The Official England Thread-The Team We All Support [Vol 2]
Discussion
GloverMart said:
I think the FANS would but the MEDIA wouldn't. As soon as anyone gets within arms length of the England job, the media would be out to find every little thing they had done wrong. Like you said, some of our top English managers had "issues"... Hoddle, Redknapp, even back to Venables.
Then the FA needs to grow a spine and ignore the press, responding robustly to them.I can't recall the exact details of the Allardyce sting, but seem to recall thinking he hadn't actually done anything "wrong" at that point? The FA may have been far better served having a word with him, and then simply telling the press that no wrong had actually been done, that discussions had been had with the manager, he was hugely remorseful (I genuinely think he is) and we are moving on with him in position and having learned a serious lesson. Oh, and underhand sting type tactics are very much not appreciated and any media personnel who wish to try and protract this story over and above talking about the performance of the team will find themselves unwelcome at FA press conferences.
I hate our media with a passion. I'm not a fan of censorship, but when they start trying to make the news rather than report on it in instances like this they need putting in their place.
Murph7355 said:
TEKNOPUG said:
France also have Netherlands & Sweden, Portugal have Switzerland, Spain have Italy. I just think, for England at least, it's counter-productive being seeded and having an easy qualifying group. We'd be better off not being seeded and in a group with a couple of other decent country's.
And yes, I agree, every seeded team has that issue, which is why it should be addressed. It would also make for competitive matches for the lesser countries as they will be playing similar standard sides in a group they can actually win, for a chance against the bigger countries. As opposed to being smashed every game and hoping not finish bottom of the group.
Wouldn't that mean lower ranked sides definitely getting through to the finals, and hence just push the "problem" to the group stages of those?And yes, I agree, every seeded team has that issue, which is why it should be addressed. It would also make for competitive matches for the lesser countries as they will be playing similar standard sides in a group they can actually win, for a chance against the bigger countries. As opposed to being smashed every game and hoping not finish bottom of the group.
Unless you perpetuate the ideas into the finals. And then you just artificially include low ranked teams who stand no chance (even less than England
) in the knockouts?Murph7355 said:
I hate our media with a passion. I'm not a fan of censorship, but when they start trying to make the news rather than report on it in instances like this they need putting in their place.
Agreed.But, its not as if we all don't know exactly how the media behave regarding England managers, so SA was comically naïve in putting himself in that position.
The FA are hopelessly inept though, amateurs trying to run a multi-million pro sport.....and the England team setup will never amount to anything again, as long as the FA remain the way they are....
.....in almost the opposite way that FIFA are so morally corrupt to the core that its equally comical.
TEKNOPUG said:
You misunderstand. There are currently 54 countries in the European WC qualifying groups (9 groups of 6). Half of which have little to no chance of qualifying and most of their games are total miss-matches. So split them in half. The bottom 27 countries should play in a pre-qualifying tournament (as happens in the CL). They get to play similar ability sides and actually have something to play for. The top 8 teams then qualify for the group stages proper. You are then left with 35 teams, 7 groups of 5 - as opposed to 9 groups of 6 currently. Each group will only have 1 (2 at most) of the minnows. The quality and competition will then be a lot higher and you won't have pointless games like Belgium v Gibraltar or worse still, WC places decided by who smash the most goals past San Marino.
Ah, OK.Murph7355 said:
TEKNOPUG said:
You misunderstand. There are currently 54 countries in the European WC qualifying groups (9 groups of 6). Half of which have little to no chance of qualifying and most of their games are total miss-matches. So split them in half. The bottom 27 countries should play in a pre-qualifying tournament (as happens in the CL). They get to play similar ability sides and actually have something to play for. The top 8 teams then qualify for the group stages proper. You are then left with 35 teams, 7 groups of 5 - as opposed to 9 groups of 6 currently. Each group will only have 1 (2 at most) of the minnows. The quality and competition will then be a lot higher and you won't have pointless games like Belgium v Gibraltar or worse still, WC places decided by who smash the most goals past San Marino.
Ah, OK.TwigtheWonderkid said:
Yeah, we wouldn't want England wasting their time playing no hopers like Iceland.
