World Cup 2010

[USABlue]

If we finish 2nd, we'll play Germany in the 2nd round, then would probably face Argentina in the quarters! Something to possibly look forward to!!!

Oops my mistake, was taking first games after groups as quarters, silly me.

Likely? You think the US are favourites?

I don't think they are favourites but they are quite capable of beating us, my gut says they will. Probably cos I'm here and will have to listen to all the crap.

[roversandy]

bellamy i would place the teams as follows

1 spain

2 brazil

3 italy

4 england

5 argentina

6 holland

7 germany

8 argentina

9 france

[USABlue]

If we finish 2nd, we'll play Germany in the 2nd round, then would probably face Argentina in the quarters! Something to possibly look forward to!!!

So you see us beating the Germans?

[cn174]

So you see us beating the Germans?

I never said we would, I was just saying that was the likely progression. I was going to add, then it would likely be Spain, then Brazil, but thought that would be pushing it.

I think we probably wouldn't beat the Germans which is why we need to finish 1st in our group.

[ultrablue]

bellamy i would place the teams as follows

1 spain

2 brazil

3 italy

4 england

5 argentina

6 holland

7 germany

8 argentina

9 france

Argentina featuring twice in the world top 9?

[roversfan99]

and italy arnt third, id say 7th/8th

[tony gale's mic]

So you see us beating the Germans?

You say that like it's something incomprehensible! I would say against the Germans we'd start as favourites and hope to win; Rooney is leagues better than anyone on their side. Klose hasn't scored for Germany for almost a year and Podolski's record looks good until you see how many goals have come vs San Marino, Lichtenstein etc. Schweinsteiger aside their midfield is devoid of any real quality now that Ballack's injured and our defence is at least as good as theirs. They don't exactly have an embarassment of riches in goals either.

I know their strength is their organisation etc but they've usually had more quality than this.

[Exiled_Rover]

They lost to the Americans I think. Same Yanks that are likely to beat us. Sad but true. Way I see it we finish second, out in the quarters with the standard loss to the Germans.

I'd need surgery to reattach my jaw if we lost to the USA and finished 2nd in the group.

[RibbleValleyRover]

You say that like it's something incomprehensible! I would say against the Germans we'd start as favourites and hope to win; Rooney is leagues better than anyone on their side. Klose hasn't scored for Germany for almost a year and Podolski's record looks good until you see how many goals have come vs San Marino, Lichtenstein etc. Schweinsteiger aside their midfield is devoid of any real quality now that Ballack's injured and our defence is at least as good as theirs. They don't exactly have an embarassment of riches in goals either.

I know their strength is their organisation etc but they've usually had more quality than this.

They have a few players such as Kroos, Marin and Ozil who should develop into real quality players. It may be too soon for them this world cup but if one or more make the step up this World Cup then i can see them going far. Germany is starting to produce some quality again and if they don't produce this world cup then in the next one i think they really will be a major force.

[tony gale's mic]

They have a few players such as Kroos, Marin and Ozil who should develop into real quality players. It may be too soon for them this world cup but if one or more make the step up this World Cup then i can see them going far. Germany is starting to produce some quality again and if they don't produce this world cup then in the next one i think they really will be a major force.

Yeah I think there's more potential for next time round definitely. However we'd have to be favourites in a match against them right now.

[BuckyRover]

Heard that rumour again about Gerrard.

Not good.

Can the red tops not wait another month?

[tony gale's mic]

Heard that rumour again about Gerrard.

Not good.

Can the red tops not wait another month?

I heard it was meant to be out today. Hopefully waiting is exactly what they're doing.

Is Alex Curran in South Africa?

[BuckyRover]

I thought Fabio had banned all the WAGs?

She is probably in Derby.....

[Amo]

bellamy i would place the teams as follows

1 spain

2 brazil

3 italy

4 england

5 argentina

6 holland

7 germany

8 argentina

9 france

Oh please stop.

[Tim Southampton Rover]

Get Jamie Theakston on that plane. He played excellent in goal today in the football Aid match

[JAL]

Cant believe the Argentinians saying that they rate Milito definitely as a second choice striker, some striker to come off the bench and swing a game for you in a tight game.

As for the best right back in the world, surely it has to be the Brazilian, Maicon, of Inter, when he does play there, so talented, so strong, can play down the right hand side alone without any support whatsoever from any team mates.

[Presty On Tour]

Get Jamie Theakston on that plane. He played excellent in goal today in the football Aid match

I thought Shephard was the best celeb player tonight, the brilliant tackle in the box with Zidane would be worthy of any international defender.

[Tom]

I thought Shephard was the best celeb player tonight, the brilliant tackle in the box with Zidane would be worthy of any international defender.

