We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
Yes, it a day chock full of friendlies. Some, of course, are more important than others to us; and the England vs. Spain match will be my major focus of attention this afternoon as I'm trying to get through a raft of bad test papers. Join me for the footie if you're around and about, lads.
posted by gatorbob @ 1:55 PM
We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!
106 Comments:
In case you're curious, in the earlier fixtures:
China 2 Kazakstan 1 (Borat won't be pleased)
Iran 2 Belarus 2
Albania 0 Macedonia 1
Israel 1 Ukraine 1
Just got the National Anthems on Five Live. Tremendous atmosphere in Old Trafford from the sound of it.
Here we go!
Dave's posted the England side. Here's the Spanish starting eleven:
Spain: Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Ibanez, Capdevila, Angulo, Albelda, Xavi, Vicente, Villa, Morientes.
Subs: Reina, Javi Navarro, Antonio Lopez, Torres, Alonso, Iniesta, Arizmendi, Fabregas, Angel
Actually I reckon it could be worse. I'd much rather take on Morientes than Torres if I were the England back four.
Germany are two goals up on Switzerland.
England are straight on the attack through the new wide boys. Kieron Dyer working down the left channel wins a corner, which is hit to SWP, who's shot goes wide. Not bad.
Michael Carrick has a long range effort beaten away by Casillas in goal. The rebound is pounced on by SWP but he's ruled offside. Bright start for our lads.
Gerrard lays a lovely ball through for Dyer who cuts it back for the Neviller, but he just can't latch onto it. The Spanish haven't got out of their half in the first five minutes!
I am home to watch the game.
Until you knock me off
Are you wtaching it?
Five Live is blacked out
Heya Dave: Nah, I'm following on 365.com. Text coverage. How are things?
The Spanish are coming into it a bit more now, especially through David Villa, who's been caught offside twice in quick succession.
The Spanish are coming into it a bit more now, especially through David Villa, who's been caught offside twice in quick succession.
What's your prediction for today, Davey?
Seems very quite right now.
I just put it back to see the Carrick shot you talked about.
Good shot, Dyer almost got the rebound
If you can listen to talksport it would be worth it
I don't have a good feeling about the game
When you diss the Nevilles, you aren't knocking Gary are you? He is a good defender and is always always making the overlapping run
I don't either. Sergio Ramos is getting some joy down the right against makeshift left back Phil Neville.
Ireland haven't broken down San Marino in a qualifer yet.
30 minutes gone
I'm okay with Gazza, but I don't see why Becks is "yesterday's man" and the Nevilles still get chosen. If it's time to move on, as Macca claimed in his Becks move, then surely it's time to try out people such as Luke Young in that position.
No one is better than running down the wing then Gaz
England look unbalanced at times with Frank Lampard narrow on the left and Michael Carrick in that holding role. England can give problems to Spain in possession, but Spain can get at Phil Neville. The midfield three of Lampard, Carrick and Steven Gerrard are very narrow, very tight."
Graham Taylor, Five Live analyst
That's been the problem with England under Macca in a nutshell. He has the bottle to drop Becks, why not drop Lamps if he's not playing well? Then you can stick Gerrard at the top of the diamond and you've solved your problem.
Argentina have scored against France.
SWP stinks!!!!
He has missed controlled many times and has beaten anyone
Morientes has just missed a sitter, ten yards out with just Foster to beat and he blazed well over. Good thing Torres isn't playing.
Yeah, I'd much prefer seeing Aaron Lennon out there (or even Gerrard) but Lennon is injured just now.
What a miss by Morrientes.
Rounded the last defender, and blazed it over the bar.
HOPELESS
Are you watching on FSC?
SWP is a complete waster. Bad control and wayward balls hit straight at the keeper. Chelski has ruined his career.
yes
Spain's miss was useless.
As you said, the shot was from the penalty spot and it went way over
Lucky sod; I didn't even know that they were playing it today. Enjoy, mate. Enjoy.
