PaulHartman71 Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Author's Notes: All of the past World Cup match results talked about below did happen, although some of the goal scorers have been changed because FM wouldn't let me see who scored. # # # Jimmy Bullard: Hello and welcome to ITV’s official World Cup 2026 preview program. I’m joined today as usual by Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, Arsenal’s greatest goal scorer of all time Thierry Henry, German goalkeeping icon Jens Lehmann and of course, former West Ham and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard! Jimmy Bullard: Tonight we will be discussing England’s chances in the tournament in Australia, the Countries that are most likely to win or cause upsets, as well as recapping on the last 16 years of International football. [A 5 minute long video montage is now shown of England’s performances in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cup’s. Notable moments include Thierry Henry celebrating after scoring a goal against England in the 2010 World Cup, Samir Nasri celebrating against England after scoring a goal in the 2014 World Cup, Fabio Cappello in a press conference after retiring from football following the 2014 World Cup, Stuart Pearce being announced as the new manager, Wayne Rooney missing a penalty in the 2018 World Cup leading to Italian players and staff running around in elation, Rooney announcing his retirement from football after the 2018 World Cup and England players walking around Wembley in misery after the failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup] Jimmy Bullard: There’s been a lot of highs and a lot of lows in the last 4 World Cup’s for England. Obviously the biggest low being the disaster of not qualifying for the last World Cup in 2022, but there have been some fantastic moments. Thierry, you scored two of the goals that beat us in the 2010 World Cup semi final, what are your thoughts? Thierry Henry: Well, I got a lot of bad press at the time you know, the Irish were still mad with me for the handball, so when we beat the English 3-1 in the semi’s, lots of the papers were saying that we shouldn’t have even been there. They said that the English had been robbed and when France lost to Argentina in the final, you know they were saying that justice had been done. It was a hard time for me, it was the second time in two years that France had been runners up, it was my last chance to win the World Cup again. Frank Lampard: The aftermath of that semi final was a complete disgrace. A large majority of football fans, as well as a few people involved in Football, were blaming FIFA and the French for our failure. It all completely over-shadowed the fact France completely dominated us in that semi final, as well as the fact that England had reached a World Cup semi final for the first time since 1966. Jimmy Bullard: What do you think about the 2014 World Cup performance Frank? Frank Lampard: Well obviously it was the first World Cup I’d seen England in without being a player for a long time, I was gutted not to be playing, and it really looked like we were going to win it. Then we reached the semi final and everyone was hoping that we’d get our ‘revenge’ on the French. Jimmy Bullard: Which of course as you know Thierry, didn’t happen. Thierry Henry: [laughs]. I was there in Brazil for the World Cup, and the atmosphere in the stadium for that game was, simply unbelievable, you know the fans were both determined to… to achieve what they’d failed to achieve 4 years ago. The English wanted to beat us and get to the final, whilst we wanted to beat the English again and win in the final. Jimmy Bullard: Both of course, didn’t happen. Thierry Henry: No. Sammy’s goal knocked you out and put us into the final, where we’d get our chance of revenge on Argentina. I remember at the time, everyone was saying how amazing it was that there was a repeat final, and how exciting and interesting it was. In France we were all desperate to win, we’d been runners up in the last 2 World Cup’s so for it to happen again would just be heart-breaking. Ryan Giggs: As a neutral that game was one of the most exciting games I’ve ever seen. The French were so determined to win, but the Argentines were so determined to become back to back winners. When Diego Maradona took over, the whole World was laughing at Argentina, they were so bad in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, everyone expected them to flop. What Diego Maradona did as manager was simply unbelievable, he lead them to back to back World Cup success. He was already a footballing legend before becoming Argentina’s manager, but by winning 2 World Cup’s as a manager cemented his place as the greatest man to be involved in football in history. Jimmy Bullard: Then of course at the next World Cup, in 2018 over in Spain, we did get our revenge over France. Captain Wayne Rooney scoring both goals in a 2-0 win in the round of 16. Then a comfortable quarter final victory over Cameroon put us into the semi final’s, with Brazil. Jens Lehmann: The Brazilians, at least the ones that I know, were all so, so desperate to win that World Cup. They’d not won it since 2002, and with Argentina winning it back to back they were desperate to make sure that Argentina didn’t equal their record of 5 wins. Of course by knocking Argentina out in the quarter finals they had done that, but they were still desperate to win it. Jimmy Bullard: Joe Cole’s goal of course being the only goal in that match, which put England in their first final since 1966. Frank Lampard: The final was Wayne’s last ever game, the pressure on him was huge, much like Zidane in 2006, captaining your country in a World Cup final as your last ever game, I can’t imagine the pressure. Jimmy Bullard: Of course, neither Zidane or Rooney were to get the fairy tale ending to their career that they’d have wanted. Zidane being sent off for headbutting Materazzi and Wayne Rooney, missing that penalty in the shoot-out. Ryan Giggs: You couldn’t write such miserable endings for a footballer, especially for two of the