With England conceding two goals in quick succession Theo Walcott was finally given a chance to shine on a Major International Tournament stage.
Having been taken to 2006 World Cup and not played, then to feature heavily in 2010 qualification stages and not play, and then to feature again in these championships and again be overlooked when Hodgson’s pragmatic formation took shape it seemed yet again that Theo was destined for being unsuitable for the England team.
To be fair to the England managers I am not overly surprised, they don’t have the quality in the centre of midfield to pick out his runs, and they don’t have players with the ability to move up the field in numbers to support his blistering pace. So how can you use Theo to greatest effect? Well it turns out you just stick him on the pitch and let him sort It out for himself, and most importantly just let him play on his instincts.
England had been poor in possession for the entire game, Stevie Me’s cross to Carroll the high point in an otherwise cumbersome England performance. The lack of ability to keep the ball without going back to the keeper and him hoofing it back to the halfway line and compete for another 50:50.
Theo was brought on to replace the poor Milner, and within minutes had set England level. None of us knew that Theo had that strike in him, as the ball dropped to the edge of the area Theo’s first touch was good, his second moved it to the right of on rushing defenders and his next sent the ball up and over the mass of players in the box and curving this way and that leaving the Swedish keeper totally befuddled. The look on his face suggested he didn’t quite know how he’d managed it.
How did I do that?
Minutes later Theo gained possession around the Swedish area, this is what we know he is capable of, committing defenders and taking the ball to the byline, looking up he saw Wellbeck’s movement and delivering a ball that the latter finished as well as RvP has done all season.
Twice more Theo got himself in positions to exploit the space on Sweden’s right but first Stevie Me and the Andy Carroll ignored the passing option, Arsene would have gone crazy if one of his players had ignored the pass.
There was still time for Theo to put the afterburners on during an England break that saw him overtake Stevie Me to get on the end of a Parker pass, and then deliver a cross for the Ox but Stevie Me wanted to get on the scoresheet and blasted at the keeper.
All in all a good nights work for Theo, but I don’t expect him to feature in a starting line up anytime soon, he showed his defensive weakness on several occasions during his short display, and unfortunately that weakness will not be tolerated in Hodgson’s defensive minded setup. He will continue to be a super sub when necessary though, and then the knives will be out if he can’t produce what he did last night every time he is brought on.
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[…] SuperTheoGoesBallistic […]
Totally agree with that, GIE.
I must admit I was as astounded by Theo’s strike as he seems to have been.
He has always had the ability to strike the ball cleanly, and particularly as a kid while at Southampton his runs and end product were ace.
SuperTheoGoesBallistic..James Milner atrocious
Just you and me then RA….and I have to disappear to go fine wine shopping….Father in Laws 70th.
Kuton you are my new headline writer….well played sir.
Incredible what plays can do when they try.
Too often,Arsenal players muck around when twenty,twenty five yards out,and end up turning the ball over.
Arteta proved it,and now Theo has as well.
Great to see guys not trying to dribble the thing in.
Shard,
Further to your last point earlier this morning, (UK) I don’t see any point in continuing the technology discussion as we all seem to be in agreement that it will be introduced eventually.
I was mildly amused by your musical allegory, altho’ puzzled, too, as you seem to be confusing my cynicism about the likely speed of implementation of technological changes authorized by FIFA, with my own views regarding the need and urgency of such changes — not that I expressed an opinion either way.
Nice post. Quality cameo for Theo, especially as the commentators were all just hoping he’d fail again. Young has to be dropped for the next game. Against France he was invisible and last night he was just pointless. Bring back the Ox.
The Ox would have scored his first Engerland goal if TheOaf Gerrard was not so selfish!!
More of the same for Arsenal next season Theo !!
Good post GiE- I was delighted for Theo last night. As you may know I’m one of those optimises that love to sing Theo’s name so it was great to see him do something good in an England shirt.
Also quite enjoying the overt and implied criticism of Gerrard on the site. I saw a stat that he has 11% for successful passes to his own team mates over his career! Pretty shocking for one of the supposedly best midfielders of his generation!
