England vs Montenegro 11/10/13

[Bandini]

an irrational blind spot that seems to trip up

These roving, insane blind spots will destroy us all.

[Hoop Blah]

Massive difference between the tournament being better for no England representation and 'my enjoyment of watching it on the telly will be greater because I don't like the media excitement and wall to wall coverage'.

As Schards said, if you don't like it then don't watch it.

I for one want to see England qualify and make a go of it because it will be of huge interest to the country and, although we won't have much chance of progressing further than our par performance of the quarters, it will be a significant learning process for the generation of players coming through.

Despite all the moaning, we do still have some good players and ones that can perform at the highest level given the right opportunity. As ever though the hype, attention and pressure on them won't help them to live up to over-inflated expectations, but I'm pretty confident we'll qualify and do ok when we're there.

[Ouroboros]

I'm struggling with the implicatin that other teams were more entertaining in 2008 because England weren't there. Whilst England may be shit and dull, they only influence their own games and, personally, I would get more out of watching a poor England V Paraguay, than watching Montenegro V Paraguay in Brazil.

If you, rightly, don't like the media crap that goes with England's qualification, ignore it. No one is forcing you to read or watch it.

No, I can't. I can't resist the temptation to involve myself, as much as I despise it all.

So what I need is for someeone to make the decision for me. Like Steve McClaren, say.

[Maguire]

Would it f{u}ck. England didn't qualify for Euro 2008 and it was the best tournament in recent memory, Guess why? It was because England weren't there and you could get on with watching the football without daily updates from the f[u]cking England camp, without The f[u]cking Sun, Daily Mail, etc going on about "our boys winning it", no WAGS, no Metatarsals and no Ron Atkinson or Terry Venables contributing their vocal "talents" to an already shit song.

What did we have instead? Great football from a brilliant Spain team, the emergence of a new Germany beginning to show the signs of their progress which has gained more momentum since, a surprise package in Russia, a plucky (pun intended) Turkey and the Dutch producing brilliant performances to beat Italy 3-0 and France 4-1. Even the rubbish games like Turkey vs Croatia had exciting dramatic moments with Croatia getting a goal in the last regular minute of extra time, thinking they'd won and Turkey equalising about a minute later.

The World Cup would survive without England being there.

But why do you read The Sun and the Daily Mail? Why watch ITV pundits at all? Everybody knows the hype is BS so just ignore it.

It's just self-hate to make out 2008 was some amazing tournament because England weren't there. I can pick and choose games the same as you can:

Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic
Austria 0-1 Croatia
Poland 0-1 Croatia
Romania 0-0 France
Greece 0-1 Russia
Spain 0-0 Italy
Russia 0-3 Spain (one-sided semi-finals are amazing, aren't they?)

You always get surprise packages, upcoming players (eg. Arshavin) and last minute goals in tournaments. Suggesting they just happened because England weren't there is barmy.

Remember Michael Owen in '98? Beckham's free-kick against Colombia? Euro '96? Portugal 3-2 England? Sweden 2-3 England? David Platt's last minute winner in Italy?

Yet you sit there banging on about how the WC would be better with Montenegro in it? Literal lolwut. Something to match the contribution that teams like Slovakia have made in the past, or Serbia and Montenegro? Or Saudi Arabia getting bummed 8-0 by Germany?

Of course the World Cup would survive without England - it would survive without any side - but how any Englishman could suggest it would be better for us not to go is a self-loathing div.

[southbank1871]

Testify brother.

[Big Foot]

Would it f{u}ck. England didn't qualify for Euro 2008 and it was the best tournament in recent memory, Guess why? It was because England weren't there and you could get on with watching the football without daily updates from the f[u]cking England camp, without The f[u]cking Sun, Daily Mail, etc going on about "our boys winning it", no WAGS, no Metatarsals and no Ron Atkinson or Terry Venables contributing their vocal "talents" to an already shit song.

What did we have instead? Great football from a brilliant Spain team, the emergence of a new Germany beginning to show the signs of their progress which has gained more momentum since, a surprise package in Russia, a plucky (pun intended) Turkey and the Dutch producing brilliant performances to beat Italy 3-0 and France 4-1. Even the rubbish games like Turkey vs Croatia had exciting dramatic moments with Croatia getting a goal in the last regular minute of extra time, thinking they'd won and Turkey equalising about a minute later.

