Meanwhile, I'd missed all this:
http://espnfc.com/us/en/news/1108121/ubha-advance-.html
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 21:59 (eleven years ago) link
Ukraine totally got fucked tonight though, it bears repeating.
― HO WBEAUTIFUL IS THE GENTLYFALLINGBLOOD? (Le Bateau Ivre), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:01 (eleven years ago) link
wait. it was TWO nil to Sweden? lol my pub.
― PSOD (Ste), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:08 (eleven years ago) link
Better to be shit and qualify then play beautiful football for a game and a half and choke when it matters, I suppose.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:35 (eleven years ago) link
big lulz how the F did we win this group haha
I don't see France or England winning their next match tbh
― Love Max Ophüls of us all (Michael White), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:41 (eleven years ago) link
England might win it in the way that mediocre Premiership teams beat better ones, Italy aren't that great. Spain will probably beat France but it's not a foregone conclusion.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:44 (eleven years ago) link
Italy France Spain England
They've all had a couple of moments this tourney interspersed with dull ness and hesitation. I'm bummed about the hosts being out, especially Poland, and Russia messing up. Maybe its the lack of regular play together or maybe its the relative quality of the teams generally but, except for Germany who look pretty confident and pretty happy, no-one looks more likely to take it all. It might come down to a Ronaldo or someone.
― Love Max Ophüls of us all (Michael White), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 22:49 (eleven years ago) link
germany looked pretty crap in the last game also tbf
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Tuesday, 19 June 2012 23:36 (eleven years ago) link
england playing in a manner that suits them tbh, it could take them further. italy no great shakes. rooney scoring a tap-in winner despite being the worst player on the pitch (maybe in the stadium tbh) just seemed inevitable. if woy drops him for the next game he will already be the second best england manager ever.
worth repeating that the ukraine `goal` came from a ridiculously bad offside call.
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:01 (eleven years ago) link
my predictions for work sweepstake (at full time, not AET/pens)
czech rep 0 - 1 portugalgermany 2 - 0 greecespain 1 - 1 franceengland 1 - 1 italy
― caek, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:11 (eleven years ago) link
england playing in a manner that suits them tbh, it could take them further. italy no great shakes.
i sort of concur with this, tho i've gotta say that even playing on the counter they're hampered by inconsistent defending and lack of pace/flair when they break. but yeah they can beat Italy. if they start to believe, drop Terry, Rooney gets his touch back. i dunno, it's weird.
i'm even liking the notion of Milner as a dude who just aimlessly lumbers up and down on the right because there's nobody else to put there. Gerrard wd probably be best placed as the right-sided mid but then there's nobody to put in his gap in the middle.
genuine kudos to Roy for making a passable imitation nylon purse out of this bag of sows' ears
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:22 (eleven years ago) link
England-Italy will go to pens I reckon (although I haven't actually seen England play this tourney aside from the first 30mins against France)
Spain look out of sorts but France aren't much cop and got badly outplayed last might. So Spain will win.
Can't see anything other than Portugal/Germany wins in the other half of the draw.
Roll on Thursday.
― pandemic, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:31 (eleven years ago) link
milner is there as the chips under johnson`s dip tbf
mate was tryin to tell me last night that englad are doing well `despite` the absences of lampard, barry, carrick. laughed him out of it tbh. any one of them fucks the whole thing up beyond salvation.
lescott by some distance better than terr last night imo
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:32 (eleven years ago) link
I think Portugal and Germany will win and may well contest the final. I think France will do Spain because they never go out in the QFs, are perverse, and because Benzema has something spectacular in him. England, well history says Italy and they are a better side, but I quite fancy Roy to be diligent enough to work something out. If Harry had been manager, no way.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:32 (eleven years ago) link
I reckon Spain will beat France and then lose to Portugal. Portugal look very disciplined and solid and Spain look vulnerable to being run at on the break. Germany will probably beat them in the final though.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:35 (eleven years ago) link
"work something out" = clog Pirlo out of the match iirc
― Mexès Coleslaw Massacre (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:38 (eleven years ago) link
wtf how the hell can you pick france after yesterday's appalling display. a team of arrogant dicks who watched spain at their peak and all they got from it was "we should try for 1 million consecutive pointless passes in front of the box" , a coach who seemingly picks players randomly (after the game against ukraine, you pull menez? you leave nasri on? you bring malouda on when we're trailing sweden... ).
