Israel v Russia ?

[London_Calling]

I was interested in Russia's home record vs. away record (because of the plastic pitch), this depicts it in an interesting way.

Also note the "fluke" country at the top of the home record and third in the away league.

 

[Paul Russell]

Right now McLaren's working on his tactical masterplan

"OK, Becks, whack it up to Crouch-y. Now Crouch-y, knock it down to that little Jermain guy. When we get 1-0 up after 20 minutes, everyone back behind the ball. And remember not to concede two goals in the last 5 minutes."

 

[Gingerman]

I have a strange feeling that in a bitter twist of irony, england are now going to go and win the euro champs. They are 9/1 im gonna stick a few quid on it lol.

Imagine Steve McClarens smug face, i cant bear the thought

They were 14/1 before yesterdays results

 

[editor]

Jammy, jammy England.

((((Scotland who really deserved to go through))))

 

[Augie March]

We are literally the jammiest of all jammy dodgers.

 

[TrippyLondoner]

If we can get Barry back in the midfield then we'll have a balanced enough side to be able to compete in the euros, if Steve really wants the job he will do this.

 

[spacemonkey]

We are literally the jammiest of all jammy dodgers.

Best of luck to England against Croatia!!

 

[Yossarian]

good bless israel for saving are summer

Yeah, thank you Mr Jinx! Croatia beating England at Wembley must clearly be a possibility so remote to be unimaginable...

 

[Maggot]

only a fucking retard with no knowlege of football could hold up the fact that greece fluked winning it last time as evidence that England are winning material.

The point he made is that almost any team can win it, only a bitter ABE with no knowlege of football could deny that.

 

[Balbi]

The point he made is that almost any team can win it, only a bitter ABE with no knowlege of football could deny that.

Any team can win it - as long as the team plays to their strength. With Greece it was fitness and a united effort, the sum greater than the parts.

With England that would be ... well; being egotistical wankers who suffer from a hype driven media backing, a clueless national association and yet for some reason are still considered by many to posess world class players.

Fuck world class players - a world class team is what's needed. Nikos Dabizas and Kostas Chalkias have a winners medal from a national tournament, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney do not.

 

[Meltingpot]

Jammy, jammy England.

((((Scotland who really deserved to go through))))

I agree, we didn't deserve it. Trouble is, if we do go through it will delay the inevitable soul searching we need to make the changes necessary to become a genuine world player in football. If Israel had lost and we hadn't qualified, we'd have come to that stage far sooner.

 

[JTG]

((((Scotland who really deserved to go through))))

They didn't, on account of finishing third.

 

[Termite Man]

They didn't, on account of finishing third.

But teams that aren't that good should be given a couple of points head start then when they play well but miss out in the last game by a point or 2 they can still qualify !

 

[Harold Hill]

Jammy, jammy England.

((((Scotland who really deserved to go through))))

Wrong and wrong.

 

[Harold Hill]

With England that would be ... well; being egotistical wankers who suffer from a hype driven media backing, a clueless national association and yet for some reason are still considered by many to posess world class players.
.

A media that has spent most of the last month tearing them apart.

I think pretty much everyone with a brain out there will concede England have some world class players.

 

[Harold Hill]

They didn't, on account of finishing third.

Yep. Typical patronising shite you think Scots love to bathe in because it masks the fact there is a lack of any real technical ability in the squad.

Italy stood up well in a fixture where they could have folded. They definitely deserve to be there.

 

[editor]

Wrong and wrong.

No, right and right.

Scotland got 24 points, in a tough group that included world cup winners Italy, world cup finalists France and the Ukraine.

England on the other hand faced a far easier group of the likes of Croatia, Russia and, err, Israel (currently ranked below Guinea, Bulgaria and Senegal) and have only lucked their way in with a chance against Croatia thanks to Israel's incredible result.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

 

[editor]

I think pretty much everyone with a brain out there will concede England have some world class players.

Not many world class results recently though, eh?

 

[Harold Hill]

Not many world class results recently though, eh?

I'm sure that will cause me no end of anxiety when booking two weeks in the alps next summer.

