England v Croatia

[JeMeSouviens]

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That’s a wee bit narrow in terms of qualifyin* criteria Billy.

The Dutch of 74 and 78 are widely recognised as having been a top quality side, they won nothing. Platini’s French side and the Brazil side of 1982 were both tremendously talented failures.

Equally there have been sides that have won tournaments that could never be regarded as playing entertaining, attractice, attacking football. Several German World Cup winning sides, The Greek and Danish Euro winning sides spring to mind ( keep in mind that the Danes won three games to win the tournament).

You can only beat what’s in front of you, etc, etc. This England team has potential to win a tournament, it would be daft to deny the possibility.

Still A.B.E forever and finding it bizarre that some people on here don’t recognise sporting rivalry. I don’t hate them, nor do I hate Hearts/ Hun, but I nearly always want them to lose. What’s the difference?

Ps: I wanted Hearts to win the 98 cup final, mostly because my only Jambo mate is a good lad...there, I’ve said it

Line crossed!

[Smartie]

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That’s a wee bit narrow in terms of qualifyin* criteria Billy.

The Dutch of 74 and 78 are widely recognised as having been a top quality side, they won nothing. Platini’s French side and the Brazil side of 1982 were both tremendously talented failures.

Equally there have been sides that have won tournaments that could never be regarded as playing entertaining, attractice, attacking football. Several German World Cup winning sides, The Greek and Danish Euro winning sides spring to mind ( keep in mind that the Danes won three games to win the tournament).

You can only beat what’s in front of you, etc, etc. This England team has potential to win a tournament, it would be daft to deny the possibility.

Still A.B.E forever and finding it bizarre that some people on here don’t recognise sporting rivalry. I don’t hate them, nor do I hate Hearts/ Hun, but I nearly always want them to lose. What’s the difference?

Ps: I wanted Hearts to win the 98 cup final, mostly because my only Jambo mate is a good lad...there, I’ve said it

I remember watching them in the cup final the year before with a few hun friends from school. It's probably the only game I've ever watched in their company when we all wanted the same team to win.

The "36 years in a row" stuff was great fun back then, I was gutted when they won a trophy.

[Here’s Lucy!]

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It's called rivalry, e.g. Anyone But Hearts.

Yeah, I get the Anyone but Hearts bit, but don't get the ABE bit except when Scotland are playing them.

I definitely do get Anyone but Celtic however!!

[superfurryhibby]

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Line crossed!

It was a one off thing, influenced by the start of my own personal summer of love.

Just to balance it, I have never actively wanted England to win at football, but I wasn’t sweating too much when they had the chance to make the final this world cup past.

[superfurryhibby]

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Yeah, I get the Anyone but Hearts bit, but don't get the ABE bit except when Scotland are playing them.

I definitely do get Anyone but Celtic however!!

What’s the difference? We don’t play Hearts every week. Genuinely interested to know. As for Celtic they can generally GTF too.

I suppose our personal sporting prejudices are just that, all a matter of personal taste. As far as I care, anyone can support who they like.

[JeMeSouviens]

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It was a one off thing, influenced by the start of my own personal summer of love.

Just to balance it, I have never actively wanted England to win at football, but I wasn’t sweating too much when they had the chance to make the final this world cup past.

I was just about to become a father, we'd just been relegated and then that happened. What sort of irresponsible idiot brings a child into that sort of world.

[One Day Soon]

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It's a lot more than just chucking it long. But if you have the ability to chuck it long, you create more space the opposition need to defend. This is a great site, when you think 12 minutes of the 90 are spent dealing with throw in situations it's amazing there isn't more attention given to it.


http://trainingground.guru/articles/...-throw-in-guru

That is a staggering statistic.

We unfailingly look like it is the first time we have encountered throw-ins every time one happens. Unless it's in a position for the Efe long throw.

[hibsbollah]

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That is a staggering statistic.

We unfailingly look like it is the first time we have encountered throw-ins every time one happens. Unless it's in a position for the Efe long throw.

