The Official World Cup Thread

[HumbersideDude]

Looking back over the history of football it seems Scotland are all time champions of the world (unofficially)

http://www.ufwc.co.uk/rankings/

[SMEE]

There has been a helpline set up for England fans who are struggling to cope. Just call 0800 4-1 4-1 4-1

[RiG]

England would destroy Scotland if they played them.

I did not enjoy the lack of games today. Nor will I enjoy the absence of football tomorrow.

[Renegade]

The thing about these Fifa rankings, is that I'd always take them with a pinch of salt. Scotland are currently 46th in the Fifa rankings, they're probably a bit better than that. A couple of years ago they were 13th, they're not as good as that. Also bear in mind that in the late 90s Norway were ranked 2nd in the world. Norway! They might have been a bit better in those days, but 2nd come on!

[+DoofersDad]

Here's a suggestion to address the problem of footy free days. After the group stages and each subsequent round they could have separate knock out competitions as a mirror image of the main competition for the winners. Every team would end up in a position of 1 to 32. This would allow good teams who disappointed to restore some lost pride and play some more relaxed and attractive football. Games could be scheduled so that there were matches on every day. Venues could be used in towns where folk don't normally have a chance of seeing international football and prices could be set to allow local folk to watch the matches.

Rooney might even get to score!

[Oz647]

Here's a suggestion to address the problem of footy free days. After the group stages and each subsequent round they could have separate knock out competitions as a mirror image of the main competition for the winners. Every team would end up in a position of 1 to 32. This would allow good teams who disappointed to restore some lost pride and play some more relaxed and attractive football. Games could be scheduled so that there were matches on every day. Venues could be used in towns where folk don't normally have a chance of seeing international football and prices could be set to allow local folk to watch the matches.

Rooney might even get to score!

Even as an English fan I can see that it would have to be Adam and not wayne for that statement to be possible.

[CaleyStag]

So 4 years ago Portugal tops received a boost in sales from north of the border. Have you seen anyone in Scotland walking around in a Germany top since Sunday?

[Oddquine]

So 4 years ago Portugal tops received a boost in sales from north of the border. Have you seen anyone in Scotland walking around in a Germany top since Sunday?

Seems JJB Sports, in Elgin anyway, didn't have them........because i know at least one person who would be wearing one if he could have got one!

[HumbersideDude]

So 4 years ago Portugal tops received a boost in sales from north of the border. Have you seen anyone in Scotland walking around in a Germany top since Sunday?

Seen one brave soul walking in Batley with german top on Monday afternoon.

[SMEE]

England would destroy Scotland if they played them.

I dont agree....coz they struggled to beat Slovenia. Yes England have big stars in their team....and YES...on paper, they should beat us...but what we have and England dont have is TEAM spirit...and ANY ICT fan should know just how invaluable that can be!

Edited July 1, 2010 by SMEE

[Council Juice]

I already had a Germany top bought about a month before the tournament, mainly cos I thought the black one looked pretty sweet.

I wore it with pride on Sunday though. Someone in an English top gave me pure evils. Cannae think why.

I don't really see how England would "destroy" Scotland. They can't even string 2 passes together and we've faired not too badly against teams of higher stature. We certainly don't have alot to fear.

Playing tight and hitting them on the break seems easy as pie because they leave themselves exposed at the back all the time. They also think they've won games before they get on the pitch so that helps even more.

I won't be silly and say we'd beat them. They would probably beat us, however I very much doubt they'd get an easy game of it.

[Oz647]

Too be perfectly honest, if England played Scotland today I think England would win but it would not be the easy ride that it should be going by stats and rankings. England are no longer a force to be reckoned with. They have a few great players in the team but there is also a lot of dross there who just expect to be picked on reputation alone. They don't play with pride or commitment. Look at Rooney, not one goal and every time he lost the ball it was a case oh well someone else can get it back. When he's at Manure he always chases everything, why not for England. Heskey, what is he doing in an England shirt? He's not even playing regularly in the prem so why is he playing in the world cup? Even Stevie G didn't live up to expectations and he normally gives everything.

Oh well, come the Euros I think I'll support Scotland.

[RiG]

I dont agree....coz they struggled to beat Slovenia. Yes England have big stars in their team....and YES...on paper, they should beat us...but what we have and England dont have is TEAM spirit...and ANY ICT fan should know just how invaluable that can be!

England might have struggled to beat Slovenia but we got utterly battered by Norway despite our supposed great team spirit and Norway are ranked below Slovenia in the FIFA rankings (which aren't always a good measure of a team but across Europe they seem fair enough).

Team spirit will only get you so far and it counts for bugger all when the majority of your team is puff. ICT have a great team spirit as well as some average to excellent players which helps no end where team spirit isn't enough.

They also think they've won games before they get on the pitch so that helps even more.

I think you're getting the England national team confused with the English media.

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

I dont agree....coz they struggled to beat Slovenia. Yes England have big stars in their team....and YES...on paper, they should beat us...but what we have and England dont have is TEAM spirit...and ANY ICT fan should know just how invaluable that can be!

England might have struggled to beat Slovenia but we got utterly battered by Norway despite our supposed great team spirit and Norway are ranked below Slovenia in the FIFA rankings (which aren't always a good measure of a team but across Europe they seem fair enough).

