Can Yourself Fans, then Bow Out Gracefully.
I don't normally write about this sort of thing. I don't really follow sport, but every two years I get spurred to watch international football as England play in either the Euro's or the World Cup (which I'm sure no one has missed is going on at the moment.)
Yesterday, England were knocked out of the Cup by old rivals Germany. England hates Germany on the pitch, they always have done, probably to start with a lot of resentment over the War, perhaps, back on the first Christmas day of WWI the Germans won the match (for those of you who didn't know, when fighting stopped for Christmas Day in the trenches in the first year of WWI, the English and the Germans climbed up to No Man's Land and had a footie match). Regardless of the reason for the hate is very intense - the Germans aren't hateful towards us, but the English are just nasty bastards.
England hasn't had much success over the years against the Germans, we've lost to them rather a few times when it really mattered in either the World Cup or Euro Championships. Often this has lead to fighting, mainly the English starting on innocent German fans. Back in '96, when we were hosting the Euro Championships, we lost the Semi's to Germany on penalties - Southgates Ball was caught, and Seaman couldn't catch a thing. It was a close call. That night, an old school friend of my hubby's went out and stabbed a man. He though the man was German, he was Russian and he nearly died.
Yesterday, hundreds of fans set upon a lone German fan in Leicester Square after losing the match. It's disgusting behaviour. It's not the German fans fault that the English Team are bunch of over paid half wits that can't come together to make a country proud. I don't know what it is about the England team, it's like there is too much animosity at Premier Team Level that stops these guys, who apparently are the best of the best, from gelling together and forming a team. Go to Brazil and take some lessons, hell, even take a look at our Rugby Team. Last Rugby World Cup they were Runner's Up after losing the final and the Cup before that Champions.
The match yesterday was nothing short of a car crash for 'top international team' England, as they were pounded 4-1 by our German friends. Yes, we had a dodgy disallowed goal - it really should have been allowed but it wasn't but no matter, the England team should have, after half time come on the pitch and worked over time. Instead they didn't.
My man of the Cup for the English side has been Goalkeeper David James, who didn't play in the first match, but was brought on after Rob Green seemed to have butter fingers - he might as well have thrown the ball into the goal in the USA match. James put up one hell of a fight, and no Keeper is perfect. I don't care that he missed these goals - personally I still think he did a damn good job on the pitch yesterday despite the Germany win.
Now, I've said this on a few forums and people have said why?? He let four goals in.
Yes, but the point of the defence players is that they should be there holding up the strikers on the other team, giving support to there Keeper. Just look at the goals scored, the defence were half way back up the pitch having to run full pelt because they all wanted to be in there for a goal. That leaves James on his own and he has to make a decision - left or right, leap or dive, kick or catch. He can't get it right every single time. James is still a good keeper, he held his ground and never strayed massively from his area.
Then you get the people bleating on that it's Cappello's fault. Really, is it, well, in those times that Germany were looking to score, Cappello was on the side line telling his defence to get back down the pitch. They were out right ignoring him.
At the end of the day, England is a terrible, sloppy team that, if it continues the way it has been going we'll soon be the team that everyone else laughs at like North Korea. They were boo'd off there Algeria match, and do you know why, because that team are a poor representative for this country, as are some of the fans.
I'm English, and usually, I'm proud of that fact, we have a great many good things here, but yesterday I was ashamed to be English. We invented football, but we just looked like we learnt it yesterday. Fan's started getting into fights with German Fans in London (well, they weren't going to do it in SA - the police would just volley them with shotgun fire).
Anyway, Rugby World Cup soon, and that is a sport to get behind. The team doesn't embarrass us and neither do the fans. England Football team, please observe.
Yesterday, England were knocked out of the Cup by old rivals Germany. England hates Germany on the pitch, they always have done, probably to start with a lot of resentment over the War, perhaps, back on the first Christmas day of WWI the Germans won the match (for those of you who didn't know, when fighting stopped for Christmas Day in the trenches in the first year of WWI, the English and the Germans climbed up to No Man's Land and had a footie match). Regardless of the reason for the hate is very intense - the Germans aren't hateful towards us, but the English are just nasty bastards.
England hasn't had much success over the years against the Germans, we've lost to them rather a few times when it really mattered in either the World Cup or Euro Championships. Often this has lead to fighting, mainly the English starting on innocent German fans. Back in '96, when we were hosting the Euro Championships, we lost the Semi's to Germany on penalties - Southgates Ball was caught, and Seaman couldn't catch a thing. It was a close call. That night, an old school friend of my hubby's went out and stabbed a man. He though the man was German, he was Russian and he nearly died.
Yesterday, hundreds of fans set upon a lone German fan in Leicester Square after losing the match. It's disgusting behaviour. It's not the German fans fault that the English Team are bunch of over paid half wits that can't come together to make a country proud. I don't know what it is about the England team, it's like there is too much animosity at Premier Team Level that stops these guys, who apparently are the best of the best, from gelling together and forming a team. Go to Brazil and take some lessons, hell, even take a look at our Rugby Team. Last Rugby World Cup they were Runner's Up after losing the final and the Cup before that Champions.
The match yesterday was nothing short of a car crash for 'top international team' England, as they were pounded 4-1 by our German friends. Yes, we had a dodgy disallowed goal - it really should have been allowed but it wasn't but no matter, the England team should have, after half time come on the pitch and worked over time. Instead they didn't.
My man of the Cup for the English side has been Goalkeeper David James, who didn't play in the first match, but was brought on after Rob Green seemed to have butter fingers - he might as well have thrown the ball into the goal in the USA match. James put up one hell of a fight, and no Keeper is perfect. I don't care that he missed these goals - personally I still think he did a damn good job on the pitch yesterday despite the Germany win.
Now, I've said this on a few forums and people have said why?? He let four goals in.
Yes, but the point of the defence players is that they should be there holding up the strikers on the other team, giving support to there Keeper. Just look at the goals scored, the defence were half way back up the pitch having to run full pelt because they all wanted to be in there for a goal. That leaves James on his own and he has to make a decision - left or right, leap or dive, kick or catch. He can't get it right every single time. James is still a good keeper, he held his ground and never strayed massively from his area.
Then you get the people bleating on that it's Cappello's fault. Really, is it, well, in those times that Germany were looking to score, Cappello was on the side line telling his defence to get back down the pitch. They were out right ignoring him.
At the end of the day, England is a terrible, sloppy team that, if it continues the way it has been going we'll soon be the team that everyone else laughs at like North Korea. They were boo'd off there Algeria match, and do you know why, because that team are a poor representative for this country, as are some of the fans.
I'm English, and usually, I'm proud of that fact, we have a great many good things here, but yesterday I was ashamed to be English. We invented football, but we just looked like we learnt it yesterday. Fan's started getting into fights with German Fans in London (well, they weren't going to do it in SA - the police would just volley them with shotgun fire).
Anyway, Rugby World Cup soon, and that is a sport to get behind. The team doesn't embarrass us and neither do the fans. England Football team, please observe.