Lucky sod; I didn't even know that they were playing it today. Enjoy, mate. Enjoy.
SWP's England's career is over apparently
I couldn't watch the Brazil Port game yesterday because I had a faculty meeting and then off to the college
Should be. Twenty five minutes gone and very few chances beyond that Morientes miss. A lot of offsides for England and Spain, along with Crouchie fouling the keeper.
Who won that one? Portugal were 2-0 up at one point - more diving from Skippy?
They won 2-0
Playing Crouch alone up front is hopeless, since all they tend to do is launch long balls at him. The myth is that he's good in the air - the truth is that he's just freakishly big but not that good. Better on the floor, strangely.
Crouchie just had a useless header
I haven't heard Lamps named called
Sounds like Kieron Dyer is doing well down the left - interesting role for him in the absence of Joe Cole.
They're thin on the bench up front too. Just Parker, Downing and Defoe to come on if they need a change. Where's Roon?
I'd like to see Scottie Parker come on for Lamps if he doesn't improve.
He hasn't impressed me,
Roon picked up an injury against Spurs. He was sort of fit but they decided not to play him
The Spanish nearly broke them down again, slipping David Villa in on goal. How's Woody doing?
He is doing ok
Maybe the sound is not real through FSC but it seems very quiet
Better than the sound here. Germany are now 3-0 up.
On Talksport, they started playing Blue is the Color. The presenter said it is the best football song. The other guys disagreed. He said it was Leeds' song. Is that Calypso?
nil nil for Ireland
this is a nothing game!!!
this is a nothing game!!!
Well, I'd have to say that it's probably the best original club song. Of course there are better songs that have been adopted by clubs (Blowing Bubbles, You'll Never Walk Alone, e.g.). And I'd pick "Three Lions" as the best footie song period.
Could be worse - we could be losing. I don't think the hacks will complain that much if we scrap out a 0-0er against the likes of Spain.
Crouch should have scored with a shot but failed to get it on target
Crouch should have scored with a shot but failed to get it on target
Here's the 365 view: "It's been pretty turgid stuff so far at Old Trafford, with Carrick's early long-ranger the only shot on target."
If the pundits are talking about footie songs, you know it's got to be boring.
Nice suicidal backpass from the Neviller. Foster did well to get it away.
Almost disaster. Neville G. took a deep throw in and threw it back to Foster, the ball bounced to high and Foster had to clear it with his head.
Spain just called offside and it wasn't
Half time
Almost no sound from the crowd at half
Germany are winning 3 -1
Half-time - 0-0 Could be worse, I think. I'm off to a meeting. You carry on and I should be back around 4:30 for the closing stages.
Ireland have scored after 49 minutes
Talk to you later
Germany beat the Swiss
Barry to come on for the second half for Gerrard
Close chance for Spain in the first minute.
Cross to the back post and just missed connecting with a man running.
Good move from England but SWP chance blocked
Another good move from England, close to a goal
Holland lead Russia two nil
more chances in the first few minutes of the second half than the whole first
Gary Nev has a shot over the bar. Should have done a little better
Good save by Foster
United's future shot stopper
Holland up 3-1 against the Russians
Spain have just scored
Good goal
Holland have their fourth.
Let's hope that knocks the Russian's confidence.
Not clever defending for the Spanish goal.
Woody should have done better on the outside for the cross. Rio should have put more on his header
Richards is coming on
Defoe is the next one about to come on.
What about Barton?
Just heard Bollocks got injured today.
58,000 in OT tonight
San Marino have tied it up!!!! Only three minutes to go
Bloody hell, Dave. This doesn't look good. Spain go a goal up and Macca sticks on two more defenders. What's he on about? I'm glad to hear that Defoe is on.
England are hopeless.
Has Lamps been any better in the second half? Sounds like Crouchie's still fouling the keeper.
I guess the subs were ready to come on as the goal was scored so he just kept with the plan.
