England World Cup Qualifiers

[Green]

Yeh I read it, for the avoidance of doubt it's the United Nations Statistics Division I'm referring to.


Not sure why you're now quoting another article back at me, the original one does indicate there are different definitions.

I understand the disctinctions are probably cultural rather than geographic, but there is still something slightly amusing about parts of Southern Europe being further west than anywhere in Western Europe (and parts of Eastern Europe being further north than anywhere in Northern Europe, though that's hardly avoidable).

Presumably you find similar mirth in looking at a map of "Northern" Ireland.

[Hoop Blah]

So, back to the actual game, Hogdson has confirmed he'll be sticking to the same line up. It looks like he's gone for quite a flexible but functional team without too much flair. I was surprised to see that Cleverly and Carrick were both in the side and that there are no 'natural wingers' at all.

Although we know the 11, I'm not sure how I expect them to line up. I guess it will be a 4-4-1-1 type of thing with Rooney in behind Defoe, but it just as easily see Rooney out on the left in a 4-2-3-1 as Fergie has done quite a bit.

However they line up it looks like Hodgson has gone to keep possession and shape as opposed to having a go at them with pace down the wings.

[Gordons Cumming]

3. Nice to see respect working both ways and the fans left stood about watching it rain with no thought and little information (still at least they didn't have to suffer ITV Sport).

.

I thought ITV's coverage was probably more entertaining than the game was going to be.

Lee Dixon: " ......and tomorrow I will be wearing attire very similar to this"

Gabriel Clarke looked like he was going to explode.

Classic stuff.

[RobRoyal]

I understand the disctinctions are probably cultural rather than geographic, but there is still something slightly amusing about parts of Southern Europe being further west than anywhere in Western Europe (and parts of Eastern Europe being further north than anywhere in Northern Europe, though that's hardly avoidable).

Presumably you find similar mirth in looking at a map of "Northern" Ireland.

The sheer mention of it raises a smile.

[Archie's penalty]

One more go at plugging this:

http://rightbankwawaeuro2012.wordpress. ... olek-show/

[cmonurz]

G'arn Rooney!

[Green]

There's something I love about games that kick off during work hours. To this day I'm sorry I never made it to the last ever game at the Goldstone Ground that was postponed to a week day due to crowd trouble.

[TBM]

Fcuk off Carrick

[Archie's penalty]

Boring, boring England.

[TBM]

Boring, boring England.

Poland aren't much better - they need to do more with their chances

[Ian Royal]

Don't seem to have learnt much of a lesson. From the 10 minutes I caught we're sitting incredibly deep (Rooney in a back 5!) and gifting possession away frequently. The one time we played patient, we drew Poland out, got a run down the wing and won a fk in a dangerous position for a dodygy handball call.

Oh and a good break just then.

Edit: And the pressure tells. Unsurprisingly. Same old same old.

[Ian Royal]

Fuk me our players are stupid.

Number 8 (Carrick?) standing in space in the middle. Defence pass it around amongst them, 8 comes out of space to get the ball, passes it back to the defence. Johnson in acres of space for a short diagonal along the floor from Lescott - which could be played in front of him and getin him moving forward to attack a player, but Lescott just punts it straight forward at the Poland defence.

It's just so pathetically stupid.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Another bloody crap performance from England. 4 games in and two 5-0 wins against the awful sides of the group and 2 shockingly average (at best) displays against the half decent teams of the group. Is it the just the players we have available or is it Hodgson?

[Ian Royal]

Another bloody crap performance from England. 4 games in and two 5-0 wins against the awful sides of the group and 2 shockingly average (at best) displays against the half decent teams of the group. Is it the just the players we have available or is it Hodgson?

In fairness, we're in transition big time. It may be his 11th game, but several of them were in a tournament where he literally had to come in and just pick up the pieces and deal with it. We've got injury problems too and a lot of young inexperienced players who with a bit more time could be big big players for us.

[The Prisoner]

God England are dump.

[Hoop Blah]

Another bloody crap performance from England. 4 games in and two 5-0 wins against the awful sides of the group and 2 shockingly average (at best) displays against the half decent teams of the group. Is it the just the players we have available or is it Hodgson?

It's not a very good performance no, but it's away to a pretty decent Poland side and a point keeps us in a good position in the group. Admittedly a win would've put us right in control but don't get why you think we have a right to be beating these other teams when other teams don't (Only Italy and France have won in Poland in recent years - Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portuga have all failed).

The worst thing was, again, the way we passed the ball. Carrick has hopefully played himself back out of contention (although he did look a bit better once he was in front of the back four in a position he could hide in a bit more).

[Archie's penalty]

Another bloody crap performance from England. 4 games in and two 5-0 wins against the awful sides of the group and 2 shockingly average (at best) displays against the half decent teams of the group. Is it the just the players we have available or is it Hodgson?

In fairness, we're in transition big time. It may be his 11th game, but several of them were in a tournament where he literally had to come in and just pick up the pieces and deal with it. We've got injury problems too and a lot of young inexperienced players who with a bit more time could be big big players for us.

Poland are also in transition big time with a new coach. Real progress from them since the summer though. Nice passing, Grosicki dangerous on the wing. Quite an even group.

[Barry the bird boggler]

Another bloody crap performance from England. 4 games in and two 5-0 wins against the awful sides of the group and 2 shockingly average (at best) displays against the half decent teams of the group. Is it the just the players we have available or is it Hodgson?

It's not a very good performance no, but it's away to a pretty decent Poland side and a point keeps us in a good position in the group. Admittedly a win would've put us right in control but don't get why you think we have a right to be beating these other teams when other teams don't (Only Italy and France have won in Poland in recent years - Germany, Italy, Mexico, Portuga have all failed).

The worst thing was, again, the way we passed the ball. Carrick has hopefully played himself back out of contention (although he did look a bit better once he was in front of the back four in a position he could hide in a bit more).

I don't think we have a right to beat any team, and I am thankful we are still leading the way in the group with a fair oold way to go yet, but I think any team that beats us though should have to work for it. The crap that I've seen since Hodgson took over though is incomprehensible. Boring play, seemingly no movement, unadventurous - god I see better play from Reading on occasions! If that's progress then its backwards.

OK I know we've been tripe for a few years but it really is terrible, we are so far behind Germany, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Holland and probably Uruguay, Portugal and even Belgium at the moment it's thoroughly embarrassing.

[Hoop Blah]

We're obviously not playing great flowing football, and I really wish we were, but have you seen Portugal and Holland recently?

Portugal have their moments, and Holland defend and grind out results but I'd not say either are flowing sides these days or ahead of us really, certainly not miles ahead. I've not seen anything of the South American sides, but Germany and Spain are much better than everyone from what I can tell (Spain certainly have their critics as well and I think if England played as they do - ie the defensiveness of their possession - then we'd see a lot of moaning about that too).

[No Fixed Abode]

Last night on Twitter I said.......
As for the football tonight - I'm going to skip the borefest and hit the gym. Definitely a draw for England tonight. I'll go with 1-1