England vs Montenegro 11/10/13

[stealthpapes]

I think England will win both games, low scoring, tight games, a bit .

I think the World Cup will be a better tournament should Montenegro actually qualify.





From the other groups, Greece/Bosnia should be assured of a play-off spot (and Spain/France), but I share the feeling of dismal horror at Greece qualifying. Iceland qualifying would be nice, actually.

[Barry the bird boggler]

From the other groups, Greece/Bosnia should be assured of a play-off spot (and Spain/France), but I share the feeling of dismal horror at Greece qualifying.

I think we're all a bit like that if England qualify actually....

[Ouroboros]

From the other groups, Greece/Bosnia should be assured of a play-off spot (and Spain/France), but I share the feeling of dismal horror at Greece qualifying.

I think we're all a bit like that if England qualify actually....

Yes. Watching Euro 2008 was like regaining your sight after suffering decades of blindness.

[just some bloke]

I did not watch a single game of Euro 2008 and I cannot remember off-hand who won the tournament

[southbank1871]

Despite the inevitable boredom and disappointment, major tournaments aren't the same when we don't qualify.

[Maguire]

Despite the inevitable boredom and disappointment, major tournaments aren't the same when we don't qualify.

Exactly.

Saying "oh it would be better with Montenegro" is arch-gimpness. Not it wouldn't England are an extremely well-supported side which other nations take an interest in.

If we don't qualify then 2014 will be significantly less enjoyable

[stealthpapes]

Balls.

Utter, utter, unremitting balls.

England offer nothing but hype and shit football.

[stealthpapes]

I still think England will qualify.

Home, 2 games, basically needing to win one. E.A.S.Y.

[Maguire]

Balls.

Utter, utter, unremitting balls.

England offer nothing but hype and shit football.

BS. The world of football is more interested in the English national team than they are in Montenegro which they couldn't even point to on a map.

In fact didn't Serbia & Montenegro get rolled 6-0 or something by Argentina in 06? Gr8 contribution.

[sandman]

Despite the inevitable boredom and disappointment, major tournaments aren't the same when we don't qualify.

Exactly.

Saying "oh it would be better with Montenegro" is arch-gimpness. Not it wouldn't England are an extremely well-supported side which other nations take an interest in.

If we don't qualify then 2014 will be significantly less enjoyable

Would it f{u}ck. England didn't qualify for Euro 2008 and it was the best tournament in recent memory, Guess why? It was because England weren't there and you could get on with watching the football without daily updates from the f[u]cking England camp, without The f[u]cking Sun, Daily Mail, etc going on about "our boys winning it", no WAGS, no Metatarsals and no Ron Atkinson or Terry Venables contributing their vocal "talents" to an already shit song.

What did we have instead? Great football from a brilliant Spain team, the emergence of a new Germany beginning to show the signs of their progress which has gained more momentum since, a surprise package in Russia, a plucky (pun intended) Turkey and the Dutch producing brilliant performances to beat Italy 3-0 and France 4-1. Even the rubbish games like Turkey vs Croatia had exciting dramatic moments with Croatia getting a goal in the last regular minute of extra time, thinking they'd won and Turkey equalising about a minute later.

The World Cup would survive without England being there.

[soggy biscuit]

Even the rubbish games like Turkey vs Croatia had exciting dramatic moments with Croatia getting a goal in the last regular minute of extra time, thinking they'd won and Turkey equalising about a minute later.

Do you mean Turkey Vs Czech Republic?

Nihat's goal is one of those rare moments where I launched myself off the sofa in excitement at the goal of some team I don't support just because it was that f***ing dramatic! If I was Turkish I would have gone so mental I would still be celebrating it now.

[sandman]

http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/season=2008/matches/round=15094/match=301700/index.html

This was the match I was talking about but you are right that was another great comeback from the Turks and was a better game than the match I was talking about.

[winchester_royal]

Despite the inevitable boredom and disappointment, major tournaments aren't the same when we don't qualify.

Exactly.

Saying "oh it would be better with Montenegro" is arch-gimpness. Not it wouldn't England are an extremely well-supported side which other nations take an interest in.

