Redknapp is the man for West Ham

There’s a school of thought surrounding the current Sam Allardyce situation which preaches: ‘better the devil you know’. Well, there’s another devil we know, and his name is Harry Redknapp.

Firstly, on a personal level, I have never been anti-Sam and would have been more than happy to give him another season but it looks as though, with fan resentment at its highest since he took the job back in 2011, his position may have become untenable. Therefore, with the 78% who voted Allardyce out in the recent mass poll in mind, I’ve started to look at alternatives.

There have been countless cases of terrible managerial swaps in recent years. Too many of the more unfashionable managers doing solid jobs have been switched with suit and tie, foreign coaches promising Barcelona-esque football who have failed miserably.

Fulham, Cardiff and West Brom, for example, all went down this route and ended the season making up 3 of the Premiership’s bottom 4. West Ham are in a very similar situation. People will look to Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton as a success story but the Saints are in for a tough Summer in terms of transfer business and I think the Argentine could well come unstuck next season.

Even if Pochettino does continue his success, his appointment was a roll of the dice by a very financially stable club with a settled squad. With the much discussed Olympic Stadium move beckoning, West Ham are in no such position and must play it safer.

‘Premier League Manager of the Year’ Tony Pulis was undeniably the best managerial appointment in the previous campaign and unsurprisingly he is a tried and trusted man at this level who plays with practicality rather than lofty ideals. Obviously he would be a sideways step from Sam but West Ham still need to learn from this triumph.

This is also a time when the Hammers should look to someone who knows the club very well. An identity crisis is nigh with regards to the stadium move and the club need someone who they can relate to their history.

The perfect candidate is thus British, experienced in the Premier League, affiliated with West Ham and obviously a promoter of attacking football given the root problem with the current regime. In one word: Redknapp.

I know there are plenty of West Ham fans who won’t want Redknapp back for whatever reason, be it the long-ago backstabbing of Billy Bonds, the more recent link to Tottenham Hotspur or just the generally crooked perception of him, but there is no one else who ticks all the boxes.

Just a few years ago Redknapp was managing in the Champions League and favourite for the England job, making him unanimously considered the best English manager. The FA eventually opted for a less volatile option but most rightfully believe Redknapp to have been avoided for media reasons and the contemporary tax evasion case rather than managerial ability. I hope David Sullivan and David Gold aren’t so deterred by his potential for controversy.

Despite his ripe age of 67 years-old, after being replaced by Andre Villas-Boas at Tottenham (another failed case of British manager swapped with a potential mini-Mourinho), Redknapp proved he still has the thirst for football as he dived straight back in, first with a brief role at Bournemouth until he rashly took the helm of the sparkling, sinking ship in the form of QPR.

QPR hasn’t gone well for Harry; his squad wasn’t hungry enough to avoid relegation and the reckless spending before he arrived has left him with a big clear-up job. I get the feeling his heart was never really in QPR, it was more an attempt to keep his foot in the door through fear of being left in the wilderness and considered an old ‘has-been’.

But surely, regardless of what becomes of QPR in the upcoming Play-Off final, his heart would be in taking his local club, where he grew up looking up to Bobby Moore, played 149 games and managed for 7 years, out of their home and into the future. It’s the perfect final project.

I appreciate Redknapp may not always have remained loyal to West Ham since his controversial firing just after the Millennium, but he is still an East End bloke from Poplar with those memories.

Crucially, Redknapp is also a combination of attacking football and pragmatism. He has always encouraged his sides to get forward and partake in exciting games, but he will also play with the cards he is dealt with rather than being too attached to a certain philosophy.

Like it or not, West Ham have invested a great amount in Andy Carroll in terms of transfer fee and his bumper contract; unlike how Liverpool did, we can not afford to get a manager like Brendan Rodgers who will sacrifice him at a massive loss because he doesn’t fit a certain system. And also, why would we want to? The majority of the West Ham faithful like Carroll, even if they don’t like Allardyce, he is at a good age and one of the best at what he does.

Redknapp will not shy away from using a target man with wingers, and may even put someone up top with the big Geordie which would satisfy the wishes of many supporters, even if it might seem a slightly outdated system.

I’m not usually a believer in ‘going back’, I’m not sure a return for Alan Pardew would work although I liked him the first time round, but Redknapp has been gone long enough and is a big enough character to deal with the potentially tricky situation.

Also, an apt bonus is that Redknapp has been working with Ravel Morrison since February and reuniting the pair at Upton Park would dramatically improve the chance of him becoming a success. Redknapp’s man-management skills have seen him get the best out of many a difficult character, most notably Paolo Di Canio, and I would suggest no one would do a better to do a job with Morrison.

So if Sam has to go, why not go all out for Redknapp? He’s a fair more suitable option than a confidence-stricken David Moyes, a still unproven Malky Mackay or a Premiership unknown Ronald Koeman.

To really get back to West Ham traditions, why not also appoint a number two to be Redknapp’s apprentice in a manner reminiscent of John Lyall under Ron Greenwood? I’m not sure who would be heir to the throne but it would be great for a younger coach to learn under Redknapp and then eventually have the opportunity to take main stage after a few years in the Olympic Stadium to give the club some real identity and stability.

A bitter Tony Fernandes would certainly drive a hard bargain but if Redknapp fancied it he’d get what he wanted by hook or by crook. He could throw it back in our face, and that would be it, the already ropey relationship between club and man would be fully severed. But if he took it I can not envisage Harry failing. The return of the devil we know is, ironically, one made in heaven.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Ravel Morrison should NOT play for England

This is a plea in the national interest to the senior England team NOT to choose Ravel Morrison until after the World Cup.

After that breathtaking trip to White Hart Lane, which now seems like a foggy dream after a rare international break of actual importance, the name on everyone’s lips is Ravel Morrison.

Suddenly, after being ditched in the depths of football’s bad boys and labelled a thuggish outcast, Morrison has been linked with a new contract, a glorious return to Manchester United, and a seat on the plane to Brazil.

Many people have been credited with the early stages of Morrison’s rehabilitation - Sir Alex Ferguson and his Manchester United set-up for having the foresight to let him go, Sam Allardyce for patiently working with him, Lee Clark for nurturing him during his loan spell at Birmingham City and, of course, Morrison himself.

One of the most positive elements of West Ham at the moment is what seems to be a strong and united dressing room. It is fair to say Kevin Nolan’s lack of mobility in midfield may earn him some criticism, but his leadership skills are evidently some of the best we’ve had for some time. The English domination of the dressing room must also create a greater sense of comradeship than other recent groups we’ve had.

This background atmosphere is highly likely to be a major reason why Morrison has begun to flourish. Suddenly he feels part of a team, whom he is equal with, who are relying on him to focus and work alongside them. It has been widely reported that Mark Noble in particular has built a protective bond with Morrison and made gestures such as inviting him into his home for dinner in an attempt to help him to integrate with the squad.

No longer is he the problem child, confined to a special support unit in what is a huge, unforgiving and assumedly overwhelming machine in the form of Manchester United. Morrison has been freed of that boarding school environment, which he so easily rebelled from, and is now affectionately ‘one of the lads’.

