A Turkey of a Different Sort
November 22, 2007 12:31 PM Subscribe
Hopeless, hapless, helpless.
England will not be competing in Euro 2008. Not surprisingly, the FA's response is swift. Now not even big Sam wants the job. For some reason Roy Keane weighs in. Others are probably having a quiet little chuckle. But should he ? It's probably time for the footballing equivalent of a unicorn chaser.
England will not be competing in Euro 2008. Not surprisingly, the FA's response is swift. Now not even big Sam wants the job. For some reason Roy Keane weighs in. Others are probably having a quiet little chuckle. But should he ? It's probably time for the footballing equivalent of a unicorn chaser.
But I've heard there's a team of Californian wiccans who are expected to dominate the league. Sorry again, England.
posted by wendell at 12:48 PM on November 22, 2007
posted by wendell at 12:48 PM on November 22, 2007
There is a town in north Ontario...
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:49 PM on November 22, 2007 [3 favorites]
posted by The corpse in the library at 12:49 PM on November 22, 2007 [3 favorites]
Meh. England isn't worth the pixels the way they played the last 3 or 4 games. How about Scotland? Did they get hosed or what?
posted by deadmessenger at 1:01 PM on November 22, 2007
posted by deadmessenger at 1:01 PM on November 22, 2007
How about Scotland? Did they get hosed or what?
Not really, I'd say. From the article: "[Scotland] battled back bravely and deservedly equalised through captain Barry Ferguson in the 65th minute" - well, deservedly except that he was offside. And that Italy had a good goal disallowed. A real shame that they didn't go through after some magnificent performances against France, but really their own fault for losing in Georgia.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:22 PM on November 22, 2007
Not really, I'd say. From the article: "[Scotland] battled back bravely and deservedly equalised through captain Barry Ferguson in the 65th minute" - well, deservedly except that he was offside. And that Italy had a good goal disallowed. A real shame that they didn't go through after some magnificent performances against France, but really their own fault for losing in Georgia.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:22 PM on November 22, 2007
Graham Henry is looking for a new job, he has a proven track record of taking teams as far as the quarter finals.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 1:26 PM on November 22, 2007
posted by Samuel Farrow at 1:26 PM on November 22, 2007
> England will not be competing in Euro 2008.
You don't think that they'd have been competitive if they had qualified, do you?
*ducks*
posted by Kreiger at 2:21 PM on November 22, 2007
You don't think that they'd have been competitive if they had qualified, do you?
*ducks*
posted by Kreiger at 2:21 PM on November 22, 2007
*throws turducken at Kreiger*
Hey, I've got a bunch of them; and it's better than actually EATING them...
posted by wendell at 2:47 PM on November 22, 2007
Hey, I've got a bunch of them; and it's better than actually EATING them...
posted by wendell at 2:47 PM on November 22, 2007
GO SPORTS!
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:23 PM on November 22, 2007
posted by Citizen Premier at 6:23 PM on November 22, 2007
It was all the fault of the opera-singing guy whose penis is a mountain.
posted by flashboy at 7:19 PM on November 22, 2007
posted by flashboy at 7:19 PM on November 22, 2007
Fergie is ideal.
Having him manage England is the only way to get him to stop managing United.
Or a serious note, this should be kept in perspective, one of the big European Football countries: Germany, France, Holland, Italy and England often fails to qualify for a major tournament. The Croatians and the Russians are formidable. Sport is hard.
Even The Economist has weighed in on England's weakness in national competition at football.
posted by sien at 9:20 PM on November 22, 2007
Having him manage England is the only way to get him to stop managing United.
Or a serious note, this should be kept in perspective, one of the big European Football countries: Germany, France, Holland, Italy and England often fails to qualify for a major tournament. The Croatians and the Russians are formidable. Sport is hard.
Even The Economist has weighed in on England's weakness in national competition at football.
posted by sien at 9:20 PM on November 22, 2007
Roy Keane: "I am sure they do love playing for their countries, but I watched some of them being interviewed after the game and you could see in their attitude, players are losing the love of playing for their countries."
At least he can speak from a position of authority. I've never bothered to look into it much since the prick jumped ship at the world cup, but what's the hate level for the guy like in Ireland these days? Or in general in Britain?