It's funnier watching it in the knockout stages of the actual tournament. We'd beat them in the play offs easily and think we're Brazil.Mind you, our record against them could not be more even...we've played the 3 times.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Murph7355 said:
TEKNOPUG said:
You misunderstand. There are currently 54 countries in the European WC qualifying groups (9 groups of 6). Half of which have little to no chance of qualifying and most of their games are total miss-matches. So split them in half. The bottom 27 countries should play in a pre-qualifying tournament (as happens in the CL). They get to play similar ability sides and actually have something to play for. The top 8 teams then qualify for the group stages proper. You are then left with 35 teams, 7 groups of 5 - as opposed to 9 groups of 6 currently. Each group will only have 1 (2 at most) of the minnows. The quality and competition will then be a lot higher and you won't have pointless games like Belgium v Gibraltar or worse still, WC places decided by who smash the most goals past San Marino.
Ah, OK.Slovenia 28
Scotland 31
Lithuania 38
Malta 44
4 of the 6 group teams are in the bottom half of European countries, 3 very much so. As the results will testify.
TEKNOPUG said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Murph7355 said:
TEKNOPUG said:
You misunderstand. There are currently 54 countries in the European WC qualifying groups (9 groups of 6). Half of which have little to no chance of qualifying and most of their games are total miss-matches. So split them in half. The bottom 27 countries should play in a pre-qualifying tournament (as happens in the CL). They get to play similar ability sides and actually have something to play for. The top 8 teams then qualify for the group stages proper. You are then left with 35 teams, 7 groups of 5 - as opposed to 9 groups of 6 currently. Each group will only have 1 (2 at most) of the minnows. The quality and competition will then be a lot higher and you won't have pointless games like Belgium v Gibraltar or worse still, WC places decided by who smash the most goals past San Marino.
Ah, OK.Slovenia 28
Scotland 31
Lithuania 38
Malta 44
4 of the 6 group teams are in the bottom half of European countries, 3 very much so. As the results will testify.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
TEKNOPUG said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Murph7355 said:
TEKNOPUG said:
You misunderstand. There are currently 54 countries in the European WC qualifying groups (9 groups of 6). Half of which have little to no chance of qualifying and most of their games are total miss-matches. So split them in half. The bottom 27 countries should play in a pre-qualifying tournament (as happens in the CL). They get to play similar ability sides and actually have something to play for. The top 8 teams then qualify for the group stages proper. You are then left with 35 teams, 7 groups of 5 - as opposed to 9 groups of 6 currently. Each group will only have 1 (2 at most) of the minnows. The quality and competition will then be a lot higher and you won't have pointless games like Belgium v Gibraltar or worse still, WC places decided by who smash the most goals past San Marino.
Ah, OK.Slovenia 28
Scotland 31
Lithuania 38
Malta 44
4 of the 6 group teams are in the bottom half of European countries, 3 very much so. As the results will testify.
Try and keep up.
TEKNOPUG said:
Yes and as they are ranked 28th in Europe and therefore the top team in the "pre-qualifying tournament", they would be favourites to qualify for the group stages proper. So we'd still playing them. On merit. We just wouldn't be wasting everyone's time by playing Scotland, Lithuania and Malta.
Try and keep up.
I think in Germany, Spain and Italy they think it's a shame they have to waste their time playing the likes of us. Try and keep up.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
TEKNOPUG said:
Yes and as they are ranked 28th in Europe and therefore the top team in the "pre-qualifying tournament", they would be favourites to qualify for the group stages proper. So we'd still playing them. On merit. We just wouldn't be wasting everyone's time by playing Scotland, Lithuania and Malta.
Try and keep up.
I think in Germany, Spain and Italy they think it's a shame they have to waste their time playing the likes of us. Try and keep up.
TEKNOPUG said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
TEKNOPUG said:
Yes and as they are ranked 28th in Europe and therefore the top team in the "pre-qualifying tournament", they would be favourites to qualify for the group stages proper. So we'd still playing them. On merit. We just wouldn't be wasting everyone's time by playing Scotland, Lithuania and Malta.
Try and keep up.
I think in Germany, Spain and Italy they think it's a shame they have to waste their time playing the likes of us. Try and keep up.
I wonder how the Estonian and Maltese F.A.s will actually survive without games against Germany, Italy, Spain etc. But who cares. f
k 'em, I'm alright Jack. TwigtheWonderkid said:
I see. So the point it doing what's best for England.
I wonder how the Estonian and Maltese F.A.s will actually survive without games against Germany, Italy, Spain etc. But who cares. fk 'em, I'm alright Jack.
Just out of interest, how does playing the big teams help the small F.A.'s to survive? Genuine question.I wonder how the Estonian and Maltese F.A.s will actually survive without games against Germany, Italy, Spain etc. But who cares. f
k 'em, I'm alright Jack. 
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