not-bono-ever
meh
Pfft
for me, all in, considering experience & pedigree is.......New Zealand
yours ?
for me, all in, considering experience & pedigree is.......New Zealand
yours ?
Best performance so far ?
- Thread starter not-bono-ever
- Start date
kained&able
Here for the football.
germany vs austrailia if you want a single game.
Argentina for the entire tourney, who despite having an utterly incompetent manager are playing some blinding football.
dave
Argentina for the entire tourney, who despite having an utterly incompetent manager are playing some blinding football.
dave
TrippyLondoner
Well-Known Member
Tempted too say slovakia against italy but they collapsed abit.....
kained&able
Here for the football.
ahem you may have a point there. Although i don't actually remember ANY of the second half. Beer is great.
dave
dave
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
I think maradonna is a major part of the reason that argentina are playing so well.
Concrete Meadow
ars longa vita brevis
As an Argie fan, I'm really pleased there are so many people saying good things about the team. Thank you all.
Indeed Maradona is a big part of the reason for ARG's performance. Yes, he has not done much as far as guiding the players tactically. Yet everyone (and sometimes including the opponents) is cheered up by his enthusiasm.
Argentina have a lot of problems. No midfield (relying on Masche to cover all grounds or praying [hence the rosaries in Diego's hand] that Veron would not jinx it is not what I call *midfield*), no defenders and the omnipresent Messi-dependence. When they meet a *real* team, ARG will break.
We Argie fans are used to that even though noone will admit it. On Saturday we will cry again and then continue to wait for another four years.
Indeed Maradona is a big part of the reason for ARG's performance. Yes, he has not done much as far as guiding the players tactically. Yet everyone (and sometimes including the opponents) is cheered up by his enthusiasm.
Argentina have a lot of problems. No midfield (relying on Masche to cover all grounds or praying [hence the rosaries in Diego's hand] that Veron would not jinx it is not what I call *midfield*), no defenders and the omnipresent Messi-dependence. When they meet a *real* team, ARG will break.
We Argie fans are used to that even though noone will admit it. On Saturday we will cry again and then continue to wait for another four years.
Shreddy
Truth Through Character
It's the perfect contact high, innit?
Let's not discount the talents of Messi & co tho....
Termite Man
zombie flesh eater
that was a competant performance , england were so shockingly bad new most teams could have won that game !
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
England were awful, apart from a 10 minute spell when they scored (twice
) but the Germans played as a unit, a very efficient unit (very Germanic ) they seemed to understand each other, and support each other.
kained&able
Here for the football.
How are people forgetting in utter ineptness in qualifying for the world cup! They were shit, like utter shit, and maradonna was to blame.
Its amazing how quickly perceptions change.
dave
twistedAM
Left Of The Dial
Uruguay were even more shit and look at them now; potential semi-finalists (albeit cos England and France fucked up big style).
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
true, but England were excellent in the qualifiers, and then look what happened. 4 South American teams in the q/f is evidence that there is quality football there
I don't think Germany have had enough credit for their performances to date, notwithstanding the praise in this thread. They were brilliant against Australia and they well-beat a highly competent Ghana. They were also much, much better than Serbia even with 10 men, with the game just throwing up one of those freak results that can happen in football, where one side batters another and yet never finds a goal. And yes, they looked great against England (although most teams would have looked great against England).
I think they'll beat the Argies, as it happens. Either way, that match will be the true test of where we stand.
I think they'll beat the Argies, as it happens. Either way, that match will be the true test of where we stand.
Ooh, I also want to mention that Holland are the only team other than Argentina to have a 100% record. They've had no problems whatsoever against Cameroon, Japan, Denmark and Slovakia, who are all very good sides that have played good football at various times in the tournament.
They've totally slipped under the radar in this world cup, but I don't think their game against Brazil is the formality for the latter that some people are assuming.
They've totally slipped under the radar in this world cup, but I don't think their game against Brazil is the formality for the latter that some people are assuming.
kained&able
Here for the football.
Oh yeah quality teams, no doubt about it, and i have no real doubt that either brazil or argies will win. However, what is annoying me is the absolutely justified slating that maradonna took during qualifying for playing players out of position, picking ridiculous squads and looking utterly inept tactically has been forgotten. Instead he is the golden boy of management and is being discussed as an example for england to follow.
Please.....
dave
Gabi, you SHALL go to the ball *twizzles wand*. Be watching at 3pm on Saturday, but be sure to return home by 5:30pm, or you shall turn into a pumpkin.
If Maradona goes home earlier than the final then that's the World Cup's loss. He's fucking gold. I love his unwanted groping of the players as he subs them. They must fucking dread seeing their number come up.
He's a genius.
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
it's the management by chaos, he somehow managed to get them there (although there are 6 qualifiers from their qualifying group) but the players seem to love him, despite his fuck ups, see the way they swarm to him after matches/goals - capello? mmmmm
Kaka Tim
Half Arsed and Slapdash till I Die
Whatever was going wrong before has clearly been sorted and Maradonna's role is to motivate and enthuse the players - which he is clearly excelling at - other people can do the tactical stuff but Diego is giving them something priceless.
Don't think its a model that can be copied elsewhere - its down to maradonna's personality and his status within Argentina - otherwise England would have gazza as manager!
marty21
One on one? You're crazy.
England in the 70s missed a trick by not getting Bobby Moore involved, they didn't qualify for 2 finals in that decade
Bobby Morre and Brian Clough - what a management team that would have been!
twistedAM
Left Of The Dial
It's four plus the fifth place (Uruguay this time around) plays off against 4th in CONCACAF. What a match that was...military police called in - to restore order on the bench!! Much better than watching the whingers vs the handballers which was on the same night.
littlebabyjesus
one of Maxwell's demons
NZ drawing (and being well worth the draw) with Italy is probably the stand-out overachieving performance.
Brazil's clinical demolishing of Chile on Monday was probably the best performance. It's hard to love Brazil this time round though. Lucio is a great player, but his moany, diving ways make it clear that Brazil are prepared to win at all costs, that they believe that conning the ref is a legitimate tactic. I hate that.
Brazil's clinical demolishing of Chile on Monday was probably the best performance. It's hard to love Brazil this time round though. Lucio is a great player, but his moany, diving ways make it clear that Brazil are prepared to win at all costs, that they believe that conning the ref is a legitimate tactic. I hate that.
Ahem, ahem. Who's yer daddy?
not-bono-ever
meh
ha!
ise 300 quid up on the Holland victory and Im not a gambler.....
ise 300 quid up on the Holland victory and Im not a gambler.....
Ahem AHEM, who's yer Daddy?
London_Calling
Pleasant and unpatronising
Maybe, atm I'm leaning to the view they're all about the first goal - more than usually so. They've certainly got the skill set to take advantage of opposition pressing for an equaliser and to run up an impressive win from there.
When they prove they have the skill set to come from behind against decent opposition, I'll be more impressed. That's a different game.
And as Corporal Jones said, they don't like it up 'em.
When they prove they have the skill set to come from behind against decent opposition, I'll be more impressed. That's a different game.
And as Corporal Jones said, they don't like it up 'em.
