Poland - does it matter

[GUNTER]

Does anyone actually care whether we win or not on Wednesday. I think a bit of national pride is at stake and hope we can finish top!

 

[Hampden Park]

Does anyone actually care whether we win or not on Wednesday. I think a bit of national pride is at stake and hope we can finish top!

thats about it, Pride.

 

[Napper]

I care.
Want to go to the World cup as group winners + ideally show us that we can turn it on if need be

 

[Pavilionaire]

If the World Cup seedings depend upon us finishing top then yes.

Finishing top will also boost confidence with the players that is all too lacking, judging by recent performance.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Just dont mention the war.

 

[REDLAND]

If the World Cup seedings depend upon us finishing top then yes.

I don't think they do though

 

[Gazwag]

We have to win and play well at the same time, only that will give me a thread of confidence that we will stand a minimal chance of progressing past the group stages.

If we lose, draw or just scrap a win, a la Saturday, I feel we will be embarressed in Germany

 

[aftershavedave]

apparently it might do!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4326420.stm

 

[Hiney]

Sven has a great opportunity to move away from the ridiculously-negative "the result is the most important" attitude that he manages to transfer to his players.

Whether he will or not remains to be seen but regardless of the fact that we have already qualified, this is a BIG game for us.

 

[Easy 10]

The pressures off, there'll be a PARTY atmosphere inside OT, the players will be relaxed, and this will enable them to provide us with a FEAST of confident, free-flowing, slick, imaginative passing football that will leave the crowd breathless and in awe.


Not sure how England will play, mind.

 

[Tooting Gull]

I don't think they do though

They still could. FIFA are yet to announce the exact criteria for seedings, England have a pretty solid achievement record in both World Cup qualifiers, Finals, and Euros (which may not count anyway), and must be in with a shout of top 8.

But we have shot ourselves in the foot by not finishing top and getting harder teams in the past (notably by losing to Romania in the group and getting the Argies in the last 16 at France 98), so we should take any chance going to finish top.

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's a good point about no qualification at stake. However, with England this usually means pretend you're already on the golf course, rather than playing with gay abandon (See England vs Nigeria, 2002).

 

[Gazwag]

The pressures off, there'll be a PARTY atmosphere inside OT, the players will be relaxed, and this will enable them to provide us with a FEAST of confident, free-flowing, slick, imaginative passing football that will leave the crowd breathless and in awe.

And then after the warm up they will go back down the tunnel for the team talk and instructions from the manager, sorry coach, no tea boy, err

 

[Marshy]

Bloody right it matters. Im hoping for a decent performance now the pressure is off and the wonder boy is back.

 

[Wardy]

Bloody right it matters. Im hoping for a decent performance now the pressure is off and the wonder boy is back.

Have to agree. The players need to show the nation, the rest of the world and most of all themselves that they have the ability to perform.

 

[Uncle Buck]

It's a good point about no qualification at stake. However, with England this usually means pretend you're already on the golf course, rather than playing with gay abandon (See England vs Nigeria, 2002).

I still think that Nigeria point was a decision made in so much that England did not want to have to head to the South of Japan for the second round and play an afternoon game in the searing heat. Instead they headed slightly north and got an evening kick off against European opposition that they knew about.

 

[Muhammad - I’m hard - Bruce Lee]

The pressures off, there'll be a PARTY atmosphere inside OT, the players will be relaxed, and this will enable them to provide us with a FEAST of confident, free-flowing, slick, imaginative passing football that will leave the crowd breathless and in awe.


Not sure how England will play, mind.

 

[Easy 10]

I still think that Nigeria point was a decision made in so much that England did not want to have to head to the South of Japan for the second round and play an afternoon game in the searing heat. Instead they headed slightly north and got an evening kick off against European opposition that they knew about.

So they were crap again ON PURPOSE that time.

How reassuring. And convenient.

 

[Uncle Buck]

So they were crap again ON PURPOSES that time.

How reassuring. And convenient.

Crap, hmmm, Scholes hit the bar. The heat was bad, we got the draw that needed to get through, finishing second meant we played Denmark in the evening and not Senegal in the afternoon heat.

Not sure what you mean by convenient, but then most of your Sven rants are clouded by hatred and are not objective, so I guess I should expect little else from you.

Now off you go to curse in the corner or something.

 

[El Presidente]

It's a chance for the likes of SWP and Richardson to put their names down for the WC squad next year, and for Rio to show that he can play football for 90 minutes without daydreaming.

Lots to play for.