SWWood- Location: Dover
- Registered: 30 May 2012
- Posts: 261
Of course we'll storm it. I mean, what could possibly go wrong???
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
We were going to storm it this time last year, as Jimmy Greaves said it is a funny old game, Welling with a tiny squad and run on a shoestring out performed our high paid team, time will tell.
Audere est facere.
Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
Well that's it then another tournament with us going out on penalties; have to say I just did not understand us defending for a vast amount of the game when we showed in the first twenty five minutes we could take them on. Still we did probably get further than most thought we would and Keith had we gone and won on penalties then yes we would have rolled the Italians. Lol
Yes two weeks and Dover Athletic can give us somethnig to shout for. COYW
SWWood- Location: Dover
- Registered: 30 May 2012
- Posts: 261
To be honest, it looks pretty open this year. I can't see us being too far away, and I doubt anyone will run away with it. Hopefully the crowds will be better this year. Put simply, not enough locals can be bothered to make their way up to Crabble (unless Arsenal are in town).
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
oh well another england failure,ranked 57th in the world,time to wake up and smell the coffee.
Keith Sansum1
- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
yes englang have a long way to go to catch up with other countries.
with regard to dover ath like many others i will be there even at £13 a time
but would like to see 11 players playing there heart out for the club to reach the club's aims.
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Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Wot a nailbiter!!
I dont know about you guys but the stress levels were mounting in Boland Towers...and that was even before the penalties started!
As suggested in my earlier post where I said Pirlo would dominate the game..well so he did..he strolled around the park in easy amble style unchallenged and ran proceedings at a casual pace which suited the Italians very well. This geezer has been around a long long time, I am sure I remember him playing even before I moved here to Dover and thats going back a bit. But he gave a midfield display of mastery and has the coolest disposition of any player I've ever seen. Look at the way he strolled his penalty into the net despite the incredible tension. Unbeliveable..the guys on TV will be showing that one for a long time to come.
England tried the current strategy as adopted by Chelsea in recent times of 'parking the bus' and basically thats what they did for most of the time. All eleven players behind the ball and hardly venturing out of their own penalty area..but just relying on quick breaks. It worked for Chelsea who defeated far better teams than themselves..but not this time. Even though the Italians dominated the game, it still balanced on a knife edge at the end of 90 minutes.
Extra time kicked in then and the tired players carried on..England looking the more tired of the two outfits, but despite efforts and despite the Italians having the ball in the net at the dying moments, it all went to penalties. England led with the penalties early on, but several misses later and Italian arms were raised in jubilation as they levelled and then won through.
The Italians though were the better of the two teams and justice was done. The Germans would have preferred England to go through as Klinsman knew, as he said on TV, they were the weaker of the two sides on show last night. Germany of course is the next opponent awaiting the winner here..
But it was a good run for England...and the World Cup isn't all that far away.
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
A good point there Paul about the tiredness, I find that one hard to explain, it was like a part time team against professionals towards the end as our players were out on their feet. Perhaps it is down to lifestyle? lack of talent perhaps can't be helped but lack of fitness for full time professionals is unacceptable.
Audere est facere.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
agreed martin more so when they are being paid £200,000 a week or so
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howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i see these references to tiredness and have noted over the past 15 years that players from the premiership do not perform well in the summer tournaments.
the premiership is the most physically demanding of all leagues, i look at italian football sometimes and note that every time there is a break in play they all stand around chatting and are in no great rush to restart.
when a direct free kick is awarded there is time to put the kettle on, make a cup of tea and get back in time to see it taken.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
Theres also an acceptance these days that england are not going to do that well
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Guest 667- Registered: 6 Apr 2008
- Posts: 919
Let's be honest good old Roy got it wrong, his defend, defend and then defend some more and if we get a goal fine if not there is always the penalties and he got caught out because they took theirs better than us. Boring tactics, boring football and we ended up deserving to lose. I for one would have been far happier seeing us going out while trying to play some good attacking football ourselves.
However had we won on penalties then yes I suppose I would have been happy we got through but it certainly would not have filled be with confidence to go on to meet the Germans.
Roy Hodgson has not been manager long so we will give him the benefit of not having much time with the players but I hope when we start the World Cup qualifiers we are going to see more attacking football.
Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
Lack of real talent Harry, you have to make the most of what you have and we do not have a lot.
Audere est facere.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
ALL POSTS ARE MY OWN PERSONAL VIEWS
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think martin is right here, roy hodgson doesn't have an embarrassment of riches to work with and has done an excellent job in the short time he has been in charge.
we didn't pass the ball well enough to sustain attacks.
Guest 653- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,540
"We didn't pass the ball well enough to sustain attacks".
Surely Howard that should read "we didn't pass the ball well enough to "start" attacks" !!
Roger
Guest 663- Registered: 20 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,136
A nailbiter indeed had to sit next to a Italian colleague today whom as you can imagine was elated, but like i kept telling her now you have to face the Germans.
Keith Sansum1- Location: london
- Registered: 25 Aug 2010
- Posts: 23,942
jan;
shame England still showing they not up to it
or could have been facing the germans
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Guest 715- Registered: 9 Jun 2011
- Posts: 2,438
They will surrender Jan and put German shirts on
Audere est facere.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
that reminds me of a comment of a colleague many years ago when told that there was no point in ringing our italian counterparts that day as they were on a public holiday.
he indignantly asked what it was for and was told it was to celebrate the end of the war.
after a short pause he came back with "lucky they dont have a public holiday every time they changed sides or we would never be able to contact them".