biggest players in modern football history. For the last competitive kick of a football in your career, to be missing a penalty in a World Cup final for your Country, which you are captain of, that is just, unthinkably depressing. Jimmy Bullard: Then, most recently, the 2022 World Cup won by Russia, which England failed to qualify for. Frank, it must have given you memories of the failure to qualify for the 2008 European Championship. Frank Lampard: Well, yes and no. It was a massive disappoint when we failed to qualify for the Euro’s, but the World Cup is the big one, it was a much bigger deal not to qualify for it. It was also very interesting that the public wasn’t calling for the head of Stuart Pearce, but were blaming the players instead. Jens Lehmann: Stuart had been involved with the national team for around 15 years, so I think the English public knew that he was 100 percent committed to the cause. He was probably the most gutted to have not qualified out of anyone. Jimmy Bullard: It was completely unthinkable though. From being second place, to not even qualifying. Thierry Henry: It was unbelievable. In France and I’m sure in all of the other nation's that were hoping to win, it was a huge shock, as well as a huge boost to our hopes. The English had been the only nation to have been in the last 3 semi final's of the World Cup, so were of course considered a major threat. Jimmy Bullard: On that note, it's time to take a commercial break. When we return we will be discussing England's qualification campaign, as well as their opponents in the Group Stage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasy Chip Butty Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Am on board and following, great start Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 "as well as the fact that England had reached a World Cup semi final for the first time since 1966." Damn, 1990 WAS a dream. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
viperk1 Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Jimmy Bullard as a TV host - somehow I can see him more being like Harry Hill than Steve Ryder Will follow this - England can't catch a break anymore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLovin Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 Nice start. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerrierBhoy7 Posted February 14, 2010 Share Posted February 14, 2010 I'm still laughing at the thought of JB being a presenter -that face of his! kutgw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 15, 2010 Author Share Posted February 15, 2010 Jimmy Bullard: Hello everybody and welcome back to ITV’s official preview program for the 2026 World Cup! First of all, we’d like to put out an apology. Frank Lampard earlier said that England’s appearance in the 2010 World Cup semi final was their first since 1966, this of course, was in-fact wrong as England reached the World Cup semi final in 1990. As I said, we’d like to apologize for this mistake, OFCOM have already received over 10 complaints about Frank’s comment, everyone is human and we all make mistakes. Jimmy Bullard: Now, as promised before the break, we are now going to discuss England’s qualification campaign. Lets take a look at the final table for England's group, Group G. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st Q Switzerland 10 7 1 2 18 7 +11 22 2nd Q England 10 6 3 1 17 7 +10 21 3rd Ireland 10 5 4 1 16 11 +5 19 4th Georgia 10 2 2 6 11 17 -6 8 5th FYR Macedonia 10 2 1 7 8 17 -9 7 6th Malta 10 2 1 7 11 22 -11 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------- England's Results - Georgia 1-2 England England 1-0 Switzerland Ireland 2-2 England England 3-0 FYR Macedonia Malta 0-2 England England 2-2 Georgia England 1-1 Ireland FYR Macedonia 0-2 England England 0-1 Switzerland England 2-0 Malta England 2-0 Czech Republic (Playoff) Czech Republic 2-1 England (Playoff) Jimmy Bullard: So Frank, do you think England made hard work of a relatively easy group? Frank Lampard: Yeah, I mean no disrespect to the other teams in the Group, but when you consider the disappointment of the previous World Cup, you have to go out there and dominate your group the next time. Jimmy Bullard: Much like England did after failing to qualify for Euro 2008? Frank Lampard: Yeah exactly. We were doing alright up until the draw with Georgia to be fair, the only slip up was a draw away to Ireland which is excusable. To draw with Georgia at Wembley though, that's simply not good enough. The other draw with Ireland, again is excusable, but losing to Switzerland at home is definitely not. If we hadn't have drawn with Georgia, then we'd have gone through as winners, then you consider the draws with Ireland, I said they were excusable, but to be honest you really want to beat them at least once out of the two games. Jimmy Bullard: Thierry, do you think the English underestimated Switzerland and Ireland? Thierry Henry: Well no not really. Both Switzerland and Ireland are quite capable of qualifying for the World Cup, they're both capable of beating all of the 3 other teams in the Group, so as the favorites your most important games are with these other 2 teams. Out of those 4 games England got 5 points out of 12, that is where the English went wrong. Jimmy Bullard: It's always very important to finish 1st and avoid the play-offs, as getting into the play-offs doesn't guarantee qualification. That reason alone is why you're sitting here with us, and not as a pundit for France. Thierry Henry: [makes trademark 'I don't know' shoulder/face shrug] Well, obviously France are not taking this World Cup very seriously because we haven't qualified, but of course England is in my heart, so I may have been here regardless of the situation. But yes, I understand your point Jimmy. I think that for France to finish 2nd behind Sweden was not good, and then we drew Germany in the play-offs, which was never going to be an easy tie. Jimmy Bullard: Are you going to be routing for England in the World Cup? Thierry Henry: No. [makes cheeky grin, this leads to everyone else laughing]. I'm