England v Scotland: Do you care?

[This is me]

enjoyed the game, despite drifting off in the first half

 

[jimbob5]

enjoyed the game, despite drifting off in the first half

Your wife told me you tend to do that.

 

[Mellotron]

A perfect example of flat-track bullying. England are capable performers when playing in the qualifying stages and where the seeding keeps them apart from the big guns. When they get to finals they are playing against nations who are there on merit which is a huge difference. Whatever you think about certain nations they will be at the finals because they have hit form and were the best in their group/confederation at that moment in time. Big big difference.

It's not even just that though. The SAME teams we would more often than not beat very comfortably in qualifying/friendlies, we will struggle against in a tournament situation. See: Algeria, Slovenia, Trinidad & Tobago, Ecuador.

You take the exact same teams from last night and drop them into a Euro '16 setting, and I bet we would've nervously squeaked a 1-1 draw. We've got a proper mental block about tournament football. We're regularly one of the best qualifiers to tournaments. In 2010, the 3 best Euro qualifiers were England, Spain and Holland. And we all know what happened to each of those 3 sides in the tournament itself.

Maybe it'll be different this time. Probably not. I like Hodgson though and think he's doing a very good job.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Love this.

[TWEET]534833361383346176[/TWEET]

 

[atfc village]

When will England learn to slow down a game?It's all 100mph and Milner's passing on the whole was awful.Still pleasing to beat them in their own back yard ,England fans chanting feck the IRA for 10mins not stop was a tad naughty.

 

[Mellotron]

When will England learn to slow down a game?It's all 100mph and Milner's passing on the whole was awful.

I thought the way we played perfectly suited the formation and players we use and it worked pretty darn well, didn't it?

 

[mlg57]

Didn't really pick up on that but I did hear the Gordon Strachan chant that ends with "a sh*te football team"

 

[hans kraay fan club]

England fans chanting feck the IRA for 10mins not stop was a tad naughty.

The FA have threatened to withdraw support for the band, because of that last night. I'm therefore all for a repeat.

 

[Roadrunner]

Well I've just got back and we had a fantastic time, although the fact that we stayed in Edinburgh rather than Glasgow might have helped. I fully expected England to freeze on the night and get beaten, but it was completely the other way round. Great atmosphere in the stadium and around Glasgow before the match. We had a drink in the pub right outside of the Central station and had no problem at all with the locals despite being totally outnumbered - they were just like most other sets of fans we've met on our travels, more interested in talking football than smashing our heads in. Last night was the closest I've ever got to re-living the 5-1 game in Munich in terms of atmosphere, result and an all round cracking away trip.

 

[pasty]

Didn't really pick up on that but I did hear the Gordon Strachan chant that ends with "a sh*te football team"

I couldn't work out the 3rd line of that one. I know the version we used to sing to Barry Fry when we has at Peterborough the line was "fat cockney *******"

Anyone help?

Cheer up Gordan Strachan
Oh what can it mean, to a
? ? ? ? ?, and a
Shit football team

 

[sir albion]

Very passionate performance from us and that's a rare thing these days...Well done the england

 

[Roadrunner]

I couldn't work out the 3rd line of that one. I know the version we used to sing to Barry Fry when we has at Peterborough the line was "fat cockney *******"

Anyone help?

Cheer up Gordan Strachan
Oh what can it mean, to a
? ? ? ? ?, and a
Shit football team

Depends what part of the England support you were listening to...

One of "fat" "short" or "sad Scottish b*stard."

 

[BN9 BHA]

 

[Puppet Master]

Weird isn't it, how much better we look without the "golden generation" of Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard, Cole, Terry et al. Hope to see some youngsters from the less fashionable teams being given a chance more often now. I know he's a Palace product but Clyne looks really good, the right back we've needed for years now.

 

[Sheebo]

A perfect example of flat-track bullying. England are capable performers when playing in the qualifying stages and where the seeding keeps them apart from the big guns. When they get to finals they are playing against nations who are there on merit which is a huge difference. Whatever you think about certain nations they will be at the finals because they have hit form and were the best in their group/confederation at that moment in time. Big big difference.

But England are there on merit too. In fact I can't remember the last qualifying match we lost - I think it must have been for the World Cup 2010 - so about 5 yrs ago - although I may be well wrong.. It's something about the added pressure of the big stage in major tournos imo - too much expectation from fans & a lot of morons in the media doing all sorts

 

[Giraffe]

I couldn't work out the 3rd line of that one. I know the version we used to sing to Barry Fry when we has at Peterborough the line was "fat cockney *******"

Anyone help?

Cheer up Gordan Strachan
Oh what can it mean, to a
? ? ? ? ?, and a
Shit football team

Sad Scottish *******

 

[Giraffe]

I went to the game last night and like everyone else was really impressed with the performance.

I expected us to be second best in terms of oassion and fight but actually we taught them a lesson in that department.

Only downside on the night for me was the realisation that the England support is 75% made up of complete and utter knuckleheads. Oh well. I guess this fixture was always going to attract more of them than normal.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

But England are there on merit too. In fact I can't remember the last quitting match we lost - I think it must have been for the World Cup 2010 - so about 5 yrs ago - although I may be well wrong.. It's something about the added pressure of the big stage in major tournos imo - too much expectation from fans & a lot of morons in the media doing all sorts

Qualifying means playing lesser nations. I'm interested as to whether expectations and media play any sort of role in making us lose to better teams.

 

[Sheebo]

Qualifying means playing lesser nations. I'm interested as to whether expectations and media play any sort of role in making us lose to better teams.

We don't always lose to 'better teams' - that's not how football works as you know. We do like to draw with teams that are about the same level as us in lose on pens a lot though. Look at how impressive the Swiss were at the WC - we won away there with ease - people need to give England credit where it's due. A lot of teams (Spain, Portugal even Germany) are having a few struggles in their qualifying groups. We ve strolled through ours as we often do...

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

It made a difference to see us playing as a team to a system. The way we closed them down high up the pitch, working together was very pleasing to see.

And it is still a relief to have moved on from the "can they play together" boring question.

Well done England.