On the Ball (new Football Focus)

[mockney piers]

Besides we weren't at war if you recall we were just in conflict. Argentina is easily among my favourite countries in the world, wonderful, friendly, articulate educated and beautiful people.

My brother who lived out there summed them up as Italians who speak Spanish and want to be English. Pretty much spot on, and malvinas or football rivalry apart they still really like and admire this country, even occasionally our footballers.

[Sandperson]

Good beef too!

[mockney piers]

Oops, missed a whole page of 'banter' there. As it goes flags of you're favourite players isn't that new. Many am Israeli flag at the Boleyn over the years (or west ham flags at Israeli games as it goes). I can't believe there wouldn't be the odd French flag at highbury/emirates given that arsenal have the lowest count of British players on the pitch of amy team

[Atila Reincarnate]

red devil Wrote:

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> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Annasfield Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > To be fair to Atila, England weren't in the

> > Euros

> > > this year.

> >

> > The fact that you had to point this out to the

> > mancs is quite sad, but not surprising.

>

> drowning in your own hypocrisy...

>

>

>

> Remind me next time England don't qualify for a

> championship to support another country and refer

> to them as 'we'...

I'll say this slowly so even you might grasp my ancestry. I was born in London to Turkish Cypriot parents, with me so far. England weren't in the tournament we are referring to, so as I have Turkish blood in veins, not going too fast for you am I, I supported...............TURKEY. Still with me or have I left you at the starting gate, like your team last Wednesday. My observation is regarding people who support a CLUB side, keep up now, cheering for a nation which is not thier own, understand now? Jeez that's hard work just like all Man Ure supporters, touchy as fcuk.

[Keef]

Sorry Anna, I'd lost the will to live, and slipped several posts. Wasn't trying to have a go at scousers either, although it may have sounded that way. It's just something that's wound me up since an old friend tried to convince me his pan of scouse was somehow different to any pan of STEW found outside of Liverpool :) For my part, I'm an England fan first, and would want a United player in an England shirt to take out a Liverpool player in their country's shirt if it helped England. Think that is the way it was in general until about a decade ago.

[Atila Reincarnate]

mockney piers Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oops, missed a whole page of 'banter' there. As it

> goes flags of you're favourite players isn't that

> new. Many am Israeli flag at the Boleyn over the

> years (or west ham flags at Israeli games as it

> goes). I can't believe there wouldn't be the odd

> French flag at highbury/emirates given that

> arsenal have the lowest count of British players

> on the pitch of amy team

Why we would want to follow Man Ure's despicable example, our club is Arsenal not France, numpty.

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Annasfield Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > To be fair to Atila, England weren't in the

> > Euros

> > > this year.

> >

> > The fact that you had to point this out to the

> > mancs is quite sad, but not surprising.

>

> So it's not ok for us to chant the country of one

> of our most valued players (at a club level) but

> it is ok for you cheer on another country in a

> major competition? Personally I didn't cheer for

> anyone in the Euros because England weren't there

> and I support England. But if you think it's ok to

> swap your allegiences whenever the team you

> support don't do well enough then that's

> fine.....

>

> Having said that Arsenal haven't really performed

> in any competition for a few years now so I guess

> you have to choose someone else to support in the

> latter stages on a fairly regular basis.

Apart from taking points of your lot in the premier league on a faily regular basis eh?

[red devil]

...hypocritally yours Atila

[Atila Reincarnate]

Quote:

My observation is regarding people who support a CLUB side

...hypocritally yours Atila

Taken out of context which you have conveniently omitted boony lad, which says who support a CLUB side and chant the name of a nation other than their own. I have Turkish ancestry. Clearly you have been too lazy to read my post explaining this.

[red devil]

It's all Dutch to me...

[mockney piers]

Oh well, it was nice while it lasted. Plus we all know need is the only numpty, of was it his mrs? I forget

[Keef]

I'm guess need's is meant to say Keef. It was the mrs of the poster who apparently thought I was a numpty, and then went on to comment on my big sausage or something like that.

[Sandperson]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sandperson Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Annasfield Wrote:

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > > -----

> > > > To be fair to Atila, England weren't in the

> > > Euros

> > > > this year.

> > >

> > > The fact that you had to point this out to

> the

> > > mancs is quite sad, but not surprising.

> >

> > So it's not ok for us to chant the country of

> one

> > of our most valued players (at a club level)

> but

> > it is ok for you cheer on another country in a

> > major competition? Personally I didn't cheer

> for

> > anyone in the Euros because England weren't

> there

> > and I support England. But if you think it's ok

> to

> > swap your allegiences whenever the team you

> > support don't do well enough then that's

> > fine.....

> >

> > Having said that Arsenal haven't really

> performed

> > in any competition for a few years now so I

> guess

> > you have to choose someone else to support in

> the

> > latter stages on a fairly regular basis.