completely neutral, I know that it would make the English very happy to win it, and England is of course like a second home to me, but I've never supported their national team, only Arsenal! [laughs again]. Jimmy Bullard: Jens, Germany, like England, qualified via the play-offs. Do you think that teams that qualify by the playoffs have less of a chance of doing well in the World Cup? Jens Lehmann: Well of course, on paper that is what you would think. But I know from experience that is not always true. In 2002, we finished second in our group behind England, and had to qualify via the play-offs. When we were at the World Cup a lot of people wrote us off, but we proved them all wrong and reached the final. So I think that, in many ways it can be something to motivate you to do well in the World Cup, because you learn from your mistakes of under estimating teams in the qualifying campaign. Jimmy Bullard: Ryan, we haven't heard from you yet, when you were playing for Wales you were underdogs in the majority of your games. Does that ever act as a motivator to the smaller sides? Ryan Giggs: Whenever we went into qualifying campaigns we didn't have a lot to lose. Obviously we didn't want to become a San Marino or Faroe Islands, where we'd lose every game, but in the games with the bigger nation's everyone expected us to lose. So in some respects, yes it is a motivator when you play the bigger sides. It's always nice to see a big team lose or draw to a little side for me, because you want to see smaller nation's develop and make things more interesting. Frank Lampard: I think the most important thing really, is that we were so close, two playoff games with the Czech Republic, away from failing to qualify for 2 World Cup's in a row. That's just unthinkable in my eyes, in the next World Cup qualifying campaign we have to take it more seriously. Jimmy Bullard: On the subject of the Czech Republic, the Czech Republic are a good team, do you think that the playoff aggregate win over them is any clue to how good England are at the moment Frank? Frank Lampard: We looked very good in the first leg, a very comfortable 2-0 win at Wembley. The second leg, yes we dominated the game and the Czech's winner came in the 90th minute, but I can't sit here and say that it was a good result. On the night, a 2-1 loss was a good result because we qualified, and that the Czech's had to score 3 to be able to go through anyway, but a loss is still a loss. Jimmy Bullard: In all honesty though Frank, do you think that it was a weak qualifying campaign? Frank Lampard: Yes, yes it was. It doesn't matter what you say about Ireland or Switzerland, at the World Cup are either of those teams realistically going to get further than the quarter finals at absolute best? I highly doubt it. Whereas we've reached 3 semi finals in the last 4 years, yeah we didn't qualify 4 years ago, but neither did Switzerland or Ireland. Jimmy Bullard: Are you pessimistic going into this World Cup? Frank Lampard: Not particularly. I think the most important thing is that we don't put too much pressure on the squad. 2 years ago at the Euro's we reached the semi finals and got knocked out by Italy, the eventual winners, but we won all 3 of our group games and beat Austria in the quarter finals. I think we have a good chance of reaching the semi finals, whether we can win, I'm not sure. It's possible. Jimmy Bullard: A quick question round before we go for another break. How do you think England will do at the World Cup? Frank Lampard: Semi final. Ryan Giggs: Quarter final. Jens Lehmann: Quarter final. Thierry Henry: Group stage [laughs, the other pundits also laugh]. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marmoset Junior Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Excellent start, Paul. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the world of 2026 and who its current footballing superstars are. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 Very interesting way to do a story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted February 15, 2010 Share Posted February 15, 2010 That apology will do for starters Good work, Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 15, 2010 Author Share Posted February 15, 2010 Jimmy Bullard: We're now going to discuss the Group's that have been drawn for the World Cup. We'll start with England, who are in Group C. [A 5 minute or so video montage is now shown, with clips of the official draw for the Group, as well as clips of each of the 3 teams that England have drawn.] [b]GROUP C [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 49th Japan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 17th England 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 1st Holland 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 12th Mali 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- [u]England's Fixtures[/u] England vs Japan England vs Holland England vs Mali Jimmy Bullard: It's a relatively tough group, do you think England will be able to get through it Frank? Frank Lampard: It's tough, yes, but if we are to do well in the World Cup we have to be able to beat every team we play. I think beating Japan comfortably in the first game is an absolute must, then if we can at least draw with Holland, I think we have a good chance of going through. Jimmy Bullard: Mali of course shouldn't be under-estimated though, they're full of confidence having already won the African Nations Cup this year. Thierry Henry: Yes, I think that for sure Mali are the team that England are really fighting with to take the second qualifying place in the Group. For me, the Dutch are almost definitely going to progress, Japan lack any real quality, so it is definitely between Mali and England. Ryan Giggs: Like Frank said earlier, the game with Japan is absolutely crucial. If England don't win the first game it puts an unthinkable amount of pressure on the squad in the final 2 games. It's also important in my opinion for England to do better against Holland than Mali do, if Mali draw with Holland and England lose, that will put a huge