Kalimantan Gull
Well-known member
Robinson
Richards Ferdinand Terry Cole
Barry Hargreaves
Gerrard Rooney Lampard
Owen
would be nice IMO
Richards Ferdinand Terry Cole
Barry Hargreaves
Gerrard Rooney Lampard
Owen
would be nice IMO
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Nurse, Nurse, lock up McClown pleeeease. [Merged]
- Thread starter larus
- Start date
Stinky Kat
Tripping
dropping barry is a disgrace - if anybody should go it gerrard not barry.
And carson in goal - dont see it myself.
If we do qualify I'd still sack Mcclaren - he is just not tattically good enough
And carson in goal - dont see it myself.
If we do qualify I'd still sack Mcclaren - he is just not tattically good enough
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,516
Owen plays shit on his own without a layoff man like Heskey alongside him. Oh, and I like the 4 central midfielders with no natural width.
BensGrandad
New member
If Russia beat Israel so that we cannot qualify, I belive the FA should sack McLaren before the Coatia game because it would be pointless him being in charge and he and the team would get so much abuse. Bring back Bobby Robson as a caretaker manager, even taking into account his age and illness he is better than any others available.
If McClown had made some progress, introduced new players, new tactics etc then I would say yes keep him as sometimes we fail to qualify and move on; but no he has made no headway at all 2 years on and again he is trying Svens failed midfield four so get rid now. He is lost and has no bottle - not good enough with our bunch of primadonna celebrity wannabe players.
However for a new manager to succeed then other changes need to be made throughout the structure from the FA to the players. For example a couple of weeks ago they were complaining about burnout now we are playing a meaningless game against a crap team - purely to fund the FA gravy train while not a light training session?
However for a new manager to succeed then other changes need to be made throughout the structure from the FA to the players. For example a couple of weeks ago they were complaining about burnout now we are playing a meaningless game against a crap team - purely to fund the FA gravy train while not a light training session?
The Large One
Who's Next?
I can see what is going to happen.
Israel stop Russia from winning tomorrow, thereby putting England back in the running. Then we f*** it up against Croatia by virtue of McClaren picking Gerrard and Lampard in the middle purely on account of the fact they have a half-decent match in the nothing game against Austria.
Israel stop Russia from winning tomorrow, thereby putting England back in the running. Then we f*** it up against Croatia by virtue of McClaren picking Gerrard and Lampard in the middle purely on account of the fact they have a half-decent match in the nothing game against Austria.
Barry even succeeds in sounding more eloquent and realistic than McLaren....
"Every team does their best once they are out on the pitch and I'm sure that goes for Israel too," he said.
"Of course, when it comes to the Israel-Russia game, there is not much I can do except pray, keep the fingers crossed and hope for the result to go in our favour.
"But Tel Aviv is a difficult place to go and Israel are well organised, very tough to break down and can be dangerous in attack.
"Then, if the results over the weekend are beneficial to us, we have to make sure we make the most of being given another chance against Croatia next Wednesday."
"Every team does their best once they are out on the pitch and I'm sure that goes for Israel too," he said.
"Of course, when it comes to the Israel-Russia game, there is not much I can do except pray, keep the fingers crossed and hope for the result to go in our favour.
"But Tel Aviv is a difficult place to go and Israel are well organised, very tough to break down and can be dangerous in attack.
"Then, if the results over the weekend are beneficial to us, we have to make sure we make the most of being given another chance against Croatia next Wednesday."
The Large One
Who's Next?
Even 1066 can sound more eloquent and realistic than McLaren. Sometimes.
Man of Harveys
Well-known member
Please be gentle with me, but was I the only person with whom the Croatia coach's words today about England needing to adopt a more modest approach to all of their opponents rang horribly true? My hackles (whatever they are) rise every time I hear the phrase "we should be beating teams like..." whoever, or there's evidence this boring, thuggish vilification of Sven for not just pitching up and walking the world cup last year.
I'd quite like McLaren to be sacked purely to see the next stage in this unresolved dilemma - between the fans, Fleet St, the FA, etc etc, - as to whether England should have the best man for the job, or the best Englishman for the job, because at the moment, they're clearly far from the same thing.
The increasing internationalisation of coaching standards etc. is reducing even further any so-called "easy" international fixtures, but whether you can ever convince a multi-millionaire player that he might actually have to break sweat in order to win is another matter, esp. if he already thinks he's better than his opponents anyway.
I'd quite like McLaren to be sacked purely to see the next stage in this unresolved dilemma - between the fans, Fleet St, the FA, etc etc, - as to whether England should have the best man for the job, or the best Englishman for the job, because at the moment, they're clearly far from the same thing.
The increasing internationalisation of coaching standards etc. is reducing even further any so-called "easy" international fixtures, but whether you can ever convince a multi-millionaire player that he might actually have to break sweat in order to win is another matter, esp. if he already thinks he's better than his opponents anyway.
Dont agree, Croatia are as good as anyone in that group, Russia are probably the strongest in the next group, Ditto with Israel in the next.
