[Football] Anyone else going to watch the England game ONLY if Moder is playing

[Guinness Boy]

I didn’t hear you having a pop at the “cool” Albion fans who have given up watching us on TV when we aren’t winning, maybe I missed it?

What’s “cool” about saying you are a bit meh about England qualifiers?

You didn't miss it because I'm not aware of anyone saying or posting it. Most of the criticism of the team / Potter when we were doing badly were framed in words that made it painfully obvious we'd all watched it.

If you're talking about before the pandemic with people saying they've had enough of corporate football then I've been consistently critical of that position. The fairy is the obvious example of this but it's like arguing with a lobotomised slug so it gets tiring.

Hating England had become a default position for football hipsters.

 

[Icy Gull]

You didn't miss it because I'm not aware of anyone saying or posting it. Most of the criticism of the team / Potter when we were doing badly were framed in words that made it painfully obvious we'd all watched it.

If you're talking about before the pandemic with people saying they've had enough of corporate football then I've been consistently critical of that position. The fairy is the obvious example of this but it's like arguing with a lobotomised slug so it gets tiring.

Hating England had become a default position for football hipsters.

First time I’ve ever been called a hipster, thanks (this is a good thing I hope!)



Maybe you did miss it but there were quite a few on here who said they wouldn’t be bothering with the last few games, especially when we were struggling to score. Now that I did find weird.

 

[blue-shifted]

This is the point. I'll watch England in the WC finals but these qualifiers are complete non-events. Playing Poland is the equivalent of playing Doncaster in the cup - a game where we'd win 99 times out a 100. Playing San Marino is the equivalent of playing Southwick; the essence of competitive sport is to be, well, competitive. Even if I didn't have rugby training, I couldn't be bothered to watch.

If the qualifiers were non-seeded and we found ourselves up against Italy or Belgium, say, (it was Italy who stopped us qualifying in 1978) then I may be interested but a succession of games against weak opposition just doesn't do it for me.

Poland are ranked 19th in the work. Not a bad side at all. Of course, they will miss Lebondowski badly. A huge player for them.

I won't argue with San Marino, but there have been plenty of competitive games this week. Spain held by Greece, Netherlands beaten by Turkey. Ukraine held France, Germany only just made it past Romania. There have been only 2 or 3 real hidings in 40 odd games. Comparable to the results you'd get in the PL.

There are going to be very decent nations who don't qualify (or have to play off) this time, as there is every time.

I think you, and others, are taking for granted just how consistent England have been in qualifiers in recent years. It's a success story. We should celebrate it.

 

[blue-shifted]

Ignore the media in a Euro or WC finals? Now that would mean going off and living in a cave or going abroad and avoiding the internet and newspapers

You don't have to be oblivious to them. But maybe try just letting what they are saying wash over you. I don't really get why you should let the way the media report on an event affect your enjoyment of it.

Up to you of course.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Maybe you did miss it but there were quite a few on here who said they wouldn’t be bothering with the last few games, especially when we were struggling to score. Now that I did find weird.

Agreed. I haven't missed a kick all season. Probably why I have even shorter nails and less hair than when the pandemic kicked in when I at least got the odd difficult awayday off for good behaviour

 

[Mellotron]

I am guessing that you have a son/relative into rugby? NOTHING beats watching your kid playing rugby, especially in a half decent team.

My son just turned 3, so I really don't think I'd enjoy watching him playing rugby, especially at a half decent standard.

 

[Mellotron]

Always useful to have a dedicated thread to see exactly which fans are the glory hunter type

 

[blue-shifted]

People can totally do what they want to do, but if not supporting England now, then when?

We've got a very promising young team with probably more exciting attacking options than we've ever had
The players mostly seem like a decent bunch. There are one or two I have no time for, but in Rashford we have one of the finest ambassadors for English football in generations. They all clearly want to play for England. Nobody has been sneaking off with phantom injuries
We've got games at home this year to really get behind the team
Last tournament we got to the semis
The manager has got a bit of a blind spot with Albion players, but whatever you think, he's clearly an articulate, thoughtful and a decent person. It's not like we've got some long ball spiv in charge (any more)

As I say, you can totally do what you want. But Albion fans who have been around a while will know that the joy from getting to the top (or somewhere near the top) is massively magnified by having continually gone to the games and stuck by them when for years, we were constantly serving up absolute spineless rubbish and losing.

 

[blue-shifted]

Always useful to have a dedicated thread to see exactly which fans are the glory hunter type

And (as I just said sort of) if Albion fans can't see the benefit of sticking there and keeping your belief that thing can get better whilst your team is in the doldrums, who can?

 

[Mellotron]

People can totally do what they want to do, but if not supporting England now, then when?