amount of pressure on England in the final game. Jimmy Bullard: Jens, you're probably the most knowledgeable of Dutch football, having been a coach at PSV for a few years after initially retiring. Who do you think are their key players? Jens Lehmann: Well, I think that Mateus, the Juventus left back, he is the best left back in the World for me. He's only 23, but already has over 40 caps for Holland. In 2022, when he was just 19 he won the World Footballer of the Year, that is a great achievement for a defender, for a 19 year old one it is an amazing achievement. Juventus won the champions League earlier this season, so he will be going into the tournament in a good mental frame of mind. Jens Lehmann: Then of course there's Kristian Buijs the Goalkeeper for Athletico Madrid. He's an experienced player, 29 years old with 55 caps, he's definitely one of the top 5 Goalkeepers in World football. Jens Lehmann: They also have the Fiorentina central midfield player Ibrahim Andoh, 25 years old with 34 caps, just last year he was runner up in the World Footballer of the Year. He is Holland's, Frank Lampard [other pundits laugh]. Jens Lehmann: There's also Jelle van de Kerkhov, the experienced central defender. At 30 years old he is probably at the peak of his career, and will be crucial for Holland defensively. He's been shortlisted for World Footballer of the Year 3 times, as well as winning the European Defender of the Year on two occasions. Jimmy Bullard: It's interesting that Holland's strength now is their defence, whereas in decades ago, Holland's strength was always their attacking players. Jens Lehmann: Yes. Holland's attackers are good, but they're definitely over-shadowed by how great the defensive players are. It is very very hard to break down their defence, and that is why they are the best team in the World on paper. Jimmy Bullard: One of Mali's key players will be Aston Villa defender Ousmane Fofana, do you think that his experience in the Premier League will help him against England? Ryan Giggs: I think the experience of playing against most of the players before will help him, he's been playing in the Premier League for 8 years so he's used to the English style of play. You have to remember though that he is the only Malian player that's playing in the Premier League, so although it may benefit him, it may not benefit the squad as a whole. Jimmy Bullard: Lets take a look at the other Group's... [b]GROUP A [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 3rd Russia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 22nd Colombia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 32nd Greece 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 29th Tunisia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jens Lehmann: I think that Russia have got a very, very good draw. They're the current Champions so are already considered massive favorites, but to draw a group like that is fantastic for them. Out of the other 3 teams though, I think it's going to be very close between who else goes through. [b]GROUP B [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 13th Spain 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 75th Australia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 34th Peru 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 51st U.S.A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Frank Lampard: This group is fairly open in my opinion, Spain are of course the favorite's, but with the other 3 like Group A it is open. Australia have been really poor recently Internationally, but who knows how they'll do on home soil. Peru are probably the most likely to join Spain in the next round though. [b]GROUP D [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 14th Sweden 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 4th Brazil 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 26th Iran 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 33rd Honduras 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Ryan Giggs: This for me is one of the most exciting groups. Brazil are favorites to go through and most likely will, but it's very hard to predict who will join them. Sweden would be the most likely, Honduras and Iran both have a good chance as well though. [b]GROUP E [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 35th DR Congo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 57th N. Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 2nd Portugal 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 16th Germany 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thierry Henry: I think that Portugal will have no trouble in qualifying for the next round. Germany have a very good chance as well, but it will depend on how the DR Congo do. North Korea have, no chance in my opinion. [b]GROUP F [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 6th Switz'land 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 5th Argentina 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 47th S. Korea 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 24th Mexico 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Bullard: Switzerland and Argentina are both big favorites to win the tournament, so naturally are the favorites to progress from the group. However Mexico could cause some problems, and are not to be under-estimated. [b]GROUP G [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 48th S. Arabia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 30th Iv. Coast 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 8th Italy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 23rd Romania 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Frank Lampard: Definitely one of the weakest, if not the weakest group. Italy are the would be favorites, but they're no guarantee to qualify. Romania and the Ivory Coast will cause a threat, whilst Saudi Arabia are very unlikely to do anything remarkable. [b]GROUP H [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 21st Uruguay 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2nd 9th Bulgaria 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3rd 41st Ghana 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4th 20th Denmark 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jens Lehmann: This group will be one of the tightest I think. The Bulgarians were runners up at the last World Cup, everyone is eager to see if this was a fluke or whether they are now one of the big teams in International football. With the other 3 teams I think all 3 have the potential to go through, so it will be very interesting to watch. Jimmy Bullard: It's time for our final commercial break, when we return we will be discussing the squad that Stuart Pearce has taken to Australia. