World Cup South Africa 2010

[Captain Fabio]

Darren Bent was dropped. I thought he wouldn't make it, Heskey, Crouch and Defoe all have too much England experience for him.

If he is still playing football in 4 years, he will easily make it I think.

 

[seal]

If he is still playing football in 4 years, he will easily make it I think.

Well he isn't exactly old yet and does look to have a great future ahead of him. Then again I thought that when he was at Charlton and he hasn't moved very far up the footballing ladder from there.

 

[Captain Fabio]

Well he isn't exactly old yet and does look to have a great future ahead of him. Then again I thought that when he was at Charlton and he hasn't moved very far up the footballing ladder from there.

Haha, I forgot about him.

I think he has a good career ahead of him. He will do fine.

 

[Eruption]

Darren Bent left out and Heskey & King still in. :l

Glad Capello saw sense with Walcott though, SWP is better even on his current poor form.

 

[Barney.]

Walcott has got nothing but speed. But Lennon and SWP still have tons of it anyway.

I really think that people are ruling out Serbia too quickly, they haven't even got a look in..Their squad is incredibly strong and they completely romped there group in qualifying, which did include France. Probably won't happen but I think their proper dark horses.

Of course, I want England though..But I can't help but think that our best players are past it..Still great, but past what they were. If only we had Copello 4 years ago.

 

[seal]

Walcott has got nothing but speed. But Lennon and SWP still have tons of it anyway.

I really think that people are ruling out Serbia too quickly, they haven't even got a look in..Their squad is incredibly strong and they completely romped there group in qualifying, which did include France. Probably won't happen but I think their proper dark horses.

Of course, I want England though..But I can't help but think that our best players are past it..Still great, but past what they were. If only we had Copello 4 years ago.

I'm afraid on the form France were in during the qualifying stages, the fact they have a lot of players who are either too old or too inexperienced and the fact Domenech is a useless manager beating France wasn't really a great achievement.

 

[Red1530]

I going to root for the United States. I hope they do better then the last FIFA Cup.

 

[seal]

I going to root for the United States. I hope they do better then the last FIFA Cup.

I think they will. In 2006 they were in a very hard group. This time they are in a very weak group, I expect them to get to the Second Round and get knocked out.

 

[Killie101]

I think Spain will win in a final against Holland or Brazil.

But COME ON NORTH KOREA

 

[Barney.]

I'm afraid on the form France were in during the qualifying stages, the fact they have a lot of players who are either too old or too inexperienced and the fact Domenech is a useless manager beating France wasn't really a great achievement.

Yeah..But it's still France, they still had the players they had, they were still a "better" team than Serbia.

I think they will. In 2006 they were in a very hard group. This time they are in a very weak group, I expect them to get to the Second Round and get knocked out.

Weak? England will mash them..And so will Slovenia..And Algeria could on their day, USA are useless.

 

[Captain Fabio]

Weak? England will mash them..And so will Slovenia..And Algeria could on their day, USA are useless.

I don't think they will get mashed, but they SHOULDN'T be that hard to beat!

 

[seal]

I don't think they will get mashed, but they SHOULDN'T be that hard to beat!

I don't think so either, if anyone's getting mashed in Group C it's Slovenia and Algeria. The USA, although they're not brilliant, are a decent team and certainly better than Slovenia and Algeria.

 

[Barney.]

I don't think they will get mashed, but they SHOULDN'T be that hard to beat!

Of course, but it's always good to be the optimist.

I don't think so either, if anyone's getting mashed in Group C it's Slovenia and Algeria. The USA, although they're not brilliant, are a decent team and certainly better than Slovenia and Algeria.

I think you're really underestimating Slovenia and Algeria, just because they're small doesn't mean they can't play football. Slovenia are very physical and are really going to cause USA trouble, and Algeria and a a good passing team with a lot of pace. Slovenia stopped well recognized world cup teams like Russia and Czech Republic getting there, And both of them are better than USA.

 

[seal]

Of course, but it's always good to be the optimist.



I think you're really underestimating Slovenia and Algeria, just because they're small doesn't mean they can't play football. Slovenia are very physical and are really going to cause USA trouble, and Algeria and a a good passing team with a lot of pace. Slovenia stopped well recognized world cup teams like Russia and Czech Republic getting there, And both of them are better than USA.

I think you're underestimating the USA. They're not brilliant but they did get to the final of the Confederations cup, knocking out teams like Spain, Italy and Egypt on the way. You don't get to the final of the Confederations Cup without having some quality.

 

[Serene Grace]

I agree with the post above me. A lot of people underestimate the USA because they're not seen as a footballing nation but they do have some class and I think they have quite a solid team.

 

[seal]

I agree with the post above me. A lot of people underestimate the USA because they're not seen as a footballing nation but they do have some class and I think they have quite a solid team.

Exactly, they have great players like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, but nowhere near the standard of Spain, Brazil, Holland, Argentina, England etc.

 

[Numbers]

I think I'm going to go with Spain on this one - Even though I have put a bet on Argentina, Germany AND Italy. (Couldn't decide haha) Although if you want someone really unexpected to win then look no further than Ivory Coast. I think if someone unexpected was to win it, it'd be them. They have some good players and being and African team they also have a little advantage in that.

 

[Eruption]

Popped into town today for my England South Africa shirt. No Ls so I couldn't get Lennon printed. Rooney'll do.

I think Spain will win in a final against Holland or Brazil.

But COME ON NORTH KOREA

North Korea have the lowest odds on most goals conceded in group stages. Wouldn't give them a chance in the group they're in.

I don't think so either, if anyone's getting mashed in Group C it's Slovenia and Algeria. The USA, although they're not brilliant, are a decent team and certainly better than Slovenia and Algeria.

I don't want to under estimate the US but Donovan (and possibly Howard) is (are) their only good player(s).

Algeria are certainly the team I'm backing to come 2nd behind us with players like Ziani and Belhadj, possibly even Yebda.

Exactly, they have great players like Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard, but nowhere near the standard of Spain, Brazil, Holland, Argentina, England etc.

Not sure about Dempsey.

I'd say nowhere near the standard of Portugal, Ivory Coast etc.

If I split the 32 teams into 4 tiers they'd be around lower 2nd tier or 3rd tier.

Might just do that later.

By the way if Capello said he'll pick players on form and amount of games they're getting then having no Bent but having Defoe & Heskey instead is a joke.

 

[Limey-chan]

Heskey needed to go. You look at how many goals Rooney and England have scored with Heskey in the side and then compare that with how many we've scored without him there and you'll see why he's being chosen.

Bent's had a very good season. 24 goals for a team that never really looked like finishing in the top half is a fantastic haul, he's clearly happy at Sunderland and enjoying playing for them. For me, if he was going to go ahead of anyone it would be Defoe because the two are like-for-like.

I also think the people criticising Bent are being overly harsh. Every time he's played he's been stuck up front with Rooney and it's a partnership that'll never work. Bent's not a Heskey, he won't stop play or set up chances for other people, he's a natural goalscorer. Part of the reason he's done so well at Sunderland is because of his partnership with Jones. Whether or not he was ever in Capello's plans is open to debate but i'd have liked to have seen him given a go up front with Heskey or even Crouch.

Capello isn't picking the best individuals, he's picking the players that make the best team. The team works better with Heskey in it, so why change it?

 

[Eruption]

I think we could use better hold up players, at least other hold up players can take chances as well as hold up.

I would prefer it if we played 4-4-1-1 with Gerrard playing off Rooney.

But yeah Bent should have went over Defoe.