hey guys ,maybe england will save their best for the france game eh.. Just like we saved our best for germany in munich ,argentina in sapporo and the turks .We gotta be more focused for the swiss and croatia.
That is my worry sinbad. Would be typical for the lads to get a draw against the French, beat the Swiss only to then blow it all against the Croats in the last game by being sloppy and demotivated.
Just like in the world Cup, beating Argentina and drawing the other two games to go into the bad side of the draw for the run to the finals. We'd have been semi finalists otherwise. I can see the same thing happening, just as it did in the qualifying games. Just hope that the squad has learnt its lesson since Macedonia, since it didn't learn it from Greece in the World Cup qualifiers. To long a history of performances like that, we need to put it behind us.
This is where Sven's lack of motivational skill causes us a problem. Can he get the lads up for their 3rd match in over a week when they know the hardest part is over and they're all starting to feel the tiredness? He hasn't been able to do it before, although at least this time Becks is fit and we have Gerrard coming off a season of being a captain and driving a team forward so hopefully these lads will do it themselves.
If only Owen were partnered by Lando... just kidding. Predicting a score is completely arbitrary. There's really no way of knowing. I think England will do well, though. Just look in the past at all of the long-anticipated big matches. Turkey, most recently, Germany last world cup qualifying, and the world cup qualifier in Italy before that. I have no doubts that the midfield will do great. The key really is being able to convert the good opportunities. I just hope there isn't a let-down against Croatia. I think it is a benefit (I'm not saying it negates him, just that it's a benefit) that Henry plays on the same team as two of our backs and the rest play in the same league. The familiarity with his game is stronger.
England team, England forum. lordy--as far as the Brits comment I was looking for comments from people all over that island, and not just England. If you haven't noticed England is the only team from the island of Britian to qualify, so I'm sure the whole island will be watching them (I realize that the Scots and probably the Welsh will cheer against them). But it is so much more fun to jump to a conclusion and become so very, very sensitive. Anyway, England always seem geared up for big matches, and I would'nt be surprised to see the upset---but against this France team, with so much to prove after the last WC, -- it would be quite a feat.
Re: England team, England forum. Might as well say 'Euros' cos people from all over Europe will be watching and probably cheering against England I really think it'll be a draw.
Re: England team, England forum. true I suppose, but then again people in France, Italy, etc.. probably won't be watching the BBC or Sky Sports or whatever media service will carry the games there. I think people are little too quick to call each a moron here--- oh well, off to cry myself to sleep.
Even though I will be pulling for St. George's Cross in this one, 2-1 to the French. I'm just not sold on England, YET! France just seems a little more talented.
I think France wins 2nil but I will not countout England they always rise to the occasion against the the good teams. Ex Turkey,Argentina are a few examples. So It wouldn't surprise me to see England beat France 1-o,then tie the Swiss and bow out to Croatia.
2-0 England. Well played Yanks, making us look like morons with your stupid "you britts" comments. Dumb Asses. France better on paper? I'm sure thats what they thought going into WC 2002, but they couldn't even score.
6-0 France France finishing the game with only 8 players , 2 being sent off for laughing too much during the game and the other being sent off for losing interest.
******** me...that's hilarious to be honest, when i was in england, there were lots of ingerlund type fans
Should be a great game with so many club team mates going up against each other, Makalele vs. Lampard, Henry vs. Campbell, etc. The idiot that thought that France were far superior 'on paper' was wide of the mark by a long way. If you go through the teams one at a time the French are better in some midfield positions but they're defense is definitely suspect. Any team that is having to rely on Desailly at 35 and Thuram at, what is it? 32, has one or two problems defensively. I love Desailly to bits and all that but the guys past it. I see Zidane has stood up on his hind legs and started making comments about Englands defense. You'd have thought he'd have kept his mouth shut, to be honest. I see it like this... Keeper - about the same. Neither are particularly brilliant because they're both suspect. Defense - Advantage England. Would have been better with Rio available and we've needed someone better than G. Neville for some time but I think we still have it in defense. Midfield - Not as clear cut as some seem to think. Zidane's obviously one of the best around but this year Stevie G. and Frank have had phenomal seasons. Apparently Paul Scholes is the English player held in the highest regard in the Madrid dressing room, which I think is about right over the past few years and there's always Becks with the free kicks and work-rate playing in his usual right sided role instead of the holding midfielder one he's been given, (entirely innapropriately), at Madrid. Vieira is a tremendous player but can give free kicks away in dangerous positions. Makalele is one of the best around at his job, though. - Probably advantage France but not by much. Attack - about the same, under the circumstances. I think Owen and Rooney's pace will be very telling against an ageing French defense. Henry's the dangerous one here but if we can mark him out of the game, like Chelsea did in their CL match, where he hardly got a sniff of the ball, they can definitely be contained. Oh, BTW - does anyone remember when France beat England in a competitive match? Didn't think so...
yeah ,yeah we'll see what happens in the tournie eh... The french managed zero goals in WC 2002 ,which is proof they can be stopped . No need for all these snide little posts eh maradona... I wonder why all these usmnt cretins are so obsessed with everything we do... funny or what??
Henry is a tremendous player playing for Arsenal who, in case you haven't realised it, don't play with wingers. They play it along the floor with great speed and accuracy which the rest of the premiership isn't really set up to handle. The rest of the EPL's defenses are set up to handle big, bustling centre forwards and thus they have a real problem with Arsenal. Like I said, Chelsea, (and Inter... and Dynamo Kiev), managed to see them off. As yonder mad monk says, we'll have to wait and see what happens in the tournament but I think it's a bit early to start making any predictions either way.
not obsessed at all, its a big match in a big tournament. Probably the biggest of the first round. yeah the French can be stopped, but I'm not sure 2002 is indiciaitive of the kind of team they are. I think England will do surprisingly well in the midfield battles, and that alone may be enough to get them some points----but there is no way someone can say the strikers on both teams are about even. As far as the hostility, all I can say is that I love you too SRM.
6-0 France Highlights of the game for England , Beckham blubbing at the end of the game because his best new pals from Real wouldn't give him the ball and James doing his back in picking the ball out of the back of the net for the sixth time.
Blah blah blah, dumb jock. I hope you have a good time watching England play from your sofa, 'cos your shower of sh1te aren't good enough to qualify.