Lets Talk Football

this is just friendly teasing....scotissh-english rivalry? try Croatian-Serbian or Serbian-Bosnian rivalry....the bosnians are playing serbia tonight and they have to win to go to the playoff's for the world cup.....bosnia is probably the only country in the world who's citizens are going to Belgrade to root for the other team ( they're called bosnian serbs )....our rivalries can only be matched by Pakistan playing against India or the PLO playing against Izrael.....

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http://www.last.fm/user/diezelpower/

well, 0:0 with Hungary....we're still first, congrats to Sweden for qualifying too, it would have been a shame if you hadn't...

giants going all the way to the super bowl

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So Hood Magazine

you're thinking american rugby....

And congrats to you as well. You beat us twice so you deserve the group win.

It's about 8 months to the World Cup... I am allready excited.

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The novelist does not long to see the lion eat grass. He realizes that one and the same God created the wolf and the lamb, then smiled, "seeing that his work was good".

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They had temporarily escaped the factories, the warehouses, the slaughterhouses, the car washes - they'd be back in captivity the next day but now they were out - they were wild with freedom. They weren't thinking about the slavery of poverty. Or the slavery of welfare and food stamps. The rest of us would be all right until the poor learned how to make atom bombs in their basements.

me too....the adrenalin rush you get when you watch your team play in the world cup is amazing...hope we do better then in the Euro...

GO STEELERS!!!!

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“The gladdest moment in human life, methinks, is a departure into unknown lands.” – Sir Richard Burton

I have realized that my enjoyment of the World Cup is more relaxed when your own country isn't represented. But I take the torment and the anguish over pleasant and harmless entertainment any day.

Sidenote: I can't really understand the criticism that Mr Eriksson has received in British media and elsewhere recently. England won the group and the advancement to the cup has been pretty much in the bag for a while now, hasn't it. Englishmen are spoiled crybabies.... STAND BY YOUR CAPTAIN!!! (especially when he's swedish...)

Yes, go away Steelers!!

I think it all boils down to the Great British Press. They don't like Eriksson, chiefly because he gets paid more than they do and shags better looking women. He's also extremely clever at saying a lot but actually saying nothing at all in press conferences - hence no copy for the back page.

The new tag they're giving him is 'emotionless' when a few years ago they were lauding Sven for being 'cool under pressure' and slagging off Keggy Keegle's touchline hysterics and belief that spirit alone would win you games.

Sadly some people believe what they read in the papers.

I personally don't think he's a great manager - he's certainly placing far too much faith in fitting your 11 best players into a system rather than finding the 11 best players to fit that system. It was shown last night with Gerrard's injury allowing a holding midfielder to play alongside Lampard - Lampard had the freedom to play as he does for Chelski safe in the knowledge that there was a guy behind him waiting to tidy up. The real test will be when Gerrard is fit: will he be ordered to sit back (the Liverpool man, after all, started his career as a holding midfielder who has been pushed further and further forward to compensate for his club's inadequacies) or will a recognised defensive midfielder be drafted in at the expense of one of his 'square pegs'?

Remember England, Sam Allerdyce has expressed an interest in the job. Be afraid...

I'm still living in a 1982 Gerry Armstrong/Pat Jennings dreamland though.

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"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how the Tatty 100 is done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves." - Brendan Behan

Boooo..

That's oh so true. They're sick of him, that's it.

He is cool and I've seen him in some interviews a bit more personal and he's actually a really confident and relaxed guy not without a sense of humor. I couldn't understand why all those women fell for him before, but I did a little better after that interview. (Oh Svennis! )

Interesting points. I don't follow the english team that close so I can't really argue with you. Looking at his merits though I would argue that Eriksson is a great manager. His problems with England is that he can't buy what he needs as he could do as manager of, say, Lazio. I'm sure he can figure out where the problems are and what to do about them, but does he have what is needed to fix them? England is one of those countries who actually think that they are eternal world champions (like Italy, Brazil, Germany.... you know...). But looking at the player material it is pretty obvious that they aren't as good as England think (not saying that they're bad at all though - on the contrary). So I think Eriksson is doing what can be expected of him when he takes the team to the World Cup as group winners.

But it's never good to have the same manager too long, even if the cooperation is successful. I think Svennis perhaps should at least think about stepping down after the World Cup. Even if I don't think he is the problem, if there is a problem, a new manager always brings a fresh wind of optimism with him when he begins a new job (hopefully).

