Dates for your diary

[johnsmith]

Hodgson took England into the record books, is he the worst manager we have ever had ?

[Glyn]

Who else should we have?

[Soup Dragon]

Hodgson took England into the record books, is he the worst manager we have ever had ?

No, I don't believe he is.
However, I think it is the worst set of players for some considerable time. Let's face it - most of us aren't surprised one little bit by what has happened. Just disappointed.
But once the players have shed all their crocodile tears, they will be on the beach in 10 days time, and back at their Clubs, 'earning' their inflated wages not long after that. So that's alright then.

[Del]

Gweg Dyke supports Woy Hodgson so we will be alwight!

[Glyn]

Hodgson took England into the record books, is he the worst manager we have ever had ?

No, I don't believe he is.
However, I think it is the worst set of players for some considerable time. Let's face it - most of us aren't surprised one little bit by what has happened. Just disappointed.
But once the players have shed all their crocodile tears, they will be on the beach in 10 days time, and back at their Clubs, 'earning' their inflated wages not long after that. So that's alright then.

Post of the summer



Meanwhile list the players who've gone out there and not kicked a ball yet (eg Shaw [who could have been with the u-21s in Toulon getting tournament experience], Lampard, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain [should have been replaced if not fit] - are there more?) - it'll be interesting to see which of them play on Tuesday...

[Glyn]

Gweg Dyke supports Woy Hodgson so we will be alwight!

a) without any "root and branch review"

b) Dyke got one thing right, the "slit-throat gesture" when the draw was made, for which he was vilified. He obviously knows something about football after all...

[Glyn]

Hodgson took England into the record books, is he the worst manager we have ever had ?

Who else should we have?

Await your response...

[Glyn]

http://www.expressandstar.com/world-cup ... erhampton/

How do you "bizarrely live"?!

[Soup Dragon]

Quote of the Tournament so far, from Clarke Kent (or is it Carlisle?):
"I have NEVER experienced such a partisan crowd as this one Sam" (Brazil -v- Cameroon)

This from a bloke who is used to playing in front of 2500 at Northampton.

Muppet!

Oh, and while I am on a 'Rant Fest', why oh why are the Referees insistant upon telling the players to keep their hands down at all free-kicks and corners? Just blow whistle for the foul WHEN AND IF committed!

Right, time for that lie-down!

[Del]

FIFA are allowing Suarez to play against Germany providing Uruguay take the necessary precautions!

[Perton Pitman]

Aside from the Suarez debate, one of the other talking points has been the problems that Ghana and Nigeria have had with payments of bonus money to players. What surprises me is that a) the players are so skint that they require what amounts to thousands of pounds (not millions) each. Although the majority aren't on a Rooney type pay scale I would imagine that they do pretty well, and b) players and national associations deem it appropriate to have a culture of financial incentives for appearing and progressing at such a prestigious tournament.

If the players want to be paid (on top of the vast sums that they already earn) to play in the World Cup then there is something wrong with them.

[Soup Dragon]

Aside from the Suarez debate, one of the other talking points has been the problems that Ghana and Nigeria have had with payments of bonus money to players. What surprises me is that a) the players are so skint that they require what amounts to thousands of pounds (not millions) each. Although the majority aren't on a Rooney type pay scale I would imagine that they do pretty well, and b) players and national associations deem it appropriate to have a culture of financial incentives for appearing and progressing at such a prestigious tournament.

If the players want to be paid (on top of the vast sums that they already earn) to play in the World Cup then there is something wrong with them.

Greed mate, that's what is wrong with them!

[The Beerhunter]

I read somewhere else that the prize money is this:

England (I assume the FA) and the other 16 group losers get $8million (plus $1.5million for turning up, which all 32 nations get)

Last 16 losers get $9 million, 4 last 8 losers get $14 million, 4th place gets $20 million, third $22 million, runners up $25 million and winners $35 million.

$70 million goes to clubs who have players at the competition, and FIFA have a $100 million insurance pool for players who get injured.

$30 million stays in Brazil

FIFA expect to make $576 million from the competition.

[Soup Dragon]

I assume the last bit is shared between the Committee members that are left?

[Perton Pitman]

...obviously it will be ploughed back into grass roots football, won't it!?


however, it appears that the Greece players have turned their bonus down so fair play to them

[The Beerhunter]

I assume the last bit is shared between the Committee members that are left?

No it all goes to Sepp (allegedly)

[Glyn]

England still involved in the World Cup (see link below) - and not only that, but before Saturday night's QF the Kazakhstani ref said "All the best" (in English) to the captains of Holland and Costa Rica... see, they couldn't do it without us...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28199265

[Del]

England still involved in the World Cup (see link below) - and not only that, but before Saturday night's QF the Kazakhstani ref said "All the best" (in English) to the captains of Holland and Costa Rica... see, they couldn't do it without us...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28199265

[Glyn]

England still involved in the World Cup (see link below) - and not only that, but before Saturday night's QF the Kazakhstani ref said "All the best" (in English) to the captains of Holland and Costa Rica... see, they couldn't do it without us...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28199265

(Should have been red but he doesn't give those... )

[Glyn]

As I was in bed even before the game kicked off last night, I set my DVDR (yes, some of us are still living in the dark ages) to record the end of the game and extra time/pens if necessary (ha!) - just switched it on and I started at 84 minutes - so on my telly Brazil won 1-0




Loving the analysis - the words "incredible" and "unbelievable" are indispensable to football "experts", but it's not just them... - and brilliant that Klose's 16 Finals goals have come from a combined distance of 25 yards...

Lenny can do that

[Glyn]

So we're all Germany fans now then... heck, we wouldn't want Argentina winning it, we were at war with them as recently as the last century.... (sorry, what? Oh, erm....)

[Glyn]

Next time you hear anyone describing footballers as "brave", bear this in mind...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28240152

[Glyn]

Shock news...

http://metro.co.uk/2014/07/12/north-kor ... l-4796033/

[Glyn]

When Muller has a shower and feels the water on his back, does he go down clutching his knee?

[Glyn]

Messi, is he all that?

He certainly did things on the football field last night which I never did eg stand still for five minutes, remain silent throughout the entire game (what kind of a captain is that!), etc etc