I have to say I am becoming more and more irritated by the miserable meanderings of Chris Waddle trotting out the same old tune about England. We all know that we are not as technically adept as teams like Spain and no we don't keep the ball as well as they do but he talks away in that wierd accent of his (is it Geordie?) like he is informing everyone of something we didn't know already. Fact is most people here accepted that we were probably not going to win the European Championship but hoped we would see some committment and fight from the team and we have got that. OK Sweden are not out the top drawer but England produced a decent performance, indeed some players totally surprised me Andy Carrol being one, and got a result. Even Colin Murray on 5 live on Saturday was forced to defend England from the Hee Haw opinions of Mr CW who just wouldn't give any credit at all.
All this from a man who was a good player but not a great one, made one of the naffest records of all time (he even looked miserable on Top of the Pops surrounded by crumpet) and is now the cheerleader for the negative brigade.
OH and by the way Chris when you preach about youngsters being made to ply with the ball below head height you want to think back to 1990 when you penalty very nearly landed on the England team coach roof!
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C.Waddle
France 98
Have to strongly disagree. He gives an opinion and picks up points that the casual watcher may have missed. I don't believe that telling the truth means someone is negative.
Chris Waddle may not of been on the level of Maradona as a player, but he was a great player. If in doubt, see the esteem in which the supporters of Marseille hold him.
Simple, turn over/turn off. Problem solved.
Want proof? The Spurs side he played in 1986-87 were inspired by his form and if they'd had a better defence might have won the Title rather than coming third, that was the season Clive Allen scored an amazing 49 goals - many of them from Waddle's creativity at a time when the game was dominated by hoofball.
His best form was at Marseille and I cannot remember an English player dominating a European Cup or Champions League tournament in the way Waddle did that year when he and Papin took them to the final where they were scandalously beaten on penalties by a Red Star Belgrade team that parked the bus for 120 minutes.
Even when he came home to Sheffield Wednesday - a middling side - his form helped them win League Cups and get to FA Cup Finals - when he left the club their descent began.
I think only Gascoigne, Barnes, Scholes and occasionally Beckham could really compare with Waddle at the top level of English players - even if Graham Taylor hardly ever picked him.
I think only Gascoigne, Barnes, Scholes and occasionally Beckham could really compare with Waddle at the top level of English players - even if Graham Taylor hardly ever picked him.
So he rates above Bryan Robson, David Platt, Frank Lampard adn a host of other players with more than 20 goals for England. Look at the stats he doesn't even figure in the players who have scored more than 10 goals. As an attacking midfielder/wide man his return was miserable bit like his persona. Sorry he may have had spells of good play but he hardly ever produced it for England....least ways not that I can remember.
Waddle was a footballing god! A genius, FACT. Could not understand Taylor leaving him out of his England teams. Thierry Henry had him in his all time greats XI and voted 2nd best OM player of the century.
Robson was a great English box to box midfielder but after Spain in 1982 where he did well he under performed in the big tournaments - mainly through injuries.
Platt? Brilliant at Italia 90 but faded after that to some extent, still scored goals but had to carry the side and in all honesty was really a support striker like Tim Cahill rather than a proper midfielder.
Lampard? Brilliant for Chelsea but mediocre for England on a consistent basis and, like Platt, is not really a conventional midfielder but more of a deep attacker who links play and gets into the box - that is why AVB did not rate him because Lampard struggled as a genuine midfielder.
As for Waddle, go back and watch him in that famous semi final against Germany in 1990, he played in the hole and was outstanding and was in the form of his life after finally being brought off the wing where he was isolated like Barnes was.
The tragedy was that as Waddle destroyed the best in Europe with Marseille that he was frozen out by Taylor in favor of Andy Sinton, John Salako and Stuart Ripley....
Had me in chuckling for quite a while.
Having said this Waddle was a great. If Marseille hadn't have had been boxed out by an enormously tallented young Red Star Belgrade team in a terrible final, he would have been European player of the year. Unlike Owen it would not have been for a second rate team in second rate competitions. As it was I think he was second that year in the European player of the year awards. I was in France that year, and Waddle was simply outstanding at a time when French teams were at least on a par with the best of British. Waddle translated his skills better than Barnes in his dying career at Bradford, whilst Barnes just erm Waddled; we all saw that. As a creative player he was England's best in my life, maybe behind Gazza for the national side but Gazza never threatened to perform when he had his big move due to his suspect temprement. Barnes may have done better in the great Liverpool team in Europe, but he never got anywhere near him for England.
I can only imagine how Waddle must have felt seeing that headless chicken picked in front of him.
As was pointed out in the post match TV analysis - we would have had a 20% chance of beating Spain. I don't think may of us would disagree with that, but it is quite a negative about how we stack up against the very best, however well we do in this competition - and it is not impossible we could win it.
Greenie cut him off. Hilarious!
Ok might be personal abuse for some but he gives a fair bit out as well himself considering the man works for the BBC...