That Spain are seen to be underperforming (performance wise rather than results) is quit frightening.

Quite.

Who would your choice for next Spain manager be?

Bayern's next former manager.

He's very Catalan though. Not sure he'd actually be willing to manage Spain even though he played for us as an international.

I have high hopes for Lopetegui, seeing he seems to be capably managing both the U21s and U19s/U20s - you look at the teams and they have different playing styles due to the different profile of the players, but he seems to be doing well with both.

Bit early to say whether he'd make a good Spain coach, but I don't think he'd be the worst possible choice.

One of the possible advantages would be that he'd have already worked with most of our younger players, which would be an advantage when we have to address the departure of our older players after next year's World Cup.

Disadvantage would be his low media profile would probably put him under close scrutiny from thepress.

You disagree with Uppy saying English players aren't as good as they're made out to be, but then you cite the hype about them as being one of the national side's main problems.
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No I didnt, I just made that point about Rooney that they hype has somehow gone in the reverse direction for him.


I guess I agree with you when it comes to most international sides underpeforming but almost all the ones you mentioned have gelled together at least once. England have not done so at all.

When it comes to playing to their strengths that is one thing I would say England have not done well at all. As a nation we may not be the same technical genuises of Spain or have the same flair players of Brazil but it is hardly like we are inept at kicking a ball. Carrick, Lampard, Scholes, Rooney, Wilshere, all these players whilst not on the Xavi or Pirlo level have good touches and can pass. Yet to poor management the cohesion of the squad rarely works and the players dont make the right runs, or play the right through balls, instead they try and play the Spanish way, when I think our team would be better suited to set up similar to Italy.

Failing that, we have always produced a relatively adequate standard of 'traditional' wingers and have strikers good in the air and good third-man midfield runners. I dont understand why we never exploit this?


How do you think we have played to our best strengths?

How do you think we have played to our best strengths?--

Bear in mind that I only watch England at major tournaments, not qualifiers, so this is how I see it. Firstly, as much as you rate your midfielders and forwards, your strongest point imo is your defence. I do think you have a point regarding management, fundamentally as regards the years you wasted trying to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard into the same team. Perhaps the bigger question mark is over the FA's wisdom in its appointments, but you could argue whether there was actually a tournament where you had your best midfielders in the right places.

At the last Euros you were without Wilshere, Scholes had retired and Carrick wasn't selected. There wasn't really enough quality to play a possession game in MF, and with Gerrard in there you didn't really have the legs to press compared for the extended periods you'd have needed, so you mostly chose to sit tight and defend as solidly as possible. I can't remember how all of your goals came about, but I remember a good Carroll finish and seem to recall you making good use of set pieces.
With those limited weapons, you beat the two sides you'd have been expected to on paper, held France and only went out to eventual finalists Italy on penalties. In all, I think you did play to the best of your strengths and did so very well. You got as far as you could have expected with what you had imho.

In S. Africa you had Capello as manager. Never one to play possession-based football, and always one for muscle and defensive solidity, hence not a surprise that Carrick didn't feature. The Gerrard/Lampard problem. Barry does what he does. Nevertheless, you conceded a draw to the U.S. through a horrific goalkeepeing mistake, were absolutely awful against Algeria but still held them goalless, did enough to beat Slovenia, kept a clean sheet and qualified. No offence, but you were no match for Germany, and even so the game hinged on a controversial goal-line decision that unfairly went against you.

Nevertheless, I seem to remember you had a brilliant qualifying campaign doing much the same, so I'd say the onus was more on how the players performed than the actual choices the manager made.

2008 Euros - DNQ, no comment.

From here back, I can't remember in much detail, but the long and short doesn't read that badly:

2006 World Cup - qualified top of your group conceding twice only. Beat Ecuador keeping a clean sheet, and went out on pens after keeping Portugal goalless. No shame imo in going out to Portugal, who were only narrowly denied a place in the final by a Zidane penalty.

Euro 2004 - played some nice football, denied on penalties again, by the host nation in a match you were winning until close to the end. Beaten only by then European and World champions France.

2002 World Cup - knocked out in the 1/4 finals by tournament favourites and eventual champions Brazil after disposing with ease of Denmark in the R16.

Euro 2000 - shock exit in the GS. Or not so much of a shock. Portugal came within a whisker of the final, again a Zizou penalty denied them, this time in the 117th minute. Romania considered a surprised, but they'd already beaten you in the 1998 World Cup.

1998 World Cup - a k.o. stage defeat to Argentina is always a possibility. To lose out on penalties is almost expected; to actually lose out on penalties after playing all the 2nd hald and extra time with 10 men is a good showing.

1996 Euros - you held an excellent Spain side goalless and to everyone's surprised won a penalty shootout. Not to everyone's surprise, you lost one in the next round against Germany.



All in all, going back in time and bearing in mind the excellent teams that won many of those championships, I'd say you've done very well indeed.

私は、スペインが好きです。

Bilbao sign Benat for £8m!

Athletic Club Bilbo

So then guys, have any of you taken any considerations to my idea at the weekend?

Benat < Bilbao??? What???

Only sign players from the Shire or who at least have hobbit bloodlines.

Beñat was an Athletic academy product but they released him when he was about 21 or 22.

Only sign players from the Shire or who at least have hobbit bloodlines.
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Tricksy little hobbitses.

Smeagol does have a bit of an Irish ring to it.

He lives by the Bann.

y control.

See IOAG, I wouldnt say we have done very well we have done OK in those tournaments but never overachieved and in some cases underachieved. However I will admit that back under Sven we really did play to our strengths which is why I had so much belief in the England national side.

Under Capello I dont believe we did that, yes he utilised the best part of our game, our defence. But he really didnt pick well in the wide areas or at the top, so we only played to part of our strengths. And the decision to play Terry and Upson together was not smart, worst CB pair of performances I have ever seen.

Did you know though, that Hodgson only picks the team and then the FA checks and verifies if they are OK with it after? Which is why Barton could be the best player in the world but never have a look in as it doesn adhere to the FA's standards. Bizarre.

Hodgson should still do so much better though.

Isco is a Madrid player <diva.

lets hope he doesnt spend next season as a bench warmer

The nice letting bird sorted everything out and i'm moving in on monday afternoon

When are La Liga fixtures out?

Isco is being all sisqo!

Dot, shame. I was looking forward to you being a destitute homeless person.

So was i RC

I'll still be entirely woeful as a person though. Moreso even.

What part of Lndn did you move to?

I'm an Edinbugger!