*** Official Match Thread : Australia v Holland ***

[Paris]

Imagine Cahill in the Championship

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Watching that goal as soon as I get in.

 

[Superphil]

Just got in, how much are Holland winning by?

 

[Simster]

Just got in, how much are Holland winning by?

It SHOULD be 3-1 Australia now.

No easy games etc

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Dutch defence not exactly excelling here. Mind you, nor are the Australians, on the rare occasions Holland can string together enough passes to attack them.

 

[Simster]

Can we buy that Leckie lad please?

He looks a bit too FRUITY for the German 2nd division if you ask me.

 

[tinycowboy]

Has Robben ever scored a goal that wasn't a solo effort? Or, to put it another way, has he ever passed it to a teammate who had a better opportunity to score? He's like the best player at primary school - don't even bother asking for a pass...

 

[Superphil]

So, Australia, a country with a population of 22m, whose main sports are Cricket, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby league and Rugby Union, can assemble a soccer team with players plying their trade in all corners of the world (7 of them in Australia). Yet England have a squad of home grown talent, all playing in the Best League in the World ((c) BskyB) and frankly we look tosh in comparison.

 

[1066familyman]

So, Australia, a country with a population of 22m, whose main sports are Cricket, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby league and Rugby Union, can assemble a soccer team with players plying their trade in all corners of the world (7 of them in Australia). Yet England have a squad of home grown talent, all playing in the Best League in the World ((c) BskyB) and frankly we look tosh in comparison.

Have you actually been watching England lately

 

[SweatyMexican]

http://lockerdome.com/bbcsporf/6169461380096065/6718323840925204

 

[Superphil]

Have you actually been watching England lately

Yes, and in comparison the that half by Australia, I stand by what I said. Dirge attacking options, Welbeck FFS, Wayne 'shoe-in' Rooney, Smalling, Milner, Glen Johnson. I guess Stirling and Sturridge can get you going, but the rest, considering the pool of talent they are drawn from, really don't set pulses racing.

 

[rcf0712]

Set up for a second half classic, great game, Socceroos bossing Holland, who'd have thunk it

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

So, Australia, a country with a population of 22m, whose main sports are Cricket, Aussie Rules Football, Rugby league and Rugby Union, can assemble a soccer team with players plying their trade in all corners of the world (7 of them in Australia). Yet England have a squad of home grown talent, all playing in the Best League in the World ((c) BskyB) and frankly we look tosh in comparison.

Totally agree.......and that's before you take into account all the money that has been sloshing around the Premiership / PL for the last 20 years, it all serves to make England's achievements look pathetic. No excuses. There are far too many foreign players (including several of the Aussies you highlight here) benefitting from the PL, at the expense of English talent but unfortunately that is what the punters want to see week in, week out rather than an outside chance of England doing well every 4 years or so. It is ironic that our domestic game is killing our talent, and the ripples are felt down into the Championship etc .

It is another reason why FFP is needed but sadly there is so much vested interest at the top of the game that I fear both England and the domestic game will ultimately suffer. One reasonably enlightened footie correspondent recently expressed his complete exasperation that Man C and PSG had been allowed to 'negotiate' their sanctions under UEFA FFP rules, despite them flagrantly breaking the rules. In his opinion they should have just had the fullest sanctions imposed on them as punishment. 'Comply - or Goodbye'. The whole thing is a perverse malaise.

I'm as guilty as any - as fans we all want success and flair-istic footie from our Club - and we want it now, so when will the Albion sign its next quota of foreign players..........?

 

[Pavilionaire]

I didn't know it was possible to piss your pants AND cum in your pants at the same time but Robbie Savage has just done it on Radio 5Live over that Cahill goal.

 

[Superphil]

Totally agree.......and that's before you take into account all the money that has been sloshing around the Premiership / PL for the last 20 years, it all serves to make England's achievements look pathetic. No excuses. There are far too many foreign players (including several of the Aussies you highlight here) benefitting from the PL,

You say that, but in fact they have only one player in their squad who plays in the Premier League, and he plays for Palace.

 

[1066familyman]

Yes, and in comparison the that half by Australia, I stand by what I said. Dirge attacking options, Welbeck FFS, Wayne 'shoe-in' Rooney, Smalling, Milner, Glen Johnson. I guess Stirling and Sturridge can get you going, but the rest, considering the pool of talent they are drawn from, really don't set pulses racing.

Australia have had a good half against a team who've had a poor half.

England looked better than they've looked for donkey's years for the whole game against a good well organised team with the quality to put two good goals past us.

Perhaps we'll have to agree to disagree, because it's taken me years to feel positive about an England team, and I'm not up for being persuaded otherwise just yet.

 

[TomandJerry]

Penalty!

 

[The Legend that IS Lawro]

Yup

 

[1066familyman]

Wake up then Holland, you're sleep walking to a defeat here, esp if this pen goes in, and you haven't got out the group just because you tonked Spain.

 

[TomandJerry]

Assuie's lead 2-1!