FIFA Worldcup 2006 - Sweet 16: England vs Ecuador

[Boomer]

why?

Because we raise our game against better teams, ESPECIALLY during the Sven Goran Ericksson tenure. Recently, we were appalling in a run up to a friendly against Argentina in Switzerland and then, in one of the best football matches I've ever seen, a full strength England beat a full strength, Gabriele Heinze's injury aside, Argentinean team 3-2. Going to Germany needing to win when Ericksson took over after limping through a couple of qualifying games and hammering them 5-1 at the Olympic Stadium, playing poorly in the opening game against Sweden 4 years ago in Japan and then beating Argentina the next game, etc. Recent history is littered with tremendous England performances when needed - France in Euro 2004, Croatia in Euro 2004, Portugal in Euro 2004, etc.

And there's too much quality in the team. Too many World Class players to allow us to play so poorly in the 1/4 finals of the World Cup against a team we can beat.

That's why.

 

[Amars]

Well I hope your correct because so far the look mediocre at best.

 

[Boomer]

If England didnt have Sven as their coach id reckon they would be up there with the favourites to win it.

They have arguably the best midfield in the world atm , also one of the top 3 young players in Rooney. But Sven cant find his "ideal" formation and mix of players and that IMO will be Englands undoing.

As much as I cant stand the thought of them winning as the media will be ****in unbearable for another 40 years I really feel that this is/was their best chance for a long time.

Time will tell whether they blow it or not...

Couldn't agree more.

The ridiculous notion of playing Europe's best midfielder as the holding player for so long, refusing to drop Beckham, who essentially is now like a placekicker....trots out for free kicks and does nothing else for the rest of the game, refusing to drop Lampard, not playing Carrick despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary and then all of a sudden giving him his first competetive cap in the last 16 of the World Cup, the Owen Hargreaves obsession, the diamond formation, 4-4-2, 4-5-1, the 'holding' midfielder, refusing to play Ashley Cole and Bridge down the left when the 'problem' left side was an issue, ruining Paul Scholes, one of the finest midfielders of a generation so as to accomodate an unfit David Beckham 2 years ago in Portugal, the decision to take Jenas and Walcott and not to take Defoe and maybe even Andy Johnson because of the injuries to Owen and Rooney.

Etc.

You know I could go on apace.

Guy is a fool. Unfortunately, I don't think McClaren is a lot better.

And yet all that said, I STILL think we're going to the semis at worst. 2 of Portugal's 3 most important players are out of the quarter final. We'll never have a better chance.

 

[Boomer]

Well I hope your correct because so far the look mediocre at best.

They absolutely do. But they're in the 1/4 final without having played. This is very reminiscent of Italia 90. Played 3 very poor group games, struggled to beat Belgium in the last 16 and Bobby Robson was getting hammered, then they beat Cameroon and finally lost on penalties to the then West Germany in the semi. Really has that sort of feeling.

 

[Amars]

I was expecting more from this team so I hope they do show up. I would like to see how good they really are..

 

[Prime Time]

England is lucky they've played some of the easier teams in this WC. Had they been in USA's Group or Argentina's Group..they would have been knocked out.

 

[Boomer]

I was expecting more from this team so I hope they do show up. I would like to see how good they really are..

A lot of people were. But like Rio Ferdinand said after the game, results win competitions, not performances. A team that contains Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, etc. can't continue to play so poorly.

 

[Boomer]

England is lucky they've played some of the easier teams in this WC. Had they been in USA's Group or Argentina's Group..they would have been knocked out.

Well, as a A seed it wouldn't have happened. Suffice to say that we'd have beaten the US and Ghana and probably the Czechs.

 

[~soap~]

A lot of people were. But like Rio Ferdinand said after the game, results win competitions, not performances. A team that contains Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, etc. can't continue to play so poorly.

Great players don't always make a great team

 

[Prime Time]

Well, as a A seed it wouldn't have happened. Suffice to say that we'd have beaten the US and Ghana and probably the Czechs.

1-0 Paraguay
2-0 T&T (2 late goals)
2-2 Sweden
1-0 Ecuador

Yes you are winning but look at that....

US win? Maybe, heck even probably. Ghana? I wouldn't be too sure. Czechs? Doubtful. Italy? Even more so.

 

[Prime Time]

Great players don't always make a great team

Look at Real Madrid :cry:

 

[Boomer]

Great players don't always make a great team

Very true, but they've been great so many times before, I can't think that they won't put it all together. Perhaps they will just limp out of the tournament without putting in a performance, but I doubt it.

 

[Boomer]

1-0 Paraguay
2-0 T&T (2 late goals)
2-2 Sweden
1-0 Ecuador

Yes you are winning but look at that....

US win? Maybe, heck even probably. Ghana? I wouldn't be too sure. Czechs? Doubtful. Italy? Even more so.

Yeah but look at it again.

Win
Win
Draw to win the group
Win

It's a results business. I'd rather we played poorly and beat Portugal than played brilliantly and lost.

 

[Boomer]

Look at Real Madrid :cry:

Don't know that there's that many 'great' players at Real. The Galacticos mentality of Florentino Perez has left the team with far too many overpaid players who aren't good enough to challenge Barcelona - a team of great players. Years of buying the wrong players and allowing Raul to dictate team selection has left them a shadow of the force they were. Raul, Ronaldo, Zidane, etc. Not good enough anymore.

 

[Tone_E]

Hey Boomer. Has the pressure been lifted on Beckham? And why aren't you guys as hard on Rooney as you are with Beckham. I've heard a paper in England was questioning Beckhams leadership abilities (from the commentator of the game) and am just curious what your press is saying over there.