[loz]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/7187970.stm

England's fixtures for the 2010 World Cup qualifying stage:
Andorra (a) Saturday, 6 September 6 2008
Croatia (a) Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Kazakhstan (h) Saturday, 11 October 2008
Belarus (a) Wednesday, 15 October, 2008
No game - Saturday, 28 March, 2009
Ukraine (h) Wednesday, 1 April, 2009
Kazakhstan (a) Saturday, 6 June, 2009
Andorra (h) Wednesday, 10 June, 2009
No game - Saturday, 5 September, 2009
Croatia (h) Wednesday, 9 September, 2009
Ukraine (a) Saturday, 10 October, 2009
Belarus (h) Wednesday, 14 October, 2009

[RMCF]

England will cruise the group this time - I'm certain of that.

Bar the Croatia games, is there any other game in that list that excites the imagination?

I think that UEFA need to look into having preliminary groups to get rid of a lot of the dross before the best 2 or 3 are allowed to play against the 'big' nations.

[thfccambs]

Originally Posted by RMCF

I think that UEFA need to look into having preliminary groups to get rid of a lot of the dross before the best 2 or 3 are allowed to play against the 'big' nations.

Disagree, the way it is at the moment gives the little teams such as San Marino Scotland and Kazakhstan a chance to play the bigger teams in Europe.

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by hunts1uk

Disagree, the way it is at the moment gives the little teams such as San Marino Scotland and Kazakhstan a chance to play the bigger teams in Europe.

[loz]

Originally Posted by RMCF

England will cruise the group this time - I'm certain of that.

Bar the Croatia games, is there any other game in that list that excites the imagination?
.

No. It will be a draw in Andorra, but everyone will accept the excuses that it is a new manager and needs time "to adjust", that the english season is too long and this match is too soon after the holiday, and of course the injuries to key players incurred in the meaningless summer friendlies.

Then we loose in Croatia, but everyone says well they are a good team, and have beat us before, and there's a long way to go ...

However, the intense pressure of potential failure yet again now takes it toll on players, and though they cruise past Kazakhstan 5-0, with the sports pages in the press claiming England's "world class stars" are now ready for anyone on the basis of one match against a 4th rate team, they then slump to another embarrasing draw in Belarus.

So before you know it England are already bottom of the group, confidence is gone and there are questions about the choice of manager. And so we are fighting a rear guard action again, and our world cup hopes rest on Andorra managing to win in Croatia 4-0 in the final game...

Trouble is, its very easy to imagine that's true...

[johnscarlet]

Originally Posted by hufartd

See you have flooding again with all us Jocks wetting ourselves laughing..

No need for that , people may be dieing

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by hufartd

Fantastic, great to see the misplaced arrogance undented by Englands Euro 2008 campaign.
P.s
See you have flooding again with all us Jocks wetting ourselves laughing..

btw I'm Irish, and just think that England will top the group with ease.

If you want to have a bet to the contrary then get back to me.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by RMCF

btw I'm Irish, and just think that England will top the group with ease.

If you want to have a bet to the contrary then get back to me.

Talk about misreading someones loyalties..........

I think I'll take that bet up RMCF. I probably wouldn't have done before the last two series of quals, and final campaign, which of course includes Svens, but now I really can't see England's naff bunch of overpaid, under-achievers doing anything. Capello may find out he's taken on the international equivalent of Newcastle.

For once I agree with Blatter, that national leauges need to look long and hard at the level of international imports they bring in. However, with FIFA and UEFA caving in, err', sorry ,'coming to an agreement' with the G14, we can forget international football ever becoming relevant again.

I don't think either Platini or Blatter believes for a minute their own spin that allowing the big clubs a greater say in how the game is run will end up suiting anyone but the big clubs. And that, going on their current track record, is not good.

Loz, sad to say it, because it was spot on, and I think you are 100% correct on what will happen, but that was the football post of the year!

[RMCF]

Originally Posted by overkill

Talk about misreading someones loyalties..........

I think I'll take that bet up RMCF. I probably wouldn't have done before the last two series of quals, and final campaign, which of course includes Svens, but now I really can't see England's naff bunch of overpaid, under-achievers doing anything. Capello may find out he's taken on the international equivalent of Newcastle.

For once I agree with Blatter, that national leauges need to look long and hard at the level of international imports they bring in. However, with FIFA and UEFA caving in, err', sorry ,'coming to an agreement' with the G14, we can forget international football ever becoming relevant again.

I don't think either Platini or Blatter believes for a minute their own spin that allowing the big clubs a greater say in how the game is run will end up suiting anyone but the big clubs. And that, going on their current track record, is not good.

Loz, sad to say it, because it was spot on, and I think you are 100% correct on what will happen, but that was the football post of the year!

Perhaps we will get that bet organised overkill.

Say £20? Or £50?

Money can be donated to charity chosen by winner.

[overkill]

Originally Posted by RMCF

Perhaps we will get that bet organised overkill.

Say £20? Or £50?

Money can be donated to charity chosen by winner.

See what happens after Capellos had a couple of games. If they perform the way Loz predicts, you're on!

[DJT75]

Put it this way, if Capello doesn't top that group he shouldn't be in the job the moment the qualification finishes.

He has 9 months of planning & then the only team possibly in our way is Croatia, who are the sort of standard we should be beating on every occassion IF we're ever to succeed in winning anything.

With a completely clean slate, totally fresh coaches - I have every confidence that he'll top this group at a cantor..

