*Official* English Football Season 2008-2009

[chaminda_00]

Applies to Australia vs. any Asian side as well.

awta

also lol at France being better then Argentina on paper. Learn to watch the game Aussie, not the names on their backs.

 

[aussie]

But Argentina have the best player in the world plus Agüero and then Tezez on the bench is I better than France's atack , If you then add a superior central midefeald partnership of Gago and Mascherano I can't see why you are so surprised

All true. But as i said given Argentian central defense is clearly wasn't nothing special since Ayala retired in copa america (come on Heinze in the centre). I would though France's inform strike trio could have scored.

Plus not sure what France's bench strenght was for that game. But they still have some of the best young talent in the world.

It just shows that they are still living in the shadow of Zidane & their coach isn't getting the best out of them.

awta

also lol at France being better then Argentina on paper. Learn to watch the game Aussie, not the names on their backs.

LOL. never said i did. Just stating valid reasons why i was surprised at the one-sided result.

 

[aussie]

Joe Cole and Gerrard are a recipe for a narrow midfield, which just means England have even less time and space to pass it and zero delivery into the box.

Well our success last year wasn't built on that old formula of of trying to wipe crosses into the box year was it?

It was EPL style, quick passing & aggressive man to man play.



If the mid-field attack vs Spain last night was:


------------------------------------------------------------------Heskey--------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------Rooney---------------------------------------------------------

Gerrard---------------------------------Lampard---------Carrick/Harg-----------------------------J Cole

I seriously think we could have done better playing our way & not trying to emulate them. But of course that wouldn't have guaranteed victory.

Spain just sat back, looked good and given they kept being presented the ball on a plate didn't really create much. That's pretty much what they've always been like. The main difference is other national sides are piss poor so it makes Spain look better than they are.

England aren't good enough to pass it around for long, they pretty much only looked like a threat when someone like Downing delivered a cross or longer ball (most of the main chances came from him) - otherwise they simply can't string enough passes together to work an opening.

But this is pretty much how it has been for a while. England have to play a simple game to look a threat, the midfield still kills the forward progress by being too close to the defense and love to face towards their own goal, resulting in them pinging the ball back to the player that just passed to them. England are poor technically but they could make things a lot easier for themselves if they had more outlets - hoofing it up to Heskey/Crouch should not be the primary mode of attack.

Ye im not doubting technically we can't compare with Spain. Thats why i said before Capello playing Carrick/Barry together in the mid-field, to try & beat Spain in a mid-field battle was never going to work (although its clear big Fabio was just experimenting).

 

[Craig]

If there is to be a sin-bin, I would use it for diving and time wasting. Fouls are a real hard one to judge.

 

[duffer]

Ok most hilarious Croatian in the Premiership?

Modric:

Kranjcar:

or Eduardo:

 

[Scaly piscine]

Well our success last year wasn't built on that old formula of of trying to wipe crosses into the box year was it?

It was EPL style, quick passing & aggressive man to man play.



If the mid-field attack vs Spain last night was:


------------------------------------------------------------------Heskey--------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------Rooney---------------------------------------------------------

Gerrard---------------------------------Lampard---------Carrick/Harg-----------------------------J Cole

Most of the games England have played have been away against rubbish. That means you get more space to pass it around.

Another bonus for England was Walcott, his pace pushed defenses back and provided space - as well as scoring goals. That's another dimension England lacked against Spain as Agbonlahor was pretty poor and Wright-Philips didn't really run in behind Spain and tended to come inside a lot.

 

[Craig]

Milan fail in their bid to buy David Beckham and so he returns to LA Galaxy on March 9.

 

[Scaly piscine]

Other reports say they'll be back into negotiations next week.

Swansea battering Fulham somewhat here.

 

[GIMH]

Ian Moore Moore Moore

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

****ing hell this is frustrating

 

[GIMH]

Just seen your score now, didn't even realise there were any Prem games on

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Replay of the iced off game in early Jan.

 

[Neil Pickup]

This is taking years off my life and I'm only following on Exeweb.

 

[GIMH]

****ing southend last minute winner

 

[grecian]

This is taking years off my life and I'm only following on Exeweb.

Pfft a regulation home three pointer against a team lower in the table then us














NURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[grecian]

Hey Pickup (or Pothas I suppose), you thinking of going to the Brentford match on the eleventh of April?

 

[Craig]

Looks like Avram Grant will take over as Portsmouth manager at this stage. Out of interest Barney, I know the club was in some major financial trouble, how much has the sales of Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra made to the club's finances?

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

How much does Marcelo look like Robinho? It's crazy.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Looks like Avram Grant will take over as Portsmouth manager at this stage. Out of interest Barney, I know the club was in some major financial trouble, how much has the sales of Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra made to the club's finances?

We're not really in much trouble any more. Gaydamak will not be investing any more of his own money, but we don't need to sell more players to survive.

That said, Kranjcar is leaving in the summer, which should get us an extra £15million or so on top of what we already have.

Not sure where you've got the rumour about Grant being the favourite, I've heard nothing since the Eriksson rumours were addressed the other day - but I don't especially want Grant in charge. I don't think our players would respond to him.

 

[GilchristFtw]

I must say I wasn't expecting Scolari to get the sack as Chelsea manager.
IMO Chelsea think that they need to win the premier league in half a season or they sack the manager