The official CUK World Cup commentary thread

[Bunk]

Right, I'm in too. And that's not my real name either

[fullyautomatix]

Looks like that crock captain Rio is out of the Cup.


Problems even before the campaign started.

[minestrone]

Looks like that crock captain Rio is out of the Cup.


Problems even before the campaign started.

That is a big big blow for England, you are down to, maybe, 4 world class players in your team now, Gerrard, Rooney, Cole and (being generous) that twunt Terry. It is not enough to take you far.

I now forecast a scrapping through the group stages and a finding out in the knockouts from an average team.

[MrMark]

That is a big big blow for England, you are down to, maybe, 4 world class players in your team now, Gerrard, Rooney, Cole and (being generous) that twunt Terry. It is not enough to take you far.

I now forecast a scrapping through the group stages and a finding out in the knockouts from an average team.

I fear you may be right. Other England fans get upset when I say this, but we suffer from not having had a reliable goalkeeper for 30 years. Normally a team that lacks flair can grind out results, but I suspect we don't have the team to do this. Besides which, does anyone really believe we've overcome our penalty weakness? I hope I'm wrong obviously, but I think we'll be out before the semis.

[sasguru]

I fear you may be right. Other England fans get upset when I say this, but we suffer from not having had a reliable goalkeeper for 30 years. Normally a team that lacks flair can grind out results, but I suspect we don't have the team to do this. Besides which, does anyone really believe we've overcome our penalty weakness? I hope I'm wrong obviously, but I think we'll be out before the semis.

There's a myth that England underperform in major tournaments. Yet this belief is irrational. England usually achieve their potential by reaching the quarters. That is their real place in scheme of things. The really great nations in football are Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina. England are in the top 8 and not in top 4 and their results reflect this. End of story.

[sasguru]

Furthermore part of the reason why English football is good, but not good enough, is that the players and managers are by and large, ignorant working class winkers who despise progressive ideas.
Brazilian success, for example, is not because of "Samba" or other bulltulip but because in the 50s they were far in advance of other countries in applying science (diet, performance analysis) to football.
We need to get some brainier people into the footy industry and we need to take a data-driven, evidence based approach.

[suityou01]

That is a big big blow for England, you are down to, maybe, 4 world class players in your team now, Gerrard, Rooney, Cole and (being generous) that twunt Terry. It is not enough to take you far.

I now forecast a scrapping through the group stages and a finding out in the knockouts from an average team.

Given the high percentage of spurs players now in the final 23, and the liklihood they will get played, I shall be proud to cheer on England Hotspur, or Tottenhamland.

PS Come on Mickey D, show em what yer made of.

[minestrone]

Furthermore part of the reason why English football is good, but not good enough, is that the players and managers are by and large, ignorant working class winkers who despise progressive ideas.
Brazilian success, for example, is not because of "Samba" or other bulltulip but because in the 50s they were far in advance of other countries in applying science (diet, performance analysis) to football.
We need to get some brainier people into the footy industry and we need to take a data-driven, evidence based approach.

Agree with all you said.

Jock Stein had a revolutionary idea in 1966 in that teams should spend their training time actually engadged with working with a football, emphasis on technique more than fitness, up until then football training in Britain was very much what you got in national service, running, press ups, sit ups, star jumps. 12 months later Celtic were the first British team to win the European Cup (aye, we do like to remind you of it Incognoto we wee stinky hun).

I recall a story Paul Elliot told when he returned from Italian football to play in the UK where the day before a game at meal time he asked for a plate of pasta and a small glass of red wine. The rest of the team were shocked that he dared to drink the day before a game and that if he was going to drink then it should be with a large glass.

British footballers pretty much have an on switch with the booze that can only be switched off temporarily after a black out and 12 hours kip. In the papers Bolt gets castigated for having some fried chicken just before the Olympics yet it is OK for footballers to get plastered days before big games.

[gingerjedi]

There's a myth that England underperform in major tournaments. Yet this belief is irrational. England usually achieve their potential by reaching the quarters. That is their real place in scheme of things. The really great nations in football are Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina. England are in the top 8 and not in top 4 and their results reflect this. End of story.

Which doesn't mean it can't be done, thankfully football success isn't just about statistics and here's some very recent ones to prove my point:

England were 3 places ahead of Italy in the FIFA world rankings in the month before the last world cup, Italy never once looked convincing and even had to rely on a last gasp injury time penalty to get passed Australia!! ...Yet they went on to beat France in the final (who incidentally knocked out an under par Brazil on their route to the final), no team wins the world cup without a bit of luck on the way.

Look at Greece in the 2004 Euros, 35th to 14th in a month. A mate of mine had £20 on Greece at 150/1 because they had a good manager.

Capello is a good manager, I still believe.

[Zippy]

Right, I'm in too. And that's not my real name either

Sorry Tarquin but you've been outed.