[Marc]

croatia play well because they are a solid team, not 11 stars all trying to outperform each other. Hopefully Capello won't take any crap from the England elite and we'll get a consistent team going. Shame there's hardly any practice time before the qualifiers start, i'd be in favour of a home nations tournament this summer to let Capello try some things out, it wouldn't be anywhere near as tiring for the players as the euros would be and we'd be playing the sort of lower skilled yet hard working teams (no offense meant) that england tend to struggle against rather than the world class ones we tend to do 'ok' against anyway

[overkill]

Originally Posted by Marc

croatia play well because they are a solid team, not 11 stars all trying to outperform each other. Hopefully Capello won't take any crap from the England elite and we'll get a consistent team going. Shame there's hardly any practice time before the qualifiers start, i'd be in favour of a home nations tournament this summer to let Capello try some things out, it wouldn't be anywhere near as tiring for the players as the euros would be and we'd be playing the sort of lower skilled yet hard working teams (no offense meant) that england tend to struggle against rather than the world class ones we tend to do 'ok' against anyway

Agree with all that tbh. That must be a first Marc!

The Home Tournament was a winner for all concerned tbh. It gave Wales and Ireland two valuable money spinners, money that was used to encourage the game at grass roots, and a chance to gain good experience against, at that time, some top players. For England and Scotland it meant some tough games that were far better experience than 'friendlies' and a prestige match at either Wembley or Hampden.

They only scrapped it when it was obvious that the two 'big' sides weren't as far removed in terms of talent from the 'lesser nations' as they should have been.

For all the above reasons they should bring it back - and reduce the meaningless friendlies abroad. That way everyone is happy.

DJT, I agree totally, Cappello should be able to breeze that group, and England should qualify at a canter, but recent events have proven beyond doubt that 'should win' or 'should qualify' are not words you can easily apply to Englands 'Hollywood' football stars.

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by overkill

DJT, I agree totally, Cappello should be able to breeze that group, and England should qualify at a canter, but recent events have proven beyond doubt that 'should win' or 'should qualify' are not words you can easily apply to Englands 'Hollywood' football stars.

Under weak, uninspiring management yes, but I have a feeling Capello's reign will be very different..It appears no-one has even made his squad yet, let alone his captaincy - which is a very VERY good thing.

[Kazman]

Originally Posted by DJT75

Under weak, uninspiring management yes, but I have a feeling Capello's reign will be very different..It appears no-one has even made his squad yet, let alone his captaincy - which is a very VERY good thing.

Indeed.

A player who will give his all for the country and team is worth two or three 'stars' who can't be bothered and are only interested in researching which 22" rims to put on their next Range Rover Sport.

[Kazman]

Originally Posted by Kazman

Indeed.

A player who will give his all for the country and team is worth two or three 'stars' who can't be bothered and are only interested in researching which 22" rims to put on their next Range Rover Sport.

Players of this ilk?

Scholes, Giggs (although the fool went and played for Wales , I like the Welsh, really, I do ), Gareth Barry, perhaps Gerrard, perhaps John Terry (alas, his recent clubbing activities have tarnished things somewhat), Crouch (ok, some don't like him, but no-one, and I mean no-one can deny his commitment and his attitude towards the game, plus his girlfriend is well fit), Gary Neville, Michael Owen (pity he is hardly ever fit), Shearer, and now I'm struggling.

We need more Tony Adams, and less Bling Boy Jones. I even fear for our own Ashley Young, he is already wearing the bling boy trademark diamond ear stud, I mean, COME ON! How naff does that look!! Agbonlahor is a lad who has his head screwed on right mind.

For the future, who else is there? Bentley, great player, needs work, and needs to tone down the ego, but apart from that he will be a future star. He can cross a ball too!

The team I would personally like to see:

Neville/Richards Terry/Carragher Ferdinand/<enter name here> Ashley Cole (I know, but who else?)/<enter name here>



Bentley/Beckham/Lennon/Wright Phillips Scholes/Gerrard Carrick/Hargreaves/Barry Joe Cole/A Young


Owen/Agbonlahor/<enter name here> Heskey(If Owen plays)/Rooney/Crouch/<enter name here>

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

Under weak, uninspiring management yes, but I have a feeling Capello's reign will be very different..It appears no-one has even made his squad yet, let alone his captaincy - which is a very VERY good thing.

Agreed, and I hope you're right. If Cappello is prepared to play people who 'fit' his 'team' rather than he having to fit the team around who the big four... erm', FA, erm', press, want to play then that can only be good for England's chances of real progress.

My worry is that no matter who gets the job, be they good, bad, or downright Mclaren, they are never allowed to pick the team they want.

As I said before though, if a man with Cappello's credentials fails we will finally know the score. Too much interference, not enough talent in the squad, and too few willing to put in 100% for the colours.

[loz]

Originally Posted by DJT75

With a completely clean slate, totally fresh coaches - I have every confidence that he'll top this group at a cantor..

Doesn't it also require totally fresh players?

[DJT75]

Originally Posted by loz

Doesn't it also require totally fresh players?

By that I meant 'new coaches' - not any that have worked with these players before or have set precendents in mind. I wouldn't have thought we'd win anything if we replaced the entire playing staff aswell...

[overkill]

Originally Posted by DJT75

By that I meant 'new coaches' - not any that have worked with these players before or have set precendents in mind. I wouldn't have thought we'd win anything if we replaced the entire playing staff aswell...

I think he means if the same old shower of preening tarts is allowed to keep putting their names on the team sheet, whether Cappello likes it or not, then he'd have to be a miracle worker, never mind a great manager, to turn things around.

And that's my biggest worry. We keep saying what a 'great squad' we've got, but the evidence isn't there in either success or playing terms to back it up.

Perhaps if Cappello can pick a squad balanced between some of the star names, and the rest, guys who will give 100% and play as a team, then he can really go places.

However, on past evidence, he's up against it before he starts.

[loz]

Originally Posted by DJT75

By that I meant 'new coaches'

Oh, I thought you meant a new team bus...
All blinged up for the "stars"....
Got to keep the stars happy