The quietest day on AA and Carlito turns up!! Good to see you on here mate. Gerard is simply overrated because he is English and he is the best English midfielder, quite shocking really considering those stats, everyone raves about his long range passing, but i’d say Beckhams was far better.
Good to see Theo making headlines in today’s press.
Although I’m not enjoying the way we are playing under Hodgson I like the fact that so far he hasn’t appeared to have been swayed by the media in selections and he has a clear plan of how he thinks England can attack this tournament, afterall it’s not his fault that English players technical development has been overlooked in the last twenty years. Oh how I wish Jack was there to show the senior “talent” how to pass, move and control possession.
Hi Carlito, 🙂
Good to see you, again.
I think Stevie Me has lost a yard of pace and is really a shadow of the player he was 3 years ago.
I was livid when he pinched the ball off the OX from that cross near the end. Alex would have buried it in my opinion as he had the right body ‘shape’ for the shot.
great post GIE, you hit all the nails on the head, i was really chuffed for theo last night but really its like asking him to excel in a balckburn team.
Theo will come in to his own in 2 years time when LJW and the ox are running the midfield.
Wengers Youth policy will be englands saving grace.
I am pretty sure that Gerrard is far from being the “best” english midfielder – he is certainly the most marketable midfielder.
He has no technique
Joey Barton for example is a better passer of the ball and techniquely much more accomplished than Gerrard.
Scott Parker is better at defending
Lampard is more consistant
schoies tho at 47 is head and shoulders above them all
All Gerrard brings is the occassional roy of the rovers shot, barn storming run or pinpoint hammer driven cross that gets people up on their seat.
Those moments are rarer than they used to be
This euro championships must be the end of the road for Gerrard, Terry, Lampard, Parker, Ferdinand etc
Your new england midfield should be battle hardened in the wc qualifiers – i can see cleverley, the ox, wilshire fighting it out for positions
all 3 are technically better than anyone above.They just need to be given their head.
Oxlade Chamberlain reminds me of Paul McGrath. an natural athlete that can always be 1% better than his opponent
Paul McGrath was the kind of guy who could run 100 metres in say 12.9 seconds but if he was up against a guy who ran it in 12 seconds then McGrath would rise to the occassion and beat him by a nose
if england get spain later then i would let the Ox loose in the centre
100% agree Double98 I missed “in the medias eyes” in the middle of my comment.
GIE 🙂 thats alright – the media used to put gerrard in the Vieira, Keane class, when in reality he wouldn’t be good enough to be the janitor in their school
Have “Arsenal” players scored more than any other club? Walcott, RVP and Bendtner (2)
the only “Club” near them is “Ex Arsenal” Fabregas, Nasri (2)
Fabregas (2) Nasri sorry my mistake
A very enjoyable read GIE.
I find it bewildering how some people in the media seem to love everything English, but tend to hate on anyone associated with Arsenal. Walcott’s misfortune of bizarrely missing out on the last World Cup was seemingly celebrated by the English media. I’m happy Theo was able to answer them in the best way possible last night. Can we get him to sign a new contract? Him and Song don’t get as much coverage but from a purely footballing point of view, their long term presence might be more important than even Van Persie’s. Come on Theo. Sign up.
Hodgson has been doing well though. He’s gotten more out of the English players than previous managers. Maybe the fact that the likes of Lampard, Ferdinand are out has meant that people can’t simply walk into the team? Not really fussed either way about England. Any team with Terry in it will never be one I support. Maybe in a few years when Gibbs, Ox, Jack, Theo become mainstays that I can start to like them. Sorry to all the English fans.
Red Arse,
I’m sorry I didn’t make it clear. My comment was meant to be entirely humorous. I guess I forgot to put a smiley, or just have a strange sense of humour.. Anyway, I understood what you were saying and don’t disagree at all. Sorry about the confusion.
Shard…I wouldn’t say I’m in love with the English team either…haven’t been for a number of years.
Regardless of the Terry/Ferdinand saga I think Hodgson wanted as few experienced heads in the dressing room as possible.
In reality he only has Cole, Gerard and Terry from the old guard, Parker despite his age is a Johnny Come Lately to the senior side. But I think Hodgson did this for a reason he wanted as few “No let’s do it this way” “no I think this way” in the squad as possible. He has two or three senior/experienced players who he can get to take his message consistently to the rest of the squad.
