It's quite rare in a knockout game, with only one goal between the teams, that the team in the lead doesn't resort to time wasting tactics, feigning injury, really slowing the game down with subs etc.... Iceland were so in control that they didn't have to resort to any of that.
England set to play 'easy' Iceland
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People complaining elsewhere and on the radio Iceland played like 20 years ago and hard no skill..
Well they certainly had more than us last night to go with their organisation.
And managed to get a goal from open play...
Well they certainly had more than us last night to go with their organisation.
And managed to get a goal from open play...
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“No, there was no such thing as a favourable draw for us, it was the other way round, WE were the favourable draw for everyone there at the tournament, we were the easy pickings, not anyone else.”
“No, there was no such thing as a favourable draw for us, it was the other way round, WE were the favourable draw for everyone there at the tournament, we were the easy pickings, not anyone else.”
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“If anything England were the term that should have been looking to try and cause the upset and beat Iceland”
“If anything England were the term that should have been looking to try and cause the upset and beat Iceland”
Absolute bollocks as usual, England lost so you're applying the world's worst hindsight to pretend like this was the obvious result. Look at the reaction and then come back and pretend that this was the expected outcome.
Originally Posted by Heavenly:
“Iceland have been my second team in this tournament. Love their story, their commentator on the winning goal the last game and most importantly the legend that is Eidur Gudjohnsen getting a run out at the tender young age of 38.
They have no fear coming into this game and that must not be underestimated. If we don't get an early goal, the longer the game goes 0-0, the more confident the team will be. Roy has no Plan B for their tactics.
If we do manage to royally c*ck this up, I will be pleased for Iceland.”
“Iceland have been my second team in this tournament. Love their story, their commentator on the winning goal the last game and most importantly the legend that is Eidur Gudjohnsen getting a run out at the tender young age of 38.
They have no fear coming into this game and that must not be underestimated. If we don't get an early goal, the longer the game goes 0-0, the more confident the team will be. Roy has no Plan B for their tactics.
If we do manage to royally c*ck this up, I will be pleased for Iceland.”
Over the moon for Iceland.
We are an embarrassment.
Originally Posted by celesti:
“Absolute bollocks as usual, England lost so you're applying the world's worst hindsight to pretend like this was the obvious result. Look at the reaction and then come back and pretend that this was the expected outcome.”
“Absolute bollocks as usual, England lost so you're applying the world's worst hindsight to pretend like this was the obvious result. Look at the reaction and then come back and pretend that this was the expected outcome.”
No I am not using hindsight.
We are not a world superpower in football anymore (at least in the male side anyway), we do not deserve, or have earned the right to go into any knockout match with the tag of favourites.
We are the team other countries look forward to, and actively wish to play, as we are soo poor at tournaments, so until we change that mentality, we will keep on repeating these failures.
Yes you are, because England were favourites and Iceland were the least fancied side left in the competition. England flopping miserably doesn't turn back time and change that in any way.
If England were the weakest side and everyone wants to play us, the result last night wouldn't be news, it'd just be a thing that happened.
Keep referencing the women's game though, you're soooo into that.
If England were the weakest side and everyone wants to play us, the result last night wouldn't be news, it'd just be a thing that happened.
Keep referencing the women's game though, you're soooo into that.
No one, not one person has said we are a world super power. Yes, teams probably do hope to draw us as opposed to more successful international teams.
We are of course the favourites in a match vs Iceland as we would be again tomorrow if we played them
We are of course the favourites in a match vs Iceland as we would be again tomorrow if we played them
Originally Posted by celesti:
“Yes you are, because England were favourites and Iceland were the least fancied side left in the competition. England flopping miserably doesn't turn back time and change that in any way.
If England were the weakest side and everyone wants to play us, the result last night wouldn't be news, it'd just be a thing that happened.
Keep referencing the women's game though, you're soooo into that.”
“Yes you are, because England were favourites and Iceland were the least fancied side left in the competition. England flopping miserably doesn't turn back time and change that in any way.
If England were the weakest side and everyone wants to play us, the result last night wouldn't be news, it'd just be a thing that happened.
Keep referencing the women's game though, you're soooo into that.”
The result is news because people in the press and media have hyped up our national team beyond the levels that they deserve or warrant.
They (the press/media), we're pushing the France game in the next round, and talking about that far more then the actual Iceland game, as if it were a mere formality, when it was anything but, it was a huge game for us, and it should have been their sole focus.
We were the weakest side in the draw, and that is where we should be viewing ourselves as, not as a possible competition winner, but as one that struggles to win matches at these tournaments, and that winning more than one should be a cause for celebration, as we are at a very low point at the moment.
We have simply no right to think of ourselves as anything other than a tournament minnow, we have got lots of players who are on huge wages, but have simply not performed at international level to warrant the levels of hype that they have received.
It's news because it's a major upset, because England were favourites. Your after-eventing is ridiculous.
Weakest side in the draw? Tournament minnow? Behave yourself.