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 USA is ranked 51st in the world????? Wow, they've really fallen off of late! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balthazars Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Mali with a world ranking of 12! Well done so far, entertaining content and presented well. Very creative too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Still about the same teams then as now. I'm rooting for Peru. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jayatsena Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great story Paul, kutgw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
swagat sinha Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 The teams might be a little odd, but good story Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panpardus Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Great story Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Good point. Going in a PM. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 @SCIAG - thanks for the pointers. As far as getting somebody else to read through before I post, I don't really know if anyone reliable would actually be interested in doing that. If anyone is then they can PM me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 16, 2010 Author Share Posted February 16, 2010 Jimmy Bullard: Welcome back to the final part of ITV's official 2026 World Cup preview show. During this final part of the show we will be discussing Stuart Pearce's selection of the England squad for the tournament. First lets take a look at the Goalkeepers... [u]Goalkeepers[/u] Ben Fox 33 Aston Villa 9 caps Jack Potter 23 Chelsea 5 caps Peter Reed 34 Chelsea 22 caps Jimmy Bullard: Jens, you are the man that knows the most about Goalkeeping. What's your opinion of the selection? Jens Lehmann: Well I think that Stuart Pearce has selected the best options available to him, for the last 2 or 3 years Peter Reed has been England's #1, with Jack Potter acting as backup like he does at Chelsea. Jimmy Bullard: Is it strange that Jack Potter gets selected for England even though he's backup at Chelsea? Jens Lehmann: Well, I think that Potter has proved himself at U21 level for England, many people believe he is the future leading Goalkeeper at Chelsea and for England, so the experience of being at a World Cup will be very helpful for him. Jimmy Bullard: Frank, as someone heavily involved with Chelsea, do you agree with that assessment? Frank Lampard: Yeah absolutely, I think that even though Jack hasn't had a lot of experience domestically he's a good inclusion in the squad and I'd have been disappointed if he hadn't been called up. Jimmy Bullard: What about Ben Fox? Jens Lehmann: At international level he's inexperienced but domestically he's got a lot of experience. He's been Aston Villa's first team keeper for the last 5 years, he's one on the premier league's best goalkeepers, so deserves his place in my opinion. Jimmy Bullard: Now lets move onto the defenders that Pearce has taken to Australia... [u]Defenders[/u] DR - Tim Burrows 34 AC Milan 54 caps DRC - Jonathan Robinson 22 Arsenal 6 caps DL - Colin Clarke 23 Man City 10 caps DL - Adam McDonald 27 Man City 24 caps DL/MR - Peter Vernon 23 Chelsea 17 caps DC - Michael Bartlett 33 Inter Milan 53 caps DC - Ryan Cook 31 Man Utd 38 caps DC - Scott Higgins 32 Liverpool 41 caps DC - Michael O'Connor 27 Chelsea 27 caps Jimmy Bullard: Ryan what do you think about the England defence? Ryan Giggs: It's fairly solid, they have a decent amount of cover in that squad. Tom Burrows and Michael Bartlett are obviously the most experienced players, both of them have played around 25 games in Serie A this season as well so they should be in good shape. Frank Lampard: If you look at the back four that Stuart Pearce has been using recently which at least in qualifying was: Tom Burrows, Adam McDonald, Scot Higgins and Michael O' Connor. If Pearce can keep all 4 of those players fit for all matches then we've got a great chance of doing well in this tournament. Burrows as Ryan said, is a very experience player. Adam McDonald is one of the best left backs in the World. Scott Higgins has been the main man of Liverpool's defence since 2017. Then there's Michael O'Connor who's been at Chelsea since he was a school boy, he's been a key player for Chelsea for the last 5 years. Jimmy Bullard: There's only 2 defenders who are used to playing on the right, one of these is Arsenal's Jonathan Richardson. Is his inclusion a risk considering his limited amount of experience? Thierry Henry: I think that Jonathan deserves his place in the squad. He's a player that's come through Arsenal's academy, so his football education is very good. He's played around 25 games or so for Arsenal this season, he won all of his 6 caps during the qualification campaign, so I think that Stuart Pearce has belief in his ability. Jimmy Bullard: Now lets take a look at Stuart Pearce's midfield selection... [u]Midfielders[/u] DM,MC - Michael Bowler 34 Sevilla 49 caps DM,MC - Adrian Driver 22 Liverpool 6 caps DM,MC - Andrew Hayes 30 Chelsea 52 caps (c) AMRC - Adam Holmes 28 Man City 35 caps (vc) AMRL - Tim Spencer 29 Roma 28 caps AMRC - Julian Lloyd 29 Chelsea 13 caps AML - Robert Barber 32 Barcelona 4 caps AMC - Jonjo Shelvey 34 Inter Milan 18 caps Jimmy Bullard: Frank, as a former England midfielder what are your views on the midfield selection? Frank Lampard: