# England v Mexico match



## levelpar (25 May 2010)

A Quote from Steven Gerrard "We gave them too much respect in the first half"  . 
I could'nt stop laughing.


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## elefantfresh (25 May 2010)

Have to bear in mind it was a friendly after all - I thought England didn't look great at all - still trying out options at this late stage - they will certainly be better than that next month but I feel they will need a good bit of luck to progress onwards.


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## The_Banker (25 May 2010)

As an Irishman I hope England win it... 
They are our closest neighbour and I will be supporting them in the World Cup.


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## MrMan (25 May 2010)

levelpar said:


> A Quote from Steven Gerrard "We gave them too much respect in the first half"  .
> I could'nt stop laughing.



Well he could hardly say 'we were minding ourselves so as not to pick up injury before the world cup'.


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## Caveat (25 May 2010)

The_Banker said:


> As an Irishman I hope England win it...
> They are our closest neighbour and I will be supporting them in the World Cup.


 
I would consider it if they didn't seem to enter every world cup with the unshakeable belief that they have a really good chance of winning it.

It's as ridiculous as it is annoying.

Since 66, they have made it to - what? A couple of quarter finals literally? Didn't even qualify on a good few occasions too.

I know it's an old chestnut but please - enough with the hopelessly misplaced bravado.

Though in fairness, not as bad as they once were. I think Jimmy Hill was the main culprit.


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## Bill Struth (25 May 2010)

Caveat said:


> Though in fairness, not as bad as they once were. I think *Jimmy Hill* was the main culprit.


 My abiding memory of him is him complaining that the Garda were too heavy handed when dealing with English hooligans in Landsdowne Road. He was almost crying on match of the day.


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## levelpar (25 May 2010)

> As an Irishman I hope England win it...


 
As Victor Mildrew would say "I DONT believe it"
Just imagine,for a moment, if England did win.



> Well he could hardly say 'we were minding ourselves so as not to pick up injury before the world cup'.


 
In that case, they should have stayed at home.


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## Sunny (25 May 2010)

Bill Struth said:


> My abiding memory of him is him complaining that the Garda were too heavy handed when dealing with English hooligans in Landsdowne Road. He was almost crying on match of the day.


 
Thats nothing to when he blamed a poor Blackburn ball boy on national TV for giving the ball back too quickly to Liverpool and causing a goal to be scored.


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## Staples (25 May 2010)

Sunny said:


> Thats nothing to when he blamed a poor Blackburn ball boy on national TV for giving the ball back too quickly to Liverpool and causing a goal to be scored.


 
I remember that.  What a putz!


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

England got to the semi finals in 1970 and 1990 (where they lost on penalties to West Germany). It still amazes me that you can cheer for Wayne Rooney of Steven Gerrard each week, but then hope that they lose when they are playing for their country. Small mindiness.


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## TarfHead (25 May 2010)

I look forward to England's participation in major Finals and the inevitable collision of hubris and reality.

I especially hope that it comes down to a penalty shoot-out and that John Terry is the one carrying the nation's hope on his shoulders and that he once more cracks under the pressure.

That said, Don Fabio is a better manager than they have had in Finals in a long time, so they could do well.


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## Latrade (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> England got to the semi finals in 1970 and 1990 (where they lost on penalties to West Germany). It still amazes me that you can cheer for Wayne Rooney of Steven Gerrard each week, but then hope that they lose when they are playing for their country. Small mindiness.


 
I suppose, but by that same virtue you could be cheering for Henry, Ballack, Torres, Ronaldo, etc and still not want to see their national side win anything spectacular.


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## Caveat (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> It still amazes me that *you* can cheer for Wayne Rooney of Steven Gerrard each week, but then hope that they lose when they are playing for their country.


 
Who is "you"?



> Small mindiness.


 
And England fans don't hope that the Argentinians, French, Germans....etc etc

...make a quick exit?


