Oh well, so much for England Hockey's 2nd year (of a four year programme) to get girls, at state schools, interested in playing the game...
They wouldn't beat less-skilled men's teams cos of less strength and pace, but the same applies to the best tennis players or runners. I'm talking about skill and organisation.
It's not just strength and pace. The standard of passing, decision making, defending, shooting, goalkeeping, ball-control, tackling in the couple of England matches I did try to watch was just so poor I found myself shouting at the tv and cringing with embarrassment. The outcome of the match might be exciting on the few occasions that 2 evenly matched teams are playing eachother but I just don't enjoy watching that standard in the same way I don't watch my local village team.
That's the first mistake I've seen Earps make. There was some tasty goal creation and finishing by the blonde pony-tailed ones, and lovely defending and passing by the blonde Scouser. Maybe the lack of blonds is why Watford fall short.
Seems Spain have done very well to get to the final despite a lot of in house fighting and lack of trust between the squad and manager. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66470730
Ouch! These rumours etc have been floating around since pre tournament. I doubt they'll be throwing the final! Haven't read the article but a little like Wenger at the Arse the coach is also technical director I believe. No chance of him sacking himself! Moreover his father or father in law is head of the federation.
It's not the same as tennis or running though. When I was at school, a few boys played tennis, and a few girls played tennis. The top players in the world are the top 100 men out of the million that every took it seriously, the top women the same. Again back at school, 80% of boys played football and no girls did. Women's football isn't as good as mens football for the same reason Americans aren't good at cricket, British aren't good at basketball and Jamaica aren't good at the bobsleigh
Good luck to the team today! Let’s hope it can be the perfect tonic for us all today after yesterday’s disappointment at Stoke. The squad are a credit to the country, and it would be wonderful to see them become champions of the world. Why is any debate about the standards of play compared to men even relevant? It’s not. They are two different things. Surely each should be enjoyed (or not enjoyed) in their own right? This morning I’m not remotely interested in who is better, who deserves more pay, whether Wiegman could or should replace Southgate one day etc. All I’m interested in is cheering on a wonderful group of footballers as they bid to be the best in the world and make a whole nation proud.
Let me stop you there as I know for a fact that the best tennis players in the world aren't the ones who make it. It's the ones whos parents can afford it, (@Keighley please sort out the grammar for that last sentence). Football, unlike tennis, is fantastic for the best players making it to the top, (apologies for dissing tennis @I Blame Bassett ). In all the teams my own daughter played in, the very best players went on to play for the better clubs and one even got picked up by a national team. Apart from travel costs it didn't cost them anything.
Maybe in this country but is that the same for the likes of Djokovic and Nadal etc ? Or their patents were like Richard Williams and just obsessed with the game ? Anyway Lauren James is back on the bench .
Not entirely accurate Diamond as there is funding available. However what is true is that tennis players often come from tennis backgrounds. Jimmy Connors,Everts,Lloyds,Henmans,Murrays,Mottrams,Brashers,Kordas,Nadals and numerous others. Lower down the levels it is very difficult for players without funding and performance related pay means few survive long without outside funds. However any of talent,Hannah Klugman as an example of the most promising junior in GB for years was talent spotted when she was six! The difficulty all sports face is keeping their athletes from the clutches of football. Come on ladies!
No surprise that we're whipping ourselves into a national frenzy over this match. I was in Madrid briefly this week and they couldn't give a 5hit
I’ll go with: Let me stop you there, as I know for a fact that the best tennis players in the world aren't the ones who make it, it’s those whose parents can afford it. Payment to usual address.
Are we? I was at a family event in Watford yesterday (uncle is an ‘Orns fan of fifty years’ standing, also Villa and Newcastle fans there) and not a single person planned to watch it.
I have a few remaining blond highlights but to continue my 'Ladykillers' homage from the transfer thread,some ' silver threads amongst the gold'! No ponytail,shoved up in a bun so more Lucy Bronze/Simona Halep than Hemp or Russo.
That's a discrepancy of resources then yes. Obviously I'm not saying there aren't other factors, but there isn't a huge gap in opportunity between girls and boys. But for the current generation of senior teams there's a huge disparity of how many boys had a opportunity to play and train at football vs how many girls did in the 90s and 00s. So at the moment statements about the women being just as skillful as the men and it's only physical differences are just a bit patronising and not recognising the challenges that the women's game faced/faces. Hopefully as women's football becomes more and more prominent, more opportunity will be given to girls football and maybe in 20 years the situation will be different for women's senior team.
Spain look superior. Bronze ****ing about in midfield and exposes the defence. Russo needs to look after the ball as her Spanish counterpart does. Not sure we win this.
Well we certainly need to improve. Been dominated and outfought particularly in midfield. Big team talk required .
You're probably right. It's probably just the BBC and the papers. Like you most football fans I know haven't paid it any attention
