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The world cup!


Ayeseetee

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Well I hope England get thumped..not because of any hatred of the English but I can't stand the English media, the further England would progress the more unbearable it would become. 

 

Anyway I am a not so sure why Laurence is offended that some don't want England to do well, if we were lucky enough to have Scotland there I wouldn't give a toss if anyone wanted us to do well.

 

ABE for me all day long!!!!

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27712282

 

 

This is good for a laugh or two...

 

 

 

"This is not the Italy of old and they are not a team that frightens me.

The humidity in Manaus will be a factor but I think England will win. I also think they will top the group and will have a decent tournament.

Without getting ahead of myself, the fact they know a team from Group C is waiting for them in the last 16 is a big positive. Whoever they get, it will be a winnable tie and I think England will get to the quarter-finals, at least."

Edited by Ayeseetee
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I'm English and I hate the English media too.  But is the English media really any different from the Scottish media?  Had Scotland qualified and England not, would we be having restrained reporting and regrets expressed that our much loved neighbours were not also in the competition?  I think not.  Reporting of the national team in most countries is totally OTT so not supporting England just because you don't like the English media seems a bit of a strange one to me.

 

But unlike Laurence, I don't see the ABE attitude bigotted in any way.  It is just a natural feeling of not wanting the neighbours having too many bragging rights - much the same as us lot having a good laugh at County's expense.  I'm actually very happy for people to strongly endorse the ABE viewpoint because it will only make it more enjoyable to celebrate when England win the world cup - again.  (I'm not sure if it's been mentioned recently but we actually won it in 1966!)  If the Scots didn't want England to fail miserably I'd have nobody to gloat over!

 

Banter aside, I honestly don't expect England to come through the group stage.  Italy have been poor recently but have a knack of scraping through when form is not good.  With the competition being in South America I think Uruquay will do well and Costa Rica could be a bit of a dark horse.  England could well finish bottom of their group.  I can now claim bragging rights if they exceed my miserable expectations.

 

 

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I didn't mean Scots or Northerners.

I meant the usual Anti Dingwall, Anti Butcher, Anti everybody brigade who frequent this message board.

They know who they are. I don't think but a few of them are a third of my age.

Not wanting to sound pompous but I felt "you lot" summed up completely my feelings.

I am not anti anybody. I quite like Scotland, Ross County, Hibernian or even Rangers.

The exception that proves the rule is I anti bigotry on this message board.

Laurance, if you are so against bigotry, why do you "quite like" Rangers?

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I'm English and I hate the English media too.  But is the English media really any different from the Scottish media?  Had Scotland qualified and England not, would we be having restrained reporting and regrets expressed that our much loved neighbours were not also in the competition?  I think not.  Reporting of the national team in most countries is totally OTT so not supporting England just because you don't like the English media seems a bit of a strange one to me.

 

One subtle difference DD. Scottish media aren't networked.

If Scotland are playing you get your own commentators for the English regions.

If England are playing we get Clive Tyldesley.......

But yes, I think most of it is healthy banter and the hatred thing is exaggerated by media looking for a few idiots to provide a 'man bites dog' story. If there was as much anti-Englishness as the Daily Mail would have us believe, no English person would ever want to live here.

I wish the England lads well, the same guys I watch on MOTD every week. But if Scotland aren't there, the emotional side is completely absent.

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The South Africa World Cup was the least entertaining one ever (OK I wasn't around in 1930, but Scarlet Pimple tells me that one was decent enough) but if last night's opening game is anything to go by this could be a very good tournament. 

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I won't be surprised if England do quite well, as they don't have the usual weight of expexctations on them, Italy are nothing special, Suarez isn't fit, and their last 16 opponents would be from one of the weakest groups. 

 

But I did have to laugh at the front page of Private Eye I saw in a shop today: it's a photo of the England players disembarking their aircraft, and the pilot is saying "Shall I just keep the engine running?"