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

I don't remember too many Irish fans complaining when Spain won the Euro Championships. I don't think they are too many Anyone but Portugal or Anyone but Germany fans out there.


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## Sunny (25 May 2010)

I love the way everyone always goes Ireland needs to mature and how small minded we are because we enjoy seeing England suffer another disappointment in a big sporting event. IT'S SPORT. It's supposed to be about fun and banter and slagging between fans. My English friends understand perfectly why I take delight in seeing themselves build themselves up and then self destruct!

Tough choice between John Terry and Ashley Cole as to who I would like to see miss!


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

'You' are the hundreds of thousands of Irish fans who support English teams.


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## Sunny (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> It still amazes me that you can cheer for Wayne Rooney of Steven Gerrard each week, but then hope that they lose when they are playing for their country. Small mindiness.


 
Why is that strange? Alot of English people boo those players every week and then cheer them on in an English shirt. What's the difference?


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## Caveat (25 May 2010)

+1 to Sunny's last 2 posts.

Ireland supporters are far from unique. As I mentioned above, the English fans have _their_ teams that they love to see fail - and plenty of them it seems.

You see this everywhere. I'm sure the Portuguese don't exactly feel brotherly empathy where Spanish victories are concerned. Poles wouldn't exactly be raising glasses at the prospect of a German world cup success et etc


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## DB74 (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> I don't remember too many Irish fans complaining when Spain won the Euro Championships. I don't think they are too many Anyone but Portugal or Anyone but Germany fans out there.


 
Maybe not in Ireland.

I bet there are plenty of ABGermany fans in Holland and/or Poland and/or Austria etc etc

And I bet there are plenty of ABPortugal fans in places like Angola and other former Portuguese colonies.

When it comes to sport, people cheer for a team and not necessarily the players who play for that team - If I cheer for Ireland does that mean I must also cheer for Man City (Given), Man Utd (O'Shea), Wolves (Doyle), Stoke (Whelan) etc etc.


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

We follow the English game every week, support English players, and then shout for whoever their opposition is. Alot of English people actually support Ireland and hope we do well whenever we play. 
Its like the way we slagged the English over the 'Hand of God'. Why don't they get over it? And then when the same thing happens to us, we kick up a huge fuss. Small mindiness.


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## Sunny (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> We follow the English game every week, support English players, and then shout for whoever their opposition is. Alot of English people actually support Ireland and hope we do well whenever we play.
> Its like the way we slagged the English over the 'Hand of God'. Why don't they get over it? And then when the same thing happens to us, we kick up a huge fuss. Small mindiness.


 
England didn't exactly get over the Hand of God there and then. Are you saying they didn't kick up a huge fuss. Go back and look at the newspaper headlines.

So what if people cheer for whoever the opposition is. I will also be cheering for anyone playing France for the obvious reason. And for anyone against Germany because of the wars. (Not really, it's because the buggers always put their towels on all the sunloungers when I am on holidays).

Will I be depressed if England win? No, I will be happy for my English relatives and friends. Will I enjoy cheering on the opposition and slagging said English relatives and friends? You betcha! It's harmless banter. The English couldn't care less who we support.


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## Caveat (25 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> Small mindiness.


 
 Why do you keep saying this?

As has been stated, the fans in many countries have the teams they love to see fail. England is no exception.

In fact, to be perfectly honest, I think English fans have more of these teams than most.


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

Thats my point. I know the English kicked up a huge fuss about it. But we criticised them for doing so. Then when we were in the same boat, we did exactly the same. 
All I know is a lot of English people were supporting Ireland in USA '94 when they're team didn't qualify. Its a pity we can't reciprocate. Then again 800 years and all that......


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

Its small minded because 
1) we follow their game,
2) we pack the pubs every weekend to follow their teams, 
3) we travel over in our thousands every week to watch their teams play,
4) the English don't mind the Irish winning,


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## Liamos (25 May 2010)

Engerland, Engerland, Engerland!


