Algeria v England [OFFICIAL THREAD]

[jumpers for goalposts]

All England games are being moved to Gay Adult TV next week, as the *site of 11 arseholes getting hammered is too much for the BBC.

*sight

[ScottishRoyal]

Jesus, what a tool

I'm, sorry, but what SB has alluded to is totally true. England fans are a bunch of misfits

Any vendetta you and your wife have, move on. Lets leave the internet bullying to the teenagers

I've got to say I agree with the others, Englands rep is not great and it's because of comments like Royal Lady's 'easiest route to the semi-finals'. England have not been ranked by FIFA as a top four team for many years and the last time they reached the semi's was in 1990. Surely getting that far would be passing expectations not reaching them, that's what comes across as arrogant, not the ambition to go that far but the expectation which is alluded to by that statement. As a seeded team England can expect to win their group but why does Royal Lady rubbish Uruguay? Is it because they have two of the highest rated and in-form strikers in Europe or is it because she hasn't heard of any of their players so naturally assumes they're not up to much?

What England could do with now is someone like Owen Hargreaves, an honest and affable guy that has the tackle to get on the ball and make something happen like he did in Germany 2006.

[Victor Meldrew]

I agree with those that say that this was the worst performance in living memory by an England side.
One poster suggested they were tired after 50 or so games-they have just had a month off ffs.
Also how tired are the South Americans based in Europe who had to travel massive distances for the qualifiers?
Messi doesn't look very tired to me whereas Rooney looked as though he had been out all night on the lash.
Also whereas the heat has created an energy problem in previous world cups this time England are playing in ideal winter conditions.

Unfortunately all of us get strung along to some extent by the pre-tournament hype,it's in your face day after day and even an old cynic like me thought we would stroll through this group but get a rude awakening in the later stages however the rude awakening has already happened which could mean that all is not yet lost.

Capello is so far a disappointment in this tournament.
Much has been made of him being no respector of reputations but last night he kept Rooney and Heskey on when it was crying out for a change to the freshness of Crouch and Defoe-he even moved Rooney deeper to accommodate him when eventually Defoe and Crouch joined up front for a few minutes.
When Capello kept selecting an unfit Beckham and then letting him be a part of the massive coaching team it occurred to me that he is no different from a lot of managers-frightened of upsetting star names and in fact starstruck.

Where does he go from here?
There seems to be a clamour for the totally right-footed Joe Cole to play on the left-but he is fat,slow,has hardly played for a year and cuts in to the already overcrowded midfield.
Having decided not to take Adam Johnson his left-side options are very limited and I would prefer Barry and Ashley Cole (both left-footers) or even Warnock at left-back with Cashley playing left midfield.........oh I don't know,I don't really care.
I have seen us win one world cup in my lifetime,most of you others will probably have to go on hoping every 4 years as our side is talked up and up,way beyond their ability.

As a BTW some years ago it was said that the day an African side wins the world cup is getting closer-from what I have seen so far even on their own continent they are still a long wat off.

[ScottishRoyal]

Hold on.

This *was* Algeria's cup final.

They put a million men behind the ball, closed everything down, had forty men man-marking Rooney and didn't have a single meaningful shot on goal.

First of all, you are being just as arrogant as Gerrard with your dismissive comments about Algeria. They didn't just sit back and defend. They did attack us and, when they did, looked pretty threatening. Several of their players looked far more skilful than ours and they certainly played far more attractive football. They alo looked like they cared and, when things weren't going as well for them, looked to do something about it.

Indeed.

Don't confuse a well organised defense that defends in two banks with parking the bus

[Norfolk Royal]

I can't believe we drew against such a shit team. I'm ashamed to call myself an Algerian.

[LUX]

[Maguire]

I can't believe we drew against such a shit team. I'm ashamed to call myself an Algerian.