― Jibe, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:50 (eleven years ago) link
france didn't need to win last night's game amirite
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:54 (eleven years ago) link
nope they didn't. could have been out of the tournament only if ukraine had won by more than 2 goals or something like that.
― Jibe, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:55 (eleven years ago) link
You can't judge France based on form though. They are the most erratic team in football.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 09:58 (eleven years ago) link
Usually France would be shit for ages and then get their act together because they'd have at least one world class player that a game would turn over. There aren't any world class players in the current French squad, certainly not to Zidane or Henry level.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:02 (eleven years ago) link
i'm judging this one more on the fact that blanc has absolutely no idea what he's doing. but ya, you never know, maybe since every one says they'll get trounced by spain the players will get their shit together and do something.
matt otm also
― Jibe, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:02 (eleven years ago) link
reckon:england 0 - 0 italy (eng win on pen 4-3)czech rep 0 - 3 portugalgermany 1 - 1 greece (greece win on pen 5-4 FU merkel)spain 4 - 0 france
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:03 (eleven years ago) link
The other thing with Spain is that although it's really really hard to beat them, you don't actually have to be super-talented to do so.
― Ismael Klata, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:06 (eleven years ago) link
FIFA president Sepp Blatter: 'After last night’s match #GLT is no longer an alternative but a necessity.'
Gammon Lettuce and Tomato?
― Number None, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:32 (eleven years ago) link
i'm judging this one more on the fact that blanc has absolutely no idea what he's doing.
Should be a perfect fit at Spurs then
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:38 (eleven years ago) link
some people want him to be the next Utd manager
― Number None, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:39 (eleven years ago) link
France just don't have enough good players, that's not his fault... picking Malouda is though
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:40 (eleven years ago) link
not sure the lack of good players is the issue for FR - on paper this could be quite a squad but as NL has shown yet again it takes more than a bunch of talented individuals to make something.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:52 (eleven years ago) link
OK, they are a lot of good players but I don't think any of them are particularly outstanding
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:53 (eleven years ago) link
ya france don't have great players... but holding on to evra for as long as he did was a mistake, removing menez and cabaye after they were 2 of the best players against ukraine was a mistake, keeping samir nasri on and putting him on the right side, then in the center of the field, with nasri doing fuck all was a mistake, subbing malouda in was a mistake (but taking ben arfa out was not a mistake, so yay, good job, good effort laurent), bringing only 2 cf to the euros meaning that you can never play giroud & benzema at the same time except at the end of games where you're trailing was a mistake (especially since benzema really doesn't seem to want to set foot in the box, which may be due to the fact that he'd then never even get a whiff of the ball). declaring that you want france to play like barcelona and then stocking up on players like ribéry, nasri, menez, ben arfa who like nothing more than to dribble rather than pass also shows a distinct lack of awareness. if domenech was coaching instead of blanc, he'd have been torn apart, totally destroyed by every journalist with a pulse.
― Jibe, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:54 (eleven years ago) link
declaring that you want france to play like barcelona
Beginning to think Barcelona are having a pernicious influence on world football!
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:55 (eleven years ago) link
Unless Lionel Messi is actually in your team
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:56 (eleven years ago) link
xxpHah! - well to be honest this FR team was alwas going to be a transitional team - most of these players will reach maturity for the next WC - I'm curious to see how many of them will still be playing in the national team by then.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:57 (eleven years ago) link
pffft france have enough good players. they could most probably put together the third best squad of the comp. benzema may be the best striker there. ok they are a bit light at the back but that is just because blanc is stubborn enough to keep picking mexes and sagna is injured.
they sure do love inconstistency tho.
going
czech 0 - portugal 2germany 1 - greece 1 (germans in et)france 0 - spain 2england 1 - italy 1 (italy on pens)
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 10:59 (eleven years ago) link
benzema may be the best striker there
Bit of a dearth of good strikers in this tournanment?