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## zztop (26 May 2010)

Its like the way we slagged the English over the 'Hand of God'. Why don't they get over it? And then when the same thing happens to us, we kick up a huge fuss. Small mindiness. 

The greatest goal ever scored in the World Cup was scored by Maradona...in that match


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## Liamos (26 May 2010)

The first or the second??


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## Shawady (26 May 2010)

Caveat said:


> Why do you keep saying this?
> 
> As has been stated, the fans in many countries have the teams they love to see fail. England is no exception.
> 
> In fact, to be perfectly honest, I think English fans have more of these teams than most.


 
I think the difference between our situation and say Germany/Holland or Spain/ Portugal is that many Irish fans support English club teams with great passion. The Premiership is much more popular than our own domestic league.
Some of my friends are staunch Liverpool or Man Utd fans and spend a lot of time and money supporting them. I've been in pubs and seen guys nearly come to blows when arguing about English football teams.
They idolise players like Rooney and Gerrard when they play for their club but take pleasure when they get beaten in an England shirt. I can see why some people find it strange.


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## Sunny (26 May 2010)

Shawady said:


> They idolise players like Rooney and Gerrard when they play for their club but take pleasure when they get beaten in an England shirt. I can see why some people find it strange.


 
Why? I know plenty of Engligh people who idolise Rooney and Gerrard in an English shirt but who would abuse them to the rafters when they play for their clubs. It's no different.

Also a team like Real Madrid are a hugely followed club in Portugal. Don't think there will be many Portuguese wishing success for Spain.


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## Caveat (26 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> England got to the semi finals in 1970 and 1990


 
Actually you are wrong. They did not make the semis in 1970 - quarter finals.

And they didn't qualify at all in '74 '78 or '94. 

In '82 they only made it to group 2. So arguably, in terms of world football they had a fairly barren 16 year stretch from 1970 to 1986.

In 14 meetings with Ireland (hardly a world class team) they have only managed to beat us 5 times.

I'm not being churlish and I'm not criticising them as a team per se (in fact I know very little about football anyway) but the England team so often paint themselves as the world cups "nearly men" - permanently on the verge of winning the bloody thing and it's just not even close to reality.


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## Liamos (26 May 2010)

For someone who knows very little about football, you've just given me some very specific facts! I stand corrected - they were actually 2 - 0 up against West Germany in the 1970 quarter final and lost 3 -2.

I'm not suggesting we all go down the Nags Head, wrapped in our union jacks and singing "Three lions on the shirt" ! All I'm saying is as they are our closest neighbour, and the players are the most familiar to us, wouldn't it be nice to see them go as far as possible?


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## Bill Struth (26 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> For someone who knows very little about football, you've just given me some very specific facts! I stand corrected - they were actually 2 - 0 up against West Germany in the 1970 quarter final and lost 3 -2.
> 
> I'm not suggesting we all go down the Nags Head, wrapped in our union jacks and singing "Three lions on the shirt" ! All I'm saying is as they are our closest neighbour, and the players are the most familiar to us, *wouldn't it be nice to see them go as far as possible?*


 No.


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## Sunny (26 May 2010)

Bill Struth said:


> No.


 
Do you not think it would be more fun to see them get to a final and then lose in a penalty shoot out to the Germans!


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## levelpar (26 May 2010)

> It still amazes me that you can cheer for Wayne Rooney of Steven Gerrard each week, but then hope that they lose when they are playing for their country. Small mindiness


 
I dont think anyone HOPED that England would lose .We just want to see that best team win. Looking forward to Wayne Rooney joining Man.City but for now I dont like him .  Do you get the picture now Liamos?


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## Liamos (26 May 2010)

Levelpar, have you not just read the last two posts? That is exactly what people hope...England to lose.

Also, if you don't like Wayne Rooney why do you want him to play for Man City?


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## Sunny (26 May 2010)

I also hope Shamrock Rovers lose every week......

Following sport is supposed to be fun. It is not about making political or cultural statements. Most Countries have a sporting rivalry with England. Look at Australia. They are part of the commonwealth. Do you think they will be cheering for them?


