The Official World Cup 2010 Thread

[Bulldog]

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

I think the thing with Lampard & Gerrard playing in the same team together being a problem only really applies in a 4-4-2. They both like to get forward & it leaves the defence exposed.

If you play them in a 5 man midfield with a Barry or a Hargreves type playing defensively then they can both get forward more often without having to worry about which of them goes back & when.

I'm not so sure. I remember Sven doing that kinda thing against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in '05, and we all know what happened there. Maybe Capello could make it work though, seeing as Sven in his boundless wisdom decided to play David Beckham as a holding midfielder.

It'd be interesting to see if Fabio tries the formation out in one of the warm-up games. I hope he does anyway.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

Originally Posted by Bulldog

I'm not so sure. I remember Sven doing that kinda thing against Northern Ireland at Windsor Park in '05, and we all know what happened there. Maybe Capello could make it work though, seeing as Sven in his boundless wisdom decided to play David Beckham as a holding midfielder.

It'd be interesting to see if Fabio tries the formation out in one of the warm-up games. I hope he does anyway.

I'm pretty sure he has used it a few times during the qualifiers. I could have sworn I've seen Rooney up front on his own with Barry playing at some point over the past year.

I think it had a lot to do with the players under Sven doing whatever the hell they wanted more than anything was the main reason for it failing.

I remember plenty of games where Gerrard was asked to play on the left and he'd just cut inside and play in the middle doing whatever the hell he wanted. And with Ashley Cole always getting forward our entire left side would go missing when an attack would come.

I think they'd be far more disciplined under Capello.

[Bulldog]

Originally Posted by Urban Hatemonger

I'm pretty sure he has used it a few times during the qualifiers. I could have sworn I've seen Rooney up front on his own with Barry playing at some point over the past year.

I think it had a lot to do with the players under Sven doing whatever the hell they wanted more than anything was the main reason for it failing.

I remember plenty of games where Gerrard was asked to play on the left and he'd just cut inside and play in the middle doing whatever the hell he wanted. And with Ashley Cole always getting forward our entire left side would go missing when an attack would come.

I think they'd be far more disciplined under Capello.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. He might have guided us to a few quarter finals, but I still think Sven's laid-back style was quite simply how a national side, especially of England's calibre, shouldn't be run. Plus we were absolutely abysmal in Germany 2006. Capello's just the kinda guy we've been waiting for to drill some much-needed discipline into the team. As I've said before, one mistake or incompetent official and it could all end in tears early but, judging by what I saw in the qualifiers, I really think this England side has the potential to go very far in this tournament. This is the first tournament I think I've ever been this optimistic about, so I really can't wait to see how it goes.

[Stinkfist]

Ballack is out! ****ing Mint. Roll on June 13th Aus v Ger

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Stinkfist

Ballack is out! ****ing Mint. Roll on June 13th Aus v Ger

Even without him, they`ll probably still scrape through to the latter stages as they always seem to do.

[loveissucide]

Originally Posted by Unknown Soldier

Even without him, they`ll probably still scrape through to the latter stages as they always seem to do.

They do have other good players, tons of experience at the top level and reasonably good form on their side. No scrape through about it methinks.

[Astronomer]

Yeah I think Australia's still screwed pretty much.

[Urban Hat€monger ?]

People have been writing the Germans off before tournaments since France 98. How they don't have the stars they used to and how there's not many young players coming through....blah blah blah

They always get there or there abouts though.

[loveissucide]

Is there any interest in creating a World Cup Fantasy Football League?

[Zaqarbal]

13 days to go and the mascot is not yet cured of his measles. Apart from this, some last friendly matches of participating teams:

Ireland 3 - Algeria 0
New Zealand 1 - 0 Serbia
Spain 3 - 2 Saudi Arabia
Hungary ? - ? Germany
U.S.A. ? - ? Turkey

Actually, results mean nothing, but at least matches are useful to see some players' conditions.

And this is really disturbing. Maradona: "If we win the World Cup, I'll get naked and run around the Obelisk in the centre of the city."