Still no Barton
Holland have won their match 4-1. Germany the same with a 3-1 margin.
Here comes Joey Barton - on for Lamps.
Barton is coming on for the last 11 minutes for Lamps
Defoe just had a shot that was 100 feet too high.
Sounds like one of yours! ;-}
Defoe just took for ever for the ball to come down in the box. ATTACK IT
High, wide and 'orrible - Gerry Harrison.
That's a low blow
I remember that classic line
Do you remember the match and the player he was referring to?
Late goal..... THE IRISH HAVE SCORED A WINNER AFTER 94 and half minutes.
PHEW!!!!
Game over
Remind me
England have ten minutes to salvage something from this disaster.
1982 World Cup first round match.
It doesn't sound as if even Dyer is playing well any more.
It was on FSC, yeah. Shame that they had to show that travesty.
Full-time: England 0 Spain 1; I had a bad feeling about this match and it was born out in spades. England were booed off at the end by an angry Old Trafford mob and for once I understand their anger. They paid a lot of dosh for some crap football tonight.
I said back in the fall that Macca should've been sacked since they had plenty of time to replace him. Now, that pad of time has been lost and we're stuck with him at least through to the summer. Bringing someone in now would be too jarring with the Israel game so near. Not good, lads. Not good. I'm very worried about Euro 2008 qualification at this point.
Excellent edition of 606 tonight with Ray Stubbs. Of course Macca came in for a right panning and rightly so for his lack of tactical nous. Playing Phil Neville at left back?! Crouchie up front alone?! Lamps and Gerrard bottled up in the mid again?! It's enough to make you pull out your hair (if I had some hair!)
Still, too many callers put it down to the lack of skill in the English game. (One caller even brought up that old canard of the 5-3 thrashing by Hungary in 1954). Bollocks! On paper we've got a world beating side, but Macca has shown that he's even worse than Sven at making them gel. Taxi for Steve!
Very satisfying win for the U.S. against Mexico last night. Any comments, lads?
Very happy to give those Mexicans another in a successive series of beat-downs.
It's possible that Hugo Sanchez is an even worse judge of players than McLaren though. Starting that odious little twat Blanco and Borghetti didn't work at all. But when they brought on Bravo, Fonseca, and some bloke with a doctors mask on his forehead, they looked very dangerous. Fortunately for us, we got a corner against the run of play and Conrad ghosted in unmarked for a headed goal. And for some reason, that really stung them and they unravelled a bit. I thought they had just started to get a rhythm again after we made a few very defensive subs, but then they played a ball against the ref, and it squirted to an off-to-the-races Donovan who rounded by Sanchez like he was a statue. 2-0 and goodnight.
Conrad was great and he's obviously the guy to build the defense around. Dempsey was lively and inventive for periods. He got a little involved in the ugly side of the rivalry and that made him less effective. But he's young and hopefully, he'll not let that sort of thing get to him so much in the future. Donovan was ok, but serious questions about what he has to offer as a leader are still unanswered. Convey was ok, but can't cross a ball to save his life. I'd be in favor of seeing whether he could be moved inside so that his accurate short passing could come into play.
Eddie Johnson and Chris Rolfe are not capable and I'd be pleased not to see them further included. I don't think either have the second gear to be more than decent MLS players.
I also think that Taylor Twellman should figure out just who he has to blow to get some decent game minutes, and then get on his knees and get it over with. He may not have lifted the Revs, but he is a different boy when he puts on a US shirt. First Arena and now Bradley insist on leaving him out and given the poverty of choices in his position, it's inexplicable otherwise.
And somebody teach Timmy Howard how to hold onto the flippin' pill. Why the Mexicans were not lined up like cricketers at silly point waiting for another spill was a mystery.
But any victory over Mexico is to be savored. Satisfying is exactly the word.
Yeah, what was with that doctor's mask? Bizarre.
Aiy, los dolores de cabeza. Or something like that.
Post a Comment
<< Home