Watching Gary Neville joking with Ox on the touch line made me warm to him even more, I’m really beginning to hate the fact that Neville in less than a year has turned from someone I detested to someone who I’d like to have a beer with and chat about football.
D98 I guess the assist count isn’t bad either.
Give hodgson some credit for using theo this way, and giving the ox some playing time. If jack was healthy, he would be there too. He only has so much to work with in midfield. .BUT, even though I dont think theo is worth the big raise in salary hes looking for based on his league form, ( big difference between swedish defense and stoke, or man city. ) im still happy to see him do well. 🙂
GIE
That’s a good point about having less established players. More egos means more problems. That has been the traditional failing of the Dutch, and it seems to be continuing. Though they did perform fairly well (if in a non-Dutch way) in the last World Cup. Wonder what’s changed for them. I guess some egos have gotten bigger (Robben, Van Der Vaart, Huntelaar)
I always liked Roy Hodgson. I think being more ‘travelled’ than the average English manager, he’s less obsessed with the ‘traditional English qualities’ that the media keeps reinforcing. As an aside, apparently Hodgson is very good friends with Former Indian national team manager, Bob Houghton. India have now appointed Euro 88 winner Wim Koevermans. Not that much will change. The real problem here is lack of infrastructure. Till that improves, no coach can do much. Still, always hopeful of India rising up a notch or two in Asia.
Good work GiE
Great hardline, finished off very cleverly by kuton 🙂
Theo is a really effective player who has attracted far too much stick from the media and some sections of the Arsenal support. It was great to see him turn the game round single-handedly.
As others have said, Woy is working with base materials for the most part and, rather than try to turn them into gold, he has taken the more pragmatic (and sensible) approach of turning them into steel.
The press love to humiliate Arsene, but by God the English national team needs the players that he is bringing through. We are the worst technical team in the whole tournament.
Dandan
Loved your Peter Storey-Johnnie Giles comment. Thanks.
I think its a very depleted squad we have out there and due to good management we are doing ok. Hopefully the Arsenal will have a few more lads in the worldcup squad. Is Jenks dual-nationality or has he chosen Finland ? We need a proper right-back.
Lovely post GiE 🙂
Theo was pure doping for England yesterday; what a difference he made! Great goal and no luck whatsoever, and a fine assist.
Welbeck did very well too with his magical back-heel and I can see this England side getting far under Roy this tournament, despite the failings you have, correctly, pointed out in your post. England could be the new ‘old’ Germany this summer.
Fully agree with you on Gary Neville – that was a fine touch by him and he clearly feels fatherly over the Ox.
Did you see the stats I posted yesterday: out of 41 goals seven were scored by Arsenal and ex-Arsenal players = 17%. One in every six goals has a Wenger-stamp on it – and I not even taking into account any Arsenal-assists! 🙂
Is Hodgson a better manager than Capello. I don’t think so, but the former understands the English culture, habits and personalities, and most importantly he speaks the language. That last thing is so bloody obviously important, but must have been totally neglected by the FA when they appointed Capello. Unbelievable.
Those classy Dutch fans….
http://nos.nl/ek2012/video/384379-oranjefans-pesten-reporter.html
Spot on GiE. If only England had an Iniesta, a Xavi, a Brady , a Giles. 🙂 It`s a crying shame we cant hold onto the ball, how many years have we had great technical foreign players in the EPL ?, we cant seem to learn much from them !. Thing is , I bet that in training, we are no different than Spain , it`s all pass and move, we must have mental block somewhere or a confidence by-pass.
Total 😆
Looksh likesh ze av been shmoking shome godd schit !
Never put your back towards a Dutchman GLiC, especially when wearing a lofty dress 🙂
glic – fabregas commented on how barcelona training sessions differed from colney – how they tired him mentally rather than physically and we are the most technically tutored team in the pl.
Wenger seems to run his training at 100% for 90 minutes to simulate match conditions whereas other managers prefer to have physical sessions intermingled with game emulation.