The faster Morrison’s reputation elevates, the faster this cosy set-up will disintegrate. The organic support system now surrounding Morrison will protect him from himself until his own ego transcends his perception of the club. Stars such as Rio Ferdinand tried and failed to tame Morrison’s wayward attitude, so Nolan and Noble deserve credit.

Both having had distinguished Premiership careers, these two players have yet to attain an England cap and it looks increasingly likely that neither will get the opportunity to represent their country. Particularly for Nolan, who has consistently scored a high volume of goals in the Premier League, an England cap has remained an illusive pinnacle of his career which, frustratingly for him, it seems he will never reach.

I would not like to suggest either Nolan or Noble would begrudge Morrison of a chance to play for England, but human nature would suggest an element of envy would certainly affect the relationship if Morrison was handed a call-up just a few good games into his career. In addition to this, Morrison’s past psychological problems suggest that he may then begin to see himself as superior to the pair who have taken him under their wing, and the relationship in its current form will thus be destroyed.

I have been personally surprised by Morrison. I don’t think it his quality which is surprising but his personality. I imagined him to be far more boisterous than he has been. It seems it may have been a little unfair, but the ‘gangster-wannabe’ stereotype has inevitably been associated with Morrison.

After a couple of goals, I’m sure I’m not the only one who expected him to bowl out of the changing room, snatch the bottle of champagne from Geoff Shreeves and declare himself on par with Lionel Messi in a rap-infected dialect. But whether it is due to good advice or his own judgement, Morrison has remained impressively quiet.

It is, finally, his football thrusting him in the limelight. He is undoubtedly a player of immense quality and his penetration in the attack is very special; his ability to glide past players and complete the move with a finish was shown against Spurs and repeated for the under-21s on Tuesday night.

But the FA are already drawing intense attention to Morrison. In his few days with the under-21 squad they released a video of his skills in slow motion, set against a dramatic, operatic soundtrack, and also leaked footage of him scoring an ‘outrageous chip’ in training. West Ham have also used Morrison’s image to promote today’s game.

2 goals for the under-21s will not help us quieten the Morrison hysteria - but a heated exchange with Manchester United’s Wilfried Zaha was a reminder that his maturing transition from hot-headed prospect to world-class is not yet complete.

I don’t wish to put a downer on the Morrison revelation. He is a player of immense quality and has been a breath of fresh air and much-needed creativity in our team. It would be great to keep him as part of our progress as a club into the Olympic Stadium, but if not, dependent on contract clauses, we could make a huge profit on him enabling us to propel the club upwards, much like how Tottenham have profited from Gareth Bale.

But Morrison is a complex issue. It may seem selfish from a West Ham perspective, but, at 20 years of age, I think at least a season focussing on domestic football, off of the international stage, would be beneficial for everyone. Undoubtedly Roy Hodgson and Allardyce will speak about Morrison, time will tell if they feel the same way.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

Learn to appreciate the new direction

My overriding memory of the last Premiership fixture at Upton Park is the crowd bellowing out: ‘Andy Carroll, we want you to stay!’ Jeremy Nicholas (rather embarrassingly) asked the fans to get behind the cause to keep Andy but in truth it was not needed. It seemed every supporter was desperate for the big man to put pen to paper on a permanent deal.

There is great irony in the fact that the chant desperately aiming to persuade Carroll to remain at West Ham was in the same tune as the dreaded ‘we play on the floor’ drone which was so commonly sung by those disgruntled with Sam Allardyce.

Allardyce must be left scratching his head when fickle supporters express displeasure with his style of football, yet sing the praises of the forward who epitomises his tactics. The fact is; if you’re a fan of Andy Carroll then you are inevitably a fan of Sam Allardyce.

If Allardyce and Kevin Nolan were not at the club, a pairing who a section of supporters take issue with, then the England international forward would not be at West Ham United. It is as simple as that.

I think it was obvious that Carroll was left unfulfilled by his time at Liverpool and would’ve liked to have proved doubters wrong. But in a World Cup year, he made the correct decision to join a club with whom he is already settled, who will base their team around him and, vitally, who will play a style of football to suit him perfectly.

Personally I have no problem with Allardyce’s style. It is, of course, direct at times, but with an asset like Carroll it would be foolish to not to utilise his aerial presence.

We should be proud to be one of few clubs preserving the dying breed of the old-fashioned English centre forward rather than internationalising ourselves like everyone else in an effort to become yet another cheap imitation of Barcelona.

With the signing of another England international in Stewart Downing secured, we can now look forward to the prospect of two top established wingers supplying the delivery to our number nine. Surely we don’t have to be ashamed of having an appreciation of that?

I am quite surprised at the amount of supporters who aren’t happy with the Downing signing. The wide-man has been to a World Cup with England and undoubtedly we would’ve all loved to have snapped him up during his time at Middlesbrough and Aston Villa. Two average years does not mean he will not return to great form.

Unsurprisingly there was no such disapproval at the signing of Joe Cole. Cole was arguably a much poorer signing than Downing – he does not really fit into our current tactics, is older and was extremely injury-prone and out-of-form when we signed him.

Understandably the affection and nostalgia surrounding Cole provoked a reaction of sheer delight but, regardless of personal attachments and feelings, Downing will be a far more useful player to us than Cole this season.

Another fresh player in the squad is Ravel Morrison. Although he joined some time ago, his lack of action in a West Ham shirt and high appraisal gives him the intrigue and excitement of a big new signing.

Six goals in pre-season could show that Morrison is finally ready to fulfil the potential which was suggested when Sir Alex Ferguson said he was one of the best players he had ever seen. I am dubious to trust Morrison with his track-record and attitude problem, but he could be very useful if given the chance.

Apparently Allardyce has rejected several loan offers, including one from Birmingham who he was on loan with last year, and so it seems Morrison is finally ready to step into the first-team and prove whether he can make it at the highest level.

Morrison looks to be a fantastic player, and his skill was undeniable at the Pacos de Ferreira home friendly, but we can’t place too much responsibility on the shoulders of a young man who has proved he is liable to get a rush of blood to the head at any moment.

It is interesting that all the players mentioned in this article thus far are English. The English core at West Ham United is undeniably one of the strongest in the league now and something I’m sure all fans will welcome.

Of course it is great to have the exotic foreigner, we have certainly fallen for a few of them over recent years with the likes of Paolo Di Canio and Carlos Tevez, but as an English fan I think it definitely gives you a greater intimacy with the squad when they are of the same nationality.

The sense that they understand the club and its culture is invaluable and something I think will help drive us forward this season to an improved Premiership position and hopefully an impressive cup run.

And, as mentioned, it is a World Cup year. Who’s to say we won’t have another three Lions in Brazil in the Summer? Exciting times are ahead, I hope the persistent moaners can recognise that and embrace the direction we are moving in.

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

A Valentine's Day Massacre?

What an occasion it was last time we were here at Upton Park. With 10-men in the first 10 minutes it was possible to envisage us embarrassing ourselves and sinking without a trace; but the players really stepped up to prove that they are completely committed to West Ham United. And we can be equally proud of the behaviour of our fans, it was admittedly a tense atmosphere but there was an absence of trouble from start to finish.

In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more crime as a result of this fixture; domestic violence on men is likely to rocket. There’s obviously an old, grumpy, single man at the helm of the nPower Championship who chose the date for this game, so thanks a lot for that one mate, you created an awkward conversation for many of us.

