[Football] World Cup Play-Offs.

[Perry Milkins]

Agree with every word of that.

Although I just re-read my own paragraph: "goose that kills the golden egg". What the fck was I talking about? "Killing the goose that lays the golden egg" might have been what I meant to say.

I thought you meant having "a bird with no feathers killed a goose in the bush whilst the iron was hot"?

 

[San Siro]

Jesus - I was only joking petal.

You seem tense. Has something happened that has upset you?

Obviously.I missed Corrie again last night and now I'm so far behind.

 

[Perry Milkins]

Obviously.I missed Corrie again last night and now I'm so far behind.

Which Italian team does he play for?

 

[San Siro]

I don't know what's worse.Failing to qualify for the World Cup or always failing miserably when you qualify.Come on you England fans please tell me.

 

[Iggle Piggle]

I don't know what's worse.Failing to qualify for the World Cup or always failing miserably when you qualify.Come on you England fans please tell me.

Failing to qualify. That makes you Scottish.

I'd also point out Italy haven't won a Knock out game at the WC since 2006 so you are best qualified to tell us

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

APPARENTLY with about 5 minutes to go the manager turned to the bench.......and asked De Rossi to come on

De Rossi refused and said Insigne should be coming on.

I REALLY hope that's true

Ah, it is true:
"I just said we were near the end and had to win, so send the strikers to warm up. I pointed to insigne too. It wasn't up to me whether it was a tactical issue. I'm sorry if I offended anyone. At the time I just thought perhaps it was better that Insigne come on instead"

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I don't know what's worse.Failing to qualify for the World Cup or always failing miserably when you qualify.Come on you England fans please tell me.

Whats worse? Failing to get to the tournament or getting to the tournament?

Yeah, that IS tricky

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I don't know what's worse.Failing to qualify for the World Cup or always failing miserably when you qualify.

Happy to clarify this for you. Not qualifying is FAR worse.

I remember 1994 World Cup well - its is widely regarded as being a really, really GOOD one, but for us it all seemed only of passing interest, because we weren't there. Many became proxy Ireland fans and half-heartedly cheered them on instead, but it wasn't the same at all.

Though their one big win was great fun, when the mighty likes of Terry phelan, Jason McAteer and Tommy Coyne beat Maldini, Costacurta, Baggio et al.

 

[Jesus Gul]

Score tonight?

Reckon 0-0

 

[San Siro]

I really think with teams such as Italy,Holland and Chile not qualifying this really could be Englands year.To get out of the group stages

 

[San Siro]

Happy to clarify this for you. Not qualifying is FAR worse.

I remember 1994 World Cup well - its is widely regarded as being a really, really GOOD one, but for us it all seemed only of passing interest, because we weren't there. Many became proxy Ireland fans and half-heartedly cheered them on instead, but it wasn't the same at all.

Though their one big win was great fun, when the mighty likes of Terry phelan, Jason McAteer and Tommy Coyne beat Maldini, Costacurta, Baggio et al.

1978 Pretty good.1982 the best.Brilliant.1986 average.Too hot.1990 decent enough.1994 poor.1998 decent enough.2002 Poor.2006 decent enough.2010 Poor.2014 Poor.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I really think with teams such as Italy,Holland and Chile not qualifying this really could be Englands year.To get out of the group stages

Ignoring that England have only once failed to get beyond the group stage in the last ELEVEN World Cups they've been at, you are right that Holland and Italy's failure to qualify will help us - as they've got nothing better to do now, they've both agreed to help us out with useful preparation freindlies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5080499/England-play-Holland-Italy-March.html

Cheers for that.

 

[Easy 10]

I thought you meant having "a bird with no feathers killed a goose in the bush whilst the iron was hot"?

I liked the time Stuart Pearce, when he was Man City boss, said that he "could see the carrot at the end of the tunnel".

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I liked the time Stuart Pearce, when he was Man City boss, said that he "could see the carrot at the end of the tunnel".

Just before he sent on David James, as a striker.

I wonder what West ham are paying to add Pearce's tactical genius to Moyes' undoubted charisma and charm?

 

[San Siro]

Ignoring that England have only once failed to get beyond the group stage in the last ELEVEN World Cups they've been at, you are right that Holland and Italy's failure to qualify will help us - as they've got nothing better to do now, they've both agreed to help us out with useful preparation freindlies.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5080499/England-play-Holland-Italy-March.html

Cheers for that.

That's an amazing record.You must be so proud.I'll def be at Wembley to watch Italy destroy your confidence.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I'll def be at Wembley to watch Italy destroy your confidence.

Never say never - Southgate is throwing caps around like confetti, after all - but sadly I'm unlikely to be playing, I'm afraid.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

That's an amazing record.You must be so proud.I'll def be at Wembley to watch Italy destroy your confidence.

You're not very good at this.

 

[Easy 10]

Seriously I'm well past the point where not being in a football tournament is the most important thing in my life.I would have liked to have been in Russia however we are not there and if that means a revolution then great.There are seriously more important things in my life to deal with but it's always nice debating/arguing with people about Italian football especially those who have bigoted and ignorant views developed by a bigoted and ignorant english media which I've grown up with.

To be clear, its not "bigoted and ignorant" to say Italy are shite at the moment. I saw the 1st leg in Sweden and they were complete khazi, and the current woes seem to be the culmination of a period of decline towards general averageness. You have some decent individuals amongst a lot of mediocrity and veterans. Italy will be back, its too major a footballing nation not to be, the decline won't continue forever. But right now you are bang average, and have dropped out of the elite tier of International football, a fact you seem to have difficulty accepting. Pinning Italy's failure ALL on the manager is just papering over the cracks.

I won't particularly miss Italy next summer. Like many other teams, they have regularly bored the tits off me at tournaments. Russia 2018 won't be any the poorer through Italy's absence, don't assume everyone is as obsessed as you at seeing all of the same old "big guns" present. A spell in the wilderness will probably do you good in the long run.

 

[San Siro]

You're not very good at this.

You're not very good at this more than I'm not very good at this whatever this is.

 

[Lower West Stander]

I assume you are an England supporter so you would clearly recognise 'shite'.Even when Italy are 'shite' they still entertain more than England do including their performance last night which could have gone differently if the awful ref had given us two clear pens.There's no point qualifying if you have no real chance of winning and whilst Italy often find a way England always fail miserably so whilst you have qualified what does it really mean if you have no realistic chance to win.

Italy are past masters at whining, play acting and generally pulling every trick in the book to defend a one goal lead - it might be entertaining for you, but not for any team you happen to be playing against.

I'm sure you hark back to the good old "entertaining" days of Gentile and Benetti as well.

Anyway we qualified, you didn't, so there............