If we don't qualify then 2014 will be significantly less enjoyable

Would it f{u}ck. England didn't qualify for Euro 2008 and it was the best tournament in recent memory, Guess why? It was because England weren't there and you could get on with watching the football without daily updates from the f[u]cking England camp, without The f[u]cking Sun, Daily Mail, etc going on about "our boys winning it", no WAGS, no Metatarsals and no Ron Atkinson or Terry Venables contributing their vocal "talents" to an already shit song.

What did we have instead? Great football from a brilliant Spain team, the emergence of a new Germany beginning to show the signs of their progress which has gained more momentum since, a surprise package in Russia, a plucky (pun intended) Turkey and the Dutch producing brilliant performances to beat Italy 3-0 and France 4-1. Even the rubbish games like Turkey vs Croatia had exciting dramatic moments with Croatia getting a goal in the last regular minute of extra time, thinking they'd won and Turkey equalising about a minute later.

The World Cup would survive without England being there.

Of course it would, for football fanatics like us, but it wouldn't hold the same level of interest for the average Englander. Major tournaments are/should be about the whole nation coming together to enjoy a festival of sport and once every 4 days experience the lows that come with supporting England and then share in that anguish together. While the quality of football itself wouldn't suffer from us not qualifying, the spectacle as a whole would.

I don't understand why it's now the done thing to slag off the England team at every opportunity and claim apathy. You can guarantee social media will be full of people throughout the day desperate to tell us just how little they care about tonight and how they won't be watching.

[Schards#2]

I'm struggling with the implicatin that other teams were more entertaining in 2008 because England weren't there. Whilst England may be shit and dull, they only influence their own games and, personally, I would get more out of watching a poor England V Paraguay, than watching Montenegro V Paraguay in Brazil.

If you, rightly, don't like the media crap that goes with England's qualification, ignore it. No one is forcing you to read or watch it.

[LUX]

yeah, +1 to Schards' post

I get really into watching England, despite the stress, inevitable disappointment and embarrassing media.

[Silver Fox]

It's just friendlies where people say they'd close the curtains if it was in their garden isn't it? For me I can't be bothered with friendlies and tbh I kind of endure qualifiers, because England always seem to make such heavy weork of them, the fact that they're on ITV might also be a factor of course. But once you get to the tournament I'd obviously prefer England to be in than anyone else (except Scotland) and despite myself always get far too swept up in their "chances" before being the complete opposite when they get knoced out in the quarters. Obviously I ignore the media hype during the tournament, particularly the use of half time in ever match (on ITV especially) to report from the England camp. BTW if for some reaosn England didn't qualify, don't for a second think ITV wouldn't make everything that happens somehow refer back to England.

[Bandini]

"But of course we're not without Premier League representation..."

I reckon we'd adopt Belgium as our team.

[Royalclapper]

Can't believe some folks actually fall for all the media nonsense, I've known it to happen to even fairly ardent supporters of less fashionable clubs who suddenly start talking and posting on their FaceyB or other social media an almost cut and paste version of what The Sun has printed or tells them. It's like an irrational blind spot that seems to trip up even those knowledgeable and respectable football followers where the England team are concerned.

I thought Euro 2012 was quite enjoyable as an England fan all things considered, predictable yet respectable draw with the French, cracking 3-2 against Sweden who we'd never beaten, and a less than convincing 1-0 against the hosts where we could easily have slipped up had the ref and lino's not been p*ssed on vodka. Although we were pretty much outclassed by the eventual runners up Italy, it was still a decent effort from Hodgson and the players and wouldn't be at all displeased if we managed a similar showing should we qualify for Brazil.

The outright arrogance and stuffiness of a long outdated FA hierarchy is probably the biggest contributing factor to England being the highest profile perennial chokers and the media are like immature kids demanding things that are simply not going to happen. The problem is the fans themselves are squeezed in between in an almost hapless situation so what should they do? - Just enjoy it for what it is and don't get carried away with ridiculous expectations until the major flaws are addressed. Hopefully Greg Dyke can drive through some overdue changes but it will take a massive effort and I'm not holding my breath that things will change anytime soon - even he was a media bigwig so it's anyone's guess what will actually change.

[Brum Royal]

Rename Belgium as "Team Premier League" and ITV could have a field day with it

[Bandini]

Rename Belgium as "Team Premier League" and ITV could have a field day with it

TPL even sounds like EPL.