I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day we fight! By all that you hold dear on this good Earth, I bid you *stand, Men of the West!*
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Probably the BEST pre-match statement of the entire campaign...
- Thread starter Easy 10
- Start date
Mr Banana
Tedious chump
Scolari: "To enjoy playing a nice team like England, to enjoy the fact of being one of the eight best teams in the world, to enjoy being in a World Cup quarter-final, to have fun with it, take pleasure from it - that's the main thing we want from Saturday...all our squad players are special. Those who play in their place are also special players, and we trust them."
It's like waiting for a boxing match where one fighter is rabidly firing up their fans with promises of feats they've never matched, while their opponent relaxes meditatively across the ring, focussed on the job in hand and sure of their abilities. It makes me feel equally uneasy and in admiration of Scolari.
It's like waiting for a boxing match where one fighter is rabidly firing up their fans with promises of feats they've never matched, while their opponent relaxes meditatively across the ring, focussed on the job in hand and sure of their abilities. It makes me feel equally uneasy and in admiration of Scolari.
Parson Henry
New member
Easy 10 said:
All this bollox from Figo and Hackman is Much Ado about Nothing...
Trufflehound
Re-enfranchised
If Shakespeare's the boss, then he won't be able to play, right?
Mr Banana
Tedious chump
Sid James said:
Both of your posts on this matter have been most insightful but I'm sorry I'm just to damned pumped up about this game to take much notice. Mainly because of what Gary Neville said yesterday.
COME ON ENGLAND !!!!!!!
That's grand. Part of the escapist pleasure of it is willingly being a sucker, as we all will be tomorrow. It's a winner all round - win and we've satisfied our required apparent wish to be successful, lose and we've quenched our primeval thirst to be gallant losers.
This is the full text of the interview with Henry Winter in The Daily Telegraph.
Gary Neville may be a bit of a TIT at times but this man MUST be involved in the pre-match PASSION-FEST we need tomorrow.
Gary Neville has more edge than Alderley, and that is what makes the Manchester United captain such a formidable competitor. A driven character, England's right-back will relish the technical, tactical and physical assault course that is tomorrow's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.
As befits the man chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to follow Roy Keane as United captain, Neville loathes losing. His hunger for honours over 13 seasons at Old Trafford has brought six Premiership titles, three FA Cups and one European Cup. When defeat does intrude in a life of such success, a mixture of affront and anger crosses Neville's face.
England have been far less fruitful for Neville, who talked passionately yesterday about the need for the team to seize the moment, to defeat opponents well-organised by Luiz Felipe Scolari and reach the semi-finals. "I look at Portugal's team and recognise they have good players but we have Terry, Ferdinand, Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney," said Neville after another training session in which he proved he has recovered from a calf injury. "I watch these players play for Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal against the best players in Europe and do well against them in finals of European competitions and semi-finals. So why shouldn't I be confident?"
Those iconic names need to shine against Scolari's Portuguese. "They have to if we want to be recognised as a great England team," agreed Neville, 31. "Otherwise we will be recognised as a 'nearly' team, a team that promised and had potential but didn't deliver. It's how you are perceived in years to come. It is certainly the last chance I am ever going to get to play in a World Cup quarter-final.
"There are no excuses. We are not coming off that pitch on Saturday thinking we could have done this or that better. If there's a problem, we have to fix it. In the make-or-break moments, we have to show authority. We have to deliver. We have players who will. If we fail you as a country on Saturday then we have to hold our hands up and say: 'The talk of us actually being potential world champions was rubbish.'
"This is it for us. In four years' time we are in South Africa, it could be 45 degrees, we might not qualify, we could get a group of death. We have had a pretty decent track to this quarter-final, the smoothest ride. It almost feels like we have played three or four friendly matches. Now it's the real thing. Portugal is a step up in class.
"It is probably something that will suit us better. We've played against four teams so far who have been content in stifling our play and we've found it difficult at times. On Saturday, they're a flair team. They will allow us more space on the ball and will allow our players, who are of European and world calibre, to produce their magic.
"We are two games away from a World Cup final. Can we win two matches? Yes. This team is capable of beating anybody. It is a time for cool heads but also a time to show that determination, that English spirit and play to our strengths, which is quick, attacking football."
Neville and fellow full-back Ashley Cole can certainly expect "quick, attacking football" aimed at them in the form of Portugal's touchline zephyrs, Simao and Cristiano Ronaldo. The word from the Scolari camp yesterday was that Ronaldo was expected to start after injury, so allowing him to resume his duel with Cole.
"He can attack with both feet, shoot with both feet," Neville said of his United team-mate. "The difficulty that any defender has against Cristiano is that you can play brilliantly against him for 89 minutes but he can still produce that magic moment in the 90th minute.
