WC 2006 Official Thread - Page 335

Sdpm100 · 06-20-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

No apologies necessary..it was interesting and a little shocking seeing a new side of you but I deserved it for being a little rude and pushy.

It was necessary.
I embarrass myself enough already, without showing how little I know about pre-game tactics.

That's why you should ask those more accomplished.

redmarkYankees · 06-20-2006, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

I think the two 2-1 predictors would be better people to give pre-game analysis.

IMO, there's a possibility that the change to Lampard/Hargreaves (attacking/holding) will help the fluency; if Rooney/Owen also gel, England could win this 4 or 5 nil, as Sweden aren't a great side. On the other hand, it may not improve things at all, as Lampard has looked poor so far, Hargreaves isn't necessarily good enough, and Rooney/Owen of course aren't really fit (nor is Ashley Cole). In that case, we could have another disjointed performance lacking tempo and fluency. Part of the problem is that players like Beckham and Joe Cole don't play sharp pass-and-move, they're looking for the killer ball or in Cole's case - he's just greedy, IMO. Hence, I think we could win 4-0 or lose 2-1. I'll go for a 2-1 win as a rough midpoint.

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:39 PM

I felt bad for England in Japan/Korea because they might have beaten Brazil if it hadnt been for some Seaman laziness

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:41 PM

Poor Crouch..all he does is score the winning goal and his reward is the bench

redmarkYankees · 06-20-2006, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

All the England fans were moaning after the 1-0 loss to Northern Ireland though weren't they?

Of course - England shouldn't be losing to Northern Ireland, and England fans generally like a moan. The players were certainly stung by that, but I don't quite see how it impacts this discussion anyway?

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:44 PM

Grrr..why does there have to be a three hour window between matches...especially with no chance of extra time

Sdpm100 · 06-20-2006, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmarkYankees

Of course - England shouldn't be losing to Northern Ireland, and England fans generally like a moan. The players were certainly stung by that, but I don't quite see how it impacts this discussion anyway?

You've just said qualifying doesn't matter once you get into the tournament, so why did so many people moan when they lost to NI, or to Denmark in a friendly?

Sdpm100 · 06-20-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

Poor Crouch..all he does is score the winning goal and his reward is the bench

I'd have him in the goal tbh.

Chisanga · 06-20-2006, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by redmarkYankees

IMO, there's a possibility that the change to Lampard/Hargreaves (attacking/holding) will help the fluency; if Rooney/Owen also gel, England could win this 4 or 5 nil, as Sweden aren't a great side. On the other hand, it may not improve things at all, as Lampard has looked poor so far, Hargreaves isn't necessarily good enough, and Rooney/Owen of course aren't really fit (nor is Ashley Cole). In that case, we could have another disjointed performance lacking tempo and fluency. Part of the problem is that players like Beckham and Joe Cole don't play sharp pass-and-move, they're looking for the killer ball or in Cole's case - he's just greedy, IMO. Hence, I think we could win 4-0 or lose 2-1. I'll go for a 2-1 win as a rough midpoint.

I think Sven should have started Lennon instead of Beckham in this game

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:48 PM

....the waiting...is the hardest part...

Chisanga · 06-20-2006, 01:49 PM

Almost 6am and still drinking beer :sigh:

Chisanga · 06-20-2006, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bababui

....the waiting...is the hardest part...

Every day you see one more card

The Funk · 06-20-2006, 01:51 PM

Above all else I think the England match is about Owen and Rooney. Owen seems to need to prove himself and they both need match fitness, so hopefully they'll both get plenty of playing time. I think they're England's best partnership.

On paper England should win, although Sweden is a bit of a bogey team. They have some top notch players eg. Ljungberg, Ibrahimovich, and the others are all solid. Larsson is getting on now and past his best, but he still an intelligent and effective striker.

I think England will be motivated, hell any team should always be motivated, and I expect them to start improving with this game, it can often be hard to get into top gear against poorer opposition. I think this game is ideal for England really; they don't need to worry about getting knocked out and they're playing a good team to help them start stepping it up for the next stages. 2-1 sounds a good bet as it'll probably be close. England won't be playing their strongest 11, but then again, Sven still seems to have no idea what his strongest 11 actually is, so maybe it won't be a hindrance.

Sweden just need a draw to qualify so it'll be interested to see how they approach the game. I think both sides will go for victory, but I'd expect England to be trying to force the issue more as they need a good performance.

4-1 Sweden.

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chisanga

Almost 6am and still drinking beer :sigh:

its better to stay up all night drinking then to wake up and have a beer first thing

. This has been my soberist WC ever.

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chisanga

Every day you see one more card

The Funk · 06-20-2006, 01:51 PM

Above all else I think the England match is about Owen and Rooney. Owen seems to need to prove himself and they both need match fitness, so hopefully they'll both get plenty of playing time. I think they're England's best partnership.

On paper England should win, although Sweden is a bit of a bogey team. They have some top notch players eg. Ljungberg, Ibrahimovich, and the others are all solid. Larsson is getting on now and past his best, but he still an intelligent and effective striker.

I think England will be motivated, hell any team should always be motivated, and I expect them to start improving with this game, it can often be hard to get into top gear against poorer opposition. I think this game is ideal for England really; they don't need to worry about getting knocked out and they're playing a good team to help them start stepping it up for the next stages. 2-1 sounds a good bet as it'll probably be close. England won't be playing their strongest 11, but then again, Sven still seems to have no idea what his strongest 11 actually is, so maybe it won't be a hindrance.

