Iceland's population is about 325,000.

[Burney]

It's equivalent to losing to Croydon :hehe:

[Ash]

It's equivalent to losing to Croydon :hehe:

Ah, Croydon. Source of one of the seven great wonders of south London, and home of the first road in the country to have sodium street lights.

[Burney]

I won't hear a word against the place from outsiders, a, but it has to be said that you know more about it than is strictly healthy ;-)

[Ash]

I won't hear a word against the place from outsiders, a, but it has to be said that you know more about it than is strictly healthy ;-)

Nothing unhealthy about the river Wandle imo. I've done it twice in the last few weeks, and it's in excellent nick. Nice flinty church in the old part of town too.

[Burney]

The Parish Church? That's a Gilbert Scott, mate. I've given readings there - despite being a filthy papist.

[Ash]

The Parish Church? That's a Gilbert Scott, mate. I've given readings there - despite being a filthy papist.

Yes, the Minster.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/Croydon_Parish_Church_-_North_East.jpg/320px-Croydon_Parish_Church_-_North_East.jpg

[Mc Gooner]

They only need 11, or twice that for the squard like every other team.

: schadenfreude : btw

[Sir C]

It's equivalent to losing to Croydon :hehe:

I must take issue here. Population figures are an irrelevance in football - how many world cups have India, China and Indonesia won between them? Successful international teams don't happen by chance because there is a large pool to choose from; it's not a question of infinite monkeys and infinite typewriters, it's about coaching and culture.

What's truly remarkable about this defeat is that the English public and punditocracy wrote Iceland off as absolute no-hopers. No one seems to have noticed that in qualifying, Iceland beat Holland home and away and beat the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Far from no-hopers; a good, competent, capable football team. Good luck to them.

Finally, England. A collection of Spurs ****s, how was that ever going to end well?

[Burney]

I must take issue here. Population figures are an irrelevance in football - how many world cups have India, China and Indonesia won between them? Successful international teams don't happen by chance because there is a large pool to choose from; it's not a question of infinite monkeys and infinite typewriters, it's about coaching and culture.

What's truly remarkable about this defeat is that the English public and punditocracy wrote Iceland off as absolute no-hopers. No one seems to have noticed that in qualifying, Iceland beat Holland home and away and beat the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Far from no-hopers; a good, competent, capable football team. Good luck to them.

Finally, England. A collection of Spurs ****s, how was that ever going to end well?

It's not really an irrelevance, though, is it? Of course there aren cultural issues, but Brazil is the most successful football team and has a population of 200 million. Second most successful team? Germany - population 81 million. Third? Argentina - population 42 million. Of course the fact that they're populous doesn't make them good, but a good big country is statistically more likely to produce more and better footballers than a good, little country. England's remarkable achievement is to be a populous, wealthy country that is obsessed with football and yet manages to produce a remarkably low number of good players.

You're absolutely right about the pundits and all the spurs ****s, though.

[Sir C]

It's not really an irrelevance, though, is it? Of course there aren cultural issues, but Brazil is the most successful football team and has a population of 200 million. Second most successful team? Germany - population 81 million. Third? Argentina - population 42 million. Of course the fact that they're populous doesn't make them good, but a good big country is statistically more likely to produce more and better footballers than a good, little country. England's remarkable achievement is to be a populous, wealthy country that is obsessed with football and yet manages to produce a remarkably low number of good players.

You're absolutely right about the pundits and all the spurs ****s, though.

Perhaps 'irrlevant' was a trifle strong, but given that the population of Turkey is almost that of Germany, and Iceland beat them, it's clearly not the overriding issue.

[redgunamo]

It's not really an irrelevance, though, is it? Of course there aren cultural issues, but Brazil is the most successful football team and has a population of 200 million. Second most successful team? Germany - population 81 million. Third? Argentina - population 42 million. Of course the fact that they're populous doesn't make them good, but a good big country is statistically more likely to produce more and better footballers than a good, little country. England's remarkable achievement is to be a populous, wealthy country that is obsessed with football and yet manages to produce a remarkably low number of good players.