"He will enjoy Saturday. He enjoys the big occasion. He has incredible belief, he's courageous on the ball, but also England defenders have determination to want to stop players like Cristiano. This is a great test for England's defenders."
Neville was part of the England team who lost to Scolari's fliers at Euro 2004. "We knew two years ago in the quarter-final that one-on-ones against the likes of Figo, Simao and Ronaldo are very important, and we have to defend well one-on-one on Saturday."
Neville may at times be caught out by pace, but his reading of unfolding danger, his vocal presence, his timing in the tackle and his ability to overlap David Beckham mean his return to the fold gives England an even greater chance of outwitting Portugal and setting up a semi-final against either Brazil or France.
As for Scolari, England's serial nemesis, Neville added: "He personally hasn't nobbled us. The fact that he was manager of Brazil [in 2002] and a very good Portugal team on home soil has affected that. Coming out of the game in 2004, I couldn't say Portugal didn't deserve to win. Elements went against us, like Rooney going off [injured] and a disallowed goal, but even at the time I thought: 'Fair enough, they played well.' Four years ago Brazil, even with 10 men, were better than us."
The expectations on England to progress tomorrow are immense. The nation will come to a standstill at 4pm. Roads from Falmouth to Tynemouth will be deserted. "That has happened in every World Cup since day dot - England get great support," said Neville, his thoughts then turning to the hordes heading towards Gelsenkirchen.
"There are tens and tens of thousands of people over here supporting us, missing work and paying lots of money. England fans have always followed their teams, whether it has been in club football or international football. We can go to Ukraine, Moldova, and there will be 5,000 England fans. On Saturday I would imagine we would have 25,000-30,000 fans in the stadium. That's like a home match for us and that has to be something we use to our advantage.
"The way I prepare for a match like this is to remind myself of normal things and that it is only a game of football, but on the other hand telling myself that the opportunity is there to really do something great."
The quarter-finals are packed with heavyweights, with the countries involved accounting for all the winners' medals since 1954. The last World Cup saw surprise entrants among the quarter-finalists: South Korea, Turkey, Senegal and the US. Now the old order has asserted itself, with only Ukraine a surprise presence.
"Four years ago the weather was a great leveller," Neville said. "It's very difficult for European teams to do well in that climate. You see the cream rising to the top this time, powerful nations. It's now there for the taking."
Gary Neville may be a bit of a TIT at times but this man MUST be involved in the pre-match PASSION-FEST we need tomorrow.
Gary Neville has more edge than Alderley, and that is what makes the Manchester United captain such a formidable competitor. A driven character, England's right-back will relish the technical, tactical and physical assault course that is tomorrow's World Cup quarter-final against Portugal in Gelsenkirchen.
As befits the man chosen by Sir Alex Ferguson to follow Roy Keane as United captain, Neville loathes losing. His hunger for honours over 13 seasons at Old Trafford has brought six Premiership titles, three FA Cups and one European Cup. When defeat does intrude in a life of such success, a mixture of affront and anger crosses Neville's face.
England have been far less fruitful for Neville, who talked passionately yesterday about the need for the team to seize the moment, to defeat opponents well-organised by Luiz Felipe Scolari and reach the semi-finals. "I look at Portugal's team and recognise they have good players but we have Terry, Ferdinand, Cole, Beckham, Lampard, Gerrard and Rooney," said Neville after another training session in which he proved he has recovered from a calf injury. "I watch these players play for Real Madrid, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal against the best players in Europe and do well against them in finals of European competitions and semi-finals. So why shouldn't I be confident?"
Those iconic names need to shine against Scolari's Portuguese. "They have to if we want to be recognised as a great England team," agreed Neville, 31. "Otherwise we will be recognised as a 'nearly' team, a team that promised and had potential but didn't deliver. It's how you are perceived in years to come. It is certainly the last chance I am ever going to get to play in a World Cup quarter-final.
"There are no excuses. We are not coming off that pitch on Saturday thinking we could have done this or that better. If there's a problem, we have to fix it. In the make-or-break moments, we have to show authority. We have to deliver. We have players who will. If we fail you as a country on Saturday then we have to hold our hands up and say: 'The talk of us actually being potential world champions was rubbish.'
"This is it for us. In four years' time we are in South Africa, it could be 45 degrees, we might not qualify, we could get a group of death. We have had a pretty decent track to this quarter-final, the smoothest ride. It almost feels like we have played three or four friendly matches. Now it's the real thing. Portugal is a step up in class.
"It is probably something that will suit us better. We've played against four teams so far who have been content in stifling our play and we've found it difficult at times. On Saturday, they're a flair team. They will allow us more space on the ball and will allow our players, who are of European and world calibre, to produce their magic.
