England Team Thread

[EJG1980]

Excellent rant on Sky News by ex Liverpool player Craig Johnston. The most hilarious thing is when he talks about research he did into the differences in skill levels between English, Italian, German and French kids. The English kids were so far behind that he wasn't allowed to publish the results!!

It's that heads in the sand attitude that doesn't give me any confidence that the FA's "root and branch" look at what's wrong in English football will lead to any worthwhile changes at all.

[saif]

RB, it was not research as such, I knew those things anyway just thought it would be easier to get confirmation.

I really really don't rate Terry Venables. He has had a decent(ish) record prior to the England job but nothing outstanding. His Barca record was, imho, PAR. I will have to look this up though but (after checking) one league title in three years at Barca is nothing to shout about in all honesty. He did OK at Spurs but no more. His record after England is truly terrible though, well below PAR so it annoys me so much to see him touted for the England ob. Stan Collymore to play up front for England in 2008!!!! It is the same as that.

I have not even touched on the very seedy side of his businesses and that in a court of law he was told he should never come near running a business again....


In terms of your other points, Richards did play wide right. he was the right back after all and that is his second position anyway. Campbell and Lescott played in the centre and Lescott didn''t do much wrong. I think playing Dawson as an inexperienced defender would be the same folly as Carson. Lescott and Carson played due to earlier **** ups by Steve McClaren.

SS004 Our players ARE good enough. I would have accepted that a few years ago as they were turning it on in the premiership but that was it. Now the vast majority also play very well in Champs League and the England players do not look out of place with the other foreign players that DO play well for their national teams.

[EJG1980]

In TV's defence when he won the title at Barcelona it was their first in 11 years, so it wasn't like he took them over in the middle of a period where they were dominant. He also got them to the Champions League final as well. Having said that, I do agree that he is a bit overrated. He got us (Spurs) third place in the league, but we also had a few seasons where we came 10th, 15th, etc., as well.

[MarioMark]

The draw for the World Cup is at 3pm http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...ls/7108163.stm

Our next competitive match is in September 2008. That's aaaaaaaages!

Seedings for European draw:

Pot 1
Italy, Spain, Germany, Czech Republic, France, Portugal, Netherlands, Croatia, Greece.

Pot 2
ENGLAND, Romania, SCOTLAND, Turkey, Bulgaria, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Israel.

Pot 3
Norway, Ukraine, Serbia, Denmark, NORTHERN IRELAND, Republic of Ireland, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium.

Pot 4
Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hungary, Moldova, WALES, FYR Macedonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Cyprus.

Pot 5
Georgia, Albania, Slovenia, Latvia, Iceland, Armenia, Austria, Kazakhastan, Azerbaijan.

Pot 6
Liechenstein, Estonia, Malta, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Andorra, Faroe Islands, San Marino.

[toythatkills]

European draw happening NOW

[toythatkills]

Our World Cup qualifying group, then...

Croatia
England
Ukraine
Belarus
Kazakhstan
Andorra

This is a very good group for us. CROATIA! LOL! You'd expect to be able to finish second and get to the playoff at least and we can definately win it, but then you'd have expected to finish second at worst in the Euro '08 group so who knows.

We gets revenge though I hope.

[MarioMark]

Yes! England have Croatia again! Time for revenge!

[Anpanman]

Don't know, the way we play it's not exactly easy, Croatia and Ukraine can give us a game.

Not sure uf there is a play-off or not, anyone know.

If so then I'd say we have a chance.

[fatbatch]

Drawn Andorra again.

[Anpanman]

Drawn Andorra again.

Yet another reason to worry

[MarioMark]

Top team goes through, 2nd team plays in a play-off against another 2nd place team from another group.

England vs Croatia will be interesting. Croatia are no longer underdogs against us.

[Anpanman]

Interesting, then it's certainly not easy.

England 'on paper' and the way our players 'big' themselves up we should walk it but in reality we always struggle and I'm certainly not taking this for granted.

[toythatkills]

Out of all the pot A teams though, Croatia would have been near the top of the list as to who you'd want to get drawn with. It's obviously not a foregone conclusion but the group is definately winnable with the talent we have, with the right manager

[toythatkills]

Top team goes through, 2nd team plays in a play-off against another 2nd place team from another group.

It's actually the best eight runners up, according to the BBC, so there's a chance that second isn't enough.

1626: For those of you enquiring about Scotland's group. There are only five teams in it, I haven't gone mad. When the groups are finished, the results against the bottom teams in the other eight groups are discounted and the best eight runners-up will face two legged play-offs to qualify. Is that at all clear?!

[MarioMark]

In a strange way it will do us good not qualifying for Euro. It's a wake up call for us now. We've got until September to get a decent manager, sort our selves out, and be well up for it come September after a painful 10 month wait. Sod Euro 2008, it's all about the WORLD CUP!