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## ludermor (26 May 2010)

Liamos said:


> For someone who knows very little about football, you've just given me some very specific facts! I stand corrected - they were actually 2 - 0 up against West Germany in the 1970 quarter final and lost 3 -2.
> 
> I'm not suggesting we all go down the Nags Head, wrapped in our union jacks and singing "Three lions on the shirt" ! *All I'm saying is as they are our closest neighbour,* and the players are the most familiar to us, wouldn't it be nice to see them go as far as possible?


 In football terms they are not ( that would be Northern Ireland), in geographical terms they are not that would be Wales. Im from Mayo and i sure a heel dont want my nearest neighbour go far in teh All Ireland!


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## Shawady (26 May 2010)

Sunny said:


> Why? I know plenty of Engligh people who idolise Rooney and Gerrard in an English shirt but who would abuse them to the rafters when they play for their clubs. It's no different.


 
Don't think its the same thing. In that case you are talking about english fans putting their club loyalty to one side to support their national team. In Ireland, you get plenty of fans that hero worship players when they are playing for their club but would begrudge them success at the national level.
I'm not saying I'll be cheering on England in the World cup but I'm not that obsessed with the premiership anyway. I find it more bizarre that some people will go around wearing a football jersey with 'Rooney' or 'Gerrard' on it, but when they are playing for England are willing them to play poorly.


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## csirl (26 May 2010)

There are players of many nationalities in the premiership. Its quite common for players from a club that an Irish person supports to be playing against Ireland. Supporters generally support a club not a player as players come and go. Club and International football are different types of competition. Arguing that Irish people should support England in the World Cup because there are English players playing for their favourite club is no different to expecting Barcelona fans in Ireland to cheer for France when Henry scored his dodgy goal.


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## tyoung (26 May 2010)

England did not make the semifinals in 1970. They were beaten by W Germany in the quarterfinals. I remember it well. England were winning 2 0 at halftime and the English commentators were sure it was in the bag. Germany scored three in the second half to win the game. They in turn were beaten by Italy who were beaten by Brazil.
 Anybody who wasn't around for this era can have no idea how myoptic and nationalistic the English commentators of the era appeared.


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## levelpar (26 May 2010)

> Also, if you don't like Wayne Rooney why do you want him to play for Man City?


 
I used the word "like" because I dont want to swear and the reason is because he plays for Man.U. As for Rooney playing for City, its not likely to happen but if he does I will cheer him on.


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## VOR (27 May 2010)

Sunny said:


> .Following sport is supposed to be fun. It is not about making political or cultural statements. Most Countries have a sporting rivalry with England. Look at Australia. They are part of the commonwealth. Do you think they will be cheering for them?



+1 Sunny.  Simple rule of Sport "Loathe thy neighbour".

Sir Alex Ferguson hates England. Absolutely despises them. Same for most Scots.

I watched the NHL playoff game a few weeks back where Syd Crosby returned to Canada with the Penguins. This is the golden boy of Canadian hockey. He scored the winner against the US in the olympic final. The fans booed him every time he touched the puck. These are the same fans who cheered for him only 3 months ago.


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## callybags (27 May 2010)

As a Liverpool supporter, I can put my hand on my heart and say that I think Christiano Ronaldo is a great player.

I have said this consistently ever since he joined Real Madrid.


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## notagardener (27 May 2010)

callybags said:


> As a Liverpool supporter, I can put my hand on my heart and say that I think Christiano Ronaldo is a great player.
> 
> I have said this consistently ever since he joined Real Madrid.


 
 And Rooney will go on to be a 'World Class' player when he leaves.....

Anyone notice how poor technically the Irish and English national teams are, Check out the stats for ball possession in last two games. I know Ireland and England both won, but overall they were both poor to watch. And for that reason I hope the eventual winners will be Spain. And Good Luck to England, but I just can't see them winning the WC


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