England v Ukraine. Thoughts / predictions / bets

[Sheebo]

I don't mean the top 15 according to the official rankings. I mean the actual top 15 in the world. And no, I don't.

Even in this qualifier group, we drew at home to Ukraine thanks to an 87th minute penalty and how we escaped from Montenegro (population: 1m) with a draw, I don't know. We were VERY lucky.

And we're undefeated in the group. Think the last competitve game we lost was... erm.... cant think off the top of my head. You'll have to tell me?

Don't get me wrong we were shocking last night. But it speaks volumes about NSC and the general attitude we have here that we've had more threads and waaay more posts on this thread than the one on Friday when we comfortably won...

 

[Gregory2Smith1]

football is a results business

if you want entertainment try the circus

 

[Sheebo]

It was 4-1 to Deutschland in South Africa.

It sure was. So nearly 3yrs 4 months ago...?! England aren't good atall at the mo but they're still much better than some give them credit for.

 

[Mellotron]

I don't mean the top 15 according to the official rankings. I mean the actual top 15 in the world. And no, I don't.

Even in this qualifier group, we drew at home to Ukraine thanks to an 87th minute penalty and how we escaped from Montenegro (population: 1m) with a draw, I don't know. We were VERY lucky.

True, but then there have been many times over the years where we have been massively UNLUCKY, so it balances out, non?

 

[vegster]

And once again the debate returns to the need to overhaul British football from the roots up. France, Germany and Spain have all done it, can we, will it happen or are we too deeply entrenched? I fear we are, one flashy national training centre is merely playing lip service to the idea and will mean nothing unless a massive infrastructure investment is also made in the quality of coaching and the facilities for kids across the country with a recognition that the lead time before a different type of player begins to emerge is at least 5 - 8 years. In these days of instant gratification I can't see that happening because it will mean that things will get worse before they get better.

This is the problem in a nutshell. We can usually bumble along in qualification with the odd good result and the odd poor result and normally make it to a finals. Trouble is there is no style,game plan or formation we can play that can trouble the top teams thus, we are usually lucky to survive the group stage of any finals, and then, the wheels come of when we have to play someone half decent in sudden death to go through. We are always hoping that something will turn up and nothing ever does, our " Top " players walk off shaking their heads in a feigned attempt to indicate that it was bad luck that we lost, when in reality we were beaten by a better organised team with better all round technique.

Qualification is the F A's minimum requirement and as such they will happily go on with our bumbling, hopeless campaigns just as long as Wembley sells out and they can flog plenty of England shirts with the name of England's " Next Big Hope " on the back.

Nothing will change because we can't risk it.