# 1986 world cup question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [November 24, 2009, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761 "2009-11-24T11:12:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/21 "2009-11-26T10:53:43Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Well, if you could win something without the usual controversy, then I think the world might well recognize your genius. But let’s see it first. 😃 Unfortunately it won’t be this World Cup… Do you know who is our coach? His latest exploit was to tell the press in general and some journalist to “suck him”. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/22 "2009-11-26T13:43:39Z")
Always classy, that man. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/23 "2009-11-26T15:04:41Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Unfortunately it won’t be this World Cup… Do you know who is our coach? At least you qualified…barely. 😃 I still wonder when the real Messi will start playing for the Albiceleste. I saw him play in the under 20 World Cup 2005 (semifinal against Brazil, played in Utrecht) and he single handedly beat the Brazilians. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/24 "2009-11-26T18:39:25Z")
> [@Mycroft\_Holmes](#): > > At least you qualified…barely. 😃 Perhaps that is not that bad. In the 1986 World Cup we also barely qualified and in the latest we qualified first and then were beaten by pretty minor teams like Bulgaria, England… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/25 "2009-11-26T20:13:59Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Perhaps that is not that bad. In the 1986 World Cup we also barely qualified and in the latest we qualified first and then were beaten by pretty minor teams like Bulgaria, England… 😃 You are not joking. If by a minor team you mean a quarter-final team, that is. There are many reasons for this, including that for the past two tournaments we had a manager who didn’t have a clue (and still doesn’t) about football and was (and probably still is) more interested in having his dick sucked than the great Diego himself. 🙂 I have some hopes, but not many, that the more monastically inclined Capello will improve the team enough to go one stage better this time. ---
**Author:** ![Dahu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahu/32/3416_2.png) [@Dahu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahu)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/26 "2009-11-26T21:01:07Z")
> [@Chez\_Guevara](#): > > There are many reasons for this, including that for the past two tournaments we had a manager who didn’t have a clue (and still doesn’t) about football If by this you are referring to a manager who: [ul] [li]Improved England’s FIFA World ranking from 17th place (January 2001) to 4th place[/li][li]Managed to reach the quarter final in three consecutive tournaments (WC 2002, Euro 2004, WC 2006). No other European country achieved this during this period, and on an international level only Brazil. England was also, apart from Sweden, the only European country that did not suffer elimination from group play or failure to qualify during this time (2001-2006).[/li][li]Achieved the highest point percentage in Major Tournament Matches of all time for an England manager.[/li][li]Lost only 3 full-time competitive games and achieved top qualifying place in all three International tournaments during his five and a half years as England manager.[/li][li] Beat Germany 5-1 away[/li][li] Won the league and cup double for three different teams in three different countries[/li][li] Did the double over Manchester United during a great season in charge at Man City[/li][/ul] If you think this man “doesn’t have a clue” …then god help us. Of course, if you’re referring to someone else then that’s different. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761/27 "2009-11-26T21:53:08Z")
> [@Dahu](#): > > Of course, if you’re referring to someone else then that’s different. Nope, that’s the man. I admit to exaggeration, though, and I confess my dislike of him, probably for other reasons in addition to plain footballing ones. His record for England might look good statistically but he could, and should, have done a whole lot better than three quarter-finals in major competitions. I guess what I’m trying to say is that he was never a good international manager. When the game turned against him he never had a plan B, and his weakness in deferring to David Beckham in matters of tournament organisation I think has cost England dearly. So yes, he does have a clue. But he does not feature among the top international coaches of his time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1986-world-cup-question/518761.md?page=1)