For those of you lucky enough to have escaped Valentine’s Day duties to be here tonight, at least you have a romantic fixture on your hands. Finally we get the chance to take on Southampton, who have accompanied us in the automatic promotion spots for the majority of the season, in our home stadium, and can further stretch the gap which divides us.

If it wasn’t for Peterborough’s absolute inadequacy to compete at this level of football we could be in a much better situation. Because of their poor facilities, last weekend’s game was postponed which means we were unable to maintain our 4 point safety net over the Saints. Fortunately for Southampton, their game was in their hands rather than that of an incompetent club, and so they now have the momentum and the opportunity to overtake us. But I’m confident we can handle the pressure.

Despite arguably being the Championship’s biggest game thus far, media attention has been greatly reduced due to the relentless coverage of the England manager’s vacancy. As an Englishman I’m delighted that Fabio Capello has resigned. It still baffles me as to why, in a world where two billion people can speak English, we chose someone who couldn’t to manage England’s national football team.

Hopefully the FA can make a better choice this time as, with Capello out of the picture, I am far more excited for the European Championships in the summer. It is almost inconceivable to imagine anyone other than Harry Redknapp taking over now as it seems inevitable that he will be offered the job.

I think Redknapp would be a good England manager but the main thing for us Hammers is that none of the job changes affect Sam Allardyce’s position. If Redknapp takes the England job, David Moyes could be appointed at Spurs and you might have Everton knocking on our door for ‘Big Sam’, what a disaster that would be.

I know there is still a minority of cynical West Ham fans who would still, ludicrously, welcome Sam’s departure, but if we emerge victorious today it must surely convince the remaining doubters that he has been an outstanding success. If we lose today, our fortunes could reverse as drastically as Redknapp’s did last Wednesday, when he was on his way to prison in the morning and on his way to managing his country in the evening; that is how important today’s game is.

The ideal outcome for West Ham would probably be the simple scenario of Jose Mourinho getting the national job, thereby avoiding the managerial merry-go-round which a Premier League appointment would entail; I can’t see Real Madrid looking to Allardyce as a replacement. This situation is not completely out of the question as I wouldn’t blame Harry for rejecting the job and remaining at White Hart Lane.

Redknapp has built the best squad he has had in his entire career at Tottenham and they are at the perfect age to continue to flourish if they remain loyal. It would be a great shame to throw that away. And looking at the manner in which the media have pounced on Stuart Pearce already, chastising him for something he said 18 years ago and his brother’s political views, why would you swap a job which you are doing fantastically in, for one with such intense pressure?

However, I personally think Redknapp will take the job, he seems to be one of the last old-fashioned, English managers to whom the national job probably still means more than a Premiership one. It wouldn’t surprise me if Spurs declared an interest in Allardyce, just in an effort to unsettle him; they love being a thorn in our side. But they may have already identified his replacement; did anyone see the photo of Avram Grant at the Tottenham training ground on Thursday? Now that would be funny!

With all of this speculation aside, our main concern is today’s game. I’m glad it’s come in the form of an evening game, even if it has fallen on an awkward date. A top of the table clash under the floodlights at Upton Park is something we haven’t experienced enough in recent years. It would be nice to get a glimpse of Ravel Morrison who has already been labelled a ‘homophobe’ by the media. For anyone who didn’t see it, the story was probably written by the same desperate journalist who called Stuart Pearce racist; needless criticism.

It will also be exciting to see our other signings who will probably feature sooner than Morrison. I hope we start with Nicky Maynard up front tonight, supported Ricardo Vaz Te on the wing so we can really attack Southampton in a Valentine’s Day massacre. Come on you Irons!

Follow me on Twitter @RichMaher93

5 of the best England vs. Wales meetings

November 16th 1966: England 5 – 1 Wales

Jack and Bobby Charlton became the last siblings to score for England in a single game as the World Champions thrashed their neighbours in an emphatic 5-1 victory. World Cup final, hat trick hero Geoff Hurst had put England 2-0 up before Wales pulled one back, however the Charlton brothers struck either side of an own goal to complete the convincing victory.

May 31st 1977: England 0 – 1 Wales

This famous Welsh victory marks their first, and so far, only win at Wembley Stadium. England’s most-capped player, Peter Shilton brought Leighton James down in the box and gave him the opportunity to covert the resultant penalty to the delight of the travelling fans. The result was quite a shock for an England side sporting the likes of Phil Neal, Emlyn Hughes and Kevin Keegan. Fabio Capello will be glad Wales didn’t double that win tally at Wembley last Tuesday.

May 17th 1980: Wales 4 – 1 England

The ironically named Mike England got off to a flyer in his eight-year spell as the Welsh national manager as his side stunned Ron Greenwood’s England team, who had taken the lead early on, by cruising to a 4-1 triumph. Leighton James yet again returned to haunt England with one of the goals whilst it was a day to forget for Liverpool legend Phil Thompson as his comical own-goal completed the embarrassing defeat in the friendly at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham.

May 2nd 1984: Wales 1 – 0 England

England’s next visit to the Racecourse Ground was just as fruitless as the previous as an impressive Welsh side boasting the likes of Joey Jones, Neville Southall and Ian Rush battled their way to a 1-0 success with debutant Mark Hughes netting the only goal of the tie in the 17th minute. Wales held on for the rest of the game, against a relatively inexperienced England team led by Bobby Robson, to win the match which proved to be the final Wales and England meeting in a Home Nations Championship.

October 9th 2004: England 2 – 0 Wales

An attacking Sven Goran-Eriksson England team, featuring a front three of Jermain Defoe, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney comfortably overcame a worryingly weak Wales side, this time managed by Mark Hughes. Rio Ferdinand was recalled following his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test and Frank Lampard gave England the lead inside the first five minutes at the Millenium Stadium, but in typically spectacular style it was David Beckham who stole the headlines. In the second half his stunning, trademark curling strike from outside the area flew past goalkeeper Paul Jones to secure the victory. Beckham’s reckless booking was also later revealed to have been a deliberate stunt to earn him a suspension in a game he would’ve missed through injury anyway, sparking outrage amongst some of football’s leading bodies.

