palos: I think that suggesting that I might not be a "true" patriot because I know how hard it will be for TnT on the day, is a bit over the top. I don't think that many men here appreciate the magnitude of the situation we are truly dealing with. In a World Cup, the question of nerves, lack of confidence, stage fright and a general sense of being overwhelmed is common amongst first timers.
Of course there are those Davids who go on to defeat Goliath but there is a reason why there are rarely ever any new winners of the Cup, and the same teams end up winning it over and over again.
If TnT felt overwhelmed in POS during the first Bahrain leg and played less than their full potential in the second, what do you think will happen when the Cup starts? Most of the men on the Swedish and English squads have been trained for this kind of exposure since they were youths playing in big time FIFA tournaments. Most played in Champions League and the vast majority have plenty experience. besides Yorke and Latas for we, who else have the same pedigree?
Again, I will ask, who here remember David Suazo, Donovan and johnson, whose runs created real problems for us? Shrek alone will not be the problem on the day. There's Becks, Lampard, Gerard... etc
All of us here would love nothing better than a win for TnT, but I don't think that many men here understand how DIFFICULT that would be. But again, ah guess time will prove some one of us on here correct...