They're discipline and tactics alone should give them a chance. Who cares if they're defenders are not world class, because they ****ing know how to win games. And they're even better in the knockout stages. If were to pick potential winners of the next 50 World Cups i would always include Deutschland. Should be common sense right now(especially for those in Europe) not to dismiss the Germans. They're supporters are being pessimistic right now because they're good at mind games. I'm not saying they're a favorite over Spain or Brazil but you said they had "NO CHANCE" (and placed the USA over them )and i just had to have a word in.
I remember 2002 and 2006... Everyone was saying that Germany will choke and that they are very weak. Everyone knows how those two World Cup's panned out for Germany.
You so nearly mentioned Engalnd's strengths which I have been asking of you for some time now and others, but you steer away from it and ask me if I am in a cave. You tell me why we are so strong and I will again tell you why we are not. I'll give you one clue. We do not have an international class goalkeeper.
I presume this message was sent 8 years ago....forgetting Messi of course. Domenech is even more of a liability than Maradonna and the French team hate him.
England's strengths: 1.Rooney 2.Good depth in midfield with some great players when in form (Gerrard, Lampard e.t.c) 3.Every player (bar Heskey of course ) is capable of scoring 4.Some serious pace on the right, with Lennon, Walcott and SWP to pick from. 5. A strong back 4. Terry and Ferdinand are in fine form, Ashley Cole has been outstanding so far this season. We are better than most other contenders in this area. 6. A new fluid 4-2-3-1 formation that brings the best out of Rooney and Gerrard, and an end to the days of seeing Gerrard and Lampard in a 4-4-2. 7. A world class manager who gets the best out of our players. All of his tactics have been spot on, from choosing the right substitutes to bring on to playing Walcott in Zagreb. To name a few..
I'd love to say England but it'll probably be one of the traditional big boys, like Brazil or Germany, who just seem to know what it takes to play in a tournament. You've also really got to fancy any team that can field Messi!
I only try to play devil's advocate because since 1970 the fans, press etc. have almost expected England to get to the Final always to be disappointed. 1990 we fairly luckily got to 4th and in this supposed Golden generation we gave up against Brazil in 2002 and put a pathetic performance in in 2006. So it is not unreasonable to ask quite why things should change here. At least you have replied with some positives which no one else ever does rather relying on 'England is great' as any sort of a reason. From your points I don't want to be too negative and 1.) Rooney is a hell of a player but equally he could get injured, have too much pressure on especially if he is played alone up front. Argentina would not have won the WC in1986 without Maradonna but then he was exceptional. 2.) I still have to come down to the midfiled not playing as well for Country as Club. Lampard is outstanding for Chelsea but his scoring record for England is poor in comparison. I watch Gerrard intently still trying to work out why he is so highly regarded and he does give the ball away far too often and has had a pretty poor season with Liverpool. I don't even think barry is the player he was at Villa. 3.) Yes but those who we rely on for goals do not score enough i.e. Defore, Gerrard & lampard. 4.) These players are great when brought on for the last 30 minutes against a tiring defence but they are in and out, impact players who rarely convince for the whole match and certainly not a tournament. On the plus side I think Crouch has really proved himself. I do not think Capello is a tactical genius and to suggest all his tactics have been spot on is optimistic of any coach but he has brought far more out of the players as much through discipline and respect as anything else compared to the holiday camp atmosphere of the previous 7 years. I still do not feel the defence is sound enough. I know many people who agree that ferdinand is not this Bobby Moore clone that they had hoped for. He has not been great this season. Johnson is great coming forward but how would he cope with pace and control coming repeatedly towrds him? If he is out do we get Where's Brown because I would not fancy our chances there. I also go back to the keeper and Green/James do not instill confidence pulling off some good saves but also making to occasional ricket. As much as anything I will not do the regular, I am an England fan so we are going to do really well' bit because I remember being really up for so many tournaments especially the 2002 tournament and tearing my hair out at the pathetic second half perfomances against Sweden & Brazil and maybe don't want to have hopes dashed yet again. Going way back I really thought we would win the European Championship in 1980 and again we were very poor.
Lampard has 20 goals for England... that's not bad for a midfielder you know.. I don't know if you have actually watched Ferdinand this season, because he has been solid, especially in the past few weeks? prior to that he was injured and playingg poorly because of that. Spain could quite easily go into this tournament and expect to do badly, because they have a terrible WC record, so do you see them getting knocked out early?
Not even vaguely as they have a proved 12-18 man squad and actually won something important last summer by playing brilliant football, are top of the FIFA rankings and have hardly been beaten in the last 18 months so no comparison at all. When you get a moment do please take the opportunity to talk up the wealth of goalkeeping options we have.
I give up with you. You are clearly a wind up merchant. 2006 has absolutely no reckoning on this World Cup, and you continue to ignore the facts. England have played well in the last 18 months, and you might have forgotten that goal Lampard scored against Portugal in 2004. Your only comeback is that 'we don't have a good goalkeeper' and 'in past world cups we haven't performed' yet you seem to rate Spain so highly? I doubt whether you have watched much football, because it's the same crap every post 'Terry and Ferdinand are in poor form' 'Lampard sucks' 'Johnson is not good enough' e.t.c
Yes obviously a wind up merchant, 43 years of going to 1250+ games, 30 world cup matches in 6 world cups but never mind you just keep ignoring the goalkeeping situation and live in your fantasy land. Yes I have forgotten one goal scored 6 years ago will that help this time around. It certainly did not help in 2006.Your constant refences about Spain are more blinkered that I would expect from from a Chelski supporter.