100,000 Facebook statuses this morning ^^

[Royal Lady]

I didn't rubbish Uruguay. I'M not being arrogant either - I'm merely pointing out facts. If you think we didn't have one of the easier groups that's up to you, personally, I think we did and when England play at their best should have got a few more points than we currently have. If I was offered Germany or Uruguay in the quarter finals prior to this tournament, I'd have taken Uruguay. How is that being arrogant? It's stating my belief and I really don't think I'm alone in the country in thinking this either.

[Norfolk Royal]

The England team visited an orphanage in Cape Town today. 'It's heartbreaking to see their sad litle faces with no hope,' said Jamal, aged six.

[Norfolk Royal]

I can't believe we drew against such a shit team. I'm ashamed to call myself an Algerian.

100,000 Facebook statuses this morning ^^

Don't go on FB, heard it in real life, on a text.

[Maguire]

I didn't say they SHOULD have won 2-0. I said "it could have been 2-0 to them" (if they had taken their couple of half-chances). It could have been 2-2 if we had also taken our two half-chances.

Or presumably 2-0 to us if we'd taken a couple and they hadn't CORRECT - YOU CATCH ON FAST Genius.

It was 0-0. Neither side looked like scoring. Atrocious game. We are bringing nothing to this world cup.

CORRECT AGAIN.

All I was saying is that (a) they outplayed us and (b) they could gave won 2-0 (whilst accepting that we also could have won 2-0 - it's just that they would have deserved to more than us based on overall play).

I don't think they did outplay us and I think we had the best of what few chances there were.

[Royal Lady]

Oh and btw Soggy et al, I clearly put "should" win in my posts. Unless Soggy et al didn't think we stood a chance at all that we'd get through our group or qualifying.

[Urinal Mint]

Rooney, you stupid boy. On the bench for the next game please Capello.

that's right, and stick with heskey and another. goals goals goals. i dont want to join the heskey hate club, but if the reason he is in the team is because he can hold the ball up and link up play, well it isnt working, and id rather have two twenty a season strikers up there, or gerrard/lampard behind rooney.

----------------------------James---------------------------

---Johnson-------Upson-------Terry-------A Cole---

---Lennon------Barry-------Lampard-------J.Cole---

---------------------------Gerrard-------------------------

---------------------------Rooney--------------------------


oxf*rd THIS 4-4-2. For once I agreed with pretty much everything the ITV guys said.

[Royal Rother]

Apparently Heskey made his first successful pass to a team mate in the 24th minute yesterday.

[ScottishRoyal]

I didn't rubbish Uruguay. I'M not being arrogant either - I'm merely pointing out facts. If you think we didn't have one of the easier groups that's up to you, personally, I think we did and when England play at their best should have got a few more points than we currently have. If I was offered Germany or Uruguay in the quarter finals prior to this tournament, I'd have taken Uruguay. How is that being arrogant? It's stating my belief and I really don't think I'm alone in the country in thinking this either.

No need for the rolly eyes.

Should England win the group? Yes
Who poses an easier game in the 2nd round, Germany or Uruguay? Uruguay
I'm absolutely with you on those two points.

However you're been selective. What comes accross as arrogant is you're suggestion that a route to the semi's wouldn't be too difficult when it fact it will be and always has been at every WC. And i'm sorry but when you mentioned Uruguay it reads as being dismissive.

[Schards#2]

Jesus, what a tool

I'm, sorry, but what SB has alluded to is totally true. England fans are a bunch of misfits

Any vendetta you and your wife have, move on. Lets leave the internet bullying to the teenagers

I've got to say I agree with the others, Englands rep is not great and it's because of comments like Royal Lady's 'easiest route to the semi-finals'. England have not been ranked by FIFA as a top four team for many years and the last time they reached the semi's was in 1990. Surely getting that far would be passing expectations not reaching them, that's what comes across as arrogant, not the ambition to go that far but the expectation which is alluded to by that statement. As a seeded team England can expect to win their group but why does Royal Lady rubbish Uruguay? Is it because they have two of the highest rated and in-form strikers in Europe or is it because she hasn't heard of any of their players so naturally assumes they're not up to much?

