the team as much as they claim to be they'd get off Roy's back.

Agreed. The whole thing is ridiculous, it isn't even newsworthy. Utter bollocks.

[AkydefGoldberg]

P.S Hodgson needs to work on his half time team talks. Players probably didn't understand it until he said feed the monkey lol. Glad the FA took quick action and Roy apologised for any offence quickly unlike other players involved in race cases.

Disagree with this.

Hodgson didn't mean any offence and none was taken, as confirmed by Townsend and Rooney. Typical English tabloids shit-stirring and causing bother where there isn't any. If they're behind the team as much as they claim to be they'd get off Roy's back.

I'd agree but I wasn't criticising on what was said and who took offence and the sensationalism of it, agree with you on that. But just a weird analogy to use but the players didn't seem to get it until the end of the joke and it's reported that some sniggered.

Rumours going round Defoe may have been the one who leaked the story. Or a player not playing.

[PorkChop]

Who reckons that Moyes will still be United manager at the end of the season?

[Enygma]

Change that sig Daz...

[prophet]

Had a 9-fold on and the only team to let me down

[AkydefGoldberg]

Who reckons that Moyes will still be United manager at the end of the season?

Sorry to disappoint but he will be.

If we make 3rd/4th place I'd take it. CL qualification is a must; if we didn't make it the teams around us would and hence next season would be even tougher to get back into. We've seen with how hard it has been for Liverpool to make it back into the CL and I can't say confidently that it won't happen to us because we could experience a year or two out of the CL with Moyes but realistically, if worse came to worse, maybe only a year. Glazers will be worried if we didn't make the CL but with SAF as a director and ambassador, any decision to remove Moyes would probably be done with his input but Glazers could do it themselves as they own the club.

BUT a long way to go yet in the season. By end of December, I think we'll be able to assess what the goal is for the end of the campaign.

If we can get in the top four, and a domestic trophy would signal a positive start for Moyes considering it took SAF four years for the first trophy.

Today, it's not Moyes' fault that the team didn't get a much needed second goal although unfortunate to hit the bar twice and it seems Boruc made some good saves but substituitions and assessing the game, that's Moyes' job and I think he got it wrong. Giggs gets his customary sub appearance which is nice for him but not so much for us.

Januzaj signing a new deal is excellent news and calms down any fears we'd lost him aka Pogba. His role under Moyes' reign is the only positivity for me atm besides Rooney's return to form.

[prophet]

Today, it's not Moyes' fault that the team didn't get a much needed second goal although unfortunate to hit the bar twice and it seems Boruc made some good saves but substituitions and assessing the game, that's Moyes' job and I think he got it wrong. Giggs gets his customary sub appearance which is nice for him but not so much for us.

I'll disagree slightly with this. My boss is a season ticket holder at United and he wasn't impressed with Moyes at all today. When you're only 1-0 up and not 100% in control bringing Giggs on is a bad tactical decision. Sure it's lovely that Giggs' appearance tally gets bigger and bigger but at his age he's not capable of playing left wing - particularly not when the team needs a solid final 15 full of running. He also took Fellaini off for Welbeck which I can't understand when you're trying to keep the lead.

I think Moyes will be given plenty of time but at the moment he's struggling.

[AkydefGoldberg]

Today, it's not Moyes' fault that the team didn't get a much needed second goal although unfortunate to hit the bar twice and it seems Boruc made some good saves but substituitions and assessing the game, that's Moyes' job and I think he got it wrong. Giggs gets his customary sub appearance which is nice for him but not so much for us.

I'll disagree slightly with this. My boss is a season ticket holder at United and he wasn't impressed with Moyes at all today. When you're only 1-0 up and not 100% in control bringing Giggs on is a bad tactical decision. Sure it's lovely that Giggs' appearance tally gets bigger and bigger but at his age he's not capable of playing left wing - particularly not when the team needs a solid final 15 full of running. He also took Fellaini off for Welbeck which I can't understand when you're trying to keep the lead.

I think Moyes will be given plenty of time but at the moment he's struggling.

I think we are both in agreement as in my post, I talked of Moyes not assessing the games properly and that included the substitutions.

Giggs WAS a phenomenal player but alot of the United fans I read and speak with online are of the same opinion; the less he plays, the better. His tempo against a pressing team like Southampton can't handle it and he's ideal against lower teams at home and a squad player in cup games.

Fellaini was awful today so can understand that and Welbeck is useless besides the odd good game as he has no shooting boots in him.

[Viazon]

Yeah boi!! Top of the table again. Draws for United and Liverpool. Got a little gap at the top now. We have Liverpool soon so a result against them would be ideal.

[Daz]

Thought 4 - 1 was a very flattering scoreline for Arsenal but I won't deny the goals were absolutely outstanding. The first was beyond belief and then Ramsay's was just an absolute joke. How on earth are you gonna stop that?

[Viazon]

Thought 4 - 1 was a very flattering scoreline for Arsenal but I won't deny the goals were absolutely outstanding. The first was beyond belief and then Ramsay's was just an absolute joke. How on earth are you gonna stop that?

You don't stop Rambo.

[AkydefGoldberg]

The first goal was absolutely beautiful - a physical picture that shows just how confident this team seems to be atm. Goal of the season so far.

Ramsey, just don't know how this has happened that he's gone from groans from the stands to being compared to Zidane. I was thinking at some point last year how United were lucky Arsenal got Ramsey but atm, with our midfield, wouldn't say no to him atm.