Steven Gerrard.
Who will flop at the World Cup?
- Thread starter Señor
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Cahill and Jagielka. I agree with you, but I think our progress does heavily depend on keeping the ball out of our own net.
I think we'll score goals more easily than we have in the past if Hodgson is brave in his team selections.
Surely flopping involves a certain level of expectation in the first place. In which case I doubt England could be classed as flopping if they don't get past the group stages. If they finish bottom of the group then that is another thing.
Brazil seems the obvious pick, along with Belgium who are hyped up to ridiculous degrees at this point. Their squad is just so unimpressive plus they've got all the expectation and pressure what with it being on home soil. Then again you look back at the confederations cup where they just got better and better then schooled the Spanish.
Brazil seems the obvious pick, along with Belgium who are hyped up to ridiculous degrees at this point. Their squad is just so unimpressive plus they've got all the expectation and pressure what with it being on home soil. Then again you look back at the confederations cup where they just got better and better then schooled the Spanish.
Uruguay - everyone is expecting them to do well but I don't think that they will make it out of the group. I can see Brazil getting knocked out in the quarters.
But Germany is not Spain. Our midfielders are more direct. Reus, Müller - even Özil for the German national team - do score a lot. They might be more the second striker type than the midfielders the Spanish have. Reus is not far in scoring behind Lewandowski, Müller not behind Mandzukic in their clubs. The striker question just is important as both like to come from deep and work behind a target man. But - if in combination with Götze and Özil all partly take that job as the target man and they work together very good in it after some training sessions they should even be a lot more dangerous than without. Crosses and headers might be a little problematic - but there is still enough persons on the pitch like e.g. Mertesacker, Hummels, Schweinsteiger, Khedira and Müller who can score with the head.
In Germany that topic is discussed very often, too. But the people just forget that Germany ain't Bayern and for sure not Spain. But the traditionalists...
And Klose - he is just the striker type that matches best to that offensive midfielders. If he is healthy and fit I hope he is playing some matches. The best matching guy for that job would be a peruvian - Claudio Pizarro - and he is soon 36 and just has the wrong nationality...
That, right there is where I feel England will suffer along with the fact that Gerrard is the only Defensive midfielder and he really isn't a defensive midfielder and Hodgson doesn't seem like the type of coach that will play with 'You score 3 we score 5' mentality. I haven't seen any of the English friendly or qualifying games. But just looking at the team sheets and what I remember of Hodgson makes me wonder how far they will go. When I meant do well, it means they won't look completely clueless and make a joke of themselves. Just hope Welbeck has a stormer.
Gerrard - rated as highly as he is, I think he will fall short of where a lot of people place him
To be honest, with how people feel about England, what would be considered a flop?
Are we counting players as well? I think Rooney will have a shocker, regardless of how England perform.
Not winning a game?
Yeah, my money is on Rooney playing shit. Not as bad as the last World Cup, but still awful.
I think that Messi will struggle again, he never seems to click with his Argentine team mates.
I think that Messi will struggle again, he never seems to click with his Argentine team mates.
Teams to flop: Belgium, Holland, France
Individuals to flop: Rooney, Gerrard, Diego Costa
Individuals to flop: Rooney, Gerrard, Diego Costa
Gerrard, Rooney and Sturridge will for England. Ribery for France, and Yaya Toure for Ivory Coast
Messi and Ronaldo as always. Too much expectations and focus on both of them. Neymar will most likely be another failure.
England and Holland.
Hoping Argentina will flop as well.
Hoping Argentina will flop as well.
He finally has this last two years. 18 goals in his last 16 games.
But he's had a disrupted season so he may still have a poor tournament.
How many of those goals were against top opposition though? he'll probably score a few in the group stages alright.
Wayne Rooney.
Thanks for putting in the Wayne, I would have thought you were talking about his brother John otherwise!
I don't think you understood my post lol. You need to read the convo lol
Well in qualifying he scored against Colombia, Chile, and Ecuador and Uruguay, who finished 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th in the group. That's about as good as he could do.
against spain, germany, brazil and uruguay
Why don't you think Brazil won't make it past the quarters out of interest?
I love the Croatian midfield as much as the next hipster idiot, but I think Cameroon's central defensive players are really solid, in N'Kouou-Matip at CB with AlexSong-M'Bia-Enoh/Makoun in front of them. So I could see them defending well and forcing Croatia's wide players to have to make the difference and failing.