Stoke seem to chase dwarves and assault children as part of their match preparation while blackburn run around eating ropey chicken and spurs admire themselves in full lenght mirrors
in barca they pass and move,
they hunt in packs and dominate space
Notice spain and barca never seem stretched – thats because they generally have 7 or 8 men behind the ball and attack with only two or three…
TA,
What? Even when the Glicster is wearing his patented pork chop arse warmers? 🙂
Shard,
Glad we are all good.
Can I just say, without wishing to be patronising, that your written English is excellent, even the use of the vernacular, and very much on a par with our resident Anglo/Dutch scholar TA. Have you spent time in the UK?
I am not English myself, but if you had not told us you are Indian, living on the sub-continent, I would have said you were an educated Englishman living in the UK. (that’s a compliment)! 🙂
Picking up on something Raddy commented on earlier, past teams against present teams.
This may not go down to well. A few weeks ago I watched the 1970/71 FA Cup final Vs Liverpool and to tell the truth I was shocked at how crap the football was, I thought , ” I must have been easily pleased in them days “!. I actually thought, ” I can play better than that ” !.
We dont realise how lucky we are to see the brand of football that Arsenal play now, we take it for granted now, we so are lucky.
Take a look at some of that 70s stuff ,if you can, see what you think.
Actually that Giles 🙂 Leeds team were a bit ahead of their time, they used to pass it about nice, possibly the only ones though.
Now whose going to be the first to lecture ( bollick) me !. 😆
D98, 🙂
Well, Glic, I don’t have a problem with what you say, everyone is entitled to an opinion, but I would like to give you a bollocking just for the hell of it!
I am working on something evil to say to you. 🙂
D98
I noticed Spain did it aswell, that hunting in pack stuff, but seemed to slow it down a bit later in the 2nd half when they were coasting.
Why cant everyone else train the same way and play that system, Spain dont own it !.
Total
That was the funniest bit, when the man in the wheelchair lifted her skirt. 😆
Yes please Redders, it`s good to be bollocked now and again, instead of all that pleasantry stuff . Give it too me now !. 😆
That’s the sadistic bit, Glicster, I am going to make you wait until you are begging for the coup de grace!! 🙂
TA, Spain made more passes against Ireland than has ever happened previously. More than 860 passes, I heard on the radio.
RA – Raddy says they are hogging the ball, bastards.
GiE – yep, you are right, Theo did well, but he will be cut to shreds if he doesn’t produce every time.
Them nice chaps at the BBC weather website have promised me from tomorrow four days of sunshine for the PL15 post code area. Seeing as I`ve hired a 14″ petrol disc cutter to finish off my stone wall. They had better keep to their word, as they wont want to be given a good thrashing with my pork chop !.
Hi GLiC, I must agree with RA that the thought of giving you a royal bollocking is strangely appealing – even though I don’t know what you look like at all! 😆
I agree the guy in wheelchair is the funniest bit and the guy in the full orange body suit is somehow funny as well 🙂
Re the way Barcelona play, which is not that dissimilar to the way we play; it is slowly but steadily being copied by other teams. B Dortmund are playing pretty similar and as a result have surpassed Bayern in their domestic league. I expect Liverpool, now that they have made Rodgers their new manager, to work towards a similar style of play in the next few years.
Hi RA 🙂
Fully agreed on Shard’s English. At times, It reminds me a bit of 26’s style of writing.
What Spain did to Ireland was not far away from professional cruelty. The faces of the Irish at the end of the game said it all.
Haha double98 about stokes match preparation. 🙂 funniest thing ive read in a while
So by the looks of it Total, for the neutral in the future, there will be plenty of beautiful football to be watched . And all they had to do was watch The Arsenal in Wengers reign !. 🙂
On Spain and Barca’s training and method. Why doesn’t everyone do it? It’s not the easiest thing to do. It doesn’t have the quickest results either. And if it’s one thing we know, most of football is all about the now. Barca got their golden generation of talent coming through a few years after a 6 year trophy drought. Barca were training the same way when they had the likes of Rochemback being their bright hope. Training doesn’t magically bring results. They also suffer from not having a ‘Plan B’, which when it comes to Arsenal, we are told has always been our Achilles heel. (They were genuinely scared of Walcott because he could get behind them and offer an outlet to bypass their pressing game in midfield)
Regardless of the implied criticism in Cesc’s statement, I think the Arsenal, or rather the Wenger training system is better, in as much as it is at the same time a more pragmatic, as well as a more artistic approach..
