England seemed happy and keen to mark Pirlo for the first 40 minutes or so, and then gave up, as if they (like the commentators) were convinced he'd get tired, or something. Because someone playing the way he does is likely to get tired, with all those gut-busting runs from deep. Idiocy.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:29 (eleven years ago) link
Lawro's best moment: the main commentator said something like "What else has Pirlo got up his sleeve?" and Lawro responded "His shirt". wtf?!
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:30 (eleven years ago) link
i'mma stan harder for carroll the worse ye get
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:31 (eleven years ago) link
We all come to expect ITV to be shite but the BBC coverage has been abysmal, far worse
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:31 (eleven years ago) link
Keane's misanthropy has been a beacon of joy.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:32 (eleven years ago) link
IMO Hart, Glen Johnson and Lescott have all been good in this tournanment, the rest have ranged from ordinary to Dyer dire. Surely Stevie G's England career is over, he completed 30-something passes in 120 minutes that's less than West Ham reject Diamanti managed in a third of the time! Good riddance too, most overrated footballer in my lifetime.
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:32 (eleven years ago) link
These semi finals are definitely as they should be, glad England aren't there clogging it up
Thought the QF's were pretty disappointing in all though, thought Italy England was actually the most enjoyable and entertaining game among them
Germany Greece was ok but Greece, so
― not lazy but clowning (Suedey 2), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:32 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, seconded on Hart, Johnson, and Lescott, they've all been really good. Kind of baffled that Johnson is 27, nearly 28 - kind of assumed he was still about 24 and we had years and years left of him as a quality rightback.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:34 (eleven years ago) link
There was some stat going around that Gerrard only got passed the ball something like 23 times by teammates? Which was less than Cole/Johnson etc, about the same as Parker and that when play is supposed to be going through him that's pretty shocking
And that the most frequent passing combination was Hart to Carroll, for all the good that did
― not lazy but clowning (Suedey 2), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:35 (eleven years ago) link
Were Greece any less entertaining and ambitious than England - remember they were playing Germany!
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:35 (eleven years ago) link
Seedorf and Klinsmann have made BBC tolerable.
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:35 (eleven years ago) link
Yeah, but I wish they didn't feel the need to be so polite about England
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:37 (eleven years ago) link
It's not been a great tournament so far, hardly any really exciting games.
― Matt DC, Monday, 25 June 2012 10:37 (eleven years ago) link
"When I was director of football at Real Madrid I had to evaluate the players coming through the youth ranks" he said. "We had some who were very good footballers. They had technique, they had athleticism, they had drive, they were hungry. But they lacked what I call knowing-how-to-play-football. They lacked decision making. They lacked positioning.They didn't have the subtle sensitivity of football: how a player should move within the collective.And for many, I wasn't sure they were going to learn. You see, strenght, passion, technique, athleticism, all of these are very important. But they are a means to an end, not an end in itself.They help you reach your goal, which is putting your talent at the service of the team and, by doing this, making both of you and the team greater. In situations like that, I just have to say, Gerrard's a great footballer, but perhaps not a great player."
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:39 (eleven years ago) link
For ten minutes last night I thought we were in for an awesome end-to-ender, but clearly that petered out. I love watching the Spanish from a technical POV, but they're not exciting, no. The Germans are probably the most exciting team for me, with Portugal second (and some distance away, because basically I mean 'Ronaldo is exciting').
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:40 (eleven years ago) link
Who's that quote from? It's spot-on.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:41 (eleven years ago) link
I don't know, I've enjoyed this tournament, the overall quality's been pretty good + very little diving/ play acting + no bad fouls + pretty good refereeing
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:41 (eleven years ago) link
Last night was the first 0-0 draw, too.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:42 (eleven years ago) link
otm re spain, germany SM
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:43 (eleven years ago) link
Arrigo Sacchi - amazing quote
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 25 June 2012 10:43 (eleven years ago) link
Aside from our perpetual inability to maintain possession, there's been nothign to get angry or miffed about at this tournament. But there's also been nothing to get agog at, either.
