England are pretty useless, but I can't understand wanting any team to beat them, I'd back England in a game of monopoly. I see this a lot with this generation, no one seems to care about England anymore, not just in football either.

 

Don't get me wrong, like you i'd back England any day of the week (except against San Marino last week), or any sportsman of our nationality (with the exception of Lewis Hamilton but that's another thing entirely) - if we needed the points I dare say I would have felt differently.

Edited September 8, 201510 yr by the special one

England are pretty useless, but I can't understand wanting any other team to beat them, I'd back England in a game of monopoly. Not a lot of people seem to care about the team anymore though.

I love my country and won't have anyone else say anything about it. I'm a proud Englishman but I just can't stand our national team anymore. I loved the shearer era when I was a kid, I just think nowadays they don't seem to have the same fire in their bellies.

I wish someone other than Rooney had taken tonight's penalty, or he missed.

I wish someone other than Rooney had taken tonight's penalty, or he missed.

That's not an unholy confession.  That's just established wisdom.

I don't think they have that fire either, watching them can be very frustrating, especially in the tournaments, but I always have to watch them and cheer them on. It's depressing that the only Chelsea player in the team currently is Cahill, you never know, maybe Loftus Cheek will get a look in soon.

Rooney is only 18 behind Peter Shilton for the caps record as well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he broke that too.

Rooney is only 18 behind Peter Shilton for the caps record as well. I wouldn't be at all surprised if he broke that too.

Probably. It would be just our luck to have the England records book blotted by that obnoxious little gobsh*te for the next century.

I don't really have a problem with Rooney personally.

 

At his best he is absolutely phenomenal, a world-class player, with the blessed combination of excellent technique, physical power, a tireless work rate and on-pitch selflessness. Rooney also has a footballing intelligence which is very rarely found in an Englishman; you could probably count on one hand the number of English players from the last 20 years who are on Rooney's level of footballing 'smarts' and understanding the game. Lampard is one of them, but had nowhere near Rooney's level of natural talent.

I actually played against Rooney a few times as a kid, it's pretty bizarre to see the success he has had over the years.

I think he is one of the greatest England players ever. I think the greatest England player is between Moore and Charlton, but I'd definitely put him up there with gazza.

We should have signed him when he was at Everton. Brilliant player and very underrated by people from other clubs.

Not sure I would put him as world class but he's definitely up there amongst the second tier players.

Couldn't give a f**k about England it all went downhill for me when the whole JT incident happened, what a joke. Haven't enjoyed an England game since the Sven days!

I wish we played like Barcelona

I wish we played like Barcelona

 

To be honest, i don't really think that is an unholy confession. I'm sure we would all like us to play like Barcelona ( without the cheating of course ), but actually being able to play like Barcelona and be successful with it is another thing. I would love us to play like the Barcelona of today, but i just don't think we have the players to play that way. I wouldn't want us to play like Barcelona in their Pep Guardiola days though, i found them really boring to watch with their constant 5 yard passing that would go on for about 5 minutes before attempting to actually score a goal.

To be honest, i don't really think that is an unholy confession. I'm sure we would all like us to play like Barcelona ( without the cheating of course ), but actually being able to play like Barcelona and be successful with it is another thing. I would love us to play like the Barcelona of today, but i just don't think we have the players to play that way. I wouldn't want us to play like Barcelona in their Pep Guardiola days though, i found them really boring to watch with their constant 5 yard passing that would go on for about 5 minutes before attempting to actually score a goal.

Very true, for instance look at Arsenal who try to play a similar pass and move game. They end up being very boring with no real penetration for large periods. But when it does click which it does eventually it's great to watch.

Give me Heynckes Bayern over Barcelona any day.

I'd take Muller over Ronaldo.

To be honest, i don't really think that is an unholy confession. I'm sure we would all like us to play like Barcelona ( without the cheating of course ), but actually being able to play like Barcelona and be successful with it is another thing. I would love us to play like the Barcelona of today, but i just don't think we have the players to play that way. I wouldn't want us to play like Barcelona in their Pep Guardiola days though, i found them really boring to watch with their constant 5 yard passing that would go on for about 5 minutes before attempting to actually score a goal.

 

Agreed I'm not a big fan of sh*tty boring possession football but i would love a front three like Barca have right now at Chelsea. Just scares the crap out of the opposition,gives you so much confidence that a goal will come. At Chelsea these days i worry if Hazard and Costa don't score who will?.

I think Kurt Zouma is overrated.

Give me Heynckes Bayern over Barcelona any day.

100% with you in this one. It's a tragedy what Pep has done to that Bayern team.

Give me Heynckes Bayern over Barcelona any day.

 

Bayern were really onto something when he was their manager, now that they have Pep they have fallen behind Real Madrid and Barcelona again.

Yup. Heynckes Bayern was a machine. But Peps tinkering turned a thoroughbred into a mule.

think the natural successor to Heynckes would have been Klopp. another attacking manager. Guardiola uses possession quite defensively to take the fight out of the opposition and to nullify their threat, rather than what Heynckes had Bayern doing which was attacking every time they had the ball

Think every Dortmund fan would die a little more inside if that happened.

Edited September 15, 201510 yr by Stim

I actually played against Rooney a few times as a kid, it's pretty bizarre to see the success he has had over the years.

I think he is one of the greatest England players ever. I think the greatest England player is between Moore and Charlton, but I'd definitely put him up there with gazza.

Can't agree there BB. He might be alongside Gazza in terms of simple intelligence but when it comes to footballing ability Rooney isn't even close to Gascoigne.

Gazza was undeniably world class. Rooney isn't.

As for a confession, I have never really rated Fabregas that greatly. Not when he was at Le Arse, not when he was at Barca, and not now.

Can't agree there BB. He might be alongside Gazza in terms of simple intelligence but when it comes to footballing ability Rooney isn't even close to Gascoigne.

Gazza was undeniably world class. Rooney isn't.

As for a confession, I have never really rated Fabregas that greatly. Not when he was at Le Arse, not when he was at Barca, and not now.

Fair enough mate, I'm guessing your a little older than myself (no offence intented) I only really saw the later days of gazza's career, lazio/rangers days.

I do think Rooney had a good 4/5 years where he was amongst the best in the world.

Like Owen and gazza though, he peaked early and he hasn't looked the same player for a couple of seasons.

I think the whole of that 'golden generation' with the likes of terry lamps gerrard Scholes etc needed a big tournament for England but it just never happened. Pretty sad really comparing the quality to what we have now.