Pragmatic because..well..England is different. This was one of those truisms I was loathe to believe because it is oft used, but have come to the conclusion is true. The laws are differently applied, the teams play a different sort of game. It hurts any team to be too different, even in a ‘better’ way. Stoke play the sort of game they do, because it works, is easier to do, and is allowed to exist. Arsenal have to train to deal with that. Hence the all out ‘power sessions’, would be my guess. Barcelona wouldn’t succeed playing their football in England. Not for long. They’d get found out as ‘not liking it up them’ soon enough. If Arsenal were playing with the teams in Spain, we’d have far better results. In fact, even playing against Barcelona, over two years in the CL, we saw that after about the 70th minute, Barca ran out of steam against a quicker, stronger (if less talented) Arsenal. Basically, physical training is more important for Arsenal, being based in England. It might also be one of the reasons the Invincibles didn’t do as well in Europe. They were so ideally suited to the English game that adapting to Europe might have been a slight issue. (Although I don’t see that as the prime reason)
Artistic… because Barca are all about the system. (Though I think making it a mythical thing is a fallacy and inaccurate) That system that they play is what Cesc had to learn that was mentally draining for him. Under Wenger, Arsenal do not have one system. They adapt with changes in football. The much missed 4-4-2 has given way to first the 4-3-3, and the current 4-2-3-1. But I believe Wenger sees himself as providing the canvas, and the players as the artists. It is for the players to express themselves once they have the basics right. Thus no intense tactical discussions. It can be criticised, but it is what allowed the likes of Henry, Vieira, Pires, Freddie, and even Cesc and Robin to become the players they are today.
So I guess, in Barca, the players make the system (as in how well it works is down to how good the players are), at Arsenal, the system is designed to make the players as good as they can be. Some respond, some don’t. Also, although the identity of playing good football will (hopefully) stay once Wenger departs, I also think it advantageous to not align the club with one way of playing. Evolution, and all that. 🙂
…Must….condense…..comments..
Shard, you are becoming quickly to Vikram Seth of ArsenalArsenal 🙂
I am going to watch some football now, but will read your fine comment again and comment later on.
RA, You don’t have to tiptoe around me (the bit about it being a compliment and talk of not being patronising) I’m not easily offended, at least when it comes to myself. 🙂 The credit (or blame) for my English must go to the colonists who came here and decided to educate the locals in their language 🙂 Seriously, you’d be surprised by how many people are entirely comfortable with the language here. I guess access to English (mostly American) TV has made the understanding better in the present generation. English, in a way, served/serves as the common link between the various different lingual groups (There are 22 recognised languages in India) Yo hablo un poco de espanol tambien..But I can’t blame the Conquistadors for that 🙂
Who is this 26 fellow? This is the second time I’ve been compared to him I think. Hopefully it wasn’t some idiot..heh
Champagne Shardonnay . 🙂
Total and Rocky have competition ( and if only the human dictionary would do some posts, you know who I mean . 🙂 ). What a lucky site we have !.
TA – what football are you watchinbg now??
A thought occured to me 💡 . Whilst reading Redders comments on site , I can quickly look to Wiktionary for understanding, but I thought, If I were to meet Redders at the Tavern and he spoke the stuff he writes, would It seem rude If I stopped him mid sentence and said, ” hold on a sec Redders, can you spell that word “, whilst unveiling my mini dictionary ?. 🙂
Do you think he comes with his own interpretor or will I need a universal translator ( I know they exist, Gordon Brown`s got one and I saw them on Star Trek ) ? 🙂
Glic – don’t worry, it won’t happen, RA will never come to the Tavern
e va va vonne
I think he`s watching a re-run of the 1970/71 FA Cup final, so he can give me a bollocking !. 🙂
Glic – no, he said yesterday that he has not seen the second half of The Game, maybe he has had a few bevvies and is braving it?
