25 Jun 12
Originally posted by robbie carrobieRoy Hodgson is indeed a class act. His Italian is impeccable. I enjoyed his press conference he did for RAI. He is gracious and intelligent. Where I disagree with you is about England being worse than they are. Hodgson proved they can be better than billed and should start to dream. Few nations amass the kind of talent England has. Perhaps they need fewer foreigners in EPL and start developing more of their considerable talent. I foresee a resurgence if Hodgson stays on. I don't see delusions of grandeur. I see badly managed team development and selection of players by reputation alone instead of earning their spots. In retrospect Rooney should have been benched after missing the sitter, but hindsight is always 20-20.
The fact of the matter is, they got an easy ride to the tournament , rode their luck to
the quarters and were shown up to be the mediocrity that they are, as soon as the
englanders accept this incontrovertible fact it may help to dissipate their delusions of
grandeur, but i doubt it. My only regret is for Roy Hodgson, he is such an excellent
human being and a gentleman that it pains me to see him this way.
25 Jun 12
Originally posted by robbie carrobieYes as usual robbie you are mistaken, Anglo Saxon culture was one of the most egalitarian and democratic societal structures in the so called dark ages.
Yes you are correct, both fields of battle did not prove to be advantageous for the
facilitation of knights. Many of the fallen knights of Agincourt were found with wounds
to the head as if they had been pulled to the ground and a sharp implement pierced
through their visors, was it a war crime, well, was it not the practice to ransom such
i ...[text shortened]... en have always enjoyed greater equality than their Anglo Saxon
counterparts, from antiquity.
For some reason you keep wanting to confuse Anglo Saxon culture with Norman culture. The Normans brought with them many of the negative aspects of a set in stone feudal aristocratic system across the channel.
Do you not feel a little bit childish making sweeping statements about whole societies, i.e Scots good, English bad, I realise that it is okay to be 13 on this website but as far as I know it is not compulsory. The Scottish clan system was feudal robbie who you call a laird I would call a lord, what you would call a chieftain I would call a baron and we both know what king means.
You keep calling yourself a mcgregor but a majority of people in the clan system took the name of the chieftain in whose lands they lived, i.e clan is not synonymous with family. Unless you are claiming there were only ten to fifteen families in in the lands where the clan system operated.
Ripping each other about kilts and Morris dancing is one thing, but to make racist generalisation about whole ethnic groups based on nothing more than your own prejudice's and viewing your own history through brigadoon tinted glasses is more fascistic than funny.
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25 Jun 12
Originally posted by Sicilian SausageErm... Bond is Scots. And a thug. But I repeat myself.
Not to forget all the James Bond films!
As for films about Englishmen, you could do worse than The King's Speech. Although robbie will surely point out that it's about a German, I'd like to point out that king George wasn't the only person in London at that time.
And only last year, apparently, a film was made about the brave English barons who stood in the way of the tyrannical John Lackshanks. Though I must admit, I've never seen even a clip of that.
I've also heard that a film is going to be made about captain Drake's voyage around the world, but I don't recall any details.
Richard
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25 Jun 12
Originally posted by divegeesterAhem. Have either of you read the books?
James Bond was an English spy, Connery was the actor who indeed was the quintessential Bond for decades, although I think Craig has surpassed him now.
Boind was presumed English but actually unspecified in the first books. Then the films came out, and Fleming liked Connery so much that he made Bond explicitly a thug. Sorry, a Scotsman. He already was a thug before that, appropriate though it was.
The point in question however, is that Scotland have a crap football team and didn't qualify for Euro 2012.
Quite.
Richard
25 Jun 12
Originally posted by robbie carrobieAny sane Englishman will admit that we are not as good as the best teams, never have been any never will be without a dramatic restructuring of the entire game by the FA, something that i don't think will happen anytime soon. I always tell people who disagree with me that if you look at England's World Cup performance over the years, minus what happened in 1966, we have made one semi-final in 1990. One semi-final appearance puts us on a par with Belgium and South Korea, says it all.
The fact of the matter is, they got an easy ride to the tournament , rode their luck to
the quarters and were shown up to be the mediocrity that they are, as soon as the
englanders accept this incontrovertible fact it may help to dissipate their delusions of
grandeur, but i doubt it. My only regret is for Roy Hodgson, he is such an excellent
human being and a gentleman that it pains me to see him this way.
There needs to be something akin to what happened when Clive Woodward took over the England Rugby Union team to happen to the England senior team, bring in someone with a vision, implement a plan and stick to it for 5+ years. Otherwise it will just be groundhog day again, qualify for the tournament, get out the groups and then get knocked out by one of the better teams.
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25 Jun 12
1 edit
Originally posted by avalanchethecatI wouldn't go that far. England were quite equal to the Italians technically, they just weren't up to the job mentally. This could be seen most clearly in the latter part of the game. They did attack, once in a while, in the second half, and Rooney got a great chance - and botched it. And then, in overtime... they hung back and waited for the penalty shootout to begin.
Thank goodness we didn't win the penalty shoot-out. It would have felt like cheating after that performance! Congrats to Italy, the better side by a country mile.