The World Cup would survive without England being there.

But why do you read The Sun and the Daily Mail? Why watch ITV pundits at all? Everybody knows the hype is BS so just ignore it.

It's just self-hate to make out 2008 was some amazing tournament because England weren't there. I can pick and choose games the same as you can:

Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic
Austria 0-1 Croatia
Poland 0-1 Croatia
Romania 0-0 France
Greece 0-1 Russia
Spain 0-0 Italy
Russia 0-3 Spain (one-sided semi-finals are amazing, aren't they?)

You always get surprise packages, upcoming players (eg. Arshavin) and last minute goals in tournaments. Suggesting they just happened because England weren't there is barmy.

Remember Michael Owen in '98? Beckham's free-kick against Colombia? Euro '96? Portugal 3-2 England? Sweden 2-3 England? David Platt's last minute winner in Italy?

Yet you sit there banging on about how the WC would be better with Montenegro in it? Literal lolwut. Something to match the contribution that teams like Slovakia have made in the past, or Serbia and Montenegro? Or Saudi Arabia getting bummed 8-0 by Germany?

Of course the World Cup would survive without England - it would survive without any side - but how any Englishman could suggest it would be better for us not to go is a self-loathing div.

Mutha-fackin plus 1

[Ouroboros]

It's just self-hate to make out 2008 was some amazing tournament because England weren't there.

Dunno if anyone has actually said this. Euro 2008 was an amazing tournament that I enjoyed more because I wasn't able to ruin it for myself by being angry about fucking England the entire month. It's entirely my problem.

Though I do think England have been objectively shitter to watch than nations of similar quality in every major tournament since 2004.

[just some bloke]

The Guardian's Barney Ronay has posited that Montenegro are possibly the best team in the World, relative to their population, which is about 600,000.

Could that be true?

[soggy biscuit]

The Guardian's Barney Ronay has posited that Montenegro are possibly the best team in the World, relative to their population, which is about 600,000.

Could that be true?

Iceland has half of their population. If 'Negro finish 3rd in their group and Iceland finish 2nd in theirs does that make Iceland the best?

[winchester_royal]

Rumoured team for tonight:

Hart

Walker
Jags
Cahill
Baines

Gerrard
Lampard

Townsend
Rooney
Welbeck

Sturridge

Would have Wilshere in for Lampard personally, but no Milner more than compensates for that.

[Sanguine]

Only by default it seems, Milner injured. Nothing else about that team that suggests Hodgson is 'going for it'.

[Wizard]

Booooo. Get rid of international football. Nobody cares about it anymore.

[Sanguine]

Booooo. Get rid of international football. Nobody cares about it anymore.

Seriously. You make me look interesting.

[winchester_royal]

Only by default it seems, Milner injured. Nothing else about that team that suggests Hodgson is 'going for it'.

Says who?

[Sanguine]

Only by default it seems, Milner injured. Nothing else about that team that suggests Hodgson is 'going for it'.

Says who?

The Telegraph website says Milner is 'reportedly injured'. Daily Mail says he has a calf strain.

[winchester_royal]

Only by default it seems, Milner injured. Nothing else about that team that suggests Hodgson is 'going for it'.

Says who?

The Telegraph website says Milner is 'reportedly injured'. Daily Mail says he has a calf strain.

Fair enough, shame if so, thought it was one of the first signs of Hodgson showing some cojones.

[sandman]

Well guess what Mr "Major tournaments are not the same without us" ? No one missed you! No one missed Garth Crooks giving a report from "the England Camp" during Spain vs Sweden, No one missed you're shit football and no one missed seeing the Ingerland mob chucking deck chairs at the fans of other countries and going on and on about this being "our year". Euro 2008 was a great tournament with great football.

So I guess you're right in a way, they aren't the same. They're better.

[soggy biscuit]

Not sure I have ever actually seen Townsend before.

[leon]

Let's not forget England fans are boorish cants

[bobby1413]

Ask Walcott a question, and get reply:

"Y'know, err you know, the boys enjoy football so you know that's what it's about. You know, tha fans, the goalie, you know. We are a team"