Essential The Official Football (Soccer) Thread - We are SO back, the Premier League returns!

[TobiOT]

I never said they got along... I said they put their club rivalries aside to make sure their country won three major trophies in a row. I can't remember one story where they had a bust up during their international games.

And let's not forget Xabi Alonso and Arbeloa were also part of both the national team and Real Madrid.

England's squad on paper between 2002 and 2008 should've made one final minimum. Yes.. their managers at the time should take some blame... but a team with a prime Wayne Rooney, Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard and Lampard... all Champions League winners... can't make ONE international final?

Gerrard/Lampard partnership didn't work

Off topic, the Same England board who appointed Steve McLaren around that time based off the Middlesbrough UEFA Cup run during 2006. That game when we got embarrassed by Croatia and prevented us from qualifying for Euro 2008.

World cup 2010 when Capello put on Heskey instead of Crouch same Heskey that injuried Ferdinand in training.

Roy Hodgson did stupid shyt...Iceland

Sam Allardyce.......

 

[TobiOT]

Especially with Owen playing phuck all football in 2006.

Poor b*stard got injured as well

 

[ThrobbingHood]

@TobiOT Sven, McClaren, Capello, Woy, Allardyce... just one poor appointment after another.

Southgate is at least steering the team in the right direction. With the talent at his disposal... they really shouldn't fail.

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

I'm an Arsenal fan and I still can't believe that not only an unproven Walcott was chosen to play in 2006... he didn't even get a game. That pivotal moment ruined his career.

It's such a shame that team never truly reached its potential.

Thinking about Sven as England manager gets me

He took Lennon as well, who was 19 at the time and had actually played in the PL. You take 1 of Walcott or Lennon not both. That prick took both

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

In my opinion... Alonso made Gerrard look better.. Makele lamps, Keane scholes.. Beckham and Rooney are just overrated.

Typical English player shyt

Gerrard was already good before Alonso turned up at Anfield. His issue was growing pain injuries to his back IIRC.

Alonso allowed Gerrard to be freer and play further up. And stop this I'm a CM nonsense, that Gerrard thought he was. You have to remember Rafa played him anywhere but CM, in the early part of his reign. Til Mascherano turned up and put Gerrard in the position he should of always been, which was #10/CAM.

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

@TobiOT Sven, McClaren, Capello, Woy, Allardyce... just one poor appointment after another.

Southgate is at least steering the team in the right direction. With the talent at his disposal... they really shouldn't fail.

Woy was alright, for the Euros 2012, he was last min dot com appointment. After Capello left. And tbh to Woy apart from Liverpool, he was by far the best and only candidate.

Southgate has basically modernized the England team philosophy.

If Big Scam stayed he would of trotted Gooney out in midfield for the World Cup.

 

[ShenJingPoQi]

Telling more lies.

First off where's the receipt of Henry starting out as a FB at Monaco.

Secondly Xavi and Casillas are friends, they were the ones who put country over club for the national team. It's the reason why Mourinho fell out with Casillas at Real.

Real Madrid: Xavi's emotional goodbye letter to Casillas - MARCA.com (English version)

It was gentle mistake, Henry started as a winger not a FB. Messed up my facts.

I can’t bring up all the articles since it was written during the height Spain’s reign but there was disharmony between Madrid and Barcelona during Spain’s success. But Spain was such a dominating team that it didn’t matter. When you can play and win Euros without a number 9, shows how powerful and important was their Barcelona core

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

Gerrard/Lampard partnership didn't work

Off topic, the Same England board who appointed Steve McLaren around that time based off the Middlesbrough UEFA Cup run during 2006. That game when we got embarrassed by Croatia and prevented us from qualifying for Euro 2008.

World cup 2010 when Capello put on Heskey instead of Crouch same Heskey that injuried Ferdinand in training.

Roy Hodgson did stupid shyt...Iceland

Sam Allardyce.......

They hired McClaren because he was Svens assistant and felt he could carry on, from Svens work. The Boro stuff just helped strengthen his case as wel as being English. Considering the outcry of having a foreign manager in the first place, they wanted English. Problem with McClaren he was too matey with the players and the players didn't him as the England manager, they saw him as the #2.

McClaren was a good coach, at best a #2, not a leader at the top level.

The problem with all the England coaches was that they all wanted to play 442/4231 and be the one to make Gerrard and Lampard work. So they basically phucked themselves when it came to major tournaments.

Problem being, Gerrard and Lampard are effectively the same sort of player (obviously different traits). Goal scoring midfielders, who did their best when they had 2 players behind them. You don't need a UEFA coaching licence to figure that out.

 

[Kunty McPhuck]

It was gentle mistake, Henry started as a winger not a FB. Messed up my facts.

I can’t bring up all the articles since it was written during the height Spain’s reign but there was disharmony between Madrid and Barcelona during Spain’s success. But Spain was such a dominating team that it didn’t matter. When you can play and win Euros without a number 9, shows how powerful and important was their Barcelona core

Mourinho was the one stirring shyt, he didn't want Real and Barca players phucking with each other on any level. All came ahead, at the Super Cup when Mourinho tried to do Tito Vilanova eye.

Xavi, Puyol and Casillas sorted that all out.

Casillas: "I called Xavi because we were cocking things up" - MARCA.com (English version)

 

[WaveGang]

Whilst I agree Alonso made Gerrard look better. .. my unbiased opinion will not let you call Scholes, Rooney and Lampard overrated. I'd say Scholes is heavily underrated. If Zidane calls you the best player he's played against. .. I'll take his word for it. Rooney when he was younger was world class. And Lampard was solid for at least 9--10 seasons of his career.

I say this as an Arsenal fan... those players were outstanding but wasted in the England squad with inept tactics.

I meant to say Rooney/becks r overrated not the rest.

Rooney was a good player but let's not act like he was Henry/Drogba/Suarez/Aguero levels. That's world class strikers.

 

[WaveGang]

Gerrard was already good before Alonso turned up at Anfield. His issue was growing pain injuries to his back IIRC.

Alonso allowed Gerrard to be freer and play further up. And stop this I'm a CM nonsense, that Gerrard thought he was. You have to remember Rafa played him anywhere but CM, in the early part of his reign. Til Mascherano turned up and put Gerrard in the position he should of always been, which was #10/CAM.

Basically my point is the foreign lads made these English boys look better than they were.

England, national team shows that.

 

[Ukbrotha]

I meant to say Rooney/becks r overrated not the rest.

Rooney was a good player but let's not act like he was Henry/Drogba/Suarez/Aguero levels. That's world class strikers.

Henry and Aguero were better strikers sure but you're nuts if you think Drogba and Suarez were better than Rooney at any stage.

 

[TobiOT]

 

[Ukbrotha]

Basically my point is the foreign lads made these English boys look better than they were.

England, national team shows that.

No it doesn't. It shows a poorly managed group of players.

 

[dappadonna]

Henry and Aguero were better strikers sure but you're nuts if you think Drogba and Suarez were better than Rooney at any stage.

Peak Vs Peak I'd take Drogba and Suarez over Rooney any day of the week.