It's not the best midfield in the world, but it's still good. Andrew Hayes is one of the best midfield players in the world, certainly the best in the Premier League, having him as captain is a massive plus. Adam Holmes the vice-captain is a good player to have within the side as well, when he and Hayes link up together they're a lethal combination. Tim Spencer is most likely to start on the left, he's done a good job for Roma this season. The other central midfield position is more hard to predict, Stuart Pearce has been heavily rotating it during the qualifying campaign. Ryan Giggs: It's been very interesting to see Robert Barber get 4 caps in recent matches, before those 4 caps he'd never played for England. He was a fantastic player for Blackburn from 2012/23 and should have been called up whilst playing for them, so it's strange he's only been called up since he signed for Barcelona where he hasn't featured very regularly. In the 3 years he's been there he's averaged 15 games a season. Jimmy Bullard: What about Jonjo Shelvey, aside from Michael Bowler, one of the most experienced players domestically? Jens Lehmann: His international career has been very interesting. He was never capped during his spells at Charlton and Cagliari, only when he was signed by Inter Milan did he become part of Stuart Pearce's plans. It's still strange in 8 years he's only been capped 18 times though. Jimmy Bullard: Thierry, you're assistant manager at Roma, what's your opinion of Tim Spencer? Thierry Henry: Well, I think that he is a very skilled player. I think the manager was very happy to sign him from Arsenal for just 8M in 2021, in the 5 years he's been at the club he's done a good job. He's helped the club to win the EURO Cup 3 times since he joined, so hopefully in the future he will win a Champions League medal [laughs]. Jimmy Bullard: Thierry, you've been assistant manager at Roma for 13 years now, do you have any plans to return to Arsenal? Thierry Henry: [laughs] I have a contract at Roma, it lasts another year. At the moment I am very happy at Roma and haven't received any offers to return to Arsenal or go to anywhere else, I'm still young [everyone laughs] so I have a lot of time in the future to return to Arsenal if the opportunity presents itself. Jimmy Bullard: Now lets take a look at the strikers... [u]Strikers[/u] AM/FC - Robert McKenna 24 Arsenal 16 caps ST - Rick Moore 30 Liverpool 28 caps ST - Paul Taylor 27 Man Utd 25 caps Jimmy Bullard: Thierry, is including only 3 strikers a bad decision? Thierry Henry: Well, they have Julian Lloyd as well who can play up-front but is primarily a midfielder, so only having 3 out and out strikers is risky. If just one striker becomes injured or suspended, this leaves Stuart Pearce with very limited options. Frank Lampard: I think when you look at the squad as a whole, he could have taken another striker over a midfielder. To take just 3 strikers is a massive risk, it gives him more options in midfield, but like Thierry said it could be a crucial error if someone gets injured or suspended. Jimmy Bullard: Robert McKenna's normally played in a Kaka-like position for Arsenal, he's a very attacking midfielder, but only internationally does he play as a striker. When you consider this, does it make the decision to only include 3 strikers even more strange? Frank Lampard: Yeah. It's interesting to say the least, McKenna has done well internationally so far, he has 8 goals in 16 games but he's still not a natural striker. Jimmy Bullard: Rick Moore's record of 18 goals in 28 games for England is pretty good, but when you consider he's the third choice striker at Liverpool, does this make it interesting that he's been included? Jens Lehmann: The English haven't got a striker that is what you would call 'world class'. Ever since Wayne Rooney retired in 2018, there just hasn't been that one striker that stands out. England has got a lot of good strikers, but none of them are the '20 goal a season' striker that every team wants. Jimmy Bullard: Paul Taylor was dubbed 'the next Rooney' when he originally came through United's youth academy, Giggsy what is your opinion of him? Ryan Giggs: He's had immense pressure on him his entire career. Ever since he scored his first goal everyone expected him to be just like Wayne, which was never going to happen, he's a good talent but he's not as good as Rooney, very few players are. Taylor's had a good season this year though, 12 goals in 20 games for United is not to be frowned upon. Jimmy Bullard: I'm afraid that that is all we have time for tonight, be sure to join us Friday at lunch-time where we will be recapping the first games of the tournament: Greece vs Russia & Colombia vs Tunisia. Next on ITV is Coronation Street, Richard Hillman recently came back from the dead and held the entire street hostage, the fate of the entire street is in the hands of.... 85 year old Norris Cole. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCIAG Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 Jimmy! Spoiling Coronation Street for the next 16 years Good work, Paul. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
WelshWolf Posted February 16, 2010 Share Posted February 16, 2010 This is a great read. I'm not usually interested in international stories as I feel they are never personal enough, however this is great. Can't wait to see how this progresses, as its a great idea that is really well put together. Keep it up, I will be waiting with anticipation Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon07 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 This is a really cool idea. Subcribed here Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 18, 2010 Author Share Posted February 18, 2010 Thanks guys for all the positive comments. A bigger thanks to viperk1 who has offered his kind services as as BETA reader. - Jimmy Bullard: Hello everyone and welcome to ITV's lunch-time World Cup round-up. First of all I'd like to apologize on behalf of the pundits here, as you can see our studio is pretty poor but the producers say we're not allowed to spend 250K