Team spirit will only get you so far and it counts for bugger all when the majority of your team is puff. ICT have a great team spirit as well as some average to excellent players which helps no end where team spirit isn't enough.

They also think they've won games before they get on the pitch so that helps even more.

I think you're getting the England national team confused with the English media.

:crazy03:

[The Mantis]

After a long spell of stability with Roxburgh and Brown, Scotland have had a dose of turbulence recently.

The major mistake was appointing a complete numpty in Berti Vogts. Vogts was a pretty stuffy full back who played against Rangers and Scotland in the 70s and had been so impressed by the work ethic and love of the jersey that he thought he could just turn up and harness this without any tactical know-how.... huge mistake which took us down to about 86 in the rankings.

Then we had McLeish and Smith who knew what they were doing and gave us a great Euro 2008 campaign with France and Italy in the group. Doubtful if even engerland would have qualified from a group like that but we nearly pulled it off and in doing so, rose to about 12 in the world, artificially high, but it shows what can be done with a unified squad and lack of injuries.

So much negativity- has everybody forgotten how much the nation was buzzing during that campaign?

Next up was clueless Burley who has quickly undone all of the good work in a disastrous World Cup campaign. Realistically you would expect Levein to take us back to a decent level, say 20-25 in the world.

All this is from memory and no doubt I've missed out a manager or two and got my decades all wrong.

Still, the overall trend is downwards and I feel sorry for all the youngsters who haven't been able to support their nation in major tournaments for 12 years. I was talking to a bunch of 4th year boys the other day and they can hardly believe we qualified for 5 World Cups in a row and beat England fairly regularly in the 70s.

Another thing few people know is that England only recently overtook us in wins head-to-head.

[Oz647]

Some light reading.

Englands-record-against-Scotland

[BA]

You're only as good as your last game. And just in case you managed to forget the last Scotland-England game then have a wee sneaky peak at this

[SMEE]

Some light reading.

Englands-record-against-Scotland

I didnt realise England had only won 4 more games than we have. Just goes to show ya. Also....i would never have guessed the last match against the Auld Enemy was over 10 yrs ago. PS....nice choice of music for BA's clip....its only my fave James song!!

[RiG]

:crazy03:

Good post, will read again.

[PullMyFinger]

I drove past a Burger King earlier this evening. Outside there was a big board advertising a promotion where you can win the chance to watch the World Cup Final (on TV) with Jimmy Greaves.

The place was empty.

Was "the knowledge" not there?

I just noticed this one.

:crazy03:

Sorry, when I read the post I was thinking of Jimmy Hill.

[Yngwie]

Jimmy Greaves, Jimmy Hill. More reasons to enjoy England's failure.

All together now:

We Hate Jimmy Hill,

He's a poof,

He's a poof.

Classic.

[Yngwie]

Where or what is Grosblie? Sounds German.

There's been a big red Grosblie banner at quite a few of the games in this tournament, and I recall the very same banner appearing frequently at the last few tournaments too.

I have an answer to the World Cup question that is more puzzling than "why were England so shite?"

Grosblie is actually short for Grosbliederstroff, a village of 3,000 inhabitants in the Moselle region of France. It is right on the German border and has changed hands a few times over the centuries (hence the Germanic name).

The banner that has been to most games in recent tournaments is owned by a German who lives there, and he also takes it to Bayern Munich games.

[Renegade]

Well I'm gutted for Ghana. They played well and the game could've either way, but it would've been nice to see an African side do well (even though technically, Ghana are the furthest going African side in a WC ever. Senegal and Cameroon were beaten in extra time, while Ghana went to penalties!). Asamoah Gyan in particular I'm gutted for, for missing his penalty, but then having the courage to step up and take the first one and hit it perfectly. He's played very well throughout the tournament as well. Obviously there's the whole argument about the actions of the Uruguayan handballer, what he did I suppose was punished but morally what he did benefited his team, which really isn't gentlemenly and in the spirit of the game.

What this game does show tough, is that you have to take your chances, and the fact that Ghana didn't and some of their players took some horrible penalties cost them. We'll see an African winner one day, and it could well be them. It might not happen in the next couple of WCs but it'll happen one day, of that I have no doubt.

[+DoofersDad]

I agree with most of what Renegade says but an interesting point here is that the referee took play well beyond the allotted added time before all that last gasp drama. There had been no reason to stop the watch after the 2nd 15 minute period had been up. You don't stop the watch in normal time to allow corners to be taken so why do it at the end of the game. Had Ghana scored, Uruguay would have been right to feel agrieved and in any case are now without one of their best players for the semis.

I am also not convinced that the handball by Suarez was malicious. It was head high so my first reaction was why did he not head it clear because he would have got much more distance. I think the fact that it was going straight for his face means that it was an almost instinctive reaction to protect his face. I think it was in the zone where there was not quite enough time to head the ball properly but there was just enough time to withdraw the hands from the initial instinctive reaction and move the head slightly so that it hit him on the forehead rather than the face. Definite red card but I don't think the guy should be pilloried. He's had a great world cup and has shown a lot of good honest endeavour - they'll really miss him in the semi-final.

[Yngwie]

Suarez knew exactly what he was doing and his team are in the semi-final as a result. Great instinct decision by him, he'll be a national hero for that.