My other favourite stat from that source is only 4% of corners result in goals from that sequence of play, so it's irrational for fans to clap and cheer when our team wins one. It's more statistically useful to retain possession with a simple pass to a teammate in that area of the pitch, than it is to win a corner from it.

[JeMeSouviens]

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My other favourite stat from that source is only 4% of corners result in goals from that sequence of play, so it's irrational for fans to clap and cheer when our team wins one. It's more statistically useful to retain possession with a simple pass to a teammate in that area of the pitch, than it is to win a corner from it.

Thank god you never got that stat through to Fraser Fyvie in 2016!

[BILLYHIBS]

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That’s a wee bit narrow in terms of qualifyin* criteria Billy.

The Dutch of 74 and 78 are widely recognised as having been a top quality side, they won nothing. Platini’s French side and the Brazil side of 1982 were both tremendously talented failures.

Equally there have been sides that have won tournaments that could never be regarded as playing entertaining, attractice, attacking football. Several German World Cup winning sides, The Greek and Danish Euro winning sides spring to mind ( keep in mind that the Danes won three games to win the tournament).

You can only beat what’s in front of you, etc, etc. This England team has potential to win a tournament, it would be daft to deny the possibility.

Still A.B.E forever and finding it bizarre that some people on here don’t recognise sporting rivalry. I don’t hate them, nor do I hate Hearts/ Hun, but I nearly always want them to lose. What’s the difference?

Ps: I wanted Hearts to win the 98 cup final, mostly because my only Jambo mate is a good lad...there, I’ve said it

Yeah you got me there!
I was thinking of the current good solid England side and my idea of a very good international side that is easy on the eye to watch and play fast flowing arrractive football
The Dutch side of Cryuff and the Brazil of Socrates both played exciting attacking cavalier football and you are correct they won nothing
I seem to remember the excellent Platini inspired French side winning the European Championship
A direct recent comparison would be the victorious Pogba inspired French team winning the World Cup as compared to Southgates somewhat pedestrian English side
What I am trying to say is if the current English side were playing in my back garden I would go over and close the curtains
I also take your point on board that boring teams also win tournaments I would also like to add the Czech Republic and Portugal to your list and perhaps you are correct England could add themselves to that list by grinding technically superior teams down to their level.
Looking back on 1998 I too had a slight preference for a Hearts win but only because of family members and a severe hatred for Der Old Hun.
Anyone but The Rangers Hearts or England


An English colleague was up in Inverness watching England playing during the last World Cup and could not believe the anti English vibe he was feeling and asked me if we want everyone to win but England I said “ Yes, pretty much!”

[hibsbollah]

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Thank god you never got that stat through to Fraser Fyvie in 2016!

There's lies, damn lies and Liam Henderson to deluverrrr

[Here’s Lucy!]

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What’s the difference? We don’t play Hearts every week. Genuinely interested to know. As for Celtic they can generally GTF too.

I suppose our personal sporting prejudices are just that, all a matter of personal taste. As far as I care, anyone can support who they like.

The difference for me is that I don't see why I should hate England just because I am Scottish. I followed Hibs in particular, and all football in general, when I was wee. I loved watching the big English games on the TV, loved a lot of the players so, just because they pull on an England shirt, I'm not going to start disliking them or wanting them beat.

For example, if England were playing say, Japan or USA or France or Peru, why would I make preference to any of these nations over a set of players I watched week in, week out?

As you say though, personal taste is king here!

Anyway, Hearts and Celtic can GTF, with Rangers in the same boat!!!

[Smartie]

I like England the country and I really like a large number of their people. In the summer of 1998 I had a girlfriend from Leeds who I had met on holiday so I was up and down the road to see her very regularly, and I was welcomed with open arms.

There is a side to England that I don't like (see the rise of the right, Brexit, fannies chucking garden furniture around when they get to major finals and Cliff Richard for evidence) but it is far from representative of the nation as a whole. The best of England is as good as you get anywhere, sadly the worst are also as bad as you get.