IMO only winning the World Cup will keep Sven in the England job.
The english media go into every tournament with the opinion that England only have to turn up to win it, where they get this attitude from I'll never know, they haven't won anything in 40 years. England always have great individual players, but they have never had a great team, there is always a scapegoat, Seaman, Waddle, Pearce etc.
The other thing the english media is guilty of is having the belief that anyone who pulls on an England jersey is world class, when was the last time one of them won footballer of the year? Beckham is the classic example, he is the most over-rated player in the world, Real Madrid have won nothing since he joined, and IMO Lampard and Gerrard are better players.
Perhaps if the english media didn't have such a condescending attitude, they wouldn't constantly be left with egg on their face, and more people would be more supportive of England ( with the obvious exception of the Celtic nations! )
There are better managers than Sven, but are any of them English, I would love to see Alardyce as England manager, Mike Bassett anyone?
If Sven win's the World cup his popularity will soar, but he will never be able to set foot in Scotland again!!!

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Hey Pepe, would you say I have a plethora of presents?


Toga, toga, toga......


Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbour?

One of the valid criticisms levelled against Sven was his lack of a plan B when things are going wrong - for instance, against 10-man Brazil at the last World Cup and Portugal at the Euros. Substitutions always seemed to replace like with like. To his credit he's now experimenting with formation, although it remains to be seen if the 12 foot tall Peter Crouch can cut it at this level.

I agree with you about the club thing though, where the only barrier to an ideal squad is money. Interestingly the cost in transfers of the entire N Ireland team which turned them over a few weeks back wouldn't be enough to cover Beckham's hairdressing bill - we had a guy called into the squad who works as a postman and wasn't allowed to take time off!

Does that mean he was posted missing!!!
What's his delivery like, always late if he works for the post office!!!
Is his first name Pat?

This is exactly what I'm talking about.

As I said, there are a couple of nations that have this attitude but England, imo, is the country in this crowd where this attitude is the least understandable. Brazil is really the only country that rightfully can consider a 2nd place in the World Cup as a failure.

Frankly, I think Sweden has about the same chance as England of winning the Cup and I would say that anything better than a semi final for Sweden's part is completely impossible.

Anyway, I hope I'm not offending any Englishmen around here. I actually like english football quite a lot since I grew up with it. (I watched it on TV every saturday as a kid together with my sleeping dad). I just think the expectations on the team and some of the criticism of the coach are silly...

Moving on... Who wins the cup? Brazil and Argentina looks really dangerous. The Netherlands appear to have a fantastic team. Mexico might be the big surprise next year. And how come Germany always, always goes far even when they suck??

Just been watching Brazil on tv, they look the team to beat next summer.
The only problem I can see for Brazil is their over eagerness to attack all the time might leave their defence vunerable.
Italy too will do well, especially with their defence.
I would like to see Portugal and Spain do well, as they always flatter to decieve in big tournaments.
Dark horses, for me, Sweden, Croatia, Poland and Japan will probably surprise a few people, but perhaps the quater finals will be the final hurdle for at least one of these teams.
Germany too will probably play some part, especially with home advantage, but they are not the force they once were.
I will be supporting Brazil, Portugal, as always, Sweden, Poland and Japan for their links to Celtic, and will watch out for Spain and Italy as well due to the many Spanish and Italian friends I have.
If there is a God, England won't win it, perhaps his hand can play a part again, oh yeah what about Argentina, quater finals maybe?

I can't see further than Brazil or Argentina either. The Brazilian front line looks awsome, with Ronaldo not even assured of starting, so even with Roque Junior at the back they should overpower most teams. Only one South American side has ever won the trophy in Europe though....oh yes, that was Brazil.

Germany have home advantage so that alone should see them through to the Quarters and the French have a decent team. Italy look solid, but not much more and the Dutch have always had excellent players who've recently let individual ego get in the way of team performances. Portugal? nah, and the one-hit wonders of Greece (geddit???) didn't even qualify.

The Czechs have an aging team and aren't through the playoffs yet, same with Spain.

More concerned with Glentoran beating Armagh on Saturday though. I'll be there.

Didn't I read somewhere where you said you were a Man U fan?

Aye, and they're managed by one of the " master-race " to quote old Fergie!!!

Don't think Man U will win the World Cup though, not through lack of trying on Fergie's part. ( Maybe Chelsea will buy it for them as a good will gesture! )

Zut Alors, can't believe I forgot to mention France and Holland, then again, both have been fairly ropey in recent tournaments!!!

I don't get it then: cheering for an English club side while despising Rooney, Rio, The Neviller etc when they play for their Country? I'd understand it a bit more if they were Englishmen playing for a Scottish side.

Scots managers have always done well in England though - Sir Red Face, George Graham, Busby, Shankley and latterly Moyes (every other season, it seems) at Everton.

Has WGS settled in at Celtic yet? The one sad thing (apart from the result) from my last trip to Windsor Park was Hartson getting booed by the resident knuckle-draggers. No wonder Neil Lennon gave up...