2014 FIFA World Cup: Group D (URA/CRC/ENG/ITA)

treiz · Post #21 » by **treiz** » Tue May 13, 2014 2:02 pm

The expected squad, no major surprises apart from maybe Ashley Cole, but that's a huge maybe. Like the emphasis on some of the youngsters, especially the likes of Sterling, Shaw and Henderson who 100% deserve to be there as well as Stones and Flanagan being on the standby list, could've easily replaced Smalling with one of the two. Cleverley on the standby list is a joke especially considering Barry was available, not really sure on Lamaprd being there either, over Carrick too. Hope none of Rooney or Sturridge go down, definitely do not want Carroll/Defoe in there, bad enough Welbeck is there.

Overall I like the squad, now time to try to win the WC with this team on FIFA in Legendary

My personal XI:

Hart

Baines, Jagielka, Cahill, Johnson

Gerrard, Henderson

Sterling, Rooney, Lallana/Milner

Sturridge

Could take off Sturridge and convert to a 4-3-3 and put Wilshere in there.

Post #22 » by **Baphomet** » Wed May 14, 2014 2:26 am

I'm actually very happy with that squad, with the exception of Jones and Smalling, but I suppose their inclusion is not all that surprising given the lack of alternatives at the position. Not sure if I'd have Sterling starting personally, but he's had a very good season so fair play to him.

Sad that Kyle Walker didn't make it, but I suppose his fitness was always going to be in question.

DD12 · Post #23 » by **DD12** » Wed May 14, 2014 3:11 am

If I were England, I would use the same tactic as Liverpool and put Liverpool players in XI.

Hart, Glen Johnson, Henderson, Gerrard, Sturidge and Sterling. The rest is the best players of those positions.

Easy way to succeed!

White+Purple · Post #24 » by **White+Purple** » Wed May 14, 2014 2:40 pm

DD12 wrote:If I were England, I would use the same tactic as Liverpool and put Liverpool players in XI.

Hart, Glen Johnson, Henderson, Gerrard, Sturidge and Sterling. The rest is the best players of those positions.

Easy way to succeed!

Using Liverpool players in your XI is indeed a tactic used by Liverpool :thumbsup:

treiz · Post #25 » by **treiz** » Wed May 14, 2014 5:27 pm

Baphomet wrote:I'm actually very happy with that squad, with the exception of Jones and Smalling, but I suppose their inclusion is not all that surprising given the lack of alternatives at the position. Not sure if I'd have Sterling starting personally, but he's had a very good season so fair play to him.

Sad that Kyle Walker didn't make it, but I suppose his fitness was always going to be in question.

I'd take off at least Smalling for Stones to be honest, he's played RB in the past and he's shown this year he can play CB if needed.

Main reason I'd have Sterling in there is for when Gerrard, Henderson, Johnson and Sturridge are playing. Helps that they are all familiar with each other, could really do us good. Plus, him and Lallana are pretty good at pressing high up the pitch, add Rooney to that too.

Post #26 » by **LittleOzzy** » Mon Jun 2, 2014 10:30 pm

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Brazil14WC/status/473513944351801345[/tweet]

Doormatt · Post #27 » by **Doormatt** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 3:20 am

God I hope we smash England. I **** hate the English when it comes to football.

Post #28 » by **Baphomet** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 3:35 am

Doormatt wrote:God I hope we smash England. I **** hate the English when it comes to football.

Any particular reason for that? We sure have had our share of unlikable players, can't deny that.

Doormatt · Post #29 » by **Doormatt** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 3:50 am

I don't like any of their players, I don't like the EPL, I hate the English media and I don't like that so many EPL fans (speaking personally) like to beat on Italian football while it's down. Thank god the English don't win anything or they truly would be insufferable.

And I use hate in the most loving way possible, cuz I love the country and I love London.

But srs **** u England

Post #30 » by **Baphomet** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 4:20 am

Doormatt wrote:I don't like any of their players, I don't like the EPL, I hate the English media and I don't like that so many EPL fans (speaking personally) like to beat on Italian football while it's down. Thank god the English don't win anything or they truly would be insufferable.

And I use hate in the most loving way possible, cuz I love the country and I love London.

But srs **** u England

Well, you get some pretty poor fans over here that's for sure, although most of them support West Ham so they're easy to spot. You could say Italian fans are fascist, racist ultras who go around stabbing people, looking for fights and racially heckling black players, but one small subsection of fans isn't a fair representation. Plus, it's definitely not just English/EPL fans who bag on Italian football. Its fall from grace was legendary and acrimonious to fans all around Europe.

