Other Games - 2024/25

[Ian.]

For the whole time I’ve watched football, England have been generally only half decent to watch a handful of times. We’ve had moments of magic with some fantastic nights, but in the main, they’ve always been dull, disjointed and boring. Bobby Robson team is often looked back on as great, but it only clicked late into the 86 World Cup for a couple games, like wise with El-Tel’s 94 team. There was the thumping of Germany under Keegan. How did Sven fair, I can’t remember? The Beckham period wasn’t it?

Southgate’s side always brushed away the minnows to easily qualify but failed against any one half decent in the main events. Without Kane I wonder if we would have got as far as we did with his lacklustre teams.

I can’t really remember the last time I have got excited about International football. Lately it’s so often and means a couple weeks off from the Villa, which is annoying.

[Dave]

There was the thumping of Germany under Keegan. How did Sven fair, I can’t remember?

His time is a bit maligned due to people thinking his thumping of Germany was orchestrated by Kevin Keegan.

[Drummond]

Haha, very good.

[Meanwood Villa]

Qualification has become routine and there are fewer friendlies than ever, to the extent that I'm only really bothered when it comes to final tournaments. The first element of this is a measure of success really.

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

I lost interest when they appointed Revie.

[olaftab]

First ever defeat by an African team, I think.

2012. South Africa won the 3rd test at Lords by 51 runs to take the series 2-1.

But that's proper sport ALITA. Not many on here appreciate it.

[kippaxvilla2]

Someone on the tv said that the 5-1 was a WC qualifier whereas I was sure it was a friendly.

[Meanwood Villa]

It was definitely a qualifier

[VILLA MOLE]

Qualification has become routine and there are fewer friendlies than ever, to the extent that I'm only really bothered when it comes to final tournaments. The first element of this is a measure of success really.

They need to do something with the format ,  it really is dull until you get to a knock out stage competition

[Dave]

Piss funny.

I wasn't that bothered about England under Southgate and I'm still not that bothered about England under Tuchel, but I reckon I could enjoy a year or so of the "ANYONE COULD DO WHAT SOUTHGATE DID WITH THE NEW GOLDEN GENERATION,THE BIG FRAUD" types being a bit confused about England reverting to the pre-2018 version.

Wow - imagine if he is actually a world class manager.  I can imagine it now in is autobiography - "people said I under achieved - but I had blood Harry Migure in the team - what more could I do".

I think that's what quite a few people were saying at the time.

He's definitely not a world-class manager. But he was the manager that fit the players and circumstances of the time better than he had any right to.

He'll be terrible if / when he takes another managerial job, but overall his time with England was one of comparative overachivement rather than the underachievement that some people seem to think.

[Dogtanian]

It’s dull for the strong teams who will inevitably get through, but for the other nations it’s an important competition in its own right.

We’d all be much more interested in it if there was something on the line that we didn’t already assume was ours anyway.

[Dave]

Someone on the tv said that the 5-1 was a WC qualifier whereas I was sure it was a friendly.

It was the return fixture from Keegan's final match, the 0-1 defeat (last game at the old Wembley I think?) in 2002 World Cup qualifying. Think it's the one where Southgate played in midfield for (probably) the first time since he moved to us and it didn't work.

[cdbearsfan]

Ecuador and Brazil the latest teams to qualify.

[cdbearsfan]

Maybe choosing to televise every sodding Liverpool game months after they had won the league wasn't such a great idea after all.

Premier League TV viewing figures drop on Sky & TNT - https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cwyj7506y5jo

[Ian.]

There was the thumping of Germany under Keegan. How did Sven fair, I can’t remember?

His time is a bit maligned due to people thinking his thumping of Germany was orchestrated by Kevin Keegan.

My apologies Sven and bless you in the heavenly skies! Fancy taking that off him and patting Kev on the back!