Thats not an excuse as we should not be in the postion we are in now, but dont say it was an easy group
Man of Harveys
Well-known member
OK, so, just to check: playing against technically-superior teams - sorry, I'm sure the truth must hurt, but Guus Hiddink got it spot on: England's performance against Russia actually made me laugh out loud (ok, I was in a coffee shop in Amsterdam at the time...). But we had playground games of Wembley Pairs at Longhill with more sophisticated tactics than that, esp. under pressure. But that can be all countered by very arrogantly dismissing whomever you're playing against beforehand? Combined with - let me guess - "a bit of passion"?
Well, so far so good. Who will you be supporting instead next year? As I keep saying, the NSC Plastic Kraut Club is always looking to increase its current membership of one...
Well, so far so good. Who will you be supporting instead next year? As I keep saying, the NSC Plastic Kraut Club is always looking to increase its current membership of one...
Buzzer
Languidly Clinical
- Oct 1, 2006
- 26,121
Me...I'll not really be cheering anyone. You're right though. McLaren's tactics aren't just naive...they're wrong. I know it, you know it. Everyone knows it.
And passion ain't ever gonna be a substitute for ability at the very top.
¡Cereal Killer!
Whale Oil Beef Hooked
Even if if we do qualify, which we won't, I still want to see him sacked.
Totally agree. It's interesting that the next post after yours disagreed with you! We've still got a long, long way to go, it's the whole mindset that needs to change.
Oh hell I can't be bothered ...
What are you talking about MoH? We're ENGLAND for crying out loud! We invented the game and we won the war! Every single country in the world quakes in their boots when they play us, especially at Wembley! Lampard, Gerrard, both Coles, Terry and Ferdinand are all WORLD CLASS and would WALK into any other side! Other nations are GREEN WITH ENVY at the array of talent we have. All we've got to do is sack McClown and get a PROPER manager who believes in PASSION and COMMITTMENT and we'll win the next World Cup easy!
Bevendean Hillbilly
New member
Look at it this way, if you were charged with sorting out an issue at work which meant the survival of your company during a financial year, and you spectacularly failed to do so, would you expect to be told not to worry, better luck next time?
sten_super
Brain Surgeon
I think we're going to have to agree to disagree, but I really can't understand how you can say that. You're trying to tell me that Croatia home and away is as hard as (World Cup finalists) Italy home and away? Or Germany? Really?
You are right, the other teams are technically superior. But there are ways of countering that. The tactics are the main problem, were under Sven as well. The insistence on trying to play some kind of mythical 'International way'. We have to get teams playing to our tempo, to the way we want to play. Which leads me nicely onto my next point...
We need to lose the superiority complex, but we also need to lose this bizarre view we have for the international game, to the point where it's made out to be almost a completely different sport (see constant references to playing 'a different type of football at international level' or the constant whining of commentators on how 'you just can't do that at international level' when the referee blows up for a foul). We need to respect opponents, work out the best way to beat them (which will be almost always trying to play a high tempo natural game) but not get hung up on trying to suit the way they play.
Englands players may not be the best technically, but we do have some very good players, and they are collectively as a group underachieving. Some people on here seem to be of the opinion that we should count ourselves lucky to be able to come third in this group. We shouldn't, we should be winning this group, based on the popularity of the sport in this country, the number of footballers we have playing to a high standard, etc.
saltash seagull
New member
why are isreal the easiest in pool 4?
Man of Harveys
Well-known member
I have to ask: how come either of those reasons mean that England should naturally be better than their opponents in that group when, in fact, actual matches played during qualification - which are really the point, no? - suggest that in fact they're not? That's the point I'm trying to make - assuming that you're better - because you're richer? or lots of people watch Match of the Day? - is the very first stage of inevitably underachieving.
In reality, exactly how many English players are being sought out to play abroad, say, if they're so good? I'd actually say that the money in the Premiership is also making them arrogant, as well as maintaining a brain-thudding ignorance in their heads of the shocking fact that Other Countries Actually Have Good Football Too.
Right, enough, I'm boring myself by saying the same thing and Brovian's said it much better and funnier anyway. So I'm going to change my signature instead.
Pavilionaire
Well-known member
- Jul 7, 2003
- 31,516
One point that hasn't been made is that every time England play the opposition are, effectively, auditioning for a place in a Premier League team.
Players of Israel, Russia and Croatia have everything to play for internationally, both in terms of their future careers AND their national pride. This gives them an edge that we have to try and match. Recent England managers have failed to give already satiated players that desire.
I am firmly of the belief that ONLY a manager like Mourinho who believes he is the best can inspire his players to believe it themselves.
Players of Israel, Russia and Croatia have everything to play for internationally, both in terms of their future careers AND their national pride. This gives them an edge that we have to try and match. Recent England managers have failed to give already satiated players that desire.
I am firmly of the belief that ONLY a manager like Mourinho who believes he is the best can inspire his players to believe it themselves.