So I like the country, I like most of the people, and for most of their games I'm fairly ambivalent as to whether or not they win, much the same as I am about every country other than Scotland.

I absolutely, passionately, 100% hope they never win any trophies in my lifetime. It would be hell if they did. I'm happy enough to have got to 41 without having to witness it and at every major tournament I'll be happy enough for them to progress so far (in order to keep it interesting) but to fall bit short of actually winning anything.

Sadly I think they will win something within 10 years, as they've put all the building blocks in place to be successful and will reap the rewards of that in years to come. It's overdue, but they've got their act together in a big way.

[Here’s Lucy!]

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I like England the country and I really like a large number of their people. In the summer of 1998 I had a girlfriend from Leeds who I had met on holiday so I was up and down the road to see her very regularly, and I was welcomed with open arms.

There is a side to England that I don't like (see the rise of the right, Brexit, fannies chucking garden furniture around when they get to major finals and Cliff Richard for evidence) but it is far from representative of the nation as a whole. The best of England is as good as you get anywhere, sadly the worst are also as bad as you get.

So I like the country, I like most of the people, and for most of their games I'm fairly ambivalent as to whether or not they win, much the same as I am about every country other than Scotland.

I absolutely, passionately, 100% hope they never win any trophies in my lifetime. It would be hell if they did. I'm happy enough to have got to 41 without having to witness it and at every major tournament I'll be happy enough for them to progress so far (in order to keep it interesting) but to fall bit short of actually winning anything.

Sadly I think they will win something within 10 years, as they've put all the building blocks in place to be successful and will reap the rewards of that in years to come. It's overdue, but they've got their act together in a big way.

Superb!!

That's more or less what I've been trying to say.

[BILLYHIBS]

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I like England the country and I really like a large number of their people. In the summer of 1998 I had a girlfriend from Leeds who I had met on holiday so I was up and down the road to see her very regularly, and I was welcomed with open arms.

There is a side to England that I don't like (see the rise of the right, Brexit, fannies chucking garden furniture around when they get to major finals and Cliff Richard for evidence) but it is far from representative of the nation as a whole. The best of England is as good as you get anywhere, sadly the worst are also as bad as you get.

So I like the country, I like most of the people, and for most of their games I'm fairly ambivalent as to whether or not they win, much the same as I am about every country other than Scotland.

I absolutely, passionately, 100% hope they never win any trophies in my lifetime. It would be hell if they did. I'm happy enough to have got to 41 without having to witness it and at every major tournament I'll be happy enough for them to progress so far (in order to keep it interesting) but to fall bit short of actually winning anything.

Sadly I think they will win something within 10 years, as they've put all the building blocks in place to be successful and will reap the rewards of that in years to come. It's overdue, but they've got their act together in a big way.

Excellent post!

What do you feel about the biased English commentators or the constant references to 1966 or talking about England’s next game when we are about to watch or during a game from a totally different group or is that one of the reasons why you never want them to win anything in your lifetime as we will never hear the end of it and it will be time for us all to do a sharp brexit!!!

[Hibbyradge]

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It's called football rivalry. Most on here don't know the meaning of it considering half them wanted hearts to win games last season.




You're no England fan yet you're on here defending them all the time? Lol. Just find it funny when England lose, like hearts. You obviously don't and buy into this "friendly neighbours let's all support each other guys!!!" Pish.

Nope. I don't defend England and I can't think of a time that I didn't want them to lose.

I just don't think there's any need for your jealousy and bitterness.

You're entitled to make your remarks, and I'm absolutely certain that you will, but folk like me are entitled to tell you that it makes you look like you've got a massive childish chip on your shoulder.

By the way, England didn't lose so I'm not sure what you found funny.

