Vincent Kompany in the DR of Congo

mulimulix · 2012-05-24T14:24:56.072933+00:00

Well at least the kids are safe.

HolteEnder · 3 days

There have been French people in London since 1066.

kickme444 · 3 days

Watch list time.

bdemuyld · 3 days

"We are programmed to receive.
You can check-out any time you like,
But you can never leave! "

sparperetor · 4 days

Yes, but a culture remains. A style of play stays the same. There was actually a study done, which I read about on reddit, I don't have it so take this with a pinch of salt. But the basic idea that a small amount of people can have a huge affect on people in that group in later generations etc. even if the group gets larger was explored and found to be a very real possibility. So that's where you get the idea of a culture sets in and it's a sort of echo-chamber, where people start to associate themselves with it and try and take on the mantle and the only way to do this is to conform to that cultural stereotype. Which becomes a real thing even if it really wasn't that big of a deal at the start.

Also I don't think France is a wonderful team any more. I think they were a superb side, and Zidane made them almost unbeatable, but personally they have too much mediocrity hanging around them and are all to beatable. But then again so is England, probably even more-so. But yes if a player like Zidane came to England or Sweden and shook things up then I'm sure things would start changing. But until that moment it will forever be the drawing game to me.

sparperetor · 4 days

Since 1978 England and Sweden have played each other 13 times. And there have been 8 draws in those games.

England and Sweden have played each other 4 times in the World Cup (counting qualifying) since then, and every single game has been a draw. (3 times in Euros and once a draw.)

I swear by Zeus and the Zodiac of the mighty hawk, the game will be a draw.

sparperetor · 4 days

Read, what I wrote. He was quite the tit, but never quite as thorough and well-rounded in his negative abilities. In other words, there were incidents where he'd be a dick, but he wasn't just flopping about and playing negative as much as when he went to Italy. He was worse at AC Milan (From what I saw).

My question though to try and wrap this up, and I will accept your opinion, do you honestly watch other leagues and think they are completely the same as your domestic league in the amount of negative play that happens?

basementdad · 5 days

Yes, laugh at them until they have a sufficient supply of ammonium nitrate.

sparperetor · 5 days

Sweden could play it's reserve side and we could fly in South American ringers, it'd still be a draw. It's just written in the stars, when England play Sweden in a big tournament it has to be a draw.

sparperetor · 5 days

I explained why I have that fondness. And it wasn't really an argument.

Take Kevin Prince-Boateng. Now I never was a Portsmouth fan, but I remember him being quite the tit, but nothing too bad. But then he plays for AC Milan and it seems like all his worse characteristics and negative playing styles are just blown up. But basically it's not just Italians, it's the whole league which includes lots of non-Italian players, that's my point. And I've watched lots of different leagues, and none of them have the same level of pettiness that Serie A has.

Also I love how defensive Italian fans get about this generally. It's not just about diving, it's the whole negative football style. Not talking defensive, but always trying to bend the rules somehow or acting up and generally making the sport look worse. And then you have the whole Calciopoli incident. But I'm not that bothered by it really, apart from the shit Australia got, I don't have to watch Italian football. It's just right there, my opinion and it looks pretty blatant that there's a difference in Italian football culture to English, French, German and Spanish.

sparperetor · 5 days

Sweden.

sparperetor · 5 days

It's not just about the blatant diving. But it's true it's not just Italians, but the Italian league. And it's weird seeing players who didn't play that bad, suddenly go to the Italian leagues and start play-acting and negative football tactics adapting to that culture so quickly. There are players who do that sort of thing, even in the lower leagues of England, but really it is nowhere near to how it is in Serie A (don't watch any Serie B).

It's just seems to happen even outside of the big games, where it's still annoying but understandable. It's like part of the Italian footballing culture IMHO. Just negative, negative, negative. And it's more of a feeling from watching the games and comparing them, no real single event apart from that Australia game which will always piss me off for some reason (not an Aussie).

Still it's weird that Gilardino is actually one of my favourite players. But I blame this on a penchant for playing Fiorentina on FIFA.

libcrypto · 5 days

Regular almonds aren't good enough for you? What is this? What are you trying to say with the smoke? God, you people make me want to be sick. You smoked almond people.

sparperetor · 5 days

Man the diving boards!

sparperetor · 5 days

England will find a way to draw with them.

sparperetor · 5 days

Dodgy Linos who have a boner for the host country?

sparperetor · 5 days

Svalbard.

potpan0 · 5 days

One nicks pies, one nicks hubcaps.

hha84 · 5 days

Looking vaguely disinterested for about 90 minutes but somehow grabbing a goal from nowhere? (At least that's how I remember him.)

deception42 · 5 days

For a while there was virtually no relegation from the Football League. There was one up and one down automatically, but a lot of the times the club coming up from non-league would fail because of ground restrictions or fail to get elected.

And let me tell you the teams at the bottom got really stale. A similar sort of thing happens in the Scottish leagues (Think East Stirlingshire). I really don't think it'd help a whole lot of teams, and attendances would suffer knowing that you're team doesn't really have to do anything to pick up the massive amounts of money. And virtually all the big clubs aren't going to get relegated anyway. It's just in nobodies interest apart from Wigan (and I think their chairman is a massive critic of the idea). Even teams like Norwich etc. can be relegated and be totally revived, relegation can totally turn a team around.

But I think you're still right, more likely that the MLS having relegation. It's simply too young of a league to do that. Look at all the other leagues in Europe when they were starting. They were just one top league IIRC, not sure if there was even relegation at the start. You don't want to force that sort of thing it has to come naturally.

radioslave · 5 days

Good old neutral venues.

radioslave · 5 days

As an "English fan" I was happy for both of them. If the CL was that easy to buy then Chelsea would have done it a long time ago. On the other hand the Prem is a bit cheaper. But if you didn't feel something for Man City fans after where they were a while back, then you either have no soul or you weren't paying attention.

Really Barcelona and Real Madrid should get the same shit for the amount of money they get off TV rights at the expense of all their opponents. But then people tune in to watch the big two. And those people decided where to put their money just like anyone oligarch or oil fingers.

TopNotchGunner · 5 days

I hate you guys, but I'd never downvote you just for being demented by evil.

devineman · 6 days

Come on you Tangerines!

Awesometoast · 6 days

The other guy is Paul Gascoigne.

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