World Cup: England V USA

[oni]

Dave,

Tell me if my perception of the English team as an outsider is accurate: The English players aren’t as good as they think they are…or certainly not as good as they’re perceived by the general public. They’re more celebrities than they are soccer players (or footballers)
<snip>
Is there some truth in that?

Not in my opinion

The footballers in the English team are some of the best in the world with a few being arguably _the_ best in the world.
This is evident in the performances they put out for their clubs in the English Premier League, which is generally exceptional throughout the season.

However when these players come together to play for England, they seem completely unable to play together. No one really knows what the reason for this is. Some ideas are:
- The media pressure is so high that they can't relax (British media is brutal)
- They have very little time off after the end of their own league to recover and are over-tired for the world cup
- They never play together other than for England so they don't know each others game intimately. The '6th sense' they have with their club mates isn't there.

On paper they're probably the best team in the world. In reality they're one of the worst...

Media pressure maybe but lots of other countries media have high expectations........ :whistle:

They have just as much time to rest as all the foreign players in the premiership........ :whistle:

They never play together, much like most of the other teams........... :whistle:

No one really knows what the reason for this is.

:agree:

 

[Ian Curtis]

Rofl, england doesnt have the best players in the world.

 

[Bald Dave]

England don't have the best players in the world the media just hype them up and make it seem like they're the best. They are prob the best paid in the world but just because you're the best paid doesn't mean you're the best players. Quantity doesn't equal quality!

The Premiership is mainly made up of foreign players and any English player would play well if they had a class act foreign player supporting them!

I do believe the media are highly responsible for making England out to be world beaters. 1 Cup in 44 years is hardly a world beater! You can't polish a turd!

 

[s.a.f]

Dave,

Tell me if my perception of the English team as an outsider is accurate: The English players aren’t as good as they think they are…or certainly not as good as they’re perceived by the general public. They’re more celebrities than they are soccer players (or footballers)
<snip>
Is there some truth in that?

Not in my opinion

The footballers in the English team are some of the best in the world with a few being arguably _the_ best in the world.
This is evident in the performances they put out for their clubs in the English Premier League, which is generally exceptional throughout the season.

However when these players come together to play for England, they seem completely unable to play together. No one really knows what the reason for this is. Some ideas are:
- The media pressure is so high that they can't relax (British media is brutal)
- They have very little time off after the end of their own league to recover and are over-tired for the world cup
- They never play together other than for England so they don't know each others game intimately. The '6th sense' they have with their club mates isn't there.

On paper they're probably the best team in the world. In reality they're one of the worst...

This is my view aswell, I dont put any blame on the England players at all. They played to the best of their abilities, but the fact is their just not that great.
It was ridiculous that as soon as the tournement started the media were all hyping them up saying we were going to win.
Frankly thats a joke, countries like Brazil and Germany have always been better than us.
Britain needs to accept the fact that in reality we probably wont ever win it ever again.
You cant blame the players for accepting the £250,000 per week (with sponsership deals). Paying them more wont make them better players. And now the media is going after the manager, WTF's up with that? He cant do anything to make up for the fact that our oppenents were simply better.
TBH I'm glad the whole things over for us now.
Its only a f*****g game!!

 

[Boondock]

^ I disagree with this viewpoint.

Our players clearly aren't as good of those in Spain, Brazil etc, but they're still better than those in most teams in the tournament.

And yet, they played amongst the worst in it. The US, Japan, Ghana, Paraguay...so many teams with players less impressive than England played their hearts out.

At the end of the day I'm not so much fussed by England losing as I am by the sheer shoddiness of the way they lost. They didn't look like they were playing their hearts out.

 

[Cassin]

Britain needs to accept the fact that in reality we probably wont ever win it ever again.
!

Ok...here is my biggest problem with football and it has little to do with the players. There is so much discussion on closed door finality to situations.

EX:It will be 30 minutes into a match...Team A will go up 1-0 and the commentators just act like the world is over and there is no way team B can win. Time and time again yet that's not true.

 

[EasyEd]

Let’s get the dialogue back to the World Cup!

Whose everyone got now that the field has been narrowed? I stand by my pick – Brazil will steamroll through this thing unchallenged.

 

[The Gardener]

Let’s get the dialogue back to the World Cup!

Whose everyone got now that the field has been narrowed? I stand by my pick – Brazil will steamroll through this thing unchallenged.

Going head to head versus my pick on Friday... Nederland.

I think it's going to be a hell of a match! Will be working from home so I can watch while taking my weekly Friday morning conf call....

 

[Bald Dave]

I think the Argies have been playing some excellent football in this World Cup. Alot of people were writing them off before the tournement began because they nearly didn't qualify. I predict an Argie vs Brazil final with the Argies winning!

 

[The Gardener]

Hup Holland Hup!

 

[HughJass]

was good to see Brazil lose for a change

 

[Lopfraze]

I think the Argies have been playing some excellent football in this World Cup. Alot of people were writing them off before the tournement began because they nearly didn't qualify. I predict an Argie vs Brazil final with the Argies winning!

Whoops...

 

[HughJass]

Spain is looking good.

But I can't help leaning towards Germany.