The Dew Drop Inn Virtual Rugby Pub, Béal Feirste

WillyGilly wrote:I made the mistake of being out on Friday night late and getting up for the match. I reckon we need a nephrectomy.

Hoog wrote:I was up after three hours sleep to watch the game, had a couple of beers to take the edge off it

red_stag wrote:I went out on Friday night and did the dog on it. Serious nights boozing and ended up missing the Ireland v NZ game on Saturday.

I woke up at 10.30 and when I asked N. the scoreline she just smiled, told me to go back to sleep and that there were some things I didn't need to know.

PenfroPete wrote:#enoughwiththefeicinhashtags

FRO to Twitter

England got through an average qualifying group and one of the easier torunament groups. They're a better version of Greece really, decent defensively, struggle to retain possession but can score goals when they play it on the deck and don't hit dumbass passes.


I always said they would be caught out against a better side, they don't hold onto the ball for long enough, and aren't clinical enough to take their opportunities when presented to them. Rooney will probably be a scapegoat, does he deserve it? Yes and no, he has been very poor but the quality of ball he is getting is substandard. Parker is not doing what most would consider the job of a defensive midfielder. Break up the play and get moves started . Pirlo plays the defensive role that few others can, he is decent in defence but his passing is exemplary. Xabi Alonso is probably the closest to him in that regard.


In defence, I think taking Terry over Rio was a big call. I didn't agree with it and the whole could Rio handle the games was a bit of a cop out (he played 6 games in 20 odd days last year, it was a similar time period compared to the Euros anyway). Terry is not incredibly quick and he got caught napping last night when marking Ballotelli, who himself isn't fast. He recovered well at times but shouldn't have been caught out. The same could be said for Glen Johnson over the tournament.

Some of the problem is in the underage setup, it's similar in Ireland. The big, strong kids tend to get picked over the smaller skillful guys. You have argumentative parents on the sideline, demanding a lot of the kids and the coaches and the coach is almost forced to get a result, the big lad who can hoof the ball into the net from 30 yards out will get picked over the kid who can tuck it away from 12.


I think there needs to be a change in emphasis in the underage system in Ireland and the UK, I don't think you can suddenly make us into a team like Spain, but you can change things and do it quickly. A change in philosophy can also occur pretty instantly, something which will cheer up Irish rugby fans. In 2000, Germany were knocked out of the group stages of Euro 2000, their team was derided yet they managed to scrape it together to reach the final of the World Cup. Under Rudi Voller they adapted somewhat but it was under Jurgen Klinsmann where things really changed.


Germany were due to host the World Cup in 2006, Klinsmann took over after another poor campaign in the 2004 Euros. He adopted a youth movement, in Germany along with his assisstants Oliver Bierhoff and Joachim Low. They quickly changed the traditional thinking in Germany, and adopted an approach more like the Netherlands i.e. attack,attack, attack!
They built a team around several young guns, the likes of Phillipp Lahm, the attacking full back from Bayern Munich, Bastian Schiweinsteiger, the attacking midfielder/Winger now turned defensive midfielder.

Klinsmann stepped down after the World Cup but it was clear he had started something. On appointment, he consulted with the DFB (German equivalent of the FA) and while the DFB were putting more emphasis into their underage system after their disasterous Euro 2000 campaign, Klinsmann developed a collective way to raise the German wunderkinds. A lot of the free-flowing style we now associate with the Germans began udner Klinsmann. As important, however, was the Germans were now being taught how to play like this. The "Extended-Talent Promotion Programme" was opened in 2002 by the DFB.


The DFB had the co-operation of Bundesliga clubs, and in the programme's first year, over 22,000 teenagers received training from 1200 coaches in nearly 400 camps across the country. A mere 7 years later, the programme was beginning to bear fruit. In the summer of 2009, Germany captured the U-19 and U-21 European Championship titles, the latter was scooped after a 4-0 hammering of the English orchestrated by one Mesut Ozil. Germany is home to thousands of people from different ethnicities and different backgrounds. This started primarily in the 60's and 70's when people known as "guest workers" came to Germany.

While their children may not have felt "German" enough to take to the football pitches, their grandchildren certainly did. The multicultural society was embraced, and this soemwhat reflects on thie side today. The likes of Lukas Podolski, Mesut Ozil, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira and Miroslav Klose were born outside of Germany. In someways it shows Germany's willingness to embrace other countries and other cultures.


I would say that the current love for Germany and thier fluid style is down to one man, Klinsmann. Yet the DFB with the consent and co-operation of the clubs in the Bundesliga were willing to co-operate for a better national team. The stumbling block in England developing their youth will be the Premier League which at times shows little interest in the National team. There are certainly things for England to be positive about, but they need to finally make the push towards major youth development or they and Ireland will not compete at the top table of international football. The FA have procrastinated the buliding of a youth development centre like the French have in Clarefontaine. If they want to make serious progress, it might be time to do so.

He adopted a youth movement, in Germany along with his assisstants Oliver Goebels and Joachim Himler. They quickly changed the traditional thinking in Germany, and adopted an approach called the Blitzkreig i.e. attack,attack, attack!

AsLongAsBut100ofUs wrote:

Hoog wrote:I was up after three hours sleep to watch the game, had a couple of beers to take the edge off it

Didn't work tho!

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:I have a request for any mods that pop in: can we bring back the 'rating' of articles? I liked that aspect of the old 606.

While we're on the subject, I liked the fact that there'd be more than one article per subject / match. Each had its own slant on things and went off on its own tangent. Do we have to merge articles?




I'm banned now, aren't I?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:
1) I have a request for any mods that pop in: can we bring back the 'rating' of articles? I liked that aspect of the old 606.

2) While we're on the subject, I liked the fact that there'd be more than one article per subject / match. Each had its own slant on things and went off on its own tangent. Do we have to merge articles?


3) I'm banned now, aren't I?

Luckless Pedestrian wrote:Fair is foul and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog like Danny Care.