Capello; he doesn't have a clue

With a lengthy spell away from blogging enforced by national football disappointment, you would’ve thought it was rejuvenated optimism which carried me back to this past-time activity. But in fact, it’s an increasing frustration that has led me to disagree with the ex-professional, optimistic, do-gooders in the media who claim Fabio Capello is a top coach who should be given time and who have pushed me to the edge of needing to release my own dissatisfaction in the same medium which once held all my optimistic world cup hopes and dreams.
Is it not clear to everyone that England need to start a fresh? Surely it is that blatantly simple for the most casual of followers. Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Frank Lampard should be ghosts of England’s past, ruing their missed opportunities from their elaborate Wembley box, not still haunting the fortunes of the national team on the pitch. By the time the next world cup is upon us these players will be 35, 33 and 36 respectively, they should be closer to a retirement home, or Serie A, than the field of play, battling to win sport’s finest tournament against a group of fresh Brazilians on their own turf.
I appreciate the next major tournament is Euro 2012 but the World Cup is English football’s main aim, and we must learn from previous winners and our past mistakes before we even think of bringing it home. Spain won Euro 2008, yes, they were blessed with an array of talent, but the squad was packed with a majority of young, vibrant players who were carefully blended together, don’t be fooled into thinking the individual brilliance of the likes of David Villa, Andreas Iniesta and Fernando Torres won that trophy. Of course it had an impact but we must go back to the cliché that football is very much a team game. And look; Spain went onto win the World Cup we had all dreamed of, with a very similar team, this is no coincidence, stability is key, a team must be built and not thrown together. This will be proved by Manchester City this season and we’ll unanimously agree it was inevitable without the appropriate team blend, but still people will make the same mistakes.
We constantly use the excuse that the England team doesn’t know how to play with each other because they don’t play together enough. Of course Spain were, again, blessed with the fact the majority of their players plied their trade for the brilliant Barcelona and therefore had a footballing connection before they even pulled on the national shirt, but if we attempt to pick our World Cup 2014 23-man-squad now, they will have 4 years to play with each other, they will have big tournament experience together due to the Euros, and they will have little excuse.
If we’re looking to emulate Spain’s success, then Mikel Arteta is certainly not the answer either. If he has never made it into a full Spanish national squad then he is not good enough for what we want to achieve. He is also 28, making him 32 for the next world cup, hardly a prime age, and categorically, he is not English! Capello’s lack of understanding of how the English public long to relate to their national team is again thrown into question and yet again it seems like an English manager is the most logical option.
I should be excited for a game of competitive international football heralding a new era for English football, but instead, I am frankly sickened by aspects of the squad and rumours of Capello dragging the likes of Paul Scholes out of retirement. Mr. Capello has proved to be as, dare I say it, naïve as I thought in my original anger following our South African adventure. First he disrespectfully dismisses the national hero who is David Beckham’s chances of regaining an England place. Of course, there is no way Beckham should play for England again in his aging state, but to broadcast it in such a manner so as not to consult Beckham first was a disgraceful and undeserved manner in which to retire one of our most loyal servants. But now, in the wake of his stupidity, Capello has backtracked on his claim in order to save his own reputation and hypocritically ended the fresh feeling of a much-needed new start. He’s even attempting to rip Scholes from his tranquil retirement. Of course there’s no doubt Scholes is an excellent player but a 35 year-old man should be nowhere near this England team, especially if he even refused to play at the previous world cup. All this does is put a model professional’s name at risk of being unpatriotic and shows Capello has no idea what he should do next or how to deal with players.
I certainly felt it was appropriate for us to see the back of the likes of Matthew Upson, Michael Carrick and, reluctantly, Peter Crouch in an England shirt with the hope of looking to the future but we’ve tracked back with these distinctly average squad players and all have been recalled. Why is Chris Smalling not in place of Upson? Sir Alex Ferguson obviously rates him and we can mould him into international football before he’s corrupted by the ‘different style’ of the premier league, as if these professionals are unable to adapt. Why is Jack Rodwell not replacing Carrick? Apparently the Everton youngster was the subject of a £10m plus Carrick bid from Manchester United, surely this shows he’s a better player than Carrick and he defiantly offers more going forward than the immobile former West Ham and Spurs man. A sure star of world football’s future and maybe even a potential captain. And why is Andy Carroll not replacing Crouch? With 4 premiership goals already to his name and the welcome return of an old-fashioned English centre-forward, why has he not been handed his chance ahead of our infamous plan B. Not to mention he should’ve got in ahead of Carlton Cole whose start to the season has been nothing short of awful as he has made a worrying return to his fragile lack of confidence. And that’s coming from a West Ham fan.
Other ridiculous decisions such as no Aaron Lennon in spite of the inclusion of Shaun Wright-Phillips, and the omission of our budding creativity, Jack Wilshere straight after his international debut add up to make this squad appear even more mundane and safe as I first feared. As Bill Gates says; ‘the future is now’, obviously not for Capello. He didn’t even attend the under 19s tournament despite his £6 million a year payment while he irresponsibly holidayed instead. The Italian has no intent to look to the future, he’s content to breeze through the qualifiers whilst collecting his bumper pay cheque while learning and preparing nothing for our patriotic dreams. The same old faces will return and yet again we’ll get to a major tournament with injury problems, the lack of a recognised starting eleven and a bunch of lads thrown together as the ‘wise’ old man continues to tinker with squad after squad. We’re crying out for a decisive leader, and Capello is certainly not the answer.

Wish farewell to 'The Golden Generation'. They should never return as, yet again, they deflate the nation

As I, as well as half the nation, enter into the early stages of depression, the jolly tunes of ‘World In Motion’ are drowned out by Oasis’ apt, ‘Stop Crying Your Heart Out’. England are defeated. Defeated and disgraced. The golden generation are over and there are so many unanswered questions rapidly meeting our ears as we sit and dwell on what could’ve been.

Sepp Blatter says “fans love to talk about wrong decisions”. This is his reasoning for not employing the much called for goal-line technology. Mr. Blatter is clearly not your average football fan. As he is pampered in his luxurious world of being the FIFA chief executive, he has clearly lost touch with reality. Fans hate these scandalous decisions. They hate the fact that, if the destroying decision to call Frank Lampard’s spectacular ’goal’ was rightfully given as a goal rather than the outrageous call of a “no goal”, we could be having yet another England barbecue in a few days time. They hate the fact that the media will talk about it until the premiership begins and something new, scandalous becomes the major talking point. They hate the fact it will be used as an excuse to paper over the cracks of a disgusting performance which insults them all. They hate the fact they’ll never know what might have been.

Because it was a terrible performance. As I look back, it’s rather difficult to understand why we invested so much optimism in this game. We always invest our belief in them, they beg for our support in their darkest hour, and they always let us down. Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry. Names we will probably never see in an England world cup squad again. It was their last chance and they could barely pass the ball. Fabio Capello; tactical genius? No. Mr. Capello has let us down, “the best manager we’ve ever had” we bellowed proudly at foreign rivals. He stubbornly dismissed the option of playing Gerrard behind Wayne Rooney, he pushed Joe Cole on the pitch in the dieing minutes of our campaign to cover his own back and he didn’t even organise a decent defence. In fact; the defence was truly woeful as they constantly strayed out of position and desperately clambered to strengthen their laughably stretched back line.

Wayne Rooney. Admittedly he’s carried the hopes of our nation on his shoulders for some time now, but if he does want to fulfil his potential as the superstar he could become then he must take responsibility and produce the displays expected of him.

Numerous times I watched Manchester United last season, on so many occasions a shiver has rocketed down my spine as Rooney is clattered to the floor and I pray in hope that he gets up and is ok for the world cup. What a waste of time. Rooney’s performances have been nothing short of pathetic for England and I must say, I feel personally disillusioned with him. Every time he lethargically admired the ball as it bounced in front of him, “throw yourself at it” the nation would roar, frustration built as the goalkeeper gratefully cleared up with pleasure.

When the final whistle went of this Germany game, it’s likely the frustration thermometer inside the hearts of England fans finally reached boiling point as they internally exploded and their hopes and dreams for England spontaneously combusted.

All the goals were pathetically conceded with simple counter attacks employed by the Germans. To concede four in a game of such magnitude is simply a disparaging humiliation. When Matthew Upson scored that header and that regretful moment of Lampard’s ‘goal’ erupted onto our screens it genuinely looked like one of them landmark moments. That game you tell your grandchildren about. The time the British spirit was at it’s very best as the underdog battled their way into the lead and progressed into a latter round. It was never to be.