"We are two games away from a World Cup final. Can we win two matches? Yes. This team is capable of beating anybody. It is a time for cool heads but also a time to show that determination, that English spirit and play to our strengths, which is quick, attacking football."
Neville and fellow full-back Ashley Cole can certainly expect "quick, attacking football" aimed at them in the form of Portugal's touchline zephyrs, Simao and Cristiano Ronaldo. The word from the Scolari camp yesterday was that Ronaldo was expected to start after injury, so allowing him to resume his duel with Cole.
"He can attack with both feet, shoot with both feet," Neville said of his United team-mate. "The difficulty that any defender has against Cristiano is that you can play brilliantly against him for 89 minutes but he can still produce that magic moment in the 90th minute.
"He will enjoy Saturday. He enjoys the big occasion. He has incredible belief, he's courageous on the ball, but also England defenders have determination to want to stop players like Cristiano. This is a great test for England's defenders."
Neville was part of the England team who lost to Scolari's fliers at Euro 2004. "We knew two years ago in the quarter-final that one-on-ones against the likes of Figo, Simao and Ronaldo are very important, and we have to defend well one-on-one on Saturday."
Neville may at times be caught out by pace, but his reading of unfolding danger, his vocal presence, his timing in the tackle and his ability to overlap David Beckham mean his return to the fold gives England an even greater chance of outwitting Portugal and setting up a semi-final against either Brazil or France.
As for Scolari, England's serial nemesis, Neville added: "He personally hasn't nobbled us. The fact that he was manager of Brazil [in 2002] and a very good Portugal team on home soil has affected that. Coming out of the game in 2004, I couldn't say Portugal didn't deserve to win. Elements went against us, like Rooney going off [injured] and a disallowed goal, but even at the time I thought: 'Fair enough, they played well.' Four years ago Brazil, even with 10 men, were better than us."
The expectations on England to progress tomorrow are immense. The nation will come to a standstill at 4pm. Roads from Falmouth to Tynemouth will be deserted. "That has happened in every World Cup since day dot - England get great support," said Neville, his thoughts then turning to the hordes heading towards Gelsenkirchen.
"There are tens and tens of thousands of people over here supporting us, missing work and paying lots of money. England fans have always followed their teams, whether it has been in club football or international football. We can go to Ukraine, Moldova, and there will be 5,000 England fans. On Saturday I would imagine we would have 25,000-30,000 fans in the stadium. That's like a home match for us and that has to be something we use to our advantage.
"The way I prepare for a match like this is to remind myself of normal things and that it is only a game of football, but on the other hand telling myself that the opportunity is there to really do something great."
The quarter-finals are packed with heavyweights, with the countries involved accounting for all the winners' medals since 1954. The last World Cup saw surprise entrants among the quarter-finalists: South Korea, Turkey, Senegal and the US. Now the old order has asserted itself, with only Ukraine a surprise presence.
"Four years ago the weather was a great leveller," Neville said. "It's very difficult for European teams to do well in that climate. You see the cream rising to the top this time, powerful nations. It's now there for the taking."
Basil Fawlty
Don't Mention The War
Easy 10 said:"I believe there is a time and a moment for players to deliver and I think it will be on Saturday. If we fail we have to hold our hands up and say the talk of us being potential world champions was rubbish. If we don't deliver, then I will be talking on Saturday after the game saying that you have found the true measure of this team. I have said before this tournament that there are no excuses this time. We are not coming off that pitch on Saturday thinking 'we could have done this better' or 'we could have done that better'. We have got to make sure that if Portugal seem to be doing better in one area of the pitch, we have to deal with it. We have to fix that problem. We can't allow it to just slowly eat away at us during the match - we have to affect the game. We have to use our experience. We have got players in the team who, I think, will deliver on Saturday. This is it for us. In four years we will be in South Africa. It could be 45 degrees, we might not qualify, we could get a group of death. We have had a pretty decent track to this quarter-final and now we have got to beat Portugal to get to the World Cup semi-final. Is this England team capable of doing it? Can it do it? I believe the answer is yes."
Gary Neville
Absolutely SPOT ON, you bolshy, fluffy-chinned, abrasive manc.
Give that man the captaincy. Immediately.
Absolutely spot on, what a legend Gary Neville is.
London Calling
New member
Dandyman said:
On me 'ead son!
London Calling
New member
Re: Re: Probably the BEST pre-match statement of the entire campaign...
Didn't he also say yesterday, that the Scousers in the camp, keep nicking the balls!
brightonfan_86 said:Absolutely spot on, what a legend Gary Neville is.
Didn't he also say yesterday, that the Scousers in the camp, keep nicking the balls!
Schrödinger's Toad
Nie dla Idiotów
- Jan 21, 2004
- 11,957
Icy Gull said:
Too right. Clearly would have played a holding midfielder, too.