[I know Keane had managed to stamp his mark on United's history as this amazing stalwart defensive talent but I never observed much real magic - it's hard to say what % of their games I've seen in the last 15 years though, maybe 10%, so there could be an element of misstiming I guess]
posted by peacay at 1:04 AM on November 23, 2007
At least he can speak from a position of authority. I've never bothered to look into it much since the prick jumped ship at the world cup, but what's the hate level for the guy like in Ireland these days? Or in general in Britain?
[I know Keane had managed to stamp his mark on United's history as this amazing stalwart defensive talent but I never observed much real magic - it's hard to say what % of their games I've seen in the last 15 years though, maybe 10%, so there could be an element of misstiming I guess]
posted by peacay at 1:04 AM on November 23, 2007
You may scoff but all over China owners of factories gearing up for the manufacture of plastic St George Flags are wondering how they are going to feed their children next year...
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:38 AM on November 23, 2007
posted by fearfulsymmetry at 3:38 AM on November 23, 2007
Never saw Keane as anything but a nasty little hooligan during his playing days, but I'm a Liverpool fan so I may not be the most objective. Can't speak for Ireland but these days he seems pretty well-respected in Britain and is doing a sterling job managing Sunderland (with Niall Quinn of all people as his chairman)
I'm English but I'm firmly club before country and tend not to care about the national team. I like to see Wales do well, though.
posted by corvine at 3:52 AM on November 23, 2007
I'm English but I'm firmly club before country and tend not to care about the national team. I like to see Wales do well, though.
posted by corvine at 3:52 AM on November 23, 2007
I came here to escape the endless England-centric media. Alas.
posted by triv at 6:39 AM on November 23, 2007
posted by triv at 6:39 AM on November 23, 2007
That Guardian link under the question mark about Sven signing some Thai footballers appears to have a rather embarrassing final paragraph.
I can only presume that mocking Guus Hiddink for proving "unable to coach Russia to qualification for the Euro 2008... despite having two years in which to make use of Roman Abramovich's fortune and the playing resources of a nation of 141 million with a long football tradition" was one of two alternatives written before the match and the online editor has put the wrong paragraph up...
posted by unless I'm very much mistaken at 7:27 AM on November 23, 2007
I can only presume that mocking Guus Hiddink for proving "unable to coach Russia to qualification for the Euro 2008... despite having two years in which to make use of Roman Abramovich's fortune and the playing resources of a nation of 141 million with a long football tradition" was one of two alternatives written before the match and the online editor has put the wrong paragraph up...
posted by unless I'm very much mistaken at 7:27 AM on November 23, 2007
one of the big European Football countries: Germany, France, Holland, Italy and England
???????
wtf has england done to deserve to be on your "big" list? or holland for that matter? did you die in the seventies by any chance? well, impressive cyber-channeling, then. tell your medium I said hi. to my grandma.
posted by mr.marx at 5:48 PM on November 23, 2007
???????
wtf has england done to deserve to be on your "big" list? or holland for that matter? did you die in the seventies by any chance? well, impressive cyber-channeling, then. tell your medium I said hi. to my grandma.
posted by mr.marx at 5:48 PM on November 23, 2007
the online editor has put the wrong paragraph up...
That article was published on Tuesday, before the England-Croatia match - when it was obviously considered inconceivable that England wouldn't get at least a point at home.
peacey: Keane was so much more than a DM, though: a genuine box-to-box midfielder who could track back and cover the defence, or get forward and score goals. United's success owes as much to Keane as to anyone - even Cantona or Schmeical.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:44 PM on November 24, 2007
That article was published on Tuesday, before the England-Croatia match - when it was obviously considered inconceivable that England wouldn't get at least a point at home.
peacey: Keane was so much more than a DM, though: a genuine box-to-box midfielder who could track back and cover the defence, or get forward and score goals. United's success owes as much to Keane as to anyone - even Cantona or Schmeical.
posted by Infinite Jest at 1:44 PM on November 24, 2007
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Sorry, footballers. Now on to the quidditch season.
posted by jfuller at 12:37 PM on November 22, 2007