I won't disagree that the media and our players are a bunch of awful bastards, although that seems to be lessening with the departure of Rio, Cashley and Terry from the national team.

ardee · Post #31 » by **ardee** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 1:36 pm

Long time England fan here, don't have my hopes up though.

The first Uruguay game will be key. Minus Suarez I think we could nick a win there.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using RealGM Forums mobile app

No_20 · Post #32 » by **No_20** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 1:46 pm

Those EPL fans that beat on Serie A are not even english.

They're from Asia, America, Africa, Scandinavia etc. Gloryhunting tw*ts who support Arsenal or Liverpool instead of their local team.

People in England loved Italian football back in the day when they had it on Channel 4 with James Richardson.

truth18 · Post #33 » by **truth18** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 3:58 pm

Doormatt wrote:I don't like any of their players, I don't like the EPL, I hate the English media and I don't like that so many EPL fans (speaking personally) like to beat on Italian football while it's down. Thank god the English don't win anything or they truly would be insufferable.

And I use hate in the most loving way possible, cuz I love the country and I love London.

But srs **** u England

Yup, love England/London/the countryside. LOVE British women (that accent). Big fan of many British bands.

But screw England when it comes to football. EPL fans are worse than la Liga fans when it comes to having a superiority complex. They always find a way to justify the EPL being the best league with the most parity and entertainment value even if it means being complete hypocrites and changing the story to fit the league every three years.

National team is a disgrace (the Knicks of int. Football as someone here said). Players are HIGHLY unlikeable.

If there is one team I can't wait to see crash and burn, its England, I like seeing Germany choke but Reus is my favorite player in the world right now, and Hummels is my man, so I have mixed feelings.

No_20 · Post #34 » by **No_20** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 4:11 pm

Why do you have a problem with EPL being the best league.

You have 6-7 marquee teams. In Bundesliga you have 2. In Spain you have 2, and sometimes Atletico. Italy is the closest with 5 marquee teams(The big 3 + Roma, Napoli).

truth18 · Post #35 » by **truth18** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 4:25 pm

No_20 wrote:Why do you have a problem with EPL being the best league.

You have 6-7 marquee teams. In Bundesliga you have 2. In Spain you have 2, and sometimes Atletico. Italy is the closest with 5 marquee teams(The big 3 + Roma, Napoli).

Italy is nowhere near the closest at this point in time.

Personally, I think the EPL is the most competitive league with the most relative parity. If you read what I wrote I never said otherwise.

That doesn't mean EPL fans aren't insufferable in their strawman arguments for it being the best league. They also start that argument/conversation a lot (at least my Liverpool/Tottenham EPL fan friends in Philly do, and people on GoalLegacy) and its just annoying.

Looking forward to England embarrassing themselves again.

No_20 · Post #36 » by **No_20** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 4:28 pm

Why do you support Dortmund as a Bostonian?

truth18 · Post #37 » by **truth18** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 4:55 pm

No_20 wrote:Why do you support Dortmund as a Bostonian?

A close friend and I went to Rock Am Ring in 2006. We ended up hanging out with a pretty chill group of German people and after a few days of drunken music festival debauchery I slept with this girl Annika.

Long story short, she showed us around Berlin for a week, let us stay with her/eat with her family, etc.

One day, I'm taking a piss in the bathroom and I notice a Celtics clock on the wall. Turns out her brother was a huge basketball/Celtics fan in the 80s. He took me and my friend out to a bunch of clubs one night when she couldn't and made us promise to be Dortmund fans as neither of us supported a club aside from the Revolution but were huge football fans. Their whole family were huge Dortund fans.

Been rolling with Dortmund since, with my fandom only increasing each year. Love my club.

Why do you ask? Who do you support?

Ted Lasso · Post #38 » by **Ted Lasso** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 5:37 pm

Baphomet wrote:Well, you get some pretty poor fans over here that's for sure, although most of them support West Ham so they're easy to spot.

That's gold, Jerry. Gold. :lol:

Post #39 » by **Next Coming** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 6:50 pm

Are you guys steaming because of the treble tshirts they're selling lol

Ted Lasso · Post #40 » by **Ted Lasso** » Tue Jun 3, 2014 6:57 pm

Next Coming wrote:Are you guys steaming because of the treble tshirts they're selling lol

Hahah it's not that. I am numb to Tottenham-related embarrassment. I just appreciate quality humour.

For those who aren't in the know:

Who advances from Group D?