[Hibrandenburg]

I can only speak for myself but I'd say I've been conditioned to support ABE. Growing up in the sixties and seventies we had the home international league that was played out annually, a bit like the 6 nations rugby. With very few exceptions, if Scotland were going to win it, then England had to lose it. It wasn't that long after they'd won the World Cup so take all the hyperbole you get in the media now and multiply it by a million. Because we played them on an annual basis the rivalry was intense and this was back in the day where travelling abroad to follow your team was reserved for the fortunate few, so a biennial trip to Wembley was for many the highlight of the football calendar. Beating England our largest and oldest rival was immensely satisfying and losing was always followed up by condescending media bias for the following 12 months.

Add to that my time in the army was spent in the Royal Signals where Scots made up about 13% of the numbers with a few Welsh and Irish thrown in the mix but the overwhelming majority were English. Now bear in mind I'm talking about blokes I considered to be my family or at least friends, until one or the others team was playing then the rivalry went into overdrive and God forbid our teams were actually playing against each other. Winning or losing would set the tone in the workplace until the next time, probably similar to going back to work in Edinburgh after a derby. There's no way on this earth I wanted anything other than England to get whipped at every opportunity. Do I hate them? No of course not, but I do want to see their sporting teams humiliated at every level. C'mon ABE.

[Keith_M]

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Yeah, I get the Anyone but Hearts bit, but don't get the ABE bit except when Scotland are playing them.

I definitely do get Anyone but Celtic however!!

We'll just have to agree to disagree then, as I don't see the difference

[One Day Soon]

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I can only speak for myself but I'd say I've been conditioned to support ABE. Growing up in the sixties and seventies we had the home international league that was played out annually, a bit like the 6 nations rugby. With very few exceptions, if Scotland were going to win it, then England had to lose it. It wasn't that long after they'd won the World Cup so take all the hyperbole you get in the media now and multiply it by a million. Because we played them on an annual basis the rivalry was intense and this was back in the day where travelling abroad to follow your team was reserved for the fortunate few, so a biennial trip to Wembley was for many the highlight of the football calendar. Beating England our largest and oldest rival was immensely satisfying and losing was always followed up by condescending media bias for the following 12 months.

Add to that my time in the army was spent in the Royal Signals where Scots made up about 13% of the numbers with a few Welsh and Irish thrown in the mix but the overwhelming majority were English. Now bear in mind I'm talking about blokes I considered to be my family or at least friends, until one or the others team was playing then the rivalry went into overdrive and God forbid our teams were actually playing against each other. Winning or losing would set the tone in the workplace until the next time, probably similar to going back to work in Edinburgh after a derby. There's no way on this earth I wanted anything other than England to get whipped at every opportunity. Do I hate them? No of course not, but I do want to see their sporting teams humiliated at every level. C'mon ABE.

Your first para was absolutely where I used to be. Then I just stopped caring about how they did. Now I'm happy for all the home nations to do well, I just wish we could get back to regular qualification.

[Hibbyradge]

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I can only speak for myself but I'd say I've been conditioned to support ABE. Growing up in the sixties and seventies we had the home international league that was played out annually, a bit like the 6 nations rugby. With very few exceptions, if Scotland were going to win it, then England had to lose it. It wasn't that long after they'd won the World Cup so take all the hyperbole you get in the media now and multiply it by a million. Because we played them on an annual basis the rivalry was intense and this was back in the day where travelling abroad to follow your team was reserved for the fortunate few, so a biennial trip to Wembley was for many the highlight of the football calendar. Beating England our largest and oldest rival was immensely satisfying and losing was always followed up by condescending media bias for the following 12 months.

Add to that my time in the army was spent in the Royal Signals where Scots made up about 13% of the numbers with a few Welsh and Irish thrown in the mix but the overwhelming majority were English. Now bear in mind I'm talking about blokes I considered to be my family or at least friends, until one or the others team was playing then the rivalry went into overdrive and God forbid our teams were actually playing against each other. Winning or losing would set the tone in the workplace until the next time, probably similar to going back to work in Edinburgh after a derby. There's no way on this earth I wanted anything other than England to get whipped at every opportunity. Do I hate them? No of course not, but I do want to see their sporting teams humiliated at every level. C'mon ABE.