 

[Epico]

I reckon the best thing for English football in the longer term would be for us to lose against Croatia.
We don't deserve to qualify, and the dependence on the Israel vs Russia game highlights just how desperate we are.
Missing Euro 2008 would do us the world of good.

I've being wanting Scotland and Northern Ireland to qualify far more, because they've worked for it, rather than just sauntering along.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

No, right and right.

Scotland got 24 points, in a tough group that included world cup winners Italy, world cup finalists France and the Ukraine.

England on the other hand faced a far easier group of the likes of Croatia, Russia and, err, Israel (currently ranked below Guinea, Bulgaria and Senegal) and have only lucked their way in with a chance against Croatia thanks to Israel's incredible result.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Ah, but England were only in an easier group because we were seeded higher than Scotland. It would not have been possible for England to have faced both Italy and France. And we beat Ukraine the last two times we have played them (admittedly in friendlies). So we could well have finished second in such a group even if losing twice to France, as long as we won the rest.

 

[Harold Hill]

No, right and right.

Scotland got 24 points, in a tough group that included world cup winners Italy, world cup finalists France and the Ukraine.

England on the other hand faced a far easier group of the likes of Croatia, Russia and, err, Israel (currently ranked below Guinea, Bulgaria and Senegal) and have only lucked their way in with a chance against Croatia thanks to Israel's incredible result.

Lucky, lucky, lucky.

Incredible result? Please. Just because English journalists decided that after Wembley, Israel warranted little respect, the stats told an altogether different story. There was no fluke, Russia are a pretty poor side away from home whilst Israel are good at home.

And you want to talk about luck? McFaddens fluke goal in Paris. People can come out with all this cliched old crap about bravehearts but the reality is, Scotland could have all but nailed the French by winning in Tblisi but they bottled it. They are the third best team in the group so essentially have got what they deserve.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

Yeah people forget that Israel very rarely lose at home. I don't know why everyone was assuming it was a foregone conclusion that Russia would win...

 

[editor]

Incredible result? Please. Just because English journalists decided that after Wembley, Israel warranted little respect, the stats told an altogether different story. .

The stats? Lemme see: Israel's FIFA ranking = 37th. Russia = 16th.

Lucky England. On their dull, plodding form thus far, they would have got stuffed by France and Italy away.

 

[Harold Hill]

I reckon the best thing for English football in the longer term would be for us to lose against Croatia.
We don't deserve to qualify, and the dependence on the Israel vs Russia game highlights just how desperate we are.
Missing Euro 2008 would do us the world of good.

I've being wanting Scotland and Northern Ireland to qualify far more, because they've worked for it, rather than just sauntering along.

aargh fuck off, this sort of thing drives me nuts.

Why don't England deserve to qualify?? Because they've struggled in some qualifying games - welcome to the world of tournament qualification. Holland, Portugal, France, Italy and Spain have suffered the same problems. Portugal are in exactly the same boat as England in fact - I wonder how many would say they don't deserve it.

As soon as the Scots and NI began to feel the expectation as the momentum for qualifying increased, they both folded to much weaker natios - the reasn you seem to be suggesting England don't deserve to qualify for.

 

[editor]

As soon as the Scots and NI began to feel the expectation as the momentum for qualifying increased, they both folded to much weaker natios - the reasn you seem to be suggesting England don't deserve to qualify for.

What?
'Weaker' nations like the world cup winners, Italy?

 

[Harold Hill]

The stats? Lemme see: Israel's FIFA ranking = 37th. Russia = 16th.

Lucky England. On their dull, plodding form thus far, they would have got stuffed by France and Italy away.

Wow, I've found the first person in the world who actually takes FIFA rankings seriously lol.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

The stats? Lemme see: Israel's FIFA ranking = 37th. Russia = 16th.

Lucky England. On their dull, plodding form thus far, they would have got stuffed by France and Italy away.

Yes, but as I've said above, it wouldn't have been possible for us to have been drawn in a group with both France and Italy, due to seeding.

 

[upsidedownwalrus]

What?
'Weaker' nations like the world cup winners, Italy?

No, like Georgia, who England *probably* would have ground out some kind of win over...

 

[Harold Hill]

What?
'Weaker' nations like the world cup winners, Italy?

Was thinking more Georgia, Latvia and Iceland.