Astonishing to think that just because of a few poorly chosen words that John Terry said to Anton Ferdinand three years ago, England have to play Chris Smalling.
The all-in-one consolidatory football thread Page 571
Quote: shaggy292 @ 4th June 2014, 10:25 PM BSTAstonishing to think that just because of a few poorly chosen words that John Terry said to Anton Ferdinand three years ago, England have to play Chris Smalling.
and Phil Jones.
Looks like Van Persie's picked up a groin-strain in the Wales game. What a shame. Should he perhaps we playing in a women's team he's so fragile?
Quote: Godot Taxis @ 5th June 2014, 12:52 AM BSTLooks like Van Persie's picked up a groin-strain in the Wales game. What a shame. Should he perhaps we playing in a women's team he's so fragile?
You can't say that! It's sexist!!!!
Costa to Chelsea seems a done deal. I always worry about newcomers to the Premier League justifying their price tag and hype, so not sure how he'll cope coming from La Liga.
Quote: Chappers @ 4th June 2014, 9:44 PM BSTAnd Rooney? Who?
Quite.
The way he fisted the air after accidentally scuffing in a goal says it all.
Yesterday's man.
Take your hairpiece and leave.
And while we're at it, let's all say a prayer for Oxlade-Chamberlaine's knee.
You can thank Wales for buggering up Van 'the big girls blouses' World Cup prospects . A proud day 
And it's all we need at the back - a dodgy keeper running after lost causes.
Why haven't they got a fat kid in goals like we did at school.
Quote: roscoff @ 5th June 2014, 3:07 PM BSTYou can thank Wales for buggering up Van 'the big girls blouses' World Cup prospects . A proud day
The trouble is though he'll be fit for the scum next season.
With the footie just a week ago I thought I'd dampen spirits with a few facts about England in opening games in major competition. You might not be surprised to know that we tend not to get out of the blocks too quickly.
I've been watching England in major championships for over 30 years and they hardly ever start well. In fact 3-1 v France in 1982, 2-0 v Tunisia in 1998 and 1-0 v Paraguay in 2006 are our only victories in 14 opening tournament matches I've watched.
For the record the others are 1-1 v Belgium (1980), 0-1 v Portugal (1986), 0-1 v Ireland (1988), 1-1 v Ireland (1990), 0-0 v Denmark (1992), 1-1 v Switzerland (1996), 2-3 v Portugal (2000), 1-1 v Sweden (2002), 1-2 v France (2004), 1-1 v USA (2010) and 1-1 v France (2012)...and I did all that from memory! Interestingly, in the last 6 of these games England scored first. Keep it tight Woy!
Going back even further the record gets no better - here are their other major championship first game results back to the first one in 1950...
1-0 v Romania (1970)
0-1 v Yugoslavia (1968)
0-0 v Uruguay (1966)
1-2 v Hungary (1962)
2-2 v Soviet Union (1958)
4-4 v Belgium (1954)
2-0 v Chile (1950)
That means they've won just five of 21 first round games. That's truly appalling...
But you'd take a 0-0 draw with Italy.
That Equador game should sharpen England up, it's of much more use to play dirty foreign scum than some fair minded sporting team a week before a world cup opener against Italy.
Hodgson using Ox injury to bring in a decent defender because he now realises he picked 3 rubbish ones. Bad team selection, everyone was telling him the 2 MU defenders had had a crap season and Johnson still thinks he's a forward.
Just checked on the BBC website and England have lost 21-45 to Honduras!
Quote off the BBC website . .
'Will this game be decided on the Duckworth Lewis?'
According to a bloke I heard on the wireless last night, who is an expert on betting, match fixing etc, how much will be bet on every minute of all sixty four matches averaged out?
I'm tempted to say if we can't beat 10 man Honduras we have no chance of nobbling Italy or Uruguay, but the reality is all teams in England's group will be playing like this - two South American teams and Italy!
So these two unfriendlies against standard Latin hackers and elbow jabbers is excellent preparation. If I were Hodge I'd put my B team midfield out in the first two games or we may not have any good players left for Costa Rica.