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:01 (eleven years ago) link
blanc is clueless, he saw barcelona was playing well, so he thought france should play like them. totally clueless i say. remember we're talking about a coach who apparently doesn't know a whole lot about french players - he totally mangled bafétimbi gomis' first name and declared that he might pick him if he got more playing time at lyon, at a time when gomis was the only striker on the field for lyon and carrying the team; told nasri he should maybe try to score more goals if he wanted to be taken into consideration etc.
i'm really starting to dislike him a lot (which i guess is kinda obvious).
― Jibe, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:03 (eleven years ago) link
a hoy otm
plenty of good strikers and benzema one the best
― dis civilization and its contents (nakhchivan), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:04 (eleven years ago) link
Not really, he is a legit great striker. As for at *least* good strikers: RVI, Huntelaar (lols), Gomez, *whisper it* Torres, Llorente, Klose, Zlatan, Cassano, Mario, Di Natale, Giroud, Welbeck, Sheva, CRonny if he wants to play there, maybe even through in Jelavic...
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:05 (eleven years ago) link
Fair enough, I haven't seen enough of him obviously
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:05 (eleven years ago) link
Welbeck? You are kidding me, right?
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:06 (eleven years ago) link
Jibe sorry for ignorance but what do you mean he doesn't know, he is France coach and previous coached in the French league... you'd think players from outside would be his hindrance, if only because he'd see the homegrown all the time?
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:07 (eleven years ago) link
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 12:06 (56 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
When you are Man Utd's best striker, most creative player (albeit post-Berba and pre-Kagawa) and also scorer of the most creative non-Ibra goal at the tournament, I think you can be classed as a good striker.
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:08 (eleven years ago) link
[Sorry, maybe that is being unkind to Cleverly for the four games he played and Valencia, I didn't see a lot of Utd at the end of the season.]
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:10 (eleven years ago) link
He's not bad, that's true
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:11 (eleven years ago) link
Nani is Utd's most creative player
― Number None, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:19 (eleven years ago) link
there is a youtube but its is russian so why post
---
Reporter: Our fans came up to you and the team after the game but all they got from you was “you’re all bastards”. And there were 100 millions of “bastards” supporting you. Do you understand it? If you just said “Sorry, guys” there would’ve been no problem. No questions to any of you. Cause everything can happen. But instead every player who was approached by fans said only “get out, bastard”. None of the lads said “Sorry, we couldn’t do it”.
Arshavin: Well, if the fans were in normal condition maybe we would have said that.
Reporter – Well, my friend who doesn’t drink at all said that but in reply heard only insults from the players. I Don’t even want repeat what he heard. But NONE of the players simply said ‘sorry’.
Arshavin – Why should we say ‘sorry’?
Reporter – Well, you failed, didn’t you?
Arshavin – Why?
Reporter – You failed.
Reporter – Look, I’m not an expert, but you failed.
Arshavin – Just answer my question: Why should we say sorry?
Reporter/Fan – You didn’t meet expectations.
Arshavin – Whose expecations? Yours or ours?
Reporter – Of 100 million Russians
Arshavin – Well, if we didn’t meet your expecations it’s your problem. And we were all trying…
Fan – You really mean it? That if you didn’t meet our expecations it’s OUR problem?
Arshavin – Yeah.
Reporter – Well, I don’t have anything else to say. I’m shocked. I’m just shocked.
Fan – We’re supporting you, we’re going everywhere with you.
Fan – There was full stadium of us coming here to support you and it’s all OUR problem?
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:20 (eleven years ago) link
When you are Man Utd's best striker, most creative player (albeit post-Berba and pre-Kagawa)
Love this kind of fronting. Actually no, bored shitless by it by now.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:21 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, it's idiotic but i really don't want another Rooney debate
― Number None, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:22 (eleven years ago) link
Arshavin OTM
― pandemic, Wednesday, 20 June 2012 11:23 (eleven years ago) link