on a new one. If only we worked for the BBC! Anyway, earlier today in beautiful Australia we saw the first two games of the tournament, the first of which was between the reigning champions Russia and Greece. In Sydney for us watching this one was former England goalkeeper... David James! David can you hear me? David James: Hello Jimmy. Yeah I watched the game earlier here in Sydney, it was absolutely chucking it down, but it was still 24°C! Russia came out on top in this one as you would expect. Neither side concentrated on defence really, goals were flowing freely at both ends. The highlight of the game was definitely a superb hat-trick from Russian captain Oleg Sotnikov. He got the game off to a good start by scoring a well timed close range finish after just 34 seconds. It took Greece until the 25th minute to equalise, striker Nikos Karagiannis scored that one. Russia wasted no time in regaining the lead though, Sotnikov scored again within a minute of the kick-off with a powerful effort from the edge of the area. Greece then had striker Stelios Savvidis sent off for a second yellow minutes before half-time, he dived to try and get a penalty, well played to the referee for spotting it. It's an utter disgrace to see something like that in the World Cup, but it's great to see the referee spotting it. Jimmy Bullard: Yeah, if Greece had got a penalty out of that – imagine the controversy. That would be awful, that would be nearly as bad as the referee allowing a handball that cost a Country a place in a World Cup [all of the pundits laugh apart from Thierry Henry]. David James: In the second half, nothing really happened until the hour mark. Russian winger Mikhai Tel'nov was denied a penalty, it was a 50/50 really, there was contact and I've seen them given. Greece captain Giorgos Fillippidis equalised for Greece in the 68th minute, it was a powerful long range strike, lovely goal. This seemed to frustrate Russia, especially their midfielder Konstantin Sokolov, who persistently fouled a few players leading to two yellow cards in about 5 minutes giving both teams 10 men. However about 5 minutes after losing Sokolov, the Russian's went 3-2 ahead through centre-back Alexandr Streltsov. Sotnikov scored his hat-trick in the 83rd minute to make it 4-2 – a fantastic achievement for him. Greece gained a glimmer of hope in the 85th minute when striker Manolis Nikolaou scored, but it was to be nothing more than a consolation. [u]Result [/u]Russia 4-3 Greece Russia scorers: Oleg Sotnikov x3 & Alexandr Streltsov Greece scorers: Nikos Karagiannis, Giorgos Filippidis & Manolis Nikolaou Jimmy Bullard: Thanks Dave, hope to see from you soon mate! David James: Cheers Jimmy. Jimmy Bullard: Our other game today featured the two other teams in the group, Colombia and Tunisia. Watching the game in Newcastle... no not that Newcastle! [pundits laugh]. In Newcastle for us was Newcastle icon... Nolberto Solano! Hello Nolberto! Nolberto Solano: Hello Jimmy. Earlier today I was watching the game here at the Energy Australia Stadium. Tunisian striker Nizar Bejaoui gave Tunisia the lead after 22 minutes with a nice shot from the edge of the area. Bejaoui doubled their lead with a powerful strike 11 minutes later. He then completed his hat-trick just one minute into the second half, scoring a good header from just inside the 6-yard box. Colombia scored a consolation goal via a Hecter Leal penalty. It was a good game today, Colombia had their fair share of possesion but they couldn't capitalise on this. I have to admit I was surprised at how well Tunisia played, Bejaoui is of course a good player, but at Chelsea he's only ever been third choice up-front. [u]Result [/u]Colombia 1-3 Tunisia Colombia scorers: Hector Leal Tunisia scorers: Nizar Bejaoui x3 Jimmy Bullard: Lets take a look at how that leaves Group A at the moment... [b]GROUP A [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 29th Tunisia 1 1 0 0 3 1 +2 3 2nd 3rd Russia 1 2 0 0 4 3 +1 3 3rd 32nd Greece 1 0 0 1 3 4 -1 0 4th 22nd Colombia 1 0 0 1 1 3 -2 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Bullard: So that leaves Tunisia and Russia in very comfy positions, what's your opinion Thierry? Thierry Henry: Well obviously it will be very difficult for both Greece and Colombia to progress, it will be harder for Colombia because they still have Russia to play, you'd expect Russia to win every game, so if Colombia lose that, then they're out. Greece did well against Russia and were unlucky to lose, if they can beat both Tunisia and Colombia then they can still get through. Tunisia are in a good position now, but they've still got to play Russia as well so getting at least a point in that game will be a massive priority for them. Frank Lampard: Yeah, I mean as premature as it is, I think that it's very unlikely for Colombia to go through now. It's only a three horse race in my opinion. Jimmy Bullard: Colombia play Russia in their next game, with Greece and Tunisia in the other game. Big game, Colombia will have to win if they stand a chance of going through I think. Both Russia and Tunisia can go through if they win their games – and they both will be hoping to do that. Jimmy Bullard: That's just about all we have time for today. Don't forget to join us tomorrow when we will be recapping both Group B games which are: USA vs Peru and Australia vs Spain. Tomorrow will also see in-depth coverage of England's first game of the World Cup against Japan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greasy Chip Butty Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Cracking first game there. Beware of the Greeks ... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Celtic_1967 Posted February 18, 2010 Share Posted February 18, 2010 Paul I'm impressed with this. I like it a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyGabriel Posted February 19, 2010 Share Posted February 19, 2010 Loving reading this, and a glorious appearance from the mighty Nobby Solano. