Private Eye had “The Injured England Squad - In Full”
HIP
HAMSTRING THIGH FOOT
FOOT LEG NOSE ARM
HAMSTRING CALF TENDON
Manager: PRICK
FWIW, I suspect once Fowler was pencilled in and there were no other injuries, McManaman didn’t have a chance. There was no way, given the potential seven week’s (who am I kidding) the team might spend together and the need for discipline, Sven was going to let the Scally’s team up again.
Coldie – I’m genuinely sorry the Dutch haven’t made it. I was thinking about your choice of forwards the other day, it’s a pretty awesome bunch.
Tell me this, though (been on my mind for a while…) What do you call the 10 yard free kick thing (as in: “The defenders not 10 yards from the ball”). It’s 9.15 metres I believe, just interested in what terminology they use over your way ?
Eh, I can never remember who has which foot. I always thought Dyer played on the right and Bowyer the left, and I think I’m wrong on that. Thompson looked decent in the Leeds v Celtic game, but then again every one of the Celtic players looked better than their Leeds equivalent (in particular: Sylla, Balde, Maloney and Healy).
All joking aside I think everyone is a little upset that the Dutch haven’t made it. The World Cup won’t quite be the same without them for both their style of play and their support. Both are something I have enjoyed in the past.
LC: it’s usually referred to as 9 meters over here. Is it defined in the rules as 10 yards? Didn’t know that.
Yeah, the Dutch squad has some awfully good forwards all right. Hell, Bergkamp and Van Nistelrooij account for half the goals in the fucking premiership. Then why couldn’t they do it for the national team??
OK, obviously not Bergkamp. Unless we’d ship him. Ah, it’s all moot, anyway. Gah. 
Will you be supporting anyone else, or just sobbing softly into your quality Dutch lager?
I quite enjoyed 1994 – it was '94, wasn’t it? – without England in it (less stressful), but I wouldn’t like to go another cup without some kind of emotional involvement.
Will you be supporting anyone else, or just sobbing softly into your quality Dutch lager?
I quite enjoyed 1994 – it was '94, wasn’t it? – without England in it (less stressful), but I wouldn’t like to go another cup without some kind of emotional involvement.
All jingoism aside, '94 was probably actually my favorite WC. I genuinely enjoyed all the football played without any distractions of wondering how the England team would do, who they would play etc.
You may find this WC surprisingly good Coldie.
pan
My laptop has developed a stutter. Hrm.
Not to mention poor old Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink who seems to score for fun in every league he’s played in for the last five years but has never really done it for the national team. I get the impression that he is not as highly rated in Holland as he is thoughout the rest of Europe (England and Spain in particular.)
Hasselbaink is an interesting example. See, he’s not a very attractive player, in the Dutch sense of the word. He’s no Bergkamp that can curl a ball into the goal from 40 meters. Backwards. With one eye closed. All Jimmy does is be at the right place at the right time, and then kick the ball into the net unbelievably hard and unelegant. All the fucking time.
Obviously, that’s not a talent the Dutch national team needs. :rolleyes:
The Dutch Andy Cole, if you will.
As for seeing a world cup without your own team: the last time it happened (that I personally recall) was in 1986. It wasn’t fun. Well, it was good to see the Belgians perform really well, and it was AWESOME to see one man win the entire tournament, despite the Hand of God. But it wasn’t the same.
Luckily, we won the European cup two years later. I can honestly say the half final was one of the most glorious moments in my life. Beating the Germans in the last five minutes! Van Basten, your country needs you.
Although I’m gonna watch the tournament relatively unprejudiced, I’ll be rooting for Ireland. That way we can always claim to have been kicked out by the World Champions, if they win. 
Dyer was stretchered out of the game against Southampton today, with suspected ligament damage.
Pissed off about Dyer’s knee. (not as pissed off as he is, sure). He’s a classy little player, and could really have made some fine runs for us.
I share Coldfire’s view on Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. All he seems to do is strut around and demand the ball be delivered to him exactly how he wants.
I really wish Freddie Ljungberg wasn’t Swedish.
Gerrard also went off injured today.
I had the great luck to get a free ticket for Arsenal vs Everton today. As a fan of a failing lower-league club I was gobsmacked by the size and the spectacle: the celebrations at the end were amazing. The match was pretty good from a neutral’s view (seven goals ain’t bad) but by the end the North Bank upper tier was so overjoyed the stand was visibly shaking (leading to some worried glances).
Ashley Cole had a shocker and even the Gooners around me agreed Wayne Bridge has to start as left back, since Cole just isn’t consistent and when he’s bad he’s awful. Richard Wright looked far more confident that earlier in the season and could be a future England international for years to come. Even Ray Parlour, who I’ve always hated, looked like the player Man Utd have been missing all season (i.e. an uninjured ballwinner).
I suppose I was thinking about the (set) pitch dimensions from a commentators POV; Here they’d say things like “The 6 yard box”, etc…anyway
Yep; Bergkamp and Van Nistelrooij, maybe Hasselbaink,…and then Kluivert, Van Hooidonk…even Zenden. With the Dutch attack and the English midfield we could probably muster a half decent team. As for Bergkamp, I suppose either he’d have started driving this week ( fook :eek: that ) or they’d have knocked him out with drugs…dunno.
So am I. Poor bastard.
A matter of opinion, me thinks 
As an Oldham fan, it was as close as I’ll ever get to 40,000 celebrating fans!
The question of wether or not we want to see him play regularly for England is different than wether or not he deserves a place
Can I just use this thread to air my grevances at the Irish world cup squad?
I only have 2.
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Mark Kennedy. This man is a travesty, and only has a place due to McCarthy’s “loyalty” to him. I don’t think he actually played well in any of the Qualifiers. Either Colin Healy or Steven Reid should hae been brought in his place.
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David Connolly. No. No. No. He is bereft of skill and power. Gary Doherty should be there.
I actually agree with the choice of Lee Carlsley. He is a lumper, and every squad needs one. He has had a good season (when not injured) this season for Everton.
I still don’t see what the fuss is about Healy. I don’t think he’s any better than Kennedy.
At least he won’t have the French and Dutch around him – will the Swedish team be as atuned to his runs and take the defence away as well as the Gooners ? I seriously doubt it.
Actually, Nigeria worry the crap out of me.