Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:52 am  

England wouldn't be anywhere near the finals without Rooney. People need to put their club allegiances aside. Englands best player by a mile. Nobody questions the two poor goals conceded by Joe Hart. Should be looking at how people like Gareth Barry, Stewart Downing and Cahill getting near the team.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:55 am  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

After these, the rest of the England side is similar to our own national RL side. Good players in their own league, but when it comes to internationals, they're well short of the mark.

The difference is that the RL players stand out in an inferior league. In theory there's no reason why players that stand out in the PL shouldnt do well at international level. It is, however, a sad fact that Rooney is irreplaceable for England, we just do not have any other attacking players that will cause decent opposition any problems.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:35 am  

Young and Bent not seen anything like that since Jedward.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:46 am  

Ndamukong wrote:

Because he's considerably better than our other options?

He's a disgrace to English football. He shows no respect at all for his country or it's people. IMO he should never play for England again (and shouldn't have done after his pathetic outburst in the shambolic World Cup last year).

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:04 pm  

lefty goldblatt wrote:

I'm with you on the England bits, Saddenned.
Barry, I shudder slightly when he's chosen at domestic level
Cole. Now there is a player who's living on reputation. Playing like his mopsing around, still pining for Cheryl
Terry, another one on reputation. And not a very nice person either.
Rooney, as I said above, simply doesn't justify his inclusion, but as Ndamukong points out, we've no-one better. Perhaps a dropping (after his ban runs out) may 'shake him up' up a bit. Just wait for the pundits this weekend, trying to defend him...oohh he's got things on his mind, it's just his competative streak...he wouldn't be the same player without it, well it's Wayne, isnt it, what you see is what you get..... what is it with footballers? Are they a protected species?
Hart, I've no REAL problem with. OK his distribution could be better. BUT, who did we have on the bench? Scott Carson. I'd rather have Frank or Willie Carson in nets.

After these, the rest of the England side is similar to our own national RL side. Good players in their own league, but when it comes to internationals, they're well short of the mark.

Nothing will ever change Rooney, or those two other paragons of virtue, Terry and Cole. They earn far too much to be bothered about what people like us think about them. I've always said that there's nothing worse than poop with money. For once I could be right.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 1:11 pm  

Teessidewire wrote:

Nothing will ever change Rooney, or those two other paragons of virtue, Terry and Cole. They earn far too much to be bothered about what people like us think about them. I've always said that there's nothing worse than poop with money. For once I could be right.

To be fair you could apply that to at least half the Premier League.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 2:54 pm  

IMO, it shows how poor England are when a player like Rooney is apparently our best. Our side will always be the same, lacking innovation, leadership, quality and direction. Our biggest weakness is our best players have/had their respective club sides built around them, we now seem to be moving away from the Gerrard/Lampard/Rooney shambles, with Wayne now apparently being the one we build around. Won't work, but will be comical to see.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:14 pm  

TBH, I find it curious the amount of English football fans who have a great deal of apathy towards the national side. What is the reason for this? Is it a club v country thing? Is it because so many Premier League teams are choc-full of imports that many fans are beginning to lose some form of national identity with the national side?

I am Scottish, and although we are hilariously bad (and unfortunately too populated by Old Firm players) I am still very passionate about the national side despite there very infrequently being any of my own teams' players in the team (I am a Dundee United supporter)

Admittedly I am more of a club man than a country man (ie I would rather see my team win the league than see Scotland win the World Cup - not that any of the two are likely in the slightest) and I see the point that too many big team players miss club games due to injuries picked up on International duty but surely there is more to it than just this? Is it the media (which I 100% agree with), the travelling fans, what is it?

Genuine question here as I do not get it. I mean, I know Scotland are crap and that Steven Naismith is a horrible wee tossbag but I still celebrate like a daftie if he scores in the Dark Blue of my country.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:37 pm  

Roddy B wrote:

IMO, it shows how poor England are when a player like Rooney is apparently our best. Our side will always be the same, lacking innovation, leadership, quality and direction. Our biggest weakness is our best players have/had their respective club sides built around them, we now seem to be moving away from the Gerrard/Lampard/Rooney shambles, with Wayne now apparently being the one we build around. Won't work, but will be comical to see.

IMO, the Lampard/Gerrard shamble is the fact that Gerrard was always the one pushed out of position. I think Gerrards an infinately better player (obviously when fit) but so often he's not been played in his best position for England.

Re: The Football Chat Thread : Sat Oct 08, 2011 6:08 pm  

This is where England ALWAYS fall down, in both football and RL
If we have two quality players, vying for the same postion, we'll play both of them, but one of them we'll obviously be playing out of postion/in a different role, thus denying yet another player, just to accommodate the out of postion player, if you're still following me

Why can't coaches be ruthless, and say "sorry pal, we've already got someone in your place, you're on the bench tonight". We might actually play a balanced team, and stand a chance of winning something!