Has anyone scored with a strike from outside the box that wasn't a free-kick?
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:44 (eleven years ago) link
LahmPoland's captain
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:46 (eleven years ago) link
Theo deflection
The tournament's been good, but the QFs have suffered from being four mismatches. The legacy is all about the knockouts imo. At least the right four teams won, but whether that means we get two more mismatches in the semis, or there's three absolute belters to come, we can't know yet.
― Ismael Klata, Monday, 25 June 2012 10:48 (eleven years ago) link
I just meant Germany were always going to beat Greece - at least England kept you guessing until the end! I'd say England > France, Czech, Greece in this tournament
― not lazy but clowning (Suedey 2), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:48 (eleven years ago) link
nasri against england (though it might have been the edge of the box) xp
― Jibe, Monday, 25 June 2012 10:49 (eleven years ago) link
None of those were exactly top-corner screamers, were they? I suspect Theo's got a slight deflection. Lahm's was very neatly taken, as was the Polish dude's. Seeing Balotelli at al balloon it over from 20-30 yards out has been depressing, same as at last WC.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:49 (eleven years ago) link
van der vaart was outside the box, but not a screamer no.
― pandemic, Monday, 25 June 2012 10:50 (eleven years ago) link
it was a cracker tho
Best strike of the tournament hit hart's post last night
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:52 (eleven years ago) link
Don't worry Ronaldo will keep trying
― not lazy but clowning (Suedey 2), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:52 (eleven years ago) link
Xabi might get bored and smack one too
He used to play in England iirc
― not lazy but clowning (Suedey 2), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:53 (eleven years ago) link
zlatan v. france is the best, f a screamer
― Smothered, Covered and Chunked!!! (a hoy hoy), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:53 (eleven years ago) link
Martial arts volley
rooney's header up there too
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:55 (eleven years ago) link
And he's a lot better at it than Balotelli
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:55 (eleven years ago) link
otm
― Too Busy Thinking About Mr. Abie (Tom D.), Monday, 25 June 2012 10:56 (eleven years ago) link
darragh otm re: rooney's header
― Rosie 47 (ken c), Monday, 25 June 2012 11:27 (eleven years ago) link
fuck off re: rooney's header, darragh otm in general.
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 11:31 (eleven years ago) link
the audacity of rooney attempting a header from there was something else.
― Know how Roo feel (LocalGarda), Monday, 25 June 2012 11:37 (eleven years ago) link
He should've licked it in with his tongue.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 11:44 (eleven years ago) link
Do Swansea have better more technically sound players than England?
― Chris, Monday, 25 June 2012 11:55 (eleven years ago) link
http://i45.tinypic.com/30vyyah.jpg
― Matt DC, Monday, 25 June 2012 11:58 (eleven years ago) link
exactly!
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 11:58 (eleven years ago) link
(Let's get real here, Swansea wouldn't be able to control a game against Italy either).
― Matt DC, Monday, 25 June 2012 11:59 (eleven years ago) link
tho i'd amend, chris, less that be interpreted as a go at hodgson, that his wba and fulham teams played better than england too. It is an international malaise, this.
― irrational angst that makes me innocuously thingy (darraghmac), Monday, 25 June 2012 12:00 (eleven years ago) link
I like that some of the Italians' boots are in the colour of their flag.
― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 25 June 2012 12:04 (eleven years ago) link
xp. i wasn't having a go at hodgson! just asking a genuine question fella ;)
― Chris, Monday, 25 June 2012 12:08 (eleven years ago) link
In case you were wondering: http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=1&title=which_pop_riffs_would_make_great_footbal&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
― ratso piazzolla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 June 2012 12:25 (eleven years ago) link
i was wondering how we cd stop people making terrible football songs tbh
― democracy defends capital (Noodle Vague), Monday, 25 June 2012 12:28 (eleven years ago) link