I grew up in the same era as you and I understand exactly what you say. I've never actively wanted England to win, but I'm not particularly bothered when they do. That's quite a good position to take given that they win most of the time. 😉

Rivalry is fine, but it's when it spills over into hatred, spite and bitterness that I take exception. I'm certain that that you don't hate England, but it's quite clear that some people do.

We've only played them 4 times this century, and we don't really compete with them for anything, so any rivalry that exists is pretty minimal and it's largely one way as they see Germany and Argentina as their main rivals.

Lithuania, who we've played 8 times in the same period, are much more of a realistic rival than England. Or even Norway. Played 6 won 2, lost 2, drawn 2.

I'll stop this tangent right now.

[we are hibs]

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Nope. I don't defend England and I can't think of a time that I didn't want them to lose.

I just don't think there's any need for your jealousy and bitterness.

You're entitled to make your remarks, and I'm absolutely certain that you will, but folk like me are entitled to tell you that it makes you look like you've got a massive childish chip on your shoulder.

By the way, England didn't lose so I'm not sure what you found funny.

You clearly defend England at any opportunity you get so that's a blatant lie

You clearly have a massive childish chip on your shoulder every time you post something derogatory about hearts.

And btw I am still laughing like **** about them singing about "football coming home" in the summer before being humiliated in the semi finals and told to go home empty handed by Croatia. Maybe if they weren't so arrogant and deluded they wouldn't be laughed at so much when they regularly and spectacularly bottle it as they always do.

[Lago]

Jeezo this has been done to death, same old arguments recycled time after time.

[Hibbyradge]

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You clearly defend England at any opportunity you get so that's a blatant lie

You clearly have a massive childish chip on your shoulder every time you post something derogatory about hearts.

And btw I am still laughing like **** about them singing about "football coming home" in the summer before being humiliated in the semi finals and told to go home empty handed by Croatia. Maybe if they weren't so arrogant and deluded they wouldn't be laughed at so much when they regularly and spectacularly bottle it as they always do.

No, I don't defend England.

I criticise people for posting over the top bitterness and hatred. Often it's stuff that they'd never have the courage, or stupidity, to say to an English person.

The truth is, you're not even attacking England so there's nothing to defend even if I wanted to. You're just posting your hatred and exposing the fact that it absolutely tortures you when they win.

Crack on though. Get all your grudges out on hibs.net everytime they play, win, lose or draw.

It must give you a nice wee break from all the hilarity that you're still getting from England getting knocked out of the WC semi-finals.

[Here’s Lucy!]

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No, I don't defend England.

I criticise people for posting over the top bitterness and hatred. Often it's stuff that they'd never have the courage, or stupidity, to say to an English person.

The truth is, you're not even attacking England so there's nothing to defend even if I wanted to. You're just posting your hatred and exposing the fact that it absolutely tortures you when they win.

Crack on though. Get all your grudges out on hibs.net everytime they play, win, lose or draw.

It must give you a nice wee break from all the hilarity that you're still getting from England getting knocked out of the WC semi-finals.

I'm with you, Hibbyradge

I just don't get this either.

[superfurryhibby]

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No, I don't defend England.

I criticise people for posting over the top bitterness and hatred. Often it's stuff that they'd never have the courage, or stupidity, to say to an English person.

The truth is, you're not even attacking England so there's nothing to defend even if I wanted to. You're just posting your hatred and exposing the fact that it absolutely tortures you when they win.

Crack on though. Get all your grudges out on hibs.net everytime they play, win, lose or draw.

It must give you a nice wee break from all the hilarity that you're still getting from England getting knocked out of the WC semi-finals.

Tbf, you don’t need to be English to object to hatred.

I’m fully ABE, totally commited to independence and I would also be deeply unimpressed by any anti English sentiment expressed in my company.

There is a huge difference between revelling in another football team’s failures and being a bigot.