Good luck tonight e va va vonne. 🙂
Do the Dutch like a good drink then ? 🙂
e va va vone
I dont know why he doesn`t want to watch It, they win one nil in the 2nd half !.
Glic – he is young, he will grow in strength with time.
Glicster,
A little exposure to me is all that is needed to spika da rubbish!
Alternatively, I will claim to be shy, and you won’t get a word out of me until I have had a bevy or two, and then my rubbish quotient increases beyond caring! 🙂
Evonne, are you writing me off? I know my health is not too good at the moment, but I am trying to fend off the Grim Reaper for a while. 🙂
Shard,
In response to your query, 26May, (known as 26; or 13*2, or ………..well you get the picture), he is a distinguished, highly intelligent lawyer, who is the site advisor on all footie legal measures or regulations, who writes clear, analytical comments and Posts in beautiful prose, and is rather too good in arguing points with me! 🙂
I am not famous for ‘tip toeing’ around, as you will notice if you stay on AA, but I do believe in good manners, not rudeness, and do not like to patronise anyone, even inadvertently.
As for the ‘compliment’ it was genuinely intended, especially as TA is a good friend who happens to be of Dutch origin but writes exquisite English and is one of the very best Authors on here.
There – now you have part of the deal on AA! 🙂
RA – WTF?? Why are you scaring me with the Grim Reaper story?? You are not very ill, I thought it was the ingrowing nail or hairs, surely one cannot die of that
Never mind, Evonne, it’s not important.
RA – there is NOTHING more important than health. Sorry to disagree respectfully….bla dee dah dee dah…I bet I am sicker than you 🙂
OK, Evonne.
Excellent, GIE.
I wish I could knock one out in double quick time as you can.
I watched the game through a haze of spiced rum, Coors Light and red-hot chili. The fire pit kept the chills out too. Can’t remember much about the game, so thanks for the reminder.
pisshead
Hi Evonne 🙂
I was still in 5pm footie mode this afternoon, only to realise that the final group games are being played simultaneously tonight. 😳
I watched some of the BD – Bayern cup final instead, which I still had recorded.
I really hope Poland will make it through tonight as I know it will mean a lot to you. And I really like that Lewandowski!
RA, Evonne, hope you both will recover fully from your illnesses and the day we can all have a drink and watch a game together, will be a joyful one. Reading between the lines you are both dealing with your health problems stoically. You are among friends here, so never hesitate to share some of your troubles with us, if and when you feel like! 🙂 🙂
RA, thanks for your continuous support: it means a lot to me! 🙂
Off for a while now. Catch you all later.
Hei! Koko koko Euro spoko! 🙂
Koko koko TA xx
evonne – I bet you wish you were in Poland tonight. Good luck to your guys 😉
Peaches – yes, but I am going for the finals 🙂
Good first half Evonne. The Czech will have to come out now and it will give you space to counter-attack. Good luck! 🙂
TA – yes, given that Greece are winning, Czechs have to open up and attack. Fingers crossed
tense
extremely
czechs began to cheat, holding head injuries
very tough from here
This is one tough tournament!
Wasn’t expecting those results.
Russia flatter to deceive yet again.
Sorry evonne, but the Czechs were just better 😦
Bloody blimey peeps, It`s all down to me and me china telescopelopudous, we are the king`s of de tictacs, next we`re gunner tackle de bubble economy ,we`ve aready built de wooden horse and put it inside one of those spammish banks with the 100dreds of de billyons innit. we getting in dare fast, before them bloody dodgy cockerknees rob it !.
hahahaha, spot on Stavros. England, Greece final will do me,
Probably England v Spain, and Germany v Greece in the quarters, no problem. hahahahha
Russia going home – makes no sense really 😦
evonne – you’ll still be there for a great party 🙂
Well done TMHT – your boys get another game or maybe even more 😆
Thanks Peaches. Realistcly ime hoping England can do it this time, they have a great chance this year. Probably Germany next for Greece so unless theres some divine intervention form Zeus and Apollo, or before the game the Germans eat one of my uncle Georges dodgy kebabs, it might be a bit hard. hahaha
Well at least Szczesny can rest his shoulder properly now, and AA23 can get sold…..maybe.
