How depressing were the World Cup highlights last night?

[Mr Banana]

I turned ITV on and found Alan Curbishley eloquently pointing out where Eriksson got it wrong on Saturday and why his substitutions were about as effective as a chocolate teapot, including a haunting sequence where Peter Crouch was the only man in the Paraguay penalty area when Joe Cole tried to put a cross in (the rest of the team were out of the picture, presumably still defending the edge of our six yard box.)

Turn over to BBC and you got highlights of the Aussie game, where Hiddink changed the course of the game with three brave substitutions.

Tactically astute coaches, managers capable of changing things when they're not working, Martin O'Neill sitting in a studio saying he would have taken the job at a moment's notice...and we're gonna get Sven's yes man

 

[Napper]

top the group , 2 points clear .

chill winstone

 

[CHAPPERS]

I turned ITV on and found Alan Curbishley eloquently pointing out where Eriksson got it wrong on Saturday and why his substitutions were about as effective as a chocolate teapot, including a haunting sequence where Peter Crouch was the only man in the Paraguay penalty area when Joe Cole tried to put a cross in (the rest of the team were out of the picture, presumably still defending the edge of our six yard box.)

Turn over to BBC and you got highlights of the Aussie game, where Hiddink changed the course of the game with three brave substitutions.

Australia were one nil down to Japan. We were not.

 

[Mr Banana]

The point i was trying to make is that Sven will never change a game with one substitution, let alone three.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

The point i was trying to make is that Sven will never change a game with one substitution, let alone three.

Didnt need to change the game on sat.

Could say Sven got it right at the match and Hiddink didnt as was 1-0 down.

 

[Half Man Half Biscuit]

How long before the BBC take their highlights programme inside the studio!? Every night Adrian Chiles or Ray Stubbs have to battle it out with pissed up punters shouting up to where they are sitting. Stubbsy lost it last night ("that bloke with the horn is going to get it") and both him and Chiles have threatened to send down Barnsley Mick or Iain Dowie to sort out some of the fans. Fans are on to it now and last night there must have must been 20 or more England fans singing the Match of the Day theme tune all during the programme.

If they will sit outside and half past midnight on one of the busiest streets in Germany during the World Cup then they really are asking for it aren't they!?

 

[Mr Banana]

Didnt need to change the game on sat.

Could say Sven got it right at the match and Hiddink didnt as was 1-0 down.

I feel like wailing something gothic about being misunderstood.

I'm sure Sven and McLaren will prove themselves far more able than Hiddink/Curbishley/O'Neill. Providing we never need to show any tactical guile or adaptability.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I feel like wailing something gothic about being misunderstood.

I'm sure Sven and McLaren will prove themselves far more able than Hiddink/Curbishley/O'Neill. Providing we never need to show any tactical guile or adaptability.

I must admit I'd have been just a little peeved if we had made a treble attacking substitution with the score at one nil in the first game. Instead we packed the midfield and held on to what is a very good three points against a side that has made the second round on a couple of occasions only being beaten by eventual finalists. Yes it wasn't pretty but it was comfortable.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I must admit I'd have been just a little peeved if we had made a treble attacking substitution with the score at one nil in the first game. Instead we packed the midfield and held on to what is a very good three points against a side that has made the second round on a couple of occasions only being beaten by eventual finalists. Yes it wasn't pretty but it was comfortable.

Thats the thing Chappers, people seem to have assumed that Paraguay are shit - when infact they are a fairly useful side that will prob get out of this group.

 

[Da Man Clay]

I must admit I'd have been just a little peeved if we had made a treble attacking substitution with the score at one nil in the first game. Instead we packed the midfield and held on to what is a very good three points against a side that has made the second round on a couple of occasions only being beaten by eventual finalists. Yes it wasn't pretty but it was comfortable.

Well said Chappers. The game didn't need to have three atacking players to be introduced. Should it be nessacary against a decent side im sure he will change it and Bring Lennon/Walcott in to the fold. Thats the only reason he brought them, as quick impact players with 20 minutes left if we are getting beat.

 

[Mr Banana]

Well said Chappers. The game didn't need to have three atacking players to be introduced. Should it be nessacary against a decent side im sure he will change it and Bring Lennon/Walcott in to the fold. Thats the only reason he brought them, as quick impact players with 20 minutes left if we are getting beat.

Hmm, i hope so. I wasn't suggesting he should have brought three strikers on on Satdi (which is just as well really, seeing as we haven't really got three), it just depressed me to think how Sven would react if we were in the same situation Australia were in yesterday (1-0 down with 20 minutes left against a side of about the same ability as us.)

You could say he did what was needed for us to see the game out on Satdi, but you could also say it was the same old negative tactics - there has got to be something wrong when Crouch is the only player we've got in the final third of the pitch in an attacking situation. We were getting deeper and deeper and against a better side you could have seen the equaliser coming - horribly reminiscent of the Brazil/Portugal games.

 

[Deano's Right Foot]

We won against a side that recently beat Argentina and drew with Brazil.

That'll do for me.

The teams that win the world cup often start shakily.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I see what you are saying but I'm not at all worried about that, we did lack a certain killer instinct but going for a second goal against a team as strong and experienced as Paraguay could have proved very costly, especially with the likes of Santa Cruz up front. We'll see eh.