With England, it’s questionable as to whether it ever will be. In my life-time? Debatable. And I’m 16 years-old. That group of players were something special, for their clubs at least, and as you expected them to build international experience and adjust to each other’s playing style in time for a romantic tournament victory, they’ve simply deflated and succumbed to England’s worst world cup defeat of all time. The new generation; Jack Rodwell, Adam Johnson, Joe Hart. Good players, but they’re not Lampards, Gerrards or Beckham. But we must wish goodbye to these talismanic figures who’ve continually abandoned us and left us in a state of unbearable disenchantment.

I sincerely hope these men never play for England again. Yes; Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson and Wayne Rooney will. But we must look to the future. Perhaps be sensible and build a team who will play together and will forge a push for the championship we've longingly wished for, but admittedly, never deserved.

Uruguay and Ghana progress. Will England do the same? Yes.

Well that’s it. Before you could blink two countries have been ferociously eliminated from the tournament at the expense of two proud, progressing nations. Although the games have not been of such scintillating quality; the passion, commitment and ‘do or die’ attitude displayed in this ruthless knock-out phase had made these games an exciting advert for what is still to come.
With Uruguay going unbeaten and topping their, admittedly, rather difficult group, the South Americans would’ve fancied their chances when drawn against South Korea. The Koreans appear an organised unit with useful assets but the quality of the likes of Diego Forlan and Luis Suarez would surely be too much for 2002’s surprise package. The efficient duo quickly got to work when a dangerous ball in from Forlan was hit low with power, the Koreans casually ignored it as their goalkeeper deliberated whether to clear it up or calmly watch it cannon past his goal-mouth. Mistake. The goal-scoring prowess of one, Luis Suarez should not be underestimated as he gratefully smacked the ball into a half-empty net to strike an early lead.
Uruguay’s attempts to crowd the box from a deep free-kick proved flawed as the Koreans happily bundled the ball home to gain the necessary equaliser and open the game once more. Chances to clinch victory came and went but as the tension built from a Uruguay corner, you could feel the sense of a landmark moment. The ball fell to Suarez who shimmied inside and whipped a magnificent shot curling away from the goalkeeper, onto the inside post and in. The expressive Suarez galloped around the pitch, attacking the Uruguayan badge with his thankful lips until, finally, he was met with an emotional embrace from his team-mates as the rain pounded on their grateful shoulders. This siege mentality continued until the final whistle and Uruguay were the first team to enter the quarter-finals.
Who they would face was, for now, a mystery until the decider began at the traditional 7:30. An early goal from artificial Ghanian, Kevin Prince-Boateng put the Africans on the front foot with the inexperienced Americans chasing the game from the word go. Boateng’s goal would certainly have pleased the Portsmouth administrators by adding a few millions to his price tag with Avram Grant, possibly waiting to pounce and transfer the midfielder to West Ham United. However, just after the hour mark, John Mensah, rather foolishly committed himself to a sliding challenge as Clint Dempsey advanced within the box, as the Fulham man pushed the ball away from the Ghanaian defender and forced the challenger to bring him to ground, their was no question as to whether it was a penalty. Landon Donovan dramatically blasted his spot-kick into the back of the net and in the words of Barack Obama, their was ‘hope’.
However; despite holding onto this position until the final whistle blew, extra-time proved, immediately, to be more decisive. In the 93rd minute, Ghana’s predicted hero, Asamoah Gyan managed an expert finish to win the match for the Africans. After the game, Gyan shrewdly dedicated the victory to his continent which will result in great support for Ghana from many match attendees and gives Ghana, a genuine, yet unexpected chance of victory. Only once has the world cup been won by a nation from outside the continent which hosted it, and it is, a distinct, yet momentarily ridiculous proposition to suggest Ghana could be lifting the trophy on the 11th June. Even without the unfortunate Michael Essien.
So now the frantic build-up is drawing to the main event itself. Germany vs. England. What a spectacle this has the potential to be, and hopefully, it doesn’t falter like many of the matches we’ve witnessed this term. Can England win? Yes, they most certainly can. Will they win? I hope so. We have better players, a more experienced team, I’m sure of it. Whether we can create the self-belief always displayed by the Germans with their winning mentality is debatable, and if England dwell on their typically cynical attitude it’s possible this could be the end. But believe; and we will win.

England thankfully through but Germany and Argentina wait as potential heart-breakers

The romantic tendencies of the world cup were almost resurfaced as South Africa gained a 2-1 victory over a French team who find themselves in utter turmoil. Following the South Africans taking a proud lead, Yohann Gourcuff was unjustly dismissed for what appeared to be a very slight, accidental elbow into the upper body of an African defender. Although France received little sympathy following the disgusting antics of the egotistic squad’s strike. And, when South Africa bundled their second over the line, the majority of the world would’ve been cheering. However; despite the possibility of an unlikely qualification for South Africa when Uruguay’s Luis Suarez scored his first of the tournament to ascend the South Americans into first place and leave Mexico’s place in the last 16 in a vulnerable state, South Africa were incapable of converting the flurry of goals they required, and as France escaped the tournament in disgrace, South Africa are able to hold their heads high and enjoy what remains of their prestigious competition, despite their own omission.
In the evening, Diego Maradona’s Argentina sported what was considered a second string side, however still included the illustrious names of first-time starters Sergio Aguero and Diego Milito, as well as the consistent inclusion of Lionel Messi. Greece continues to approach the game with a lack of ambition and appeared happy to depart the tournament on the back of a dour 0-0 draw with the South Americans. However, despite containing the virtues of Messi for the entire evening with a specific marker, the Greeks began to tire and the Argentineans eventually made the breakthrough via Demicheles blasting a shot into the roof of the net from a scrappy corner. Argentina went on to net a second when a Messi rebound poetically dropped to the feet of veteran, Martin Palermo who solidified Argentina’s position at the pinnacle of their group and left Greece with little positives to take from this tournament. At least we won’t have to face another hour and a half of their negative tactics this year. In the parallel fixture South Korea and Nigeria produced an exciting 2-2 draw which sends the Koreans through to the next round and leaves the Nigerians in despair, Yakubu in particular contributed one for next Christmas’ “Own Goals & Gaffs” DVD when he missed an easy chance which could’ve seen his side in the last 16.
It was then the nationally awaited turn of England as they engaged with Slovenia in a crucial fixture requiring a necessary win. The omission of Emile Heskey put many English fans in good spirits before the game had even begun and with a fellow goal scorer, Jermain Defoe, beside a rather depleted Wayne Rooney, the approach to the game was a lot more positive. James Milner particularly impressed as he consistently whipped efficient crosses into the box, eventually Defoe pounced on one of these in typical fashion, sending England into a one goal lead and the country into hysterics. A few scares were in store but despite a magnificent challenge from fringe defender Matthew Upson, solidifying his position in the squad, and an unusual miss from Rooney, England claimed a vital victory sending them into the next round. Despite this situation resulting in England topping the group for the majority of the day, Landon Donovan, incredibly, scored in injury-time sending the Americans into first place and leaving England with the likely scenario of a tense game against Germany against Sunday afternoon. If that doesn’t woo the Americans into falling in love with football, it’s questionable as to whether they ever will.
Sure enough, it was the impressive, Mesut Ozil who scored an astounding volley from the edge of the area for Germany, a worthy match-winner over Ghana, and setting up a charming tie between Germany and England packed with emotion, heritage and rivalry. The perfect match. The Germans have been impressive at times in this tournament but the defeat to Serbia will unveil loopholes in their brilliance to Fabio Capello and as they struggled to gain the win over the Africans, England certainly can win this match. However, the likelihood is that Argentina will be waiting for them in the quarter-finals and this would be an even tougher ask, however, again it would be a historical fixture which, with a victory, would capture the hearts of the globe.
Serbia couldn’t manage the win they required over Australia as the ‘Socceroos’ gave themselves a chance of a place in the last 16. However, with the two victories being as narrow as they were; Ghana sneaked through on goal difference to be a rare representative of Africa in the advanced stages of the competition. The tournament is beginning to heat up as it began with rather modest displays and as the knock-out stages close in, could this be our year? At the moment I’m still too afraid to say it.