Sweden just need a draw to qualify so i'll be interested to see how they approach the game. I think both sides will go for victory, but I'd expect England to be trying to force the issue more as they need a good performance.

4-1 Sweden.

redmarkYankees · 06-20-2006, 01:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sdpm100

You've just said qualifying doesn't matter once you get into the tournament, so why did so many people moan when they lost to NI, or to Denmark in a friendly?

Ah, ok. I didn't say qualifying games/performances didn't matter, I meant that once in a tournament momentum and form becomes infinitely more important than what went before. That doesn't stop fans moaning about poor performances whenever they occur, just that if England were to hit good form now, what happened 6 months ago is irrelevant.

Argentina, Spain, Holland, Germany and to a lesser extent Italy are all showing good form. Brazil are Brazil, and presumably will improve. England have been poor, overall. That will hurt the players' professional pride - they'll want to stuff Sweden 7-0, and make others worry about them.

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:53 PM

I heard Ibrahamivitch was out for this match..

Sdpm100 · 06-20-2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Funk

Above all else I think the England match is about Owen and Rooney. Owen seems to need to prove himself and they both need match fitness, so hopefully they'll both get plenty of playing time. I think they're England's best partnership.

On paper England should win, although Sweden is a bit of a bogey team. They have some top notch players eg. Ljungberg, Ibrahimovich, and the others are all solid. Larsson is getting on now and past his best, but he still an intelligent and effective striker.

I think England will be motivated, hell any team should always be motivated, and I expect them to start improving with this game, it can often be hard to get into top gear against poorer opposition. I think this game is ideal for England really; they don't need to worry about getting knocked out and they're playing a good team to help them start stepping it up for the next stages. 2-1 sounds a good bet as it'll probably be close. England won't be playing their strongest 11, but then again, Sven still seems to have no idea what his strongest 11 actually is, so maybe it won't be a hindrance.

Sweden just need a draw to qualify so i'll be interested to see how they approach the game. I think both sides will go for victory, but I'd expect England to be trying to force the issue more as they need a good performance.

4-1 Sweden.

There you go some great analysis - and two for the price of one too.

bababui · 06-20-2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

4-1 Sweden.

You optimist you

06-20-2006, 01:49 PM	#6691
Chisanga Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Auckland, New Zealand Posts: 2,404	Almost 6am and still drinking beer :sigh: __________________ "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing."

06-20-2006, 01:51 PM	#6693
The Funk All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Watford Posts: 903	Above all else I think the England match is about Owen and Rooney. Owen seems to need to prove himself and they both need match fitness, so hopefully they'll both get plenty of playing time. I think they're England's best partnership. On paper England should win, although Sweden is a bit of a bogey team. They have some top notch players eg. Ljungberg, Ibrahimovich, and the others are all solid. Larsson is getting on now and past his best, but he still an intelligent and effective striker. I think England will be motivated, hell any team should always be motivated, and I expect them to start improving with this game, it can often be hard to get into top gear against poorer opposition. I think this game is ideal for England really; they don't need to worry about getting knocked out and they're playing a good team to help them start stepping it up for the next stages. 2-1 sounds a good bet as it'll probably be close. England won't be playing their strongest 11, but then again, Sven still seems to have no idea what his strongest 11 actually is, so maybe it won't be a hindrance. Sweden just need a draw to qualify so it'll be interested to see how they approach the game. I think both sides will go for victory, but I'd expect England to be trying to force the issue more as they need a good performance. 4-1 Sweden. __________________ Talkin' 'bout the issues but keepin' it funky!

06-20-2006, 01:51 PM	#6696
The Funk All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Watford Posts: 903	Above all else I think the England match is about Owen and Rooney. Owen seems to need to prove himself and they both need match fitness, so hopefully they'll both get plenty of playing time. I think they're England's best partnership. On paper England should win, although Sweden is a bit of a bogey team. They have some top notch players eg. Ljungberg, Ibrahimovich, and the others are all solid. Larsson is getting on now and past his best, but he still an intelligent and effective striker. I think England will be motivated, hell any team should always be motivated, and I expect them to start improving with this game, it can often be hard to get into top gear against poorer opposition. I think this game is ideal for England really; they don't need to worry about getting knocked out and they're playing a good team to help them start stepping it up for the next stages. 2-1 sounds a good bet as it'll probably be close. England won't be playing their strongest 11, but then again, Sven still seems to have no idea what his strongest 11 actually is, so maybe it won't be a hindrance. Sweden just need a draw to qualify so i'll be interested to see how they approach the game. I think both sides will go for victory, but I'd expect England to be trying to force the issue more as they need a good performance. 4-1 Sweden. __________________ Talkin' 'bout the issues but keepin' it funky!

06-20-2006, 01:39 PM	#6683
bababui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,147 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	I felt bad for England in Japan/Korea because they might have beaten Brazil if it hadnt been for some Seaman laziness

06-20-2006, 01:41 PM	#6684
bababui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,147 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Poor Crouch..all he does is score the winning goal and his reward is the bench

06-20-2006, 01:44 PM	#6686
bababui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,147 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Grrr..why does there have to be a three hour window between matches...especially with no chance of extra time

06-20-2006, 01:48 PM	#6690
bababui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,147 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	....the waiting...is the hardest part...

06-20-2006, 01:53 PM	#6698
bababui Hall Of Famer Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14,147 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	I heard Ibrahamivitch was out for this match..