The Football Thread

[victor meldrew]

Need another goal, or are Lithuania going to impersonate the Russians.

[Devius]

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

Need another goal, or are Lithuania going to impersonate the Russians.

Funny you should say that...

FT: England 2-0 Lithuania

[Greenman]

I wonder what is more important to supporters of England-winning 2-0 and adding to the lead and let's face it we've qualified whatever happens(and I can't really see us losing to Scotland) OR blast Lithuania with loads of goals and put on a bit of a show. I find it quite mad that you can win a game in this country for your national side 2-0 and some aren't satisfied. Secondly do you restructure the Premier League so that you get rid of the foreign element especially the strikers and try to find English players that will eventually get into an England squad - without more home-grown talent nurtured to be strikers, teams will rely too much on the foreign market and every time we qualify and then go to a finals be it European or World we end up not being fast enough on the break and knackered from too many League games. England have young players to accomplish things BUT we've had that in the past and got nowhere and losing to Iceland in the Euro's was humiliating.

I dread World Cups because it always seems to be in the year of a heavy League season factoring in whether our players have also been involved in European competitions and by the time we get to it most of the players you would expect to be on top form are knackered OR pick up a niggling injury that puts them out for months. Remember the last time with our so-called 'Golden Era' players(Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney) How good THIS era of players will be remains to be seen and also how Gareth Southgate is effective as manager.

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by Greenman

...do you restructure the Premier League so that you get rid of the foreign element especially the strikers and try to find English players that will eventually get into an England squad - without more home-grown talent nurtured to be strikers, ...Remember the last time with our so-called 'Golden Era' players(Lampard, Gerrard, Rooney) How good THIS era of players will be remains to be seen and also how Gareth Southgate is effective as manager.

I think an interesting country vs club confrontation is waiting in the wings: clubs will want to recruit the best players that they can afford while the FA will, once we are out of Europe, have a temptation to refine how many non UK players turn out.

As for golden era of players, that's media hype: our players may have the ability but precious few can translate that into application at international level. I've oft ranted/despaired about the English habit of defaulting to Roy of the Rovers mode rather than playing with any intelligence or nouse.

A telling observation was that made recently by Johnny Wilkinson at half time in the England vs. Ireland rugby. He observed that the English players were trying too hard to win their individual battles and when this happens, you lose focus and cohesiveness as a team. Pretty much describes the England football team over the last 40 years or so...

[Motorboater]

Well. Everton make Liverpool look like champions once again. The good news is that it's the only time Liverpool look like champions.

[victor meldrew]

Today Romelu Lukaka is the Invisible Man.


Will not be going anywhere next season with more woe full displays of this nature.

Off to the hospital, Benteke has scored.

[footstep]

Bloody hell.
0 2 home..
WTF are we doing? (or thinking?)...

[mitchspur]

Still hacked off with this chasing the champions EVERY year now!!!!

I've got a big week this week!!!

Off to Lincoln Monday night to cheer the Daggers on. Then it's Swansea on Wednesday. Two 'new' grounds for me on list!!!

Photos to follow!!!!

[victor meldrew]

I see the Bilic out campaign has started, but should be looking at the directors box.

No points from our next three games, Arsenal (a) Swansea(h) & Sunderland (a) and we will be playing Championship footie next season.

So much for the three wise monkeys talking of a bright future.

Update
Having watched two teams incapable of hitting a barn door, if we cannot beat Swansea then we deserve to be relegated.

[Greenman]

Not a bad win for Liverpool but it was touch and go at one point as Everton fought back. Does Lukaku really want to stay? I doubt it but I am worried that other teams abroad are sniffing around Coutinho and we really need to keep him as he was again outstanding yesterday. Even with the absence of Henderson and Lallana we still played really well and need to keep doing that against the likes of Bournemouth and West Brom etc. I have noticed the absence also of Mario Grujic-has he gone or has he been so badly injured that he has been out for months like Danny Ings? Roll on Wednesday and Bournemouth-we REALLY owe them.