Commiserations Evonne, it just wasn’t to be despite giving absolutely everything. 😦
And congratulations to Terry: Greece Lightning! 🙂
Thanks for the post GiE, i agree with your sentiments about Theo. The reality for me at the moment is that Theo for england is a supersub. With players knackered and games stretching hes a perfect guy to bring on. like others have said, i was a bit pissed off when Gerrard ruined Alexs moment. Theo,Jack, Alex and Jenks for England. I must say, i like the sound of that.
I assumed it would be Russia and Poland through from Group A. Shows what I know about it,
Bit of a restricted view…..
Hi Shard, I submitted a draft post yesterday that contains some similarities with your comment @4.58. Therefore, I aim to respond to your comment once the post has come out.
Hi TA, i know this might sound crazy, but i think the only reason Greece got through was because of the current economic crisis. Lets face it, there a pretty talentless team, a bit crap realy, but they were extra motivated about whats happening back home.
Hi TerriGoonerou 🙂
This is just what the Greeks needed, you are absolutely right. I really hope the elections will go well and Greece somehow find a way to stay within the EU, with enough self-respect and hope in the future in order to become a stable and prosperous country again.
It seems to be make or break this time, but at least tonight the whole of Hellas is celebrating again! 🙂
Thanks TA
I Is a counting the cost of breaking all dem bloody plates, 1000s of years worth, bloody lot a money innit. Onasis rich ! nothing compared to them bloody plate makers !.
SG 🙂
Stavros, hahahaha
Listen peeps, In der old days, before Jason sold his boat at argos, we were rich. Undertakers were rich,Plate makers were rich, Kebab owners were rich and me pimpers were rich. Before der dracma, Kebabs wer der currency, so der way out of der crisis is simples, bring back der Kebab peeps.
Georgeous pays der pimpers with der Kebab, Pimpers gets angry coz Georgeous takes to long with der “hows your father”, pimpers bashes Georgeous over der head with der plates, Undertaker gets paid with der Kebabs, he pays der plate maker with kebabs to make more plates and der plate maker sells more plates to the pimpers and der kebab owners get more kebabs to make more kebabs for currency . Bloody easy innit . We`re be rolling in Kebabs . Kebabillyonaires. Then we`re kick der Romans butts for nicking our Gods !.
@ GiE
cheers for the good post. It really is painful to watch England play, and it was great to see Theo on fire. I’m still shocked at seeing Milner on the pitch. Young, downing and milner…god England need some good wingers coming through!
@ GLIC
I also wondered that in regards to RA, I’m sure after a few drinks he will be chucking you around like he did to keown!
@ Shard
to be compared to 26 is an honour, if you were compared to me then you can start sharpening knives and letting off expletives! Great comments once again.
Off to dream of some deliceous Kebabs, nite peeps 🙂
Sweet kebabs! 🙂
Here’s a couple of vids from Mal’s refereeing newsletter.
The first is the best tackle I’ve ever seen. Emre had apparently racially abused ex spud Didier Zakora.
Zakora took his own revenge. Yellow card. Hahahahahahahahaha 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK4e3qi1X3Y
Sometimes when we don’t want either team to win we wish for a 23 man brawl and a points deduction for both teams. Well here’s the 23 man brawl from a lower league game in Brazil.
that low blow makes me laugh every time i see it, how he got a yellow is beyond me. That second video is hilarious, they are just running around trying to trip each other. Although i make a conscious effort to never anger a Brazilian, they are insane fighters.
Oz
That guy’s a good fighter, but that is such an inelegant sport. Give me boxing any day.
Got to say the way qualification from groups works is a bit rubbish.
If on same points it’s based on the head to head results of those teams who are equal on points. Then after that on GD? Russia went out having a better GD than Greece. Surely Head to head should be last resort not first?
I agree GiE, that rule is pathetic, why not have the goal difference rule like the leagues do. Personally i think Russia was robbed in that outcome.
