Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Where is the bitterness? I have no intention of joining the mindless cheerleading (I mean has there ever been a more meaningless "hat-trick" than Kane's vs. Panama) and am trying to remain objective. Why should I reflexively support England? I want the teams that play good, entertaining, skillful football to succeed.

On that basis, I wanted the Colombia that skewered Poland to show up and get through because that was better than anything England had shown so far. Thirty minutes into the match i wanted Colombia to lose but by half time, as England joined the petulance party, I was neutral. When Colombia finally showed up in the second half of the second half then I thought they deserved to go on and win. England were creating nothing.

By the second half of extra time I was neutral again as England, in an unprecedented development, looked like scoring an actual proper goal. But they flattered to deceive and a goal at that point would have been hard on Colombia.

And I may be one of the few who actually expected England to win the shoot-out even after Henderson's miss.

I reported the Kane argument that I read because I had noticed the same odd way that he ended up on the ground with the defender on top of him in all three incidents. Noteworthy at least. And maybe because he's a spud (like Sanchez but nobody bit on the West Brom thing). But it seems that in this Trumpian world only the news and opinions that conform to the required narrative are acceptable. Any other perspective must be dismissed as the product of a twisted mind.

So England may well win the world cup aided by a laughably distorted draw and congratulations to them if they do. But unless they suddenly transform their aimless playing style then I, like any neutral observer, will take no joy in their victory. Much like Greece 2004 or Chelsea 2012. Are you so blinded by pubescent over-excitement that you can't understand that logical position?

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Harry Kane's got more world cup goals than the Jocks have in World Cup History.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Grasping there fella

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

You made some decent points there . The truth is that England are limited and they're set up to try and squeeze as much out of the system as possible . We've never done that before as we've always messed around trying to fit players in the side such as Beckham , Lampard , Scholes , Gerrard , Cole and so on and it doesn't work.

Kane is one of the best in the competition and that's a fact . it's never going to be all out attack minded total football because we haven't got those players which can turn the game in the middle of the park. What it does bring though is hard work , belief and a great team ethic and anyone that's played competitively will understand that .

I can't see England winning the World Cup but I can see them beating Sweden and then it's a lottery and maybe they're a better side than people make out . Every goal and every victory just makes all the detractors even more bitter .

It's Coming Home

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

I'm Irish and I'm generally rooting for England. Having said that this is probably the first time I'm inclined to favour England, and that's down to this current team's attitude. Previous teams were all a very unlikable bunch of primadonnas, this is the first team I recall with a playing with a good honest ethic and effort. I still don't think there is a world cup in them but getting to a semi final from this current draw is certainly possible.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

I don't think at any point you're actually genuinely and honestly trying to be objective. I might be wrong, but that's how it reads.

But in summary to some of the points you make, because it would be rude to not reply properly:
No international hat-trick is worthless in my opinion, you can only score against what's in front of you. Someone made great waves about Uruguay not conceding in 7 games but the teams they'd played hadn't been great...but that's not their fault.
England play good, entertaining (at times), skillful football. We're hardly like Spain for crying out loud. When a team sits back and it's a training match, like much of the other night's game then it's never going to be that exciting for anyone.
I think England did very well to not get drawn into the antics and petulance sooner and to a greater extent. I thought the Colombians were pretty much disgraceful across the board but it's what they felt they needed to do to get a result and it nearly worked.
I thought we'd win the shootout too actually, I'm not sure why, but I had a good feeling. Guess we lose the next one like in '96.
Interesting about Kane. I can't see any of them being anything other than really obvious penalties....but if he's putting himself in that position then I guess it's like someone cutting across a defender or doing any work to draw a foul. I don't think he'll ever admit it and I don't think we'd ever prove / disprove it so I guess it is what it is.
The draw is just what has happened, distorted or not..... It's a tournament and if Germany had won their group we'd possibly be facing them next and if we won that it might be Spain in the next round. It's not England's (or Croatia, Russia and Sweden's) fault. Would it help England win the world cup? Maybe, would that matter in the grand scheme of things? Maybe, maybe not? Will it just load the guns of those people who like to take shots at England? Abso-****ing-lutely.
Greece in 2004 was an absolute masterclass. What about Portugal 2016? They drew all their group games and finished third in their group needed extra time, penalties and Wales in the semis to get there? What about Spain 2010 who won all the knockout games 1-0 by crushing the souls of their opposition? I think you need to go back quite far to find swash-buckling flair and attacking free-flowing football played throughout a tournament by a team who wins it. Even Germany in 2014 who destroyed Brazil so joyfully had to struggle past Algeria in extra time and sent the final the same way. It's just not how you win a tournament.
No I'm not totally blinded, I'm partially blinded. I'm getting really excited at the prospect of England doing well, which a quarter final is pretty much the best I could have dreamed of before. Why on earth wouldn't I be? No, I don't think we'll win it and I think Sweden will turn us over, but it's going to be another shit game for a neutral because they'll sit back and soak up any pressure we can work out to put on. I'd suggest you just don't watch it because my prediction is 'turgid'.

I'd agree with that, although Ashley Young will forever remain a helmet.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

So why were we not seeing more hatricks? A hatrick is not meaningless..

Its a knockout tournament and anyone can win this now.

I find it quite sad you can't give some credit and enjoy the occasion...your nearest home nation left in the tournament now is England, it wouldn't hurt to give some support.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

So anyway, why didn't Vardy take a penalty in the shootout?

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

I'd agree with this and maybe i'm struggling a little with the very unfamiliar sensation of not instinctively disliking the England players - well apart from Ashley Young and Angelina Henderson - even the three spuds. Kane is, inevitably, over-rated by the English media though. He's certainly no Gary Lineker. Actually now that I think about it, Robson's England maybe the nearest comparator to Southgate's team in terms of minimal dislikeability, apart from Stuart Pearse. But even though I don't dislike England, I can't muster any enthusiasm for them. As tedious as Spain could be to watch, for example, at least you had moments of inspiration and brilliance. Still, think if Big Sam were still in charge!!!

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

You really don't have the historical awareness to understand why the relationship between England and the other "home countries", especially Ireland, will never be symmetrical, at least not in the forseeable future?

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

He apparently picked up a groin strain and didn't want to risk taking a penalty.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

Many of us don't live in the past.

Re: Bucket of Vindaloo
 

...says the fan of Jacob Rees Mogg and Brexit, though I guess they both rely on a completely fabricated past for their appeal.

Anyway, I'm not sure what is the relevance of your post. When you want a comparison to the current situation, where do you look? An equally imaginary future? You don't think it makes sense to compare the last England player to win a golden boot and the first candidate since? And what better comparison for the gentlemanly, decent, thoughtful Gareth Southgate than the gentlemanly, decent, thoughtful Bobby Robson, and I'm sure he would be as honoured by the comparison as he should be. Though in 1990 I did have my own team to follow whose playing style could equally only be appreciated by their partisans.

Or did you mean to attach this response to a different comment of mine?