England: How do you stand?

[KevinGage]

I'll watch allthe games but frankly I dont care for the team and whether they win, lose or draw.

International weeks deprive us of proper football.

Yep.


 

  Fuck me - who's the fickle ones? those who spend the season giving Rooney, Rio, Stevie Gee, Ashley Cole and JT stick when they play for their clubs but fall over themselves in hero worship as soon as they play for England? Or those of us who hate them with a consistency

Darn straight.


I never get too worked up about international football, it's only a distraction from the real business of AVFC and I find the international week as dull as dishwater.  If I had to back anyone I'd find it easier to support Ireland.  Largely for family reasons and the fact that I spend quite a bit of time there for work. I'm not particularly fussed whether they win or lose TBH,  they're just not as disagreeable as a side containing the likes of Ashley Cole, JT Stevie G and all the other abbreviated cock-ends. I can't turn my contempt on and off like some seem to be able to do.

I support England in that most English of sports cricket though. Go figure.

I used to like to see Villa players breaking through to the international side and gaining recognition but now it just seems to be a prelude to a big money move.   You sit and wait and wonder who will be the next player to have his head turned by Club England muppets discussing pay packets and coming back to VP with a head the size of Kate Winslett's arse.

[Chico Hamilton III]

Oh dear Chico... you 'hate' England despite being English? Like I said 'lolwut'

sorry, kid, but you're going to have to translate that last phrase.

I don't hate England, by the way. I hate that bunch of no-marks who represent England

and, I give even less of a shit about what Germans, Dutch etc think of their teams.

I'm a Villa fan, that's why I post messages on a Villa fans' messageboard

[Merv]

I think Kate Winslett's alright. But I agree with Kev Gage on just about everything else. I really can take or leave England these days; I lost my passion for them during Euro 2004, when the tournament was there for the taking and we blew it. Since then it's been pretty depressing watching the same old big names paff about and deliver very little. And nothing really changes. We'll qualify - because we're always in a group where England are the top side - and do very little in the tournament. I was hoping there would be a brave new era after the World Cup but instead we've seen the introduction of Bobby Zamora and, now Zamora's injured, Kevin Davies. I'm all for chances for those outside the top four but I'd rather see some long-term planning - sacrifice the Euros and build for the next WC.

To be honest, I find international weeks a nuisance. Deprives me of PL football and, when the squad is announced, I find myself hoping no Villa players are in it, in case they get injured. The second half was on at home last night but I just caught glimpses of the game and didn't watch it properly. An England game on TV being optional viewing? Saws it all for me.

[The Situation]

So you hate the England team... because afterall it's the 'bunch of no-marks' who play and represent the English national team.

You can not give a shit about what the Germans, Dutch and Spanish think - that's fine, but I did point out you wouldn't be getting this ridiculous anarchy from the people of those countries towards their national team; that's probably why all 3 of those teams would beat England convincingly (tbf, we've already witnessed what Germany did to England).

[Chico Hamilton III]

but I did point out you wouldn't be getting this ridiculous anarchy from the people of those countries towards their national team; that's probably why all 3 of those teams would beat England convincingly

So you think that the reason Germany, Spain, Holland are much better technically than us, much more succesful in international football, play a much more attractive game and would beat England 9 times out of 10 is because their supporters like them more than English supporters like England?

Anyway, this thread should be off topic

[The Situation]

Errr, I never said that... but it's the type of "I'm English and can't stop myself from hating John Terry, Gerrard etc... when they play against Montenegro in a qualifyer, but if England won the World Cup I'd be kissing their arses like it's 1999" attitude which really leaves me bewildered.

Like I said, half the Spanish team who won the World Cup play for Barca but that didn't stop Madrid and the rest of Spain celebrating and not caring which players played for which clubs.

[KevinGage]

So you hate the England team... because afterall it's the 'bunch of no-marks' who play and represent the English national team.

You can not give a shit about what the Germans, Dutch and Spanish think - that's fine, but I did point out you wouldn't be getting this ridiculous anarchy from the people of those countries towards their national team; that's probably why all 3 of those teams would beat England convincingly (tbf, we've already witnessed what Germany did to England).

Absolute balls.

The bulk of that Spanish team is from Catalonia and traditionally Basque players formed a big part of the side too.

Players are players and they'll play to the highest standard possible - against the best opposition possible. But ask people in Catalonia and the Basque region what they think of Spain. You won't find widespread support, put it that way.

[Dave Cooper please]

I have a total ambivalence towards the England football team despite being (as far as I've gone back in the family tree) very, very English. And I can absolutely gurantee you that should England win the next five World Cups I will not be putting a flag on my car.

Yet I love to see our cricket team win, love to see our athletes win medals in The Olympics, cheer on our cyclists etc. etc.

I think that says something about how I see our footballers.

[Quiet Lion]

The thing is Villa have left me pissed off plenty of times. We are never near winning things. Our players would appear arrogant and we would hate them if they didnt play for villa.

In short everything that people hate England for could equally apply to villa.

I wont stop supporting Villa and I wont stop supporting England.

[The Situation]

@Kevin... er yeah, I kinda made that point about most of the players in the Spanish team play for Barcelona like 40 minutes ago. If you're saying the Catalan's weren't celebrating Spain's world cup win (which they were btw, except for probably a few 75 year old men) then like you said, why are so many Catalan's playing for Spain? Madridstas were celebrating Spain winning the world cup and so were the Catalan's and Northerners.

[KevinGage]

Spain has had probably the most fractured support of any of the bigger nations in recent years.

When Spain played Bulgaria in Euro 96 a fair few Catalans supported Stoichkov's side. So 75 year old men? No. The popular support for the Spanish national side in those areas ranges from indifference to outright hostility - I know because I've lived there.

And no amount of LOL/ LOOL  or any other semi illiterate text speak will give your piss poor argument any credence. 

[Rudy Can't Fail]

Tossers. Will generally only watch if there's a Villa player in the side.

As for the Spanish, they put aside all their politics and rivalry, behaved like men and got on with the job. If the tossers that play for England put their egos to one side, they might make a half decent team. Whilst the team still has twats like Terry and especially Gerrard in the side, England will continue to be no hopers.

[TheSandman]

One thing I don't understand is that when you don't get paid for international football, why some players play for countries that are not their own.

I mean Phil Bardsley probably only decided to play for Scotland as he couldn't get a game for England.

[villa1]

Apathy.

Had it on in the background last night. Wasn't really bothered.

Big group of us used to make a point of meeting up for a few jars for every England game but we just don't bother any more.

[Clampy]

Oh dear Chico... you 'hate' England despite being English? Like I said 'lolwut'

We don't hate the England team, we just don't care enough. Sorry if you can't get your head around that.