What England could do with now is someone like Owen Hargreaves, an honest and affable guy that has the tackle to get on the ball and make something happen like he did in Germany 2006.

England have a chance to get to the semi finals without playing a single team ranked in the first 13 of the FIFA rankings. To state that this represents the easiest route to the semi finals in years, is not arrogant, it is simply stating fact. Slovenia also have the opportunity to exploit this unusual scenario. Or are you seriously suggesting that this is a difficult path compared to the alternatives?

I spend a bit of time in Scotland and am amused by the desperate need for scots to paint the english as an arrogant bunch who assume they are going to win the world cup when, in fact, this has no basis in reality. I think it partly relates to their embarrasement over Ally's Tarten Army who actually did believe they would win and, secondly, justifying their dislike of England on the grounds that they are arrogant sounds better than just a plain, rather ugly jealousy.

Can't account for the odd english gimp who likes to perpetuate the same myth though.

[Rev Algenon Stickleback H]

Apparently Heskey made his first successful pass to a team mate in the 24th minute yesterday.

No. It was at 2.40 today.

[ScottishRoyal]

England have a chance to get to the semi finals without playing a single team ranked in the first 13 of the FIFA rankings. To state that this represents the easiest route to the semi finals in years, is not arrogant, it is simply stating fact. Slovenia also have the opportunity to exploit this unusual scenario. Or are you seriously suggesting that this is a difficult path compared to the alternatives?

Come on, you're wise enough to know that football is played on a pitch and not paper, and numerous results would have to work in Englands favour, otherwise Germany and Argentina will be on the cards. And no i'm certainly NOT suggesting that this ideal route would be more difficult than facing Germany and Argentina, i'm just saying it wouldn't be easy.

I don't want to argue semantics here, however it's the assumptions and grounding from which some of RL's posts have been based on that I take issue with.

I spend a bit of time in Scotland and am amused by the desperate need for scots to paint the english as an arrogant bunch who assume they are going to win the world cup when, in fact, this has no basis in reality. I think it partly relates to their embarrasement over Ally's Tarten Army who actually did believe they would win and, secondly, justifying their dislike of England on the grounds that they are arrogant sounds better than just a plain, rather ugly jealousy.

Can't account for the odd english gimp who likes to perpetuate the same myth though.

That i'm afraid is bang out of order. For the record (because you don't know me from Adam) I have and will continue to support England for the duration of this WC. I have a lot of English family and have lived in Henley for 25 years. I have NEVER in any of my posts EVER set out to put England down and that suggestion is laughable, i'm pulling in the same direction of you! I'm immensely proud to be a Scot and am very proud of the history and the country, so to put down a grounded criticism of another poster as based on 'ugly jealousy' is not only insulting, but shows you to be y, blinkered, spiteful and, dare I say it, arrogant as you assume i'd be happier being English. I assume you'd rather support Man Utd because they win trophies but that you've been stuck with Reading somehow? The irony is that what you've written only serves to reinforce the point that a lot of foreigners have about English arrogance.

Nothing winds me up more than pre World Cups and Euro's when Sky go to the East End of Glasgow to find a knuckle dragger who's anti-English, the media positively seek them out to continue this idea. Every country has them, I remember pre France 98 some delightful chaps in London weren't to keen on Scotland. I however haven't based my view of an entire nation on those idiots.

I only ever post my mind on here, never lowering to petty name calling or xenophobic predjudices.

[Compo's Hat]

Things i'm looking forward to after Wednesday.

-No more tedious England adverts

-No more stupid chavy flags hanging out of windows and cars

-A nation finally realising we're not that good even with one of the best managers in the world

-An empty Wembley for the Hungary friendly in August

-An England free tournement, i enjoyed Euro 2008

[Man Friday]

Don't recall Rooney making ANY successful passes to teammates in the match. Mixed views about Heskey. He's not really international class but at least the old bugger tries when he's in an England shirt. Not sure the same can be said about ALL the players.