Carlsberg don't do World Cup draws......

[Easy 10]

Why you there? No, so you would not know, so leave it.

I would say they took a calculated risk that they rather play Denmark in the next round in the evening, towards the north, so conditions were more favourable, rather than play the unkown quantity of Senegal in the South, afternoon kick off in the heat.

Still if it means you can sit there being a bitter old bore and slag Sven off, then off you go. It just makes you look like a fool.

As sure as night follows day

Damn, I'm off in a minute on a half day, so I can't get embroiled in another Sven SLAGFEST. Lets save it for next week when we know the group. I'll put it in my diary.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Point 4 is irrelevent, as you will see that Brazil consistently lose matches IN QUALIFYING. We hardly ever do. Oddly enough, Sven was quoted in the Times this morning that he didn't realise we had that rivalry with the Aussies and so the game didn't feel like a friendly. Apparently if he'd known, he'd never have played it. FFS!

Point 3 is also bordering on unfair since he any manager would have to play one of those players out of position - and that is the problem. Should he just drop one of them? That is the real question.

I agree about the first two though. I guess I just have faith in him. I like his style of management and he certainly has the dressing room. And yes, I know you could argue that it is because the players positions appear safe, but those players are capable of getting some TASTY results, as we have just seen.

I would just leave it. Some of these numpties display a complete lack of football knowledge by the fact they want the long ball tactics of Big Sam in charge.

That says it all really.

 

[Simster]

I would just leave it. Some of these numpties display a complete lack of football knowledge by the fact they want the long ball tactics of Big Sam in charge.

That says it all really.

Easy is the only one who rates Sam A isn't he? Everyone else can see he would be a TOTAL f***ing DISASTER.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Easy is the only one who rates Sam A isn't he? Everyone else can see he would be a TOTAL f***ing DISASTER.

No there are a few of them that seem to think that the refined Graham Taylor could do the job.

 

[Pavilionaire]

That Australia result REALLY fucks me off.

Only now does Sven own up he didn't have a scooby about our sporting rivalry with Australia, then he bleets that he wants to avoid them in the World Cup draw because English-speaking opposition always want to beat England. So who's got the mental advantage now, you Swedish tosspot?

I think England at their lowest should never be worse than Northern Ireland at their best, and that result should never have happened but there we go.

I'm more concerned about his inability to get the best from Gerrard, because if we are to win the WC he needs to be bang on form.

 

[Uncle Buck]

That Australia result REALLY fucks me off.

Only now does Sven own up he didn't have a scooby about our sporting rivalry with Australia, then he bleets that he wants to avoid them in the World Cup draw because English-speaking opposition always want to beat England. So who's got the mental advantage now, you Swedish tosspot?

I think England at their lowest should never be worse than Northern Ireland at their best, and that result should never have happened but there we go.

I'm more concerned about his inability to get the best from Gerrard, because if we are to win the WC he needs to be bang on form.

But in the scheme of things both the Northern Ireland Result and the Australia result are irrelevant. We still won the qualifying group and the other one was a friendly. In a way the Australia result had some good come out of it, as on the back of it FIFA changed the rules so that he could not play 2 teams in one game.

To be honest tonight, as long as we avoid the Czechs and the Dutch, it will be considered a half decent draw and if we have to play them then so be it and hopefully as the first game.

Although you know we will get one of Sweden or Poland, just seems to come up with the rations.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Losing to Australia at any sport is NEVER irrelevant. If you had Australian friends you'd know that.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Losing to Australia at any sport is NEVER irrelevant. If you had Australian friends you'd know that.

It was a friendly so what. Let the colonials have their gloating over a friendly result. If we have to play them next summer, then as long as we beat them there, well that is the important one.

 

[Chesney Christ 1]

Easy is the only one who rates Sam A isn't he? Everyone else can see he would be a TOTAL f***ing DISASTER.

Here here. Sam Allardyce - Jesus Christ!

I think people seem to forget how bad we were BEFORE Sven.

Out in the group stage in Euro 2000 anyone?

Before Sven: 1-0 defeat at HOME to Germany at Wembley.

1 year later........

After Sven: 5-1 win AWAY to Germany.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Here here. Sam Allardyce - Jesus Christ!

I think people seem to forget how bad we were BEFORE Sven.

Out in the group stage in Euro 2000 anyone?

Before Sven: 1-0 defeat at HOME to Germany at Wembley.

1 year later........

After Sven: 5-1 win AWAY to Germany.

You see this is where you are going wrong, you are using facts. The anti-Sven's just use hatred, far more fun....