How about lara as our new tugay, that slide rule ball to larsson was class

[RoyRover]

hey i agree spain are better than england, im not doubting that, but for those of you who say xavi and iniesta are superior are just plain wrong, lampard is the heartbeat of the chelsea team that has won another championship, he controls the midfield for them not just in the premiership but the champions league too, the likes of mourinho and ancelotti cant be wrong, gerrard likewise, they do retain possession, i cant beleive u guys can doubt their quality, xavi is a deep-lying playmaker, he doesnt go past players like messi does either but theres no doubting his quality yet u big him up as though he is far better than any of england's 2 midfielders, as for ramos he clearly isnt superior to johnson, maybe u lot are self hating englishman, i dont want an arguement, i just wanna enjoy the world cup, without people knocking england all the time, im sick of people putting england down and biging the likes of spain and brazil and holland up all the time, by the way u people acknowledge that spain is clearly better than england and i agree they are better, do u have the same stance with regards holland, germany, italy, argentina and brazil if so then i give up

Sorry mate, but like many of your English compatriots on this board, you have way too high an opinion of England. Yeah they are a good team, but they are a class below the likes of Spain, Holland and Brazil. There's no shame in being in the same bracket of team as the likes of Portugal and France. England were awful at the last World Cup. That team was supposed to crush all before them, with all the key players at the peak of their powers and they failed miserably. They then failed to qualify for Euro 2008. Fabio Capello was then bought in at huge expense, because of the embarrassment this caused and he did well. He got England playing with more confidence and what we saw was England beating the teams in their group quite easily, who they had struggled against in the past. The win over Croatia in Zagreb was very impressive, but since then when England have come up against teams with a bit of class, they have looked second rate. Lampard and Gerard are class players in the Premiership and Champions League. But have never looked the same at international level when they have come up against teams that know how to keep the ball and are technically superior to them. The likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Pirlo, Sneijder and Kaka are the best in the business. Lampard and Gerard aren't.

I don't think people are necessarily 'self hating Englishmen' more like they just have a sense of realism of where England and it's players stand in the world order of things. I read this article in yesterdays Guardian which sums up pretty well the position that England find themselves going into this World Cup. Why is it so hard to take the idea that Holland or Brazil or Italy or Argentina are better than England? It's not like people are saying that Iceland or the Faroe Islands are better. I'm sure the majority of public opinion in countries like Portugal, Germany and France is that they have decent teams who would be in with a chance of winning the World Cup, but there are better teams there. I doubt they would be classed as unpatriotic, just realistic. Maybe you would enjoy the World Cup more by not having unrealistic expectations of an average team, who will in all likelihood fail again.

[67splitscreen]

Lewis had a great game as the CM.

Murr was as good as it gets down the right for the celebs.

[Rovermatt]

hey i agree spain are better than england, im not doubting that, but for those of you who say xavi and iniesta are superior are just plain wrong, lampard is the heartbeat of the chelsea team that has won another championship, he controls the midfield for them not just in the premiership but the champions league too, the likes of mourinho and ancelotti cant be wrong, gerrard likewise, they do retain possession, i cant beleive u guys can doubt their quality, xavi is a deep-lying playmaker, he doesnt go past players like messi does either but theres no doubting his quality yet u big him up as though he is far better than any of england's 2 midfielders, as for ramos he clearly isnt superior to johnson, maybe u lot are self hating englishman, i dont want an arguement, i just wanna enjoy the world cup, without people knocking england all the time, im sick of people putting england down and biging the likes of spain and brazil and holland up all the time, by the way u people acknowledge that spain is clearly better than england and i agree they are better, do u have the same stance with regards holland, germany, italy, argentina and brazil if so then i give up

Ignore the facts! Just get behind the team!

Your assertion that Xavi and Iniesta are not superior to Gerrard and Lampard is utterly hilarious. Wow.

Forget Lamps and Stevie G, Xavi and Iniesta are basically superior to everybody. What planet are you living on?

[Amo]

I hope we're not going to hear that droning buzzing throughout the tournament. Sounds like Silverstone circuit, not a football stadium...

[RoyRover]

The Vuvuzela! We will be hearing a lot of those I imagine. All the time!

[unluckymorton]

The Vuvuzela! We will be hearing a lot of those I imagine. All the time!

Lets just hope they don't catch on in the UK next season.

[Tris]

I hope we're not going to hear that droning buzzing throughout the tournament.

The Vuvuzela! We will be hearing a lot of those I imagine. All the time!

I honestly thought when I read it, that Topman meant the endless and repetitive critique of the England team on this MB - coming mainly from Belfast