>

> Apart from taking points of your lot in the

> premier league on a faily regular basis eh?

And still not won the league for four years.

[mockney piers]

Need = Keef on damn* iPhone autocorrect

*actually bloody useful 99% of the time

[Atila Reincarnate]

Sandperson Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Sandperson Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > > -----

> > > > Annasfield Wrote:

> > > >

> > >

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >

> > >

> > > > -----

> > > > > To be fair to Atila, England weren't in

> the

> > > > Euros

> > > > > this year.

> > > >

> > > > The fact that you had to point this out to

> > the

> > > > mancs is quite sad, but not surprising.

> > >

> > > So it's not ok for us to chant the country of

> > one

> > > of our most valued players (at a club level)

> > but

> > > it is ok for you cheer on another country in

> a

> > > major competition? Personally I didn't cheer

> > for

> > > anyone in the Euros because England weren't

> > there

> > > and I support England. But if you think it's

> ok

> > to

> > > swap your allegiences whenever the team you

> > > support don't do well enough then that's

> > > fine.....

> > >

> > > Having said that Arsenal haven't really

> > performed

> > > in any competition for a few years now so I

> > guess

> > > you have to choose someone else to support in

> > the

> > > latter stages on a fairly regular basis.

> >

> > Apart from taking points of your lot in the

> > premier league on a faily regular basis eh?

>

> And still not won the league for four years.

Typical glory hunting plastic Man Ure fan.

[red devil]

Typical glory hunting plastic Turkey fan...

[Keef]

Okay, in order to try and make a normal discussion out of all this, a serious question for those who put club before country...

In what circumstances exactly do you mean? I agree completely about pointless (and far too many) friendlies, in which players could get injured, but outside of that, do people not love the big international tournaments?

I just think there is absolutely nothing like a world cup, for atmosphere, bright colours, differnt styles, underdogs and all that. I think it's great!

With the exception of the aforementioned friendlies, I just don't see where the clash really comes in?

I mean, Atila, surely in an England Vs Netherlands final, you wouldn't want Van Persie to score? Or Anna, same for Torres if England Vs Spain?

I cheered Torres and Spain in the last Euro, but wouldn't cheer anyone against England.

Thoughts/opinions?

[Annasfield]

Keef, I think it just depends on how passionately you support your club and it's players. This is by no means saying anyone is more or a less of a fan. It's just people's take on it, I guess.

I think the England set up is a joke and after how Carra was treated I really couldn't give a toss about Internationals. Finals such as the World Cup or Euros I'll watch but it just doesn't excite me. Of course I'd rather see England beat Spain, but no to the detriment of any of Liverpool's players.

[matthew123]

The problem is that the Big 4 clubs each pretty much have 20 internationals on duty for 2 weeks at a time on about 4 occasions each season. We get the players back from Internationals sometimes only 36 hours before a key game. Is not about not liking England, it's about not liking the Club season broken up by International football.

World Cups, European Championships are during the post-season and as you say it's great but why the hell do England, Spain, France etc have to play so many pointless matches to qualify. I'd prefer a return to smaller more competitive groups of 5 teams, 4 internationals per season which are played midweek between club fixtures. Why should England get 7 days to prepare for a game when a Club often only gets 48 hours..

[matthew123]

>> Of course I'd rather see England beat Spain

Anna - you serious? We got 5 players in the Spanish squad and 1 in the England set-up. With that ratio I want Spain to batter England everytime, but then again I'm not English I'm...

[Annasfield]

I wouldn't leave that sentence like that if I were you Matthew. Although, that said Atila seems to be public enemy number 1 today, so you're probably okay. ;-)

['bout now]

I wouldn't mind seeing some statistics on this. I would hazard a guess that fans of the "big four" would say club over country, whilst the supporters of the other 88 football league clubs might say otherwise.

I agree with Keef, nothing gets to me like a World Cup or European championships.

[red devil]

Gareth Barry to Citeh, so much for him wanting to move to a club playing in the Champions League, what do 'pool fans think about it?..

[Atila Reincarnate]

Keef in answer to your question re RVP scoring against England, it's a tough call. I watch him week in & week out, so cheering him if he scored might just be a natural reaction.

[Sandperson]

Atila Reincarnate Wrote:

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> Keef in answer to your question re RVP scoring

> against England, it's a tough call. I watch him

> week in & week out, so cheering him if he scored

> might just be a natural reaction.

And in one sentence you've just rendered a whole, long, boring day of petty wind-ups invalid.

I for one would see England win a World Cup or a European Championship over United winning the league or the Champions League any day of the week. It's my dream to see England win a major trophy.

As for Barry to City....good luck getting into the Champions League. Either he couldn't resist the money or they've told him that they have big plans for other signings and guarantees of number of starts for him. I like the guy and think he's a good midfielder, I think he's a bargain for ?12M but I'm not sure how much he can change that side on his own.