 

[Bozza]

It was a friendly so what. Let the colonials have their gloating over a friendly result. If we have to play them next summer, then as long as we beat them there, well that is the important one.

Not according to your logic. Using your Northern Ireland reasoning, it won't matter if we don't beat the Aussies (should we have to play them) as long as we win the group/progress further.

 

[John Boy]

Not according to your logic. Using your Northern Ireland reasoning, it won't matter if we don't beat the Aussies (should we have to play them) as long as we win the group/progress further.

But in qualifying, you play more games, so 1 loss doesn't matter that much.

You only play 3 games in the world cup group, so avoiding defeats is the priorty.

 

[Simster]

It was a friendly so what. Let the colonials have their gloating over a friendly result. If we have to play them next summer, then as long as we beat them there, well that is the important one.

Pavillionaire is right - Australia is NEVER meaningless. Sven should have arranged a fixture at that time with someone else.

If the Aussies have a half decent world cup, they will be clamouring for an "Ashes" style series against us on a regular basis because they know that this is THE sport that counts and they've not been at the races until now. So it means a lot to them, and it does to us. Australia is the only "friendly" match I would EVER give a toss about. Far more than beating the sweaties.

 

[Bozza]

But in qualifying, you play more games, so 1 loss doesn't matter that much.

You only play 3 games in the world cup group, so avoiding defeats is the priorty.

I said "don't beat". If you draw one (against the notional Aussies) and win two you've still got a very good chance of winning your group.

And should you lose you can still go through.

Anyway - this is detail and largely irrelevant to the point, which is to U.B. it is progression in the tournament that is more important than an individual result in the case of Northern Ireland but not, it seems, for Australia.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I said "don't beat". If you draw one (against the notional Aussies) and win two you've still got a very good chance of winning your group.

And should you lose you can still go through.

Anyway - this is detail and largely irrelevant to the point, which is to U.B. it is progression in the tournament that is more important than an individual result in the case of Northern Ireland but not, it seems, for Australia.

It is about progession and winning it. If we get Australia in our group, a victory could well be vital as you need 6 points to get out of the group, where as the slip up in Belfast happened at a stage when it was in our own hands still.

With the exception of Brazil, I do feel this is one of the weakest tournaments in a while.

 

[Bozza]

I'd rather lose to Australia and make it out the group than win and not make it out the group (I concede there are many, many more possibilities than those) and I work for an Aussie company where we'll get all kinds of shit should we lose to them.

 

[Chesney Christ 1]

It is about progession and winning it. If we get Australia in our group, a victory could well be vital as you need 6 points to get out of the group, where as the slip up in Belfast happened at a stage when it was in our own hands still.

With the exception of Brazil, I do feel this is one of the weakest tournaments in a while.

Really? I think it fairly strong. Brazil and Argentina have as good a selection of talent as either of them have had in years, Spain are still exceptional individually, Holland look strong, and Italy are a threat as always.

France aren't really in the top 4 or 5 favourites which for me (with the players they have) is an indication of a very strong tournament.

 

[Uncle Buck]

I'd rather lose to Australia and make it out the group than win and not make it out the group (I concede there are many, many more possibilities than those) and I work for an Aussie company where we'll get all kinds of shit should we lose to them.

Indeed, but if we lost to them the press here would be unbearable, knowing how we like to knock our own, rather than work out if we can still get through.

People do seem convinced that we are going to draw the Aussies tonight...

 

[Uncle Buck]

Really? I think it fairly strong. Brazil and Argentina have as good a selection of talent as either of them have had in years, Spain are still exceptional individually, Holland look strong, and Italy are a threat as always.

France aren't really in the top 4 or 5 favourites which for me (with the players they have) is an indication of a very strong tournament.

I think Brazil are way in front of everyone else. Argentina looked good for periods of our recent friendly. Holland, well maybe, but you know they will implode. Italy, well they seem to have their normal midfield issues and nobody is talking them up. The Germans, home advantage will help, but they have done a lot of rebuilding and it might be a tournament too soon. France, well they have had to bring a number of veterans back just to qualify. Spain, well Spain will be Spain. The Czechs could be there, but they had to bring Neved back to ensure getting through the play offs.

 

[Bozza]

Indeed, but if we lost to them the press here would be unbearable, knowing how we like to knock our own, rather than work out if we can still get through.

People do seem convinced that we are going to draw the Aussies tonight...

I'm hoping by talking about it like this, it won't happen.

But sport is as fascinating as it is because of things like England drawing Australia tonight.