Belgium

[RFUS]

It's a golden generation for Belgium who last qualified for a major tournament nine years ago, finished fourth in their world cup qualifying group behind Turkey and Bosnia and are currently likely to finish third in their euro qualifying group and so fail to progress after winning only one home game out of four against germany, austria, turkey and azerbaijan.

England's record over the last five years is vastly superior.

Yeah but your team has absolutely no afros. Since David James retired from international footie you've been useless where it really matters.

 

[Neiler]

Yep, I agree the only true standard can be win ratios. The win ratio of your results against the other top sides in friendlies and qualifiers combined will equal out all the inequalities and give you a much truer picture of the overall standard of the country.

Want to take a guess how England do in that method?

Nah i reckon lash everyone into a hat and pull gorups do away with seeding all togehter - its badly wrong and money making racket. I would also open the WC up more to other continents.

 

[Allezfan]

Yeah but your team has absolutely no afros. Since David James retired from international footie you've been useless where it really matters.

Plans are afoot to address that, lid, don't you worry. We're hiring Valderrama as Capello's assistant.

 

[RFUS]

Nah i reckon lash everyone into a hat and pull gorups do away with seeding all togehter - its badly wrong and money making racket. I would also open the WC up more to other continents.

I like the fair competition thing, but you'd be throwing too much to the hands of fate. You could end up with a gash tournament with too many crap teams.

And what other continents? Antarctica? Are penguins good at footie, mate?

 

[RFUS]

Plans are afoot to address that, lid, don't you worry. We're hiring Valderrama as Capello's assistant.

*cowers in fear

 

[Allezfan]

Nah i reckon lash everyone into a hat and pull gorups do away with seeding all togehter - its badly wrong and money making racket. I would also open the WC up more to other continents.

Wouldn't argue with either of those points. South America is by far the most meritocratic of the qualifying processes (Europes would be second though) and they also produce the strongest teams as an average.

Europe get too many place, I agree, the problem is that there aren't enough strong teams from else where to make up the difference. If you were just to pick the 32 best teams in the world, you'd end up with less europeans but also less africans, only two north americans, maybe three asians and just every team in south america. And if you did that it would ruin the south americans because they'd be no qualifying and so no ways to test themselves and strengthen.

 

[Neiler]

I like the fair competition thing, but you'd be throwing too much to the hands of fate. You could end up with a gash tournament with too many crap teams.

And what other continents? Antarctica? Are penguins good at footie, mate?

Nah keep the world cup format, maybe change the seeding for qualification.

Run the European Champoinships like the FA CUP over a month and half. Everyone qualifies no host nation and its knock out. Would be boss, piss about different European Cites every second summer and be equitbale from a sporting point of view, but also boost local economies and tourism inclusively around Europe.

 

[RFUS]

Nah keep the world cup format, maybe change the seeding for qualification.

Run the European Champoinships like the FA CUP over a month and half. Everyone qualifies no host nation and its knock out. Would be boss, piss about different European Cites every second summer and be equitbale from a sporting point of view, but also boost local economies and tourism inclusively.

I quite like that idea for the Euros. I'm sure there's loads of reasons why it might be difficult from a logistical standpoint, but as a fan, that sounds ace.

 

[Allezfan]

Anyway the point is England are a perfectly respectable middle to upper tier team who unfortunately have been saddled with a press and a fanbase who think that drawing a game at home automatically makes them worse than san marino and that losing a world cup quarter final on penalties is an horrific failiure.

The only other countries to act like that are, you know, the elite countries, the big four: Argentina, Brazil, Italy and Germany. We're just not in that weight class and it's ridiculous to act like we're the worst team in the world when we don't live up to their standards.

 

[RFUS]

Anyway the point is England are a perfectly respectable middle to upper tier team who unfortunately have been saddled with a press and a fanbase who think that drawing a game at home automatically makes them worse than san marino and that losing a world cup quarter final on penalties is an horrific failiure.

It is though mate.

With all the best players in the world at your disposal, like Emile Heskey, Gareth Barry and Jay Bothroyd, you should be winning at least everything.

 

[Allezfan]

It is though mate.

With all the best players in the world at your disposal, like Emile Heskey, Gareth Barry and Jay Bothroyd, you should be winning at least everything.

I've never quite forgiven people for blaming Eriksson for us not being able to beat Brazil in 2002. They had Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho and we lined up with Danny Mills, Frank Sinclair, Emile Heskey, Darius Vassell and Nicky Butt.

 

[icburns]

It is though mate.

With all the best players in the world at your disposal, like Emile Heskey, Gareth Barry and Jay Bothroyd, you should be winning at least everything.

The English Anichebe.

 

[TX Bill]

As for Belgium, the USA will be playing against them in a friendly match during the next international break (September?) in Belgium. I'm looking forward to seeing how we do.