If Lampard's goal 6 years ago has no effect, then why will past world cups? All you can think up is how we don't have a goalkeeper, and that in past tournaments we have not progressed further. Why the hell do you even bother going to games if you think we're so bad?
What relevance is one goal from a different tournement 6 years ago?!!!! I have never said we were SO BAD I am trying to get people to answer why they think we are SO GOOD. If I suggest there is a major weakness and you fail to address that then how competant is your argument? Not sure why realism is such a bad thing as i say I have been up for all previous tournements and apart from the odd games usually against the top teams (Brazil 2002 omitting) they have been a let down and was hoping someone would competantly tell why this one should be different. No one has as yet.
Realism? So you're saying it's 'unrealistic' for England fans to feel optimistic after our best ever qualifying campaign in which we SCORED THE MOST GOALS IN EUROPE? You think it's 'unrealistic' to feel a little optimistic because we have one of the best coaches in world football? Blimey, I'd hate to see what would have you feeling optimistic. Scratch that, nothing would have you feeling optimistic because you're probarbly one of those fans that is never pleased. Robthefool is right, you are a WUM. NOBODY is talking 'optimism' as in actually winning the World Cup. You find me ONE quote from any England fan that says unreservedly 'we WILL win the World Cup' then I will eat my hat, England shirt, or anything else unpleasant and not very tasty. You're clearly paying too much attention to the media which is once again spinning the same old crap as 4 and 8 years ago that all England fans 'EXPECT to win the World Cup' while simultaneously telling us all that 'we cannot win because all the foreign teams are more technically gifted than us'. Both statements could not be further from the truth. True England fans- I.e those that actually follow the team all year round, have some knowledge about world football, do not recieve thier world view from newspapers such as The Scum and The Daily Entrail, are willing to put COUNTRY before club (or at least follows England more than once every 2 years)- do not EXPECT to be winning the World Cup. Anybody who tells you anything else must be buying too much into The Scum. Heck, only today I saw thier latest World Cup advertisment, which featured a plain black background with the England badge, and above the crest where the World Cup Winners' star is, a second one appears next to it. Underneath the badge appears the text "Maybe, just maybe". I mean talk about typical crap from The Sun, right!?! England fans are 'optimistic' in the sense that, if we have all our players available and Capello can get us playing like we have been doing, we have a good chance of advancing past the quarters for the first time in 20 years. I see no reason whatsoever why that should be deemed 'unrealistic' by you or anyone else.
So It's between Brazil ,Spain and maybe england. Argentina, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal shouldn't even start they have no chance. But Argentina is one of my favorite they have so good players and France, Italy, Germany, Portugal are just the last four semi-finalists. To predict World cup you have not to rely too much on qualifications or friendly matchs... odds for world cup 2006 , 3 months before : Brazil -- 5/2 England -- 13/2 Argentina -- 7/1 Germany -- 8/1 Italy -- 8/1 France -- 10/1 Spain -- 3/1 Portugal -- 18/1 Odds for world cup 2002, 6 months before : France -- 4/1 Argentina -- 4/1 Brazil -- 13/2 England -- 8/1 Italy -- 15/2 Spain -- 11/1 Portugal -- 14/1 Germany -- 20/1 Sweden -- 33/1 Russia -- 33/1
It was english bookies I think search google with "world cup 2006 odds" or "world cup 2002 odds". One is from january 2002 the other from march 2006 But I remember that before 2002 France was favorite (world cup winner 1998 & European championship winner) and argentina too because brazil struggle too qualify. Germany were not supposed to do anything. In 2006 Brazil were ultra favorite. They just won last world cup , confederation cup easely... I can remember an english player or the english coach saying something like "except the brazil we are the best". France were told to be a retirement house. So you know qualification campaign and friendly matchs are a thing. But recent history of a country at world cup(i don't speak about uruguay in the 30's), level of the players, fitness of the players (players that miss an half season generally perform well at world cup), key players injured or not, overconfidence or humble players are much more important parameters.
English bookies always have England as higher favourites than they should be. I would be interested to see the odds for those World Cups from other countries. Nevertheless, it is interesting that Sweden and Russia were at 33/1 for the 02 World Cup!?! Any particular reason for this? I thought both were extremely ordinary in 2002. As a special request, I would like if posters from other countries (than England) would kindly post the bookies' odds for the 2010 World Cup from thier own country...
Anyone who thinks England has a chance is smoking something major...or else they are English/Americans. I think Spain has to be the most likely to win. And Brazil is always a good bet, but unfortunately they lack the talent of a Spain. The dutch also have incredible talent. I pick Spain. They are easily the most dominat team. In fact, i haven't seen a national team as talented as this Spanish team in a long long time.
Don't know what you're smoking. Spain have a poor World Cup record and have had several talented generations of players that haven't managed to get the job done. You've followed football all of 2 weeks, right? Plus, the favourite for the World Cup beforehand has rarely ever won it. Hey, I think they have a great chance, but if I had to put my house on one team to win it, I would rather go Brazil or even Germany than Spain.
Not more than these teams.. Spain Brazil Argentina France England Italy Clearly you think Spain's dismal WC record will not affect them, but England's better WC record will?
Bleh! What kind of a poll is this... seriously what are Italy and Argentina doing on here? No Switzerland? No Ghana? No 'Korea'???!!!! I voted 'other'.