Steve Shovlar

A good meeting which I think would have been great but for the loss of Crump and the heavy shower which ruined the track. As soon as Crump dropped out the Aussies heads dropped and they didn't want to know. A shame. Denmark the better team and solid throughout. Polish riders were agressive and put themselves about. Sweden battled all the way. Well done to the Danes.

Think the title of this thread is a bit unfair Zetters as TeamGB is typically in the final. However, in order: Denmark Autralia Sweden Poland Denmark are far too strong with Bjarne, NP and Andersen leading the way and backed up with Iversen and Bjerre. Bjarne is now showing his true form after a slow start to 2008. In the last few weeks he has been awesome. NP is NP and can and will beat anyone consistantly. Hans can blow a bit cold at times but should be well up for it. Bjerre and Iversen are the weaker links but on this track in front of their own fans should do well. Be a suprise if they don't take the title. Australia are almost as strong with Adams and Crump, but they do lack experience at the bottom end. Holder is in his first year at this level and although going to do well his inexperience may show through at times. Next year he will be much more experienced and a bigger force to join Adams and Crump. Watt is showing good form as well but not in the Adams/Crump bracket. He will drop points, as will Sullivan who if he doesn't gate will struggle. Sweden are riding above themselves and have done very well so far with the team they have out. On paper they look no stronger than GB but the will to win made all the difference. AJ will lead the way backed up by Lindgren and JD, who is now showing what he is capable of on a much more consistent basis. Nermark is riding way above himself and Ljung is showing the type of form he showed a feww years in the WTC which won Sweden the title. Poland will struggle on Saturday IMO. Gollob, Holta and Walasek will battle, and will be backed up by Hampel, but you have to say Jagus didn't show much form yesterday. I think they are the weakest team of the four on this track.

£500 at 16/1 would return me £8,500 if TeamGB qualified. My maths is fine. But the odds are not available anyway.

16/1 would have been a risk well worth taking if it was to qualify. An injury or ef at the wrong tome, plus the use of the joker can see us through. Poland sometimes don't travel well and tonight could be the night. Obviously the odds are stacked against us going through, but the riders might ride above themselves tonight to make up for Mondays abysmal performance. Well am hoping so!

If that is to qualify I am going to risk £500 on TeamGB. Providing I can get the bet on somewhere.

I have a feeling we are going to do well tonight. Looking at those lineups rider for rider we could qualify if the riders show bulldog fight and the right attitude. They ahve to give it their all or will come up short, but its a new day on a new track and as long as TeamGB start well enough there could be a chance here of making the final.

OK I am asking a lot, especially after Mondays pathetic efforts. But it's the semi final of the WTC and we need a decent performance out of them. The chances of qualifying for Saturdays final are negligable, but you never know. Kennett and Tai might ride way above their capabilities, and Harris and Nicholls might just try and ride a bit better than Monday. Whatever happens TeamGB can't ride as badly as Monday, can they? Come on TeamGB, get your fingers out of your backside and show some national pride!!! I would like nothing better than to come on here this time tomorrow and start a thread saying well done on a fine effort.

The difference would have been noticable though. Sure we would probably not have won tonight as Denmark are too strong, but the team wpould have been together for a week bonding and getting strong. There would be team spirit in the pits as well, and it's worth points. When Middlo left the job the riders were gutted because they knew what he was worth to the post. Tonight proves it.

Also blaming down a watered down EL doesn't hold water. Denmark has an almost non existant league but produces top riders.

Actually if you wait for it to go off, then use the back of a spoon........

???? Poole is a far better track than Coventry with more racing lines. But all that would have done would be to create more opportunities for Denmark and Sweden to come whizzing past on the rare occassion we might make a gate.

And people on here call Bjarne Pedersen - Byawny. God could we have done with a rider of his stature tonight. He showed how a rider of ability and talent, yet who is a rider who will never be world champion, can ride to his ability and score a sackload. I was praying for the Brits to go out and beat him tonight, but he was a clear class above.

Think the Sky presenter at the end summed it up perfectly. He said you look at the Danish and Swedish pits and there's a clear team spirit going on. You look at the GB pits and it's 7 individuals sitting there looking forlorn.

Farcical. If TeamGB was Japan Lynch would be given a dagger and asked to commit Harikiri on the centre green.

And Kennet and Tai are on form. Stead is worse than King, Howe and a host of others. Stead knows he is not on form and should have declared himself not available. But he shouldn't have been picked in the first place. You mean Cov fans did?

Buut he is the manager, and everyone could have told him it was a mistake. I take no joy out of watching GB struggle, but it was obvious that Kennett and Woffinden would do a better job than Stead and Allen.

Bwwwaahahahahaha!!! Oakes you are having a laugh. " Now boys lets all get together and have a cup of Earl Grey while we discuss what we are going to do. Scott, could you please go out and win this one for us? Thank you."

But I doubt he is laughing.

There's little to no motivation in TeamGB, or the England football team for that matter. Different story for the other countries though. This is a British disease.

Totally correct Shazzy. Middlo is a motivator who got more out of TeamGB than was in the tank. Now Jim Lynch is finding out just how tough it is. At the moment we won't even be riding on Thursday! Hone, Vega, and a load of others called for Middlo's head. Truth is he was our 6th rider and the reason we papered over the cracks for so long, which are now clearly evident.

Lynch should never, ever have picked Stead. Rubbish, rubbish effort. Kennett should have been in, anyone could have told him that.

Totally agree.

Perhaps and I hope so. First shots looked dreadful and a normal league gate.

Looks like a small crowd to me. That could be because team GB is more or less only Coventry riders, and Cov fans have vanished this season. Oh dear should have been at Poole or somewhere else other than Coventry.

Thought it was an entertaining meeting tonight leading all the way to the race off. Started very slowly but there were some very good heats.