Portugal and Spain re-emerge as contenders whilst France and England continue to descend into a destiny of disappointment

Paraguay look certain to advance to the next stage of the world cup as a rather comfortable victory over Slovakia and the reintroduction of star players Roque Santa Cruz and Oscar Cardozo evolved Paraguay’s general expectation as outsiders into a potential dark horse of the competition.
The south Americans appear to have prepared well for the tournament which is certainly a manageable task considering the extensive length of four years between each world cup, in which time you have a number of exhibition matches and opportunities to formulate your push for victory. Maybe England could learn from this. Fabio Capello has been paid an astronomical amount to sit at home or English football stadiums for the majority of his time, such is the situation with international management, over a period of two years. In which case; how has he gone into the two week pinnacle of his job without knowing his goalkeeper, his formation, his line-up or how to motivate his players. Capello himself has questioned the players attitude and singled out the likes of Wayne Rooney for individual criticism, this all goes against the fabric of football management. Surely this man has been paid that obscene amount of money to mould the attitude of his squad.
A similar situation has occurred in the French camp. Following the euphemistic dismissal of Nicholas Anelka; the players have staged a successful strike. Surely the French Football Association could identify the problem with Raymond Domenech’s reign and he should’ve been the man dismissed before this unfortunate epidemic. Four years to prepare for this and it’s unravelling after just a week! Incredible.
The world champions, Italy, are another side who’s preparations appear to have been flawed to some extent. Rather than realistically and sensibly admit the sorry fact that the previous world beaters including, captain, Fabio Cannavaro, would have taken at least a few steps too far over the hill for this tournament, they’ve enforced their legends to experience another gruelling campaign rather than moulding a fresh team who are able to compete with the physicality of the competition. The fact they could only take a 1-1 draw against an inexperienced New Zealand side packed with semi-professionals and fraudulent, artificial Kiwis proves that the modern game has advanced so far that genuine athletes can effectively compete with players of any skill if they’re not muscularly prepared.
Brazil are, rather frighteningly, prepared in terms of physicality and an unusually unstylish victory against North Korea proved the Brazilians could now win in beastly fashion. However, ‘the beautiful game’ advertised by legendary, Brazilian teams of old thankfully hasn’t slipped out of the South Americans at the expense of the muscular approach of the likes of Lucio, Juan and Maicon. Luis Fabiano’s lack of confidence was well and truly redeemed when he netted two goals in thunderous fashion against a potentially dangerous Ivory Coast side. Some incredible football also enabled Elano to casually convert a critical third and despite an unjust dismissal to Kaka due to the detestable play-acting of African winger Keita and a late consolation goal for Didier Drogba, Brazil held onto a relaxed victory which will strike fear into the hearts of fellow contenders.
With Portugal’s recent displays of great disappointment despite the inclusion of Cristiano Ronaldo, their match against North Korea wasn’t predicted a push-over. But it was the definition of demolition. Despite a modest one goal lead at half-time, the Portuguese went on to claim a rampaging 7-0 win which leaves Ivory Coast’s hope of goal difference qualification hanging by a fraying thread and reinvigorates Portugal’s hopes of tournament victory.
Later in the day Chile were able to claim a vital three points at the expense of the surprising, Spain-conquering Switzerland which practically qualifies them into the last sixteen. Despite the disastrous start to the tournament, Spain achieved a solid 2-0 win against a Honduras team who looked severely out of their depth. With Spain re-emerging as potential, eventual victors with a quality display from David Villa in particular, can England achieve a similar goal and will Wayne Rooney claim a victorious brace which not only wins the game, but wins back the heart of millions.

Opposing talismans shine whilst our's swears at cameras. Is Capello as inadequate as Domenech and Le Guen or will we see redemption?