Weakest side in the draw? Tournament minnow? Behave yourself.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“No, there was no such thing as a favourable draw for us, it was the other way round, WE were the favourable draw for everyone there at the tournament, we were the easy pickings, not anyone else.”
“No, there was no such thing as a favourable draw for us, it was the other way round, WE were the favourable draw for everyone there at the tournament, we were the easy pickings, not anyone else.”
Do you know what favourable means? It literally means that of all the teams in the last 16, Iceland is the one you would have had the best shot against. If that isn't the case, then which of the other 14 teams would you have preferred to play?
Originally Posted by celesti:
“It's news because it's a major upset, because England were favourites. Your after-eventing is ridiculous.
Weakest side in the draw? Tournament minnow? Behave yourself.”
“It's news because it's a major upset, because England were favourites. Your after-eventing is ridiculous.
Weakest side in the draw? Tournament minnow? Behave yourself.”
I will ask you then, why do you think otherwise?
What have England done in major tournaments to warrant not being a tournament minnow?
We have only won what is it six matches in knock-out football in fifty years, that to me is not the sign of a team who deserve the tag of favourites in any knock-out match, but if you disagree, then fine.
I am just interested as to why you think we are not deserving of being looked at as easy pray, or anything of that nature?
Bored whitless watching that game last night. Iceland showed that they are quite a good team and I really hope they go a bit further.
Rooney was clearly too busy thinking about his holidays to turn up last night. Except for his goal he was utter drivel. The whole England team were so bad, I can't believe they didn't just go up to Iceland players, shake their hand and walk off the pitch.
Rooney was clearly too busy thinking about his holidays to turn up last night. Except for his goal he was utter drivel. The whole England team were so bad, I can't believe they didn't just go up to Iceland players, shake their hand and walk off the pitch.
Because England have far better players and much greater pedigree than Iceland. It's really not complicated.
Originally Posted by FMKK:
“Do you know what favourable means? It literally means that of all the teams in the last 16, Iceland is the one you would have had the best shot against. If that isn't the case, then which of the other 14 teams would you have preferred to play?”
“Do you know what favourable means? It literally means that of all the teams in the last 16, Iceland is the one you would have had the best shot against. If that isn't the case, then which of the other 14 teams would you have preferred to play?”
I don't think we had a realistic chance of beating any of the remaining teams in it, we were very, very fortunate to qualify from the group, (as weak and as poor a group as it was) and from there, any team that we had come up against would have fancied their chances against us.
Originally Posted by FMKK:
“Because England have far better players and much greater pedigree than Iceland. It's really not complicated.”
“Because England have far better players and much greater pedigree than Iceland. It's really not complicated.”
Having better players means nothing, zilch, if they do not work as a cohesive unit, which ours have simply not done for an extremely long time at a tournament.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“I will ask you then, why do you think otherwise?
What have England done in major tournaments to warrant not being a tournament minnow?
We have only won what is it six matches in knock-out football in fifty years, that to me is not the sign of a team who deserve the tag of favourites in any knock-out match, but if you disagree, then fine.
I am just interested as to why you think we are not deserving of being looked at as easy pray, or anything of that nature?”
“I will ask you then, why do you think otherwise?
What have England done in major tournaments to warrant not being a tournament minnow?
We have only won what is it six matches in knock-out football in fifty years, that to me is not the sign of a team who deserve the tag of favourites in any knock-out match, but if you disagree, then fine.
I am just interested as to why you think we are not deserving of being looked at as easy pray, or anything of that nature?”
Our knockout defeats (straight losses) in that time have been to Yugoslavia, West Germany, Argentina, West Germany, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and now Iceland.
We're not a 'minnow', a term you don't understand to go along with how favourites are decided.
If you think Iceland's form should make them clear favourites, did you have England as tournament favourites due to having the best qualification form? Nobody else did.
Originally Posted by celesti:
“Our knockout defeats (straight losses) in that time have been to West Germany, Argentina, West Germany, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and now Iceland.
We're not a 'minnow', a term you don't understand to go along with how favourites are decided.
If you think Iceland's form should make them clear favourites, did you have England as tournament favourites due to having the best qualification form? Nobody else did.”
“Our knockout defeats (straight losses) in that time have been to West Germany, Argentina, West Germany, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and now Iceland.
We're not a 'minnow', a term you don't understand to go along with how favourites are decided.
If you think Iceland's form should make them clear favourites, did you have England as tournament favourites due to having the best qualification form? Nobody else did.”
Blimey... Those opponents makes us look pretty hard done by... We are just unlucky!
Originally Posted by celesti:
“Our knockout defeats (straight losses) in that time have been to West Germany, Argentina, West Germany, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and now Iceland.
We're not a 'minnow', a term you don't understand to go along with how favourites are decided.
If you think Iceland's form should make them clear favourites, did you have England as tournament favourites due to having the best qualification form? Nobody else did.”