You're absolutely right about the pundits and all the spurs ****s, though.

It's like Brexit really. Our footballing betters have insisted for years that typical English qualities are useless in the modern game, so we've charged ourselves with trying to play in a way that's alien to us.

We are simply not allowed to play the sort of game that is natural to us. Hodgson himself is a symptom of this; he is far better thought of abroad than he is in England.

[SWv2]

I must take issue here. Population figures are an irrelevance in football - how many world cups have India, China and Indonesia won between them? Successful international teams don't happen by chance because there is a large pool to choose from; it's not a question of infinite monkeys and infinite typewriters, it's about coaching and culture.

What's truly remarkable about this defeat is that the English public and punditocracy wrote Iceland off as absolute no-hopers. No one seems to have noticed that in qualifying, Iceland beat Holland home and away and beat the Czech Republic and Turkey.

Far from no-hopers; a good, competent, capable football team. Good luck to them.

Finally, England. A collection of Spurs ****s, how was that ever going to end well?

Hear hear.

Or is it here here?

Professional footballers, organised, very determined.

Other professional footballers, less organised, a bit lost to be honest.

[Pokster]

It's like Brexit really. Our footballing betters have insisted for years that typical English qualities are useless in the modern game, so we've charged ourselves with trying to play in a way that's alien to us.

We are simply not allowed to play the sort of game that is natural to us. Hodgson himself is a symptom of this; he is far better thought of abroad than he is in England.

Whereas Iceland have set themselves up to be the best organised team there, they play to their strengths and get results.... we play 1 way in qualification then change our system to get Rooney into the team.... pathetic

[Burney]

Perhaps 'irrlevant' was a trifle strong, but given that the population of Turkey is almost that of Germany, and Iceland beat them, it's clearly not the overriding issue.

Of course it's not. However, I think it's fair to say that Iceland's achievements are especially remarkable and deserving of praise given their tiny population.

[Sir C]

Hear hear.

Or is it here here?

Professional footballers, organised, very determined.

Other professional footballers, less organised, a bit lost to be honest.

Right first time, sw. "Hear hear" for "Hear him, hear him."

Kane's free kick btw. :hehe:

[Burney]

It's like Brexit really. Our footballing betters have insisted for years that typical English qualities are useless in the modern game, so we've charged ourselves with trying to play in a way that's alien to us.

We are simply not allowed to play the sort of game that is natural to us. Hodgson himself is a symptom of this; he is far better thought of abroad than he is in England.

There may be something in this. We need to be producing granite-hewn centre halves who would head a wrecking ball if need be, dogged and dirty full backs, hard-tackling box-to-box midfielders, tricky wingers who take it to the byline and big lads who specialise in bullet headers imo.

All playing 4-4-2, naturally.

[SWv2]

Right first time, sw. "Hear hear" for "Hear him, hear him."

Kane's free kick btw. :hehe:

Oh my, comedy gold. I have no wish to be disrespectful but what a ****ing tit.

[Burney]

Right first time, sw. "Hear hear" for "Hear him, hear him."

Kane's free kick btw. :hehe:

:hehe: That was my non-Game of Thrones highlight of the evening. It honestly looked like he couldn't remember how to play football. I almost felt sorry for the gormless ****.

[redgunamo]

Whereas Iceland have set themselves up to be the best organised team there, they play to their strengths and get results.... we play 1 way in qualification then change our system to get Rooney into the team.... pathetic

Right. England have spent years developing the wrong strengths.

And Iceland end up looking like a damn good impression of what a decent England team should look like.

[redgunamo]

There may be something in this. We need to be producing granite-hewn centre halves who would head a wrecking ball if need be, dogged and dirty full backs, hard-tackling box-to-box midfielders, tricky wingers who take it to the byline and big lads who specialise in bullet headers imo.

All playing 4-4-2, naturally.

If that's the best we can do, then so be it. At least it's "us" :shrug:

[barrybueno]

Without even opening your post for some reason I thought of Croydon :hehe:

Not sure what that says about me/us :-\