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulHartman71 Posted February 21, 2010 Author Share Posted February 21, 2010 Jimmy Bullard: Hello everybody and welcome to another day of ITV's coverage for the 2010 World Cup. Today we will be recapping on both games in Group B. Then later on we will watch in-depth coverage of England vs. Japan. First of all, let’s go off to Melbourne, where Robbie Fowler saw Peru play the USA... Robbie Fowler: Hi Jimmy. Yeah I saw the game earlier; it was pretty poor in all honesty. The Americans will be the happier of the two camps having came away with a point. Both sides had some quality chances but the finishing was poor throughout the match, a really disappointing game for me. I think that Peru will be disappointed as the Americans are the main team that they're competing for second place with. [u]Result [/u]Peru 0-0 U.S.A Jimmy Bullard: Unlucky Robbie, hopefully your next game is more enjoyable! Robbie Fowler: Yeah let’s hope so! [pundits laugh]. Jimmy Bullard: The cheek. He's moaning about the quality of the game, I wouldn't be complaining with the money he's being paid to watch them! [pundits laugh]. Jimmy Bullard: The other match in Group B was in Adelaide, where the hosts Australia played one of the favorites, Spain. Watching this one for us was none other than... Andrei Arshavin! Andrei Arshavin: Hello Jimmy! Jimmy Bullard: Andrei we're in Australia, why are you wearing a coat and a beanie hat? Andrei Arshavin: It is cold. It's very windy and rainy, can you not see? Jimmy Bullard: Oh, that's a good point, my apologies! How was the game? Andrei Arshavin: It was nice... [grins] Jimmy Bullard: That's very in depth Andrei! Andrei Arshavin: [laughs]. It was good game for Spain, they looked good. The Australian team never managed to cause any real problem for Spain. Christian scored for Spain the 13th minute and Miguel Angel Gallego scored Spain's other goal with a nice free-kick in the 78th minute. [u]Result [/u]Australia 0-2 Spain Spain Scorers: Christian & Miguel Angel Gallego Jimmy Bullard: Thank you Andrei! Andrei Arshavin: Don't mention it! [puts finger over mouth] Shhhh! Jimmy Bullard: And I thought I was the comedian on the show. Anyway, following those two results, let us take a look at the current table of Group B... [b]GROUP B [/b]---------------------------------------------------------------- Pos WR Inf Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag GD Pts ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1st 13th Spain 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 3 2nd 34th Peru 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3rd 51st U.S.A 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4th 75th Australia 1 0 0 1 0 2 -2 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Jimmy Bullard: How do you think that leaves the group Frank? Frank Lampard: Like Robbie said earlier, Peru will be disappointed with their draw because in reality there fighting each other for second place. Of course Australia are big underdogs, but with the backing of the home fans they could easily upset Peru or the USA. Ryan Giggs: I don't see the Australians going through, so for Peru and the USA it's who does better in their final two games. Jimmy Bullard: Before we take a break, who does everyone think will join Spain in the next round? Frank Lampard: Peru. Ryan Giggs: I'm going to agree with Frank and go for Peru. Thierry Henry: I'll go for the USA. Jens Lehmann: Yeah, I'll say the USA; I think they have it in them to upset Peru. Jimmy Bullard: So, a 50/50 split between the pundits here! Don't forget to join us later for the highly anticipated game between England and Japan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
McLovin Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Top story Paul, really getting into it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dechardonay Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Great story, COME ON YOU 'ROOS!! DO IT ON YOUR HOME SOIL!!! (why in blazes are we playing in Adelaide!??? lol...) Great to see we finally get a World Cup, though, even if it's virtually on your game save Pity we're not doing so well in the world Ranked 75th? Did we get punted back to Oceania Confederation or something? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dechardonay Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 PS I vote you get Everton's Tim Cahill to cover an Australian game Given he's one of our leading lights at the moment Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenArsenal Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Go Peru! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark wilson27 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I'm definately rooting for Iran Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Neil Brock Posted February 22, 2010 Administrators Share Posted February 22, 2010 Nobby Solano Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eken10 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 I love this Story. KIU Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballmanagerlegend2k8 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Great story! KUTGW! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MillwallLion08 Posted February 22, 2010 Share Posted February 22, 2010 Good story. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayR2003 Posted February 23, 2010 Share Posted February 23, 2010 Great work! Good style and premise of coverage. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MGoldman Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Been lurking this one and must say I'm extremely entertained. It's re-inspired me to write, especially after seeing how well Paul executed this idea. USA ALL THE WAY! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stoehrst Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Been lurking this one and must say I'm extremely entertained. It's re-inspired me to write, especially after seeing how well Paul executed this idea.USA ALL THE WAY! AMEN SIR!!!! I still can't believe his save knocked USA down to 51st in 2026... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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