Boxing is in the past GiE, it will soon be irrelevant in sport, with most just going because of the spectacle not the fight itself. All you have is movement and punching…you mix that with wrestling, kickboxing, karate, ju-jitsu, and conditioning and you have the ultimate fighter. Although I’m biased because as a kickboxer it would frustrate the hell out of me if all i could do was punch an opponent.
Sorry meant Rocky not GiE. With that name I should have known haha
Great Post GiE, & well done Theo for showing Milner how to get the job done!
A quick rant then I’m off again.
I would personally be delighted if Steven Gerrard never wore the England shirt again.
Not only did he admit to Gabby Logan that his boyhood hero was Bryan Robson – another player I didn’t particularly like and IMO very over-rated – and surely no self-respecting scouser would ever pick out a MU player as ‘their hero’?, As if that in itself wasn’t bad enough, he then proceeded in desperately trying to roll back the years and in typical scouse mode, steal some glory for himself against Sweden, by denying The Ox a certain goal, and as we all know his first senior goal for England. I doubt Roy Hodgson would have read him the riot act, but 4-2 would have read a lot better than 3-2, and do we really want a captain who puts his own selfish needs for instant gratification over the needs of the team? It is criminal that we have to rely on someone who is clearly a spent force, let alone have him captaining us.
What an egotistical self-serving winker!!!
I went to see the Carl Froch v Lucian Bute fight in Nottingham and it was superb.
Morning Herb,
I’m guessing you had a very bad dream and it featured a Scouser. I will call that your “Boris Johnson Moment” 🙂
Oz,
Where are you?
Are they Brasilian footballers or what Chas?
http://vimeo.com/44151870
Here’s the story, Micky.
http://www.nesn.com/2012/06/flying-spin-kicks-lead-to-casualties-12-red-cards-as-mass-brawl-mars-brazilian-soccer-game-video.html
I don’t like Steven Gerrard, but he does have his eyes firmly fixed on the ball. It’d be interesting to know if the Ox gave him a shout.
Sorry Chas,
Can’t make that video of Theo’s head go. So no comment.
Right, on to the next. Oooo, a Brasilian brawl…yummmy
Chas,
Ox probably did give SG a shout, and therein could lie the problem 🙂
Are you not getting a play button left hand bottom corner?
Right Chas,
Don’t move a muscle, I’m about to reveal my new transfer target (given up waiting for Oz), and knowing me as you do, you will appreciate the full beauty of my discovery.
Listen to the drumroll, as I present to you our new AM……
ah, there is a youtube version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcKL-3caxlc
Oscar, what a fantastic name. 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llwA3y5-_Rc
Off for gym, swim, spa and sauna. Laters.
Full name
Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior
Date of birth
September 9, 1991 (age 20)
Place of birth
Americana, Brazil
Height
1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position
Attacking midfielder
On August 20, 2011, Oscar scored three goals in the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup final win against Portugal.[2] This performance was immediately compared to the 1966 hat trick by Geoff Hurst as only the second time a single player scored three goals in a World Cup final match. Oscar is also the first player to score a Hat-trick in the FIFA U-20 World Cup final
Apparently Pool were after the “New Kaka” last summer. Yeah right!
Bugger sorry Micky, i missed the availing! Ok off to watch the video of him
Oz,
Forgiven, but you must learn from the master and start spreading your net wider than Europe.
You will not top Oscar.
You cannot top a Brasilian with a single name.
sign him up Micky, he looks like a great player in the making. Barca can pay throw the nose for neymar we can have Oscar
The Banks that bankroll both Barca and Real are surely going to have to call in the debt after being bailed out. At the very least stop the flow of readies.
he definitely will be hard to top, i will leave no stone unturned Micky, you will have your BETTER attacking midfielder soon enough. Soon AA’ers will be saying ‘Oscar who’ and ‘who was that silly so and so that wanted him’ heed my words Micky!
Oz,
Absolute Fact: My Son already has an Arsenal shirt with OSCAR 10 on the back. I’m very confident.
I chatted with a few other Poles, all heart broken saying how nerve wrecking football can be. I was asked how I can watch it week in, week out without having a nervous breakdown.
In a nutshell, I can’t.
micky – what’s that about DidIt junior?
Morning all
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