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Post by Cast no shadow on Oct 9, 2017 17:11:42 GMT
We've now qualified for six consecutive World Cups which is the longest England have ever done. When you think African champions Cameroon haven't made it and a nation if recent stature like Holland are unlikely to it shows that, despite everything it could be worse. Yeah great, we battered the mighty Slovenia, and thrashed the mighty Lithuania.... Oh wait, actually we didn't. Nowadays, we're the Ireland of international football. Turn up for a laugh and to play the part. Fuck off a week or two in when the real teams start to play.
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Post by TrentValePotter96 on Oct 9, 2017 17:39:26 GMT
Given how we've played in qualifying we are in serious trouble at this world cup next year
We scored 18 goals, yet I can count at least 3 of them being last minute goals. They still count, but we won't be facing opposition that tires as easy as our group opponents did.
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Post by Pugsley on Oct 9, 2017 17:55:40 GMT
Congratulating England on qualifying for any tournament these days days is like congratulating a grown man wiping his arse. Both involve a load of shit but are relatively straight forward tasks.
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Post by iglugluk on Oct 9, 2017 18:50:52 GMT
Why? Do you have a personal bone to pick with Scotland, or is it just "Ha Ha, look how they messed up, that proves we are a good team?" (like Stokies and Port Vale). Why can't we be happy if all teams from UK do well? Or all teams from greater Stoke area do well? That’s an easy answer. Because the Scots, Welsh and Irish despise England and will support ANYONE who they play against. Can't say that I've come across a strong hatred of the England team via the Republic of Ireland supporters tbh. Unfortunately the Scots and Welsh seem to be in danger of defining their national support via a hatred of England.
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Post by thedarkknight on Oct 9, 2017 19:11:02 GMT
I see after a good September on the back of a decent season last year has made Harry Kane the latest "next great hope" for the media and thus majority of fans. Sure it was Dele Alli last year, Barkley before that. I'll refrain from getting too excited....just yet anyway.
In other news, nice stat about the run of qualifications, but let's not forget Euro 08 is mixed In with that streak.
End of the day we are a bang average team from a football mad country, ridiculous format of qualification allows media and pundits to build us into world beaters, and fickle fans jump on the bandwagon with "passion" The fact is we are so far away from being close to challenging for a tournament it's all a house of cards.
Every 2 years rinse and repeat. Rashford to be the focus of the hype next time round!
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Post by JoeinOz on Oct 9, 2017 20:18:08 GMT
Although I'm not one to defend England and Steve McLaren, calling the 2008 group easy is ridiculous. It contained Croatia and Russia who were both decent teams at that time and went on to reach the semi finals in Euro 2008. We should definitely have qualified considering how strong our squad was back then but it was by no means an easy group. The last 2 or 3 qualifying groups we've played in have been far far easier. We drew 0-0 at home with Macedonia. That was the killer blow. We were bloody rubbish in that game.
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Post by JoeinOz on Oct 9, 2017 20:22:08 GMT
We've now qualified for six consecutive World Cups which is the longest England have ever done. When you think African champions Cameroon haven't made it and a nation if recent stature like Holland are unlikely to it shows that, despite everything it could be worse. Yeah great, we battered the mighty Slovenia, and thrashed the mighty Lithuania.... Oh wait, actually we didn't. Nowadays, we're the Ireland of international football. Turn up for a laugh and to play the part. Fuck off a week or two in when the real teams start to play. But we've qualified. As for leaving when the real teams come in that's what we've always done. Apart from once. The thing is talk about real teams BUT the unreal ones are growing and evolving. England aren't.
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Post by skip on Oct 9, 2017 20:51:43 GMT
I reckon the easiest qualifying draw we ever had was for 2008 and er..... Although I'm not one to defend England and Steve McLaren, calling the 2008 group easy is ridiculous. It contained Croatia and Russia who were both decent teams at that time and went on to reach the semi finals in Euro 2008. We should definitely have qualified considering how strong our squad was back then but it was by no means an easy group. The last 2 or 3 qualifying groups we've played in have been far far easier. Not qualifying then was the moment when I very very nearly gave up on England. It's never been the same since. I was f**king livid.
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Post by sovietonion on Oct 10, 2017 16:46:03 GMT
The campaign. For USA 1994 was an absolute fuck up too. I was living in Wales at the time which made it worse until they too pissed it away at the last minute. The sound of piss taking US flags being whipped back in windows around mid-Glamorgan is a pleasurable memory. Thought of this last night when Martin O Neill pissed on their bonfire...
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