The Football Thread

[victor meldrew]

Joe Hart can do no wrong even though he has made more mistakes than most local councils.
Rob Green dips his hands in the Flora at half time makes a howler and gets slaughtered by the media.

Is Joe Hart a lovely man that the media love?

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by Meini Again

In terms of the new players in the squad, I’ll start with Nick Pope. We know a lot about the other three goalkeepers – they're all very experienced internationally.
Southgate on FA website ~ Away to the Netherlands

Crikey. My bluff's being called.

[pierrelm]

Midfield:
It is a well-known fact that England has no world class midfield players. Therefore, I throw myself on the mercy of the court and humbly submit that the solution lies in tactical nous and a cunning ruse:

We could feasibly have three holding midfield players who will ensure our three defenders are well covered: Wilshire, Dier (world class at pouting when things are going wrong)and I suspect the fairly dreadful Henderson will do this. Sorry Livermore, but this isn't going to be your day. Ditto Drinkwater. Winks will probably be included as Gareth clearly fanci...er rates him. Or Cook. Or both. Neither has had the temerity to be first choice at their club which may be no bad thing - there will be an element of stealth.
Three supporting midfielders: Lallana (not in the LFC first team), Delle Ali (if he bucks his fecking ideas up), and for no really good reason, Oxlade-Chamberlain. No, bear with... Reece thingy we'll take as being too injured, but the press do love a 'should we take him for the second phase story?'.
Attacking support players:
Sterling, Rashford and Welbeck, the latter never seems worth a place but if Ramsey insists on being Welsh, then he'll have to do and in fairness, generally plays surprisingly adequately.

Up front: Kane and Vardy. Vardy is to be used ONLY when all hope is lost, we are looking totally clueless, Gareth is biting his lip and the game is beyond redemption.

The key to success, even with this lot? A cunning 3-3-3-2-1 formation featuring a solid defensive three, allowing two full backs to go forward to support our widemen, with lots of pacey players to support Kane.
So to stand any chance, we need to start with:
Pope, Walker, Maguire, Stones, Mawson, Rose, Wilshire, Dier, Lallana, Ali, Sterling, Rashford and Kane.
If Russian TV can be persuaded not to show the whole pitch in one go and we approach this with care I reckon a couple of monkeys and ponies in the right envelopes at FIFA, and we're in with a chance...bring it on!

[victor meldrew]

No mention of north London's other falling over midfielder Jack Wilshere, surely a man to replace Ali if all else fails. Another missing gem would be Man Utd's answer to David Fairclough, world beater Jesse Linguard, surely capable of bulging the onion bag in the final few minutes of any World Cup game, could he possibly score the winner in the final?

I heard somebody in the media yesterday mention the only shoe in the current England set up is Harry Kane.

For me Southgate has problems in all area's and at this late stage probably is still undecided on what his best XI is, I also believe picking players in form is not the greatest of idea's, for if form dips they could be a fish out of water, at least experience will get you through when your out of touch.

I honestly believe we will not get out of the group, I just hope they prove me wrong.

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

No mention of north London's other falling over midfielder Jack Wilshere, ...I also believe picking players in form is not the greatest of idea's, for if form dips they could be a fish out of water, at least experience will get you through when your out of touch.

I honestly believe we will not get out of the group, I just hope they prove me wrong.

Happy Jack was the first name on my list, Vic x If we pick players based on experience, in comes Hart...I do believe in dropping players if they don't produce and both Dier and Alli would benefit from a couple of decent performances. I'll swear Dier gets worse everytime I see him. Maybe one for Jose this summer, then?

[victor meldrew]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

Happy Jack was the first name on my list, Vic x If we pick players based on experience, in comes Hart...I do believe in dropping players if they don't produce and both Dier and Alli would benefit from a couple of decent performances. I'll swear Dier gets worse everytime I see him. Maybe one for Jose this summer, then?

Apologies missed Wilshere. The only person who has not yet realised Hart is not up to the task is Southgate. Pep knows he is not good enough, Torino found out he was not the real deal and Sullivan proved how clueless he is about football as I have lost count of Hart's mistakes this season. I have said before if Hart is number one we don't get out of the group, or we use a keeper with precious international game time, 1970 taught us that does not work.

Not sure Jose needs Dier as he has Matic, one of the best in world footie at the moment, then again Dier might learn something playing along side him.

[buttsie]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

So: central defenders?
well James Tarkowski is being mentioned in all the right places, (can play a bit, no pace) and seems to fit the 'if all else fails, he'll do' criterion. Amused to hear R5Live discussion along these lines last night when Chris Sutton happily said 'Who's been Burnley's best central defender for the last two years? Ben Mee' to total agreement.

