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[The_Hitcher89]

Lovren would be a good signing. Never heard of Meyer, but that's because I don't watch one-team leagues.

Valdes and Johnson would be shit signings.

Valdes would be a fantastic signing for reasonable wages. Based on last year, he could quite easily displace Mignolet, and even if he didn't, he'd be a fantastic number 2 if only for one season

Never gonna happen though. Balls to Johnson though.

 

[Mr Cola]

It would be rather hilarious if we got dutched tonight, almost more fun than winning the game.

I dont much care for England

 

[FortuneFaded]

Two????

Yes. Italy are a big country as well.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

Yes. Italy are a big country as well.

England are third tier at best.

 

[FortuneFaded]

England are third tier at best.

Behind Netherlands & Brazil? I agree.

 

[K1LLER7]

Was highly impressed with Netherlands defence yesterday. Indy will be good at United next season.

 

[Broder Salsa]

Was highly impressed with Netherlands defence yesterday. Indy will be good at United next season.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

Behind Netherlands & Brazil? I agree.

God Tier: Brazil, Germany, Italy. Finals are the expected norm.

Second Tier: Spain, Argentina, Holland, Uruguay.

Third tier: France, Portugal, England

 

[Broder Salsa]

God Tier: Brazil, Germany, Italy. Finals are the expected norm.

Second Tier: Spain, Argentina, Holland, Uruguay.

Third tier: France, Portugal, England

Not sure if serious.

Also France will do better than Italy this year.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

Not sure if serious.

Also France will do better than Italy this year.

How is that not serious.

Italy have reached more international finals in the last 8 years than England have in their whole history. Germany and Brazil are also final masters.

Although I am being very generous to Holland and Portugal in putting them off in the respective tiers.

 

[The_Hitcher89]

Can't believe a half fit Danny fucking Welfuckingbeck is starting over Sterling

All hopes on Studgemeister D

 

[Salvadora]

Think France will surprise most people by doing well.

 

[cremino]

Not sure if serious.

Also France will do better than Italy this year.

As an italian, I agree, we're not that good

 

[TeddyBoy]

Can't believe a half fit Danny fucking Welfuckingbeck is starting over Sterling

All hopes on Studgemeister D

Don't worry Hitch, England will go out against Costa Rica and Lallana will return home to seal his move to Liverpool.

Spoiler

Our deadline has passed, we won't sign him but at least none of our players will likely get injured if they only play three matches.

 

[Mr Cola]

Oh shit, just logged into Origin and the hardline beta is there, worth the install? I hear there is alot of lag...

 

[confuziz]

Can we somehow face Portugal in this tournament?

Full revenge isn't complete without a win over shitty Portugal.

 

[KidA Seven]

Also France will do better than Italy this year.

France just feel like a team that clicks. Which is kind of surprising considering how fucked up they were last time around. That dickhead Nasri being banished provided the same feeling as when a massive boulder like turd from your anus gets flushed into the sewers of hell.

They also have an easy group.

 

[Wilbur]

France will make the semis. Book it.

 

[TheLucifer]

Buffon

 

[Blablurn]

 

[Yurt]

God Tier: Brazil, Germany, Italy. Finals are the expected norm.

Second Tier: Spain, Argentina, Holland, Uruguay.

Third tier: France, Portugal, England

Naaah.

Italy is in 2nd tier, along with France. But the difference in quality between Italy and England isn't THAT big. I can see them winning, sure.

The difference in spirit and team harmony though is massive, and will be Italy's greatest weapon as usual.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

France will make the semis. Book it.

quarter final will be against Germany or Portugal, which should be a good game.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

Naaah.

Italy is in 2nd tier, along with France. But the difference in quality between Italy and England isn't THAT big. I can see them winning, sure.

The difference in spirit and team harmony though is massive, and will be Italy's greatest weapon as usual.

I was responding to the big country comment. England is not a big country with a big history. One final and two semi finals in international tournaments aint amazing.

Italy, Brazil and Germany are the biggest countries in football history.

 

[LTWheels]

Welbeck starting would be a massive disappointment.

My ideal formation would be:

Gerrard, Henderson, Wilshere
Sterling, Sturridge, Lallana(or Rooney - 1 last chance)

Not a fan of the 4-2-3-1 of Woy.

 

[Yurt]

I was responding to the big country comment. England is not a big country with a big history. One final and two semi finals in international tournaments aint amazing.

Italy, Brazil and Germany are the biggest countries in football history.

Oh sorry!

England are minnows then, but still better than most countries by winning one in 66.

Italy, Germany and Brazil are in God tier in terms of titles and finals.

 

[Wilbur]

I was responding to the big country comment. England is not a big country with a big history. One final and two semi finals in international tournaments aint amazing.

Italy, Brazil and Germany are the biggest countries in football history.

We have the most famous worldwide league, lots of worldwide famous players, and are known as the home of football. It's also treated as a upset and big news when we crash out of tournaments early. We are a big footballing nation.

 

[Derp1na]

I was responding to the big country comment. England is not a big country with a big history. One final and two semi finals in international tournaments aint amazing.

Italy, Brazil and Germany are the biggest countries in football history.

We invented football. We're the biggest country in football history.

The UK is also the most important country in football.

 

[K1LLER7]

Looking forward to Ivory Coast vs Japan today. Hoped it would be on early, not at 2am

 

[Willkiller]

Football is ALIVE

 

[Scum]

Is everyone doing something tomorrow that they can't footy at 2am?

 

[Phantast2k]

Man, that was awesome yesterday.
As much as I despise Robben and as much as I'm genetically coded to hate the NL footbal team I couldn't help but be happy for them because Spain is just so much worse by being prolific cheaters / full of barca cunts

Really hope they drop dead in the group stage.