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Have you noticed the technological improvements brought in for this tournament? Not just the goal line technology and line spray for free kicks, but the ability for teams to now play against other whilst physically located in different stadiums?  It sounds incredible, but I keep reading how England will be faced with a dodgy pitch, intense heat and humidity, malaria and thousands of miles travelling to Manaus, whilst Italy apparently don't have any of those issues to contend with.

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Brilliant result for the Dutch. I'm quite pleased to see Spain finally get done over and now hopefully knocked down a peg or two. Their dominance in the game has bored me a little to say the least.

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Great start to the tournament. The only complaint can be some of the refereeing decisions. I really hope that football will soon employ technology and have referrals to a video referee like in some other sports. Rugby and cricket utilise available technology. Obviously, to prevent abuse, there would have to be a limit to the number of challenges, like in tennis with HawkEye.

Clearly, it could only be an option for major tournaments at present, but with the rapid advancement of technology, who knows, it might even be feasible eventually at all games at any level.

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It's a bit of a simplification but is it fair to say that teams that attack with pace are getting the better of the possession based sides?

 

I think it is a bit early to say that but what I would say is that the possession based sides need to be at the top of their game to beat a decent attack with pace type team.  What the Australians showed last night was that a team with very little real quality can cause real problems by pressuring those in possession and breaking quickly.  Had Chile not got those two early goals the outcome could have been very different.

 

To be fair to the possession based sides, there does seem to be a tendency to be a bit more adventurous going forward and before the Dutch got their equaliser there were some much more positive and probing balls from the Spanish than we have often seen before. Had they scored after such a move just before the Van Persie's equaliser, they might have gone on to win the game quite comfortably.  I wouldn't write the Spanish off just yet, I think they will beat Chile and Australia whilst despite their 2nd half briliance, I think the Dutch will struggle to beat both.  Being top of that group will be important as the 2nd team is likely to meet Brasil in the last 16.

 

I would I rather watch an attack with pace team at their best than a possession based team at their best.  The Dutch at their best are exhillerating and if Van Persie's goal does not turn out to be goal of the tournament we are in for something very special indeed.  It's been a great start to the world cup.

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Yngwie

 

 

Post 87--the S P wasn't around as far back as that---sniff!  ....... :lol: 

 

 Australia game against Chile was the most uplifting and stimulating. And I was surprised at how good the Aussies were. And unlucky at times.

 

Chile , I believe, are ranked 3rd in the world and their ball control, passing and pace were eye-opening.

 

Brazil game was mostly boring as anything and if they win this tournament SP will be amazed. Mind you, the pressure on them and the screaming crowds must be difficult to handle but they will settle down.

 

The Netherlands  game---oh my!

Well, every dog has it's day and with Italy having had a great run over the years it's, hopefully time to ring the changes and give the other lot(s) a chance since variety is the spice of life.

 

Yesterday for me was something of a sporting bonanza with the games of the World cup and, in the evening, the 5th game of the Ice Hockey Stanley Cup Final underway in Los Angeles --the L.A.  Kings versus the new York Rangers. It Took two ivertime periods in a marathon 3 hour battle for the Kings to finally score the winn8ing goals and bedlam is still reiygning in L.A. I think.

Some of the games in this Final have been incredible and the all-out, everything or nothing approach for both skilled and very fit teams  has led to a blistering pace that was really unbelievable to watch.

 

One player was clocked skating at 39.5 MPH which was slightly faster than my first car could go when I bought my 1935 MG in Norbury, South London, in or around 1959. In defense of my lovely yellow MG Sport Tourer with lovely red upholstery, it had been flogged to death and broke down at the first lights I came to as I proudly drove out of the  dealership. :crazy:

 It had cost me 21 years' savings of 100 pounds and the dealer must have taken pity on my tear stained cheeks since he gave me 50 pounds back when I returned it and asked for a refund.

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I just need Italy to win for my accumulator no buffon though so I am not entirely confident :/

Can't wait for the japan v ivory coast match for some reason lol should entertaining two very different teams physically and mentally.

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