Add that to the possibility of Mexico getting a result with Chicharito's speed being a rough matchup for the slower Lovren-Corluka pairing and Brazil probably beating them, and I would not be shocked by Croatia going home with 3 or 4 points and going out on goal difference.
Add that to the possibility of Mexico getting a result with Chicharito's speed being a rough matchup for the slower Lovren-Corluka pairing and Brazil probably beating them, and I would not be shocked by Croatia going home with 3 or 4 points and going out on goal difference.
I don't understand how Belgium gained so unanimous expectation for flopping in this forum. It doesn't even compute with what people expect them to do in the tournament. Out of curiosity, which teams would people say have flopped in 2010 World Cup?
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Teams: France, Portugal, Netherlands and maybe Germany
Players: Ribery, Benzema, Roben, Dante, Higuain, Xavi and Xabi
Players: Ribery, Benzema, Roben, Dante, Higuain, Xavi and Xabi
Why would France flop when nobody expect them to do anything special ?
I think a lot will depend on the performances, if they get trashed or not on their way out.
The Netherlands.
I think they will be eliminated in the group stages.
I think Germany will go out in the quarters, and although I don't think that can be considered a flop I just can't see them winning the tournament. Their squad is extremely strong but it lacks a little firepower in the striking areas.
I think they will be eliminated in the group stages.
I think Germany will go out in the quarters, and although I don't think that can be considered a flop I just can't see them winning the tournament. Their squad is extremely strong but it lacks a little firepower in the striking areas.
They will do that bad, that still going to be a flop.
England will struggle to win a game.The conditions won't suit them and will suit their opponents.
If any team is to flop though I expect it to be Brazil.
Don't think Neymar is all he's cracked up to be.
If any team is to flop though I expect it to be Brazil.
Don't think Neymar is all he's cracked up to be.
Belgium are in a group with Russia, South Korea and Algeria. They can't flop even if they try. I'd imagine the 1/8 would be a success for them. Plus, they've got a good chance against Portugal.
Argentina and england, sorry lads 
Holland I think, but saying that their squad isn't great so can it really be deemed a flop!! Aside from them England, For me Chile are dark horses for the tournament!
england and maybe argentina.....don't have much hope for belgium or holland so them not going too far won't be much of a surprise.
I only said england because of the english media, but they have not much hope either
I only said england because of the english media, but they have not much hope either
Zlatan. Never does it in the big games.
the good thing for you english folk is that a poor showing will finally see you rid of roy....not sure who you can replace him with tho
For players:
Sturridge is an interesting shout - after the season he's had at club-level the pressure for him to start England's games over someone like Welbeck (who has done well for England) will be too much for Hodgson, but I'm not sure Sturridge is suited to international football.
Aguero I think will be anonymous even if he stays fit, partly because of Messi.
Gerrard obviously won't flop in the eyes of the English media, but other countries may be less kind to him.
Rooney hasn't had a good tournament in a decade.
I'm tempted to say Neymar as well given all the expectation on him and the disappointing season at Barca, but I've got a feeling he will be very comfortable in the tournament and thus perform well.
In terms of countries that are expected to do well, there will certainly be at least one that has a disaster. Argentina maybe? Or Germany to dramatically underperform? The Italians to be knocked-out by England?
Sturridge is an interesting shout - after the season he's had at club-level the pressure for him to start England's games over someone like Welbeck (who has done well for England) will be too much for Hodgson, but I'm not sure Sturridge is suited to international football.
Aguero I think will be anonymous even if he stays fit, partly because of Messi.
Gerrard obviously won't flop in the eyes of the English media, but other countries may be less kind to him.
Rooney hasn't had a good tournament in a decade.
I'm tempted to say Neymar as well given all the expectation on him and the disappointing season at Barca, but I've got a feeling he will be very comfortable in the tournament and thus perform well.
In terms of countries that are expected to do well, there will certainly be at least one that has a disaster. Argentina maybe? Or Germany to dramatically underperform? The Italians to be knocked-out by England?
This makes no sense whatsoever...
From a player standpoint I think Ronaldo will have a tough time. Portugal are in a difficult group and thier other attacking players aren't really anything special. Most teams will try to stop Portugal by stopping Ronaldo ( not easy for sure) but I think he might struggle especially after having played in so many games including the CL final all season.
England won't make it out of the group.