 

[Derp1na]

It's important to remember that England didn't compete in the first few World Cups because we were quite clearly the best at football and thought that playing loser nations such as Italy was below us. This can be seen in the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy, often called the first World Cup.

The football associations of Italy, Germany and Switzerland duly complied, but the Football Association of England refused to nominate a club because they felt that playing loser nations such as Italy was below them. West Auckland, a lowly amateur side of coalminers from the Northern League were entered into the competition, although it has never been entirely clear why.

Guess which team won? That's right, West Auckland FC won the first tournament in 1909 and the second and final tournament in 1911 against Juventus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Lipton_Trophy

It's like what I was saying about La Decima. Everyone called me bitter, but I was right. You can't just go around winning the first few tournaments when the English didn't care about it and pretend that those cups really count.

 

[bjaelke]

you sound bitter

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

It's important to remember that England didn't compete in the first few World Cups because we were quite clearly the best at football and thought that playing loser nations such as Italy was below us. This can be seen in the Sir Thomas Lipton trophy, often called the first World Cup.



Guess which team won? That's right, West Auckland FC won the first tournament in 1909 and the second and final tournament in 1911 against Juventus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Thomas_Lipton_Trophy

It's like what I was saying about La Decima. Everyone called me bitter, but I was right. You can't just go around winning the first few tournaments when the English didn't care about it and pretend that those cups really count.

Well since England started caring the count is still 2-1.

 

[pulga]

all dat salt

 

[Derp1na]

Well since England started caring the count is still 2-1.

By the time England started caring, the rest of the world had caught up and/or bettered England. That doesn't change the fact that England were by far the best football team for about the first 60 or 70 years of football.

To say England isn't a big football nation is just wrong.

 

[Hixx]

Anyone that counts a World Cup pre-1962 is weird.

Anyone that counts a PL title post-1992 is weird.

 

[Shake Appeal]

Interesting to see how England deal with being overdogs today.

 

[ghst]

Can't believe a half fit Danny fucking Welfuckingbeck is starting over Sterling

All hopes on Studgemeister D

power subs. the starting 11 are just there as placeholders.

woy couldn't have telegraphed his strategy better if took out an op-ed in la gazetta dello sport.

 

[Mt Heart Attack]

We have the most famous worldwide league, lots of worldwide famous players, and are known as the home of football. It's also treated as a upset and big news when we crash out of tournaments early. We are a big footballing nation.

On British press, yea. For everyone else, it's business as usual. And it is, since you haven't gone past the quarter finals in a World Cup in 24 years.

Of course, it'd be foolish to deny that England is indeed a great football country. Too bad that, when international competitions started, and they started to care about them, they had already started waning. And sorry, the "we weren't there because we were too good so it doesn't count" excuse is bollocks. This match should have made it clear to everyone.

Great footballing nation, but one tier below Brazi, Italy, Germany and Argentina, when it comes to international football. If we're talking club competitions though, they're obviously up there with Spain and Italy.

England beat Italy in their first match since becoming "world" champions in 1934, in what many pundits of the day called the real World Cup final.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Highbury

Too bad it wasn't a world cup final but a friendly lol Also Italy played with 10 men for the whole match due to an injury and England had the home advantage. That hardly proves anything. If England wanted to have a shot at winning the World Cup, they should have partaken in it.

 

[Derp1na]

People always call me salty but that's because I just bring the truth in a way that hurts.

Juventus had already been champions of Italy by that stage. There is no need to be upset that English teams were the best. Two of the most followed clubs in the world can trace their shirt colour (Real Madrid) or their name (Corinthians) to an amateur English side.

England beat Italy in their first match since becoming "world" champions in 1934, in what many pundits of the day called the real World Cup final.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Highbury

It was 3-0 after 12 minutes, but England obviously didn't really care that much and let Italy get a couple of consolation goals.

 

[pulga]

Here's a surprising stat: Isco was the Madrid player who played the most games over last season. 53 games, one more than Benzema and Di Maria.

Of course, not saying he had the most minutes, he clearly didn't, but its a surprising stat nonetheless!

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

England beat Italy in their first match since becoming "world" champions in 1934, in what many pundits of the day called the real World Cup final.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Highbury

Italy have never cared about friendlies.

 

[Derp1na]

Italy have never cared about friendlies.

The match was important enough to the Italians that Benito Mussolini had reportedly offered each player an Alfa Romeo car and the equivalent of £150 (about £6,000 in modern terms) if they beat the English.

 

[pulga]

oh my god guys this is simple

Italy 4 stars >>>>>> England 1 star

Done. Italy is best European team.

 

[Salvadora]

To say England isn't a big football nation is just wrong.

The argument is strikingly similar to those who say Arsenal are not a big team.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

The match was important enough to the Italians that Benito Mussolini had reportedly offered each player an Alfa Romeo car and the equivalent of £150 (about £6,000 in modern terms) if they beat the English.

No Fiats available?

 

[Gareth Bale]

We played against Corinthian Casuals at school. IIRC Alec Stewart played in that game.

 

[Baconsaurus Rex]

Was highly impressed with Netherlands defence yesterday. Indy will be good at United next season.

4/5 are (former) Feyenoord players.


Has anybody found Costa? He was last seen in Vlaar's back pocket.

Hup Wes hup.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

The argument is strikingly similar to those who say Arsenal are not a big team.

While not all teams that win the champions league are big teams, I do feel we are not a truly big team on a level with Liverpool/Man United and the European elite until we do win the Champions League.