“Our knockout defeats (straight losses) in that time have been to West Germany, Argentina, West Germany, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and now Iceland.
We're not a 'minnow', a term you don't understand to go along with how favourites are decided.
If you think Iceland's form should make them clear favourites, did you have England as tournament favourites due to having the best qualification form? Nobody else did.”
I did not have England as favourites for this tournament before it began, as we have just such a lousy tournament record.
Qualifying and actual finals tournaments are two very different things.
I do understand the terns minnows and underdogs thank you very much.
We simply have not earned the right to think of ourselves as a team that can win a knock-out match, time after time after time, we have lost, until that changes, then we will be an also ran at tournaments in my eyes.
So England are a tournament minnow because we've not won a tournament since '66. And that meant Iceland were clear favourites. I must've missed their recent World Cup win, or whatever prevented them from being considered a minnow.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“I did not have England as favourites for this tournament before it began, as we have just such a lousy tournament record.
Qualifying and actual finals tournaments are two very different things. ”
“I did not have England as favourites for this tournament before it began, as we have just such a lousy tournament record.
Qualifying and actual finals tournaments are two very different things. ”
Cool. So what about Iceland (five points at the group stage) made them overwhelming favourites against plucky minnow England (five points at the group stage)? Bearing in mind you wouldn't have found odds on them as favourites anywhere you looked, what's your system that flies in the face of the rest of the world and how everything actually works?
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“I do understand the terns minnows and underdogs thank you very much.”
“I do understand the terns minnows and underdogs thank you very much.”
You show absolutely no signs of understanding either.
Originally Posted by Thomas007:
“Huge relief from the pundits on TV. Its only Iceland! 300,000 people or something LOL.
.
Personally I think this might be huge banana skin in the making for England, I actually think Portugal would have been better, because the players would have been psyched up and into 'battle mode' knowing they are playing a good team, Ronaldo etc.
Now they'll know they'll just take it easy, relax. Cakewalk 4-0 or something.
England do near-embarrassments well, remember Cameron 1990? Apparently Howard Wilkinson called that "a bye" before the game.
I don't like these games where England are expected to thump some mickey mouse team, who are also unbeaten so far.
All the pressure on England for this one, surely they aren't going to mess it up against...Iceland!?
If they screw this up they'll be the laughing stock of the tournament, and will probably surpass their defeat to the USA in 1950.”
“Huge relief from the pundits on TV. Its only Iceland! 300,000 people or something LOL.
.
Personally I think this might be huge banana skin in the making for England, I actually think Portugal would have been better, because the players would have been psyched up and into 'battle mode' knowing they are playing a good team, Ronaldo etc.
Now they'll know they'll just take it easy, relax. Cakewalk 4-0 or something.
England do near-embarrassments well, remember Cameron 1990? Apparently Howard Wilkinson called that "a bye" before the game.
I don't like these games where England are expected to thump some mickey mouse team, who are also unbeaten so far.
All the pressure on England for this one, surely they aren't going to mess it up against...Iceland!?
If they screw this up they'll be the laughing stock of the tournament, and will probably surpass their defeat to the USA in 1950.”
Some people know what they're talking about.
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“I don't think we had a realistic chance of beating any of the remaining teams in it, we were very, very fortunate to qualify from the group, (as weak and as poor a group as it was) and from there, any team that we had come up against would have fancied their chances against us.”
“I don't think we had a realistic chance of beating any of the remaining teams in it, we were very, very fortunate to qualify from the group, (as weak and as poor a group as it was) and from there, any team that we had come up against would have fancied their chances against us.”
This is sheer mental. No realistic chance of beating any of the teams remaining is just absolute fantasy that you're peddling now for argument's sake. And still not understanding the meaning of the word favourable. Typical.
Originally Posted by celesti:
“You show absolutely no signs of understanding either.”
“You show absolutely no signs of understanding either.”
Yes I do know what both mean, but let's move on, as it seems we are not going agree on this point between the pair of us.
Originally Posted by FMKK:
“This is sheer mental. No realistic chance of beating any of the teams remaining is just absolute fantasy that you're peddling now for argument's sake. And still not understanding the meaning of the word favourable. Typical.”
“This is sheer mental. No realistic chance of beating any of the teams remaining is just absolute fantasy that you're peddling now for argument's sake. And still not understanding the meaning of the word favourable. Typical.”
Okay then, which teams do you think we under Roy, and with the squad at his disposal, due to his selecting of it, would you think we had a fair chance of beating??
Originally Posted by batdude_uk1:
“Okay then, which teams do you think we under Roy, and with the squad at his disposal, due to his selecting of it, would you think we had a fair chance of beating??”
“Okay then, which teams do you think we under Roy, and with the squad at his disposal, due to his selecting of it, would you think we had a fair chance of beating??”
Iceland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Switzerland, Hungary, Portugal. Obviously Wales and Slovakia are excluded for being in the same group.
And you still don't know what favourable means.
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