A wretched, feeble, pathetic performance against Algeria means England’s hopes of qualifying to the knock-out stages of the world cup is unexpectedly in a great degree of doubt. The spineless showing attracted abuse from inside the stadium as well as living rooms and pubs across the nation and English football is at an extremely low point.
With Fabio Capello hailed as a tactical genius and paid six million pounds as year, as the highest-earning international manager in the world, you’d think the least he could do is set the team up correctly after years of preparation, especially as he appears to hold no motivational or man-managing value. The most casual of football fans in the country could identify the fact that chances were not being created and our formation simply wasn’t working, so why did Capello introduce Shaun Wright-Phillips as a like-for-like change for Aaron Lennon? This was clearly going to change very little tactically and replaced our frighteningly, quick winger with an arguably lesser version.
Surely Joe Cole should have been introduced. Any fan in the local pub realises that Cole has the ability to provide a moment of magic and contains the star quality and vitally, confidence which was required in that lacklustre situation. One man I do sympathise with is Emile Heskey. Continually branded as a scapegoat for England’s eternal failing, he is picked by the manager and has never let his country down. His patriotism and professionalism is something the squad certainly lacks and although, obviously not a top-class finisher, he continues to battle in attack in support of the essential Wayne Rooney. However, I’m unsure Heskey should actually play. As Rooney had been consistently outstanding for Manchester United last term as a lone striker and Steven Gerrard can naturally support a front man, surely playing Gerrard in a more advanced role in aid of Rooney is the rational option.
Capello’s hostile approach towards the squad is an increasing worry. With the Italian’s tactical knowledge thrown into question, it’s highly doubtful he’ll even have the ability and attitude to galvanize his troops, maybe even, the comical, yet inspirational speeches of James Corden would be a better option than Capello’s dour team meeting ahead of Wednesday’s game against Slovenia when England will either regain the faith of their excited nation or inconsiderately perish into possibly the most despised team in living memory.
Games the following day seemed to quickly pass as the intense interest of the competition was certainly hindered by disappointment and the repercussions of extensive drinking from the previous night across the nation. Holland managed to maintain their 100% record with a Wesley Sneijder goal and a sound defensive display. With Sneijder being the main talisman of the Netherlands, you certainly wonder why Rooney fails to emulate his ability to be a match winner for his team when his passion and ability has never before been in doubt. Perhaps it’s his fitness after a physically challenging season, or maybe financial concern is worrying him after he was forced to pay legal fees to his former agent, but most likely, it’s the fact Rooney has finally slipped out of touch with reality and is no longer the ‘working-man’s man’ he was formerly proud to represent. Mentally wrapped in theoretical cotton-wool by the ‘protectors’ who surround him and carrying the hopes and pressure of the nation’s chances on his, surprisingly young shoulders, Rooney’s mini rant as his exited the pitch in South Africa summed up his inability to empathise with ‘normal people’ and maybe, worryingly, he is evolving into the self-indulged narcissist many feared he would become. Let’s hope Sir. Alex Ferguson gives him a call before the next game to improve his attitude, as Capello appears incapable of doing, and he can turn this tournament around, becoming the legend we all wished for.
With African teams being tipped as surprise contenders in this tournament with a delightful array of talent in their own continent, two potentially successful representatives of the region failed to improve their trophy chances. As an Australian team, missing the influential Tim Cahill via suspension, took an early lead against Ghana, another disappointment for African supporters was on the card. Before the twenty minute mark, Harry Kewell was rightly, but rather pitifully, eagerly dismissed for saving an equaliser with the use of his hands. Clearly Mr. Kewell has a better grasp of the infamous ‘Jabulani’ ball than the goalkeepers themselves. Asamoah Gyan netted his second of the tournament, and Ghana’s equaliser from the spot, but; despite the numerical advantage, the sorry Ghanaians failed to convert a decisive goal.
It was the hopeless, overrated Paul Le Guen who engaged in battle later in the evening as his Cameroon team had to steal some kind of result against a decent Denmark team. Despite taking a lead, the egotistic Samuel Eto’o didn’t use any of his attributes to finish the game and the inadequate Le Guen helplessly looked on to see the Danish comeback to a 2-1 victory, making them the first side to be mathematically eliminated from the tournament.
Nicholas Anelka also retired from international football after “insulting” Raymond Domenech. Admittedly, if I was in Anelka’s position, it would be quite a struggle to retain myself from insulting Mr. Domenech due to his obvious incompetence. But judging by Anelka’s track record and his scandalous reputation as ‘Le Sulk’, perhaps we’ll regretfully, offer Domenech some sympathy.
It’s inconceivable that England won’t win on Wednesday. Surely it just can not happen with that squad of players. But upsets are consistently occurring as a number of major countries in the tournament are undergoing internal turmoil. It’s incredible that these organisations cannot use their years of preparation sufficiently as things always tend to disastrously unravel in the fateful two weeks for someone. Hopefully it’s not England who continue to deteriorate and they redeem themselves appropriately and unconvincingly squeeze through to the last sixteen.

Germany lose! And USA produce fight-back which leaves England in safe but vulnerable position

The second big shock of the tournament occurred this morning when Germany crashed to an astonishing defeat at the hands of Serbia. With the Serbs displaying a disappointing showing of themselves in their first game of the world cup and Germany smashing Australia in a rampant victory, which was arguably the most impressive performance of the tournament yet, a German loss was almost inconceivable. But the early games of this particular Friday featured many refereeing errors in comparison to exactly a week ago when the tournament begun, when the officials were receiving magnanimous praise, and this went some way to corrupting the purity of two unexpectedly, marvellous football matches.
With the colossal figures of the likes of Nemanja Vidic and Nikolai Zigic in the Serbian line-up, it was sure that they could match the Germans in terms of physicality but with a fresh, young, skilful spine including the likes of Mezut Ozil in the German side it was thought that there was no real contest. Until the referee got involved. From the moment he blew his whistle, Mr. Mallenco had his hand in his pocket threatening disciplinary action against any player who as even looked him in the eye for an extended period of time. A meaningless yellow card dished out early on set the ridiculous consistency Mallenco retained and in no time, Miroslav Klose was off the pitch following two minor trips in honest attempts to win the ball. Immediately after this demented decision, Serbia managed to take advantage of German sorrow by predictably pumping the ball onto the head of Zigic who fumbled it down to Jovanovic, who acrobatically flung himself in aid of the Jabulani’s advancement and left the keeper with no choice but to lift the ball from the back of the net and bellow words of disheartened encouragement.
The Germans were handed a lifeline when Vidic needlessly handled in the area, which is becoming somewhat of a bizarre, common occurrence for the Serbs. However; Lucas Podolski unusually missed from the spot and Germany failed to net the equaliser they desired, resulting in an a blow to Germany’s confidence and an increasingly exciting group D.
An important game for England followed as the USA took on Slovenia. The Slovenians were promptly in a surprising two goal lead against the favourites as half-time quickly emerged and appeared good value for their lead. A stunning strike, a neat finish and the half-time whistle was superb for Slovenia’s predicted, slim chances of qualification but America battled in traditional, patriotic spirit and emerged from the tunnel fighting as Landon Donovan reduced the lead early on with a cannon into the roof of the goal. The double change from American coach Bob Bradley clearly worked wonders and then, like a cheap Hollywood movie, his son, Michael Bradley lunged at a floating opportunity. The ball thumped past the helpless Slovenian goalkeeper and produced sighs of relief from England fans and uncontrollable, hysterical, yet predictable tears from American followers.
Yet another loathsome decision from a referee marred what would’ve concluded an astounding, emotional fight-back from the Americans when substitute, Edu’s volley rocketed into the back of net and was unjustly disallowed. Replays reveal at least two or three fouls during the scramble for a winning goal but all appeared to be to the detriment of the USA as Slovenians recklessly, attempted to wrestle them to the ground.
The fight-back should still be hailed by the American media and it’s likely the “New York Post” may even perceive it as they ‘won 2-2’ but the awful decision from Mr. Coulibaly would’ve left a sour taste in the back of American throats. However; a draw was perhaps the perfect result for England as they can encounter a weak Algerian side tonight with the potential to top the group. Anticipation is continually building with team selection speculation rife but one thing is for sure. If England don’t pull off an expected victory tonight they’ll have a tough battle on to even escape their group and the rather impressive USA and Slovenia will not hesitate to knock us out.

A magnificent start with a desperate finish. Is the best still to come? It better be.