The English. Against the Italians. Actively inviting a penalty shootout. Let's go over that again: the only team worse at penalties than the Dutch, against the only team better at penalties than the Jerries, intentionally seek out a decision on penalties. What did Hodgson do after full time, hit them all in the head with a cricket bat so they wouldn't be able to think straight? That was the dumbest strategic decision I've ever seen outside my own chess games.
But in the rest of the game as well, the English simply did not look like they had thought about this game at all. They played the Italians at their own waiting game, only coming out on occasion. And it must be admitted, when they did, they were good enough. If they'd kept it up, sooner or later they would have got lucky. But they did not keep it up. No gumption.
To the credit of the Italians, too, they were given an opportunity to attack for a change, and by and large, they ran with it. And the result was a game which, for the neutral observer, had quite a few watchable moments (as well as some boring ones, but no game is all sensation).
Let's be clear here: if your team is out-attacked by the Italians, and tries to out-defend them (and even, granted, succeeds for the most part!), you're doing something wrong, and they're doing something right. However, that doesn't mean that Italy was much better. They weren't - they were just better enough. And yes, they deserved to win. But in my opinion, that was due to the English game plan, not to Italian flair.
(Also, some Italian whose name I forget tackled the top of the ball, actually hit it but slid over, and barely if at all grazes an Englishman's shin, and gets a yellow for it. Harsh, but you might claim correct according to the rules. Not five minutes later, Scott Parker stamps on Barzaghi's face, as if he's still in a South London playground, and doesn't even get a stern talking-to. What was that all about!?
Also also, there's clearly something not well in the ranks of Manchester City. At least once I spotted Joe Hart trying to punch his club's striker's lights out. Now, he's dangerous up front, and getting rid of him might win you the game, but isn't that a bit unwise considering you'll need him in next year's Premiership?)
Richard
Originally posted by kevcvs57ouch that's bitter and the biggest pile of unsubstantiated mere opinion masquerading as
Yes as usual robbie you are mistaken, Anglo Saxon culture was one of the most egalitarian and democratic societal structures in the so called dark ages.
For some reason you keep wanting to confuse Anglo Saxon culture with Norman culture. The Normans brought with them many of the negative aspects of a set in stone feudal aristocratic system across the cha ...[text shortened]... e's and viewing your own history through brigadoon tinted glasses is more fascistic than funny.
truth that i have had the misfortune to stumble upon. so you got shafted by the
Normans, stop crying about it and I have not confused anything, another
unsubstantiated assertion, read this and educate yourself, it may help you to avoid
projecting your ignorance. Now you will provide evidence for your assertion that Anglo
Saxon women enjoyed the same freedoms as Celtic women. You said it, where is the
proof.
http://www.celtlearn.org/pdfs/women.pdf
25 Jun 12
Originally posted by Proper KnobI dont think anyone will disagree with you PK, except the deluded. Its a problem I
Any sane Englishman will admit that we are not as good as the best teams, never have been any never will be without a dramatic restructuring of the entire game by the FA, something that i don't think will happen anytime soon. I always tell people who disagree with me that if you look at England's World Cup performance over the years, minus what happened ...[text shortened]... fy for the tournament, get out the groups and then get knocked out by one of the better teams.
think not of restructuring but of state of mind, look how the Italians, the Spanish, the
Germans and the Portuguese all manage to keep possession of the ball. Its a basic
technical requirement of football, yet England, as well as Scotland, Ireland and Wales
cannot do it. Why I do not know? Is it cultural? a lack of confidence? It cannot be
lack of training or lack of resources. It needs a major reappraisal of the way football is
played in this country. Flip sake i can hardly watch an SPL game anymore, big hit and
hope kicks up the park, an inability to build slowly from the back, dictate the tempo of
the game. We have no concept of control, its something deep in the psyche I am
convinced, a kind of emotionalism rather than a rationality to the game.
25 Jun 12
Originally posted by robbie carrobieAll the unsubstantiated puffed up half truths and jingoistic little scotlander bs opinions are yours robbie, but your asinine arguments do not wash with me.
ouch that's bitter and the biggest pile of unsubstantiated mere opinion masquerading as
truth that i have had the misfortune to stumble upon. so you got shafted by the
Normans, stop crying about it and I have not confused anything, another
unsubstantiated assertion, read this and educate yourself, it may help you to avoid
projecting your ign ...[text shortened]... as Celtic women. You said it, where is the
proof.
http://www.celtlearn.org/pdfs/women.pdf
You got shafted by the Normans too, it is you and any other backward looking celts who need to dry their eyes and stop boo hooing. But I shall not hold my breath.
And if you think I am going to waste anytime on a site entitled 'celtlearn', well, do not hold your breath either.
25 Jun 12
Originally posted by kevcvs57your evidence, where is it Spalding Wigglebottom
All the unsubstantiated puffed up half truths and jingoistic little scotlander bs opinions are yours robbie, but your asinine arguments do not wash with me.
You got shafted by the Normans too, it is you and any other backward looking celts who need to dry their eyes and stop boo hooing. But I shall not hold my breath.
And if you think I am going to waste anytime on a site entitled 'celtlearn', well, do not hold your breath either.