We've got a very promising young team with probably more exciting attacking options than we've ever had
The players mostly seem like a decent bunch. There are one or two I have no time for, but in Rashford we have one of the finest ambassadors for English football in generations. They all clearly want to play for England. Nobody has been sneaking off with phantom injuries
We've got games at home this year to really get behind the team
Last tournament we got to the semis
The manager has got a bit of a blind spot with Albion players, but whatever you think, he's clearly an articulate, thoughtful and a decent person. It's not like we've got some long ball spiv in charge (any more)

As I say, you can totally do what you want. But Albion fans who have been around a while will know that the joy from getting to the top (or somewhere near the top) is massively magnified by having continually gone to the games and stuck by them when for years, we were constantly serving up absolute spineless rubbish and losing.

All of this.

I can understand people being turned off during the Capello era where we really were underperforming with very talented players but no real cohesion or sense of team spirit, but now we have a genuinely talented, likeable bunch of players playing well, managed by a clearly decent bloke, whatever I may think of certain individual selections.

 

[Easy 10]

Will you be watching England at the Figure Skating World Cup as well because they are England and you are English?

Unlikely as I find ice skating rather dull, so I won't be investing any time in watching the qualifiers for that (whenever / if ever they happen) or indeed the Finals. I'm not across every sport England compete in. Not even the wimmin.

I bet he watched the Scots Curling team at the winter olympics a few years ago, most of the UK did

I did indeed! Got right into that. Not watched it since, mind.

 

[jcdenton08]

I'll be watching because I support the English national football team.

 

[timbha]

My country. My sport. Yes, I’ll be watching and supporting England tonight.

 

[Gwylan]

Poland are ranked 19th in the work. Not a bad side at all. Of course, they will miss Lebondowski badly. A huge player for them.

I won't argue with San Marino, but there have been plenty of competitive games this week. Spain held by Greece, Netherlands beaten by Turkey. Ukraine held France, Germany only just made it past Romania. There have been only 2 or 3 real hidings in 40 odd games. Comparable to the results you'd get in the PL.

Someone posted yesterday that England have lost just once in 49 fixtures - only Arsenal have done something similar in the Premier League (and that nearly 20 years ago) so that's not comparable with the PL at all.

I've just looked at odds for the game - Poland are 25-2 to win. To put that into perspective, the wretched Sheff Utd team, who have hardly won a game all season, are deemed more likely to beat Leeds (at 29-5). That really doesn't strike me as competitive.

People seem to be framing this as being anti-English or anti-Southgate; I'm neither, I simply can't get excited by something that's pretty much a glorified training exercise.

 

[Jesus Gul]

I've just looked at odds for the game - Poland are 25-2 to win. .

Ridiculously good value. Is Lewandoski injured or something?

 

[schmunk]

Is Lewandoski injured?

Yes.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

My son just turned 3, so I really don't think I'd enjoy watching him playing rugby, especially at a half decent standard.

Sorry laughing here, just trying to imagine a 3 year old in a rugby scrum!

 

[El Turi]

I was always a big England fan but us being in the Premier League seems to have effected my support due to our players constantly being overlooked by Southgate since Ashworth joined us and the antics of the England players (eg Kane, Walker, Maguire) when we play against them. I think it was easier to get behind England when we were in the lower leagues.

 

[Gwylan]

Sorry laughing here, just trying to imagine a 3 year old in a rugby scrum!

Most clubs accept kids from 5 years old (but there are no contested scrums until they're 14). I often stop and watch the little kids play before my training session starts and they look so enthusiastic. I have great respect for the coaches who handle the youngest ages, they must be a nightmare to control.

 

[blue-shifted]

Someone posted yesterday that England have lost just once in 49 fixtures - only Arsenal have done something similar in the Premier League (and that nearly 20 years ago) so that's not comparable with the PL at all.

I've just looked at odds for the game - Poland are 25-2 to win. To put that into perspective, the wretched Sheff Utd team, who have hardly won a game all season, are deemed more likely to beat Leeds (at 29-5). That really doesn't strike me as competitive.

People seem to be framing this as being anti-English or anti-Southgate; I'm neither, I simply can't get excited by something that's pretty much a glorified training exercise.

But those odds reflect just how good this England team is.

Poland are no mugs and none of the leading nations, Spain, Germany, Belgium or France have waltzed through their opening games.

If England were regularly dropping points and losing to Romania, Ukraine, Austria etc, then we'd be getting criticism for lack of consistency. Why, when England have an excellent team, or an excellent individual sportsman, do we feel the need to slate the opposition. Cant we just say, "we're bloody good at the moment"?

Poland at home will certainly not be a glorified training exercise.