Elsewhere: Stones (can't get into the Citeh team) Smalling - on the 'sell' list at OT, Jones (struggling to find a first team place), Cahill (mentioned only out of politeness), ex-Hull giant Maguire at Leicester, who is now possibly the first choice central pick (hmm, remind me Leicester just lost to a Pedro header in a cup match..?), Gomez, who can't get a game at LFC, Callum Chambers - never trained on, but there again, it was Arsenal he went to, Alfie Mawson lynchpin at er, Swansea, but no worse than the rest, Keane - woefully inept for Everton this year...depressing isn't it?

Next: fullbacks - can anyone actually tackle, or shall we just 'get up and down the pitch'?

Depressing is when you have virtually nobody of any note in your National team
which still relies on a 38 year old to score its goals

Recently moved club On 6 December 2017, Tim Cahill left Melbourne City after not getting enough game time...hasnt improved at Millwall

See Australia

They are so below average the Manager who got them through the 20+ game qualification
phases decided going to a 2nd WC wasnt for him and quit

Facing France 1st up could be uglier than Germany 4-0 in 2010

[pierrelm]

Originally Posted by victor meldrew

The only person who has not yet realised Hart is not up to the task is Southgate. Pep knows he is not good enough, Torino found out he was not the real deal and Sullivan proved how clueless he is about football as I have lost count of Hart's mistakes this season. I have said before if Hart is number one we don't get out of the group, or we use a keeper with precious (little) international game time, 1970 taught us that does not work.

Or, not only lack of experience but an inherent weakness - Bonetti, Rob Green. What I find exasperating is that 'pundits', some of whom appear influential or have the ear of the national manager, will cheerfully cast criticism about concerning anyone they don't like but will then queue up to support someone like Hart because he 'has the jersey'. Danny Mills is one shining example, Chris Sutton, Keown and Wright run him close.

There's also been truly exceptional keepers at domestic level who look a pale imitation when they step up to international level. Seaman and Martyn spring to mind. One of the most critical relationships on a pitch is between the keeper and his central defenders. Yet England either overlook this or..? When did England last look like they had a keeper and central defenders looking like they all knew what each other was doing? Arguably going back to the days of Sol Campbell and co. Perhaps.

It's the bloody obvious which coaches either don't see or prove incapable of addressing which I find inexplicable. I honestly don't see suffiecient evidence that British coaches spend enough time drilling the players, and especially defenders, so they work as a coherent unit, rather than all adopting the shouting, pointing and facing the wrong way approach which seems to be our national trait.

[m100]

Originally Posted by pierrelm

If Russian TV can be persuaded not to show the whole pitch in one go and we approach this with care I reckon a couple of monkeys and ponies in the right envelopes at FIFA, and we're in with a chance...bring it on!

could we give FIFA the players and put the monkeys and ponies on the field? That way we could get three 0-0 draws in the group games due to mayhem and qualify for the second round as a best runner-up?

Personally i'm hoping the dutch and italians hammer us over the next few days and we might get rid of most of the donkeys or move into a zoo.

[pierrelm]

While I'm on one:
Garth Crooks - opinionated, irritating one-eyed toad? Discuss.

It's too easy and too readily tolerated to have shite spoken about 'representation' in football, or other sport. Here's the news - picking a team of the BEST should be exactly that, whatever their colour creed, sexual orientation or maybe even gender, although that is a different can of the proverbial.

A football team is a meritocracy - it self defines itself that way. That also goes for coaching staff.
When you were in the playground, did anyone ever pick teams based on how someone looked? I don't think so. You chose a keeper, someone nippy, someone well 'ard, a bighead who can score goals, an ankle biter, the one who is a bit frightening and a kid who actually had a ball etc. That's sort of how you chose a team. On merit, depending on their role - even if it's just being the one with the football. Rarely if ever, do I recall fights among pickers because they hadn't got equal gingers, or the black lads were mostly in one team. It never happened, so why does it seemingly need to be a basis in the professional game?

Rant the seconde: Ian Wright has laughably dismissed any suggestion that he should becoaching. John Barnes unfortunately ignored suggestions that he shouldn't be. Sol Campbell, a man with 'issues' seems determined that he is being held back due to his colour. I suspect football clubs welcome success, however tall, short, pale or dark the coaching staff might be? Maybe the likes of Garth Crooks himself should step up to the coaching plate to show us how it's done? Or perhaps look at why so many pros of whatever colour, won't touch coaching with a bargepole - that might be more interesting?

I've said it before: I'm convinced our football culture is fundamentally flawed - the level of tactical awareness in Italy, Spain, Germany etc among coaches and most notably, players, is way above anything we have here, because they know it works. Here we still are in the dark ages, with players who rely on ability rather than application and as coaches will occasionally reveal, most PL home grown talent find tactics and team talk 'boring'. Our league attracts the mavericks from abroad, the characters, the ones who don't fit in - ever wondered why?

And when we do get coaches, like Pep G, like Conti who can actually can coach they are seen as people who have strange insight which isn't available to the rest. No, they buy players who listen and want to win by playing football as a team. Then they go out, having assimilated their role in the side and win. Simples.