The first Saturday of the World Cup was a day of magnificent starts, encouragement and hope; only to see the excitement agonizingly fizzle out into a calm game of a cautious, tedious nature. Typical of an international exhibition match but not the World Cup.
The Korean Republic were rather impressive against an extremely poor Greece side with a distinct lack of ambition. As an organised unit the Koreans scored from a set-piece early on, which would’ve infuriated the Greek coach. They then became the first team of this world cup to kill a game off with regards to the scoring of their second goal. A weaving, speedy run from Manchester United’s Ji-Sung Park was completed with a neat finish. His creative threat throughout was a constant thorn in the sides of the Greeks and it’s possible Park has the potential to be a hero for his nation in this world cup. The likes of Georgios Samaras and Thomas Gekas up front for Greece showed little to suggest the European side could pull off another amazing tournament win, reminiscent of Euro 2004 and it was easy to tell why they’re struggling to sell tickets for games.
Argentina against Nigeria was probably the first game of the tournament that the neutral genuinely wanted to see, rather than simply being sucked in by world cup fever. Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi naturally impressed throughout but the Argentinean goal came early on from an unlikely source in the form of former Manchester United left-back Gabriel Heinze. Widely criticised throughout the qualifying campaign and resented by the Argentinean public for the omission of Champions League winners Zanetti and Cambiasso, Heinze began to defy the critics with a superb, diving header from a corner. Absence of marking and urgency from Nigeria practically gifted the opportunity to Heinze who couldn‘t believe his luck.
Nigeria’s poor performance in defence continued but Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuain missed two superb opportunities which left Diego Maradonna rolling down the touchline in despair. Champions league final hero, Diego Milito eventually replaced Higuain but it was astounding to see a team sporting an advanced trio of Messi, Tevez and Higuain with the likes of Miltio, Martin Palermo and Sergio Aguero sitting on the bench fail to convert the second goal.
And then it was England’s much awaited, opening clash with the United States of America. Capello finally put a stop the infernal line-up speculation from the media by announcing Robert Green, James Milner and Emile Heskey would all start. England began in the best possible way, with Heskey displaying his link-up play to the audience in an attempt to justify his selection, he put Steven Gerrard, controversially starting next to Frank Lampard, through on goal who gracefully slotted the ball in the corner. The game looked as though it would practically die out in typically English fashion with the British scraping the 1-0 in a game involving nothing more than a few scares. Wrong. Clint Dempsey’s rather weak strike of desperation from 25-yards looked to be safely entering the grateful grasp of Robert Green when the West Ham keeper shockingly spilled the ball and scrambled in despair only to see it tortuously trickle over the line as a fortunate equaliser. As a West Ham fan, the feeling of Green’s embarrassment and incredible shame was shared by me. Like watching your son lose the relay for his team on sports day, I was met with a feeling of guilt and lust for the Earth to gobble Green up before he had the chance to re-show his face. However, I’m sure Green’s relaxed nature will mean he can bounce back from this and I hope Capello reselects him for the Algeria game so he has an opportunity to redeem himself.
James Milner’s hasty substitution on the half an hour mark heralding the introduction of Shaun Wright-Phillips must’ve been heart-breaking for the Manchester City target but his reckless fouling was a danger to England’s hopes and by displaying such indiscipline, as well as failing to assist Ashley Cole in dealing with Landon Donovan, perhaps it was the correct decision. The safety-net of Gareth Barry was missed by the defence and as Ledley King predictably left the field via injury a lethargic back two of Jamie Carragher and John Terry required his presence as they were continually skinned by the likes of Jozey Altidore. God knows what will happen when they’re up against the likes of Luis Fabiano, Didier Drogba or Fernando Torres rather than the former Hull City fringe player.
With immense pressure and focus placed on Wayne Rooney, he often found himself isolated by mass amounts of American defenders and had to come deep into midfield to collect the ball; meaning his new-found goal-scoring prowess for Manchester United this season was non-existent and he was relatively ineffectual. It’s worth arguing that with the opposition placing so much attention upon our young talisman it could open the way for other strikers to score. But when your other striker is Emile Heskey, what chance do you stand?
In fairness to Heskey he went someway to showing exactly why he is chosen but I stand by my theory that you need someone who will take your chances in the big match and by admiring Argentina’s awesome bench it’s obvious we don’t have the ammunition of our competition. However we do have a top manager in Fabio Capello who must do a better job than Diego Maradonna and despite a disappointing start on a national level, we can still go further in the tournament. Maybe the best is still to come.

Why England's first game in South Africa must be considered a success

England’s first game in South Africa against local side, Platinum Stars will probably be deemed unconvincing by the British media, but, when you put the situation into perspective, the game was nothing more than a training session to the England squad and we’ve escaped with a reasonable, 3-0 win and, vitally, no injuries.
You could generously describe Platinum Stars as the equivalent of a lower league side in England, so imagine their delight and excitement at the task of facing an international side filled with stars of the calibre and stature of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, especially as the nation is currently overwhelmed with the buzz of soccer pandemonium. With those men playing the game of their lives, England would’ve been happy to take a back-seat and gain a morale boosting winning whilst not loosing any more players to the curse of injury, which so cruelly stole Rio Ferdinand’s chance to lift the trophy.
Jermain Defoe’s early goal would’ve quietened moans fighting Darren Bent’s case for a space in the 23-man squad and reassured the public that despite his rather reserved end to the season, Defoe is a natural goal scorer and should disaster strike in the form of an injury to the talismanic Wayne Rooney, he is a suitable replacement. The game was encouraging for Rooney who ended a, for his standards, moderate goal-scoring drought for his country. Emile Heskey, on the other hand, knocked an opportunity, with his head, wide of the mark. No surprise there. As top-level international matches tend to be extremely tight, tense occasions, you must be efficient in the manner of taking your chances if you’re going to succeed. If England’s golden chance falls to Heskey, it’s unlikely they’ll be advancing to the next round and the Aston Villa target man’s low popularity in this country will decrease even further. However; it would be great for Heskey if he could defy the critics in his reserved, unselfish manner by allowing Rooney more freedom to play his game and finally gaining some recognition of his own.
An attacking, solo-run from Glen Johnson was promising in terms of his offensive ability but this has never really been in doubt for the pacey full-back. His defensive credibility, however, was again a dilemma for England as a misjudged header forced him to into conceding a penalty, which the local side, fortunately, failed to convert. You can be sure a player of the stature of Didier Drogba, Kaka or Fernando Torres would not have been so forgiving and Johnson’s unreliable performances in the defensive sector will be an increasing worry for Fabio Capello, enhancing the chances of Jamie Carragher adopting the right side of the back four for himself.
The expeditious break from England in aid of Joe Cole’s goal was hopefully an advert for the expansive play we will look to employ during the tournament and was the real highlight of an otherwise, dull and modest game. The fact Cole was the only player to complete the whole game means his fitness must now be unquestionable to Capello and that can only be good news for England who, with Cole, have a genuine footballer made for the big stage. His undeniable skill, technique and ability to produce a moment of unthinkable magic makes him one of our squad’s most naturally gifted players and his disappointing domestic season at Chelsea will be quickly forgotten if he proves to be the major asset to England he has the potential to be.
Whether the vacancy of David James meant he has nothing to prove to Capello or that he’s a non-starter will certainly be up for debate, but, the lack of Gareth Barry will be a genuine worry for England and the question as to why their seems to have been a lack of recognition towards Scott Parker in the 30-man squad will yet again be raised. The enthusiastic midfielder was said to have been the outstanding trainer in the Austrian camp and would certainly have installed his passion, determination and typically English spirit into the rest of the team, not to mention his conclusive talent and decisive, defensive ability. Capello will also be labelled a hypocrite after he began his reign as the national manager stressing the importance of fitness and form, a comment he may live to regret as he continually ignores it.
The reason for Rio Ferdinand and David Beckham’s presence is ambiguous to the outsider but seeing them sign shirts and converse with the natives during this warm-up game suggests they will be able to remove some of the untenable pressure provided by the obsessive media from the players and perhaps allow the playing squad to be fully focused on winning football matches alone. The fact Capello now feel they require this particular role reflects badly on our national media as they continue to convince us our world cup dreams will finally come true, only to send our hopes crashing back down to earth in a whirlpool of cynical stories and scandal. As the most powerful voice in our country, we must take it upon ourselves to support our team patriotically in the sincere belief that this really can be our year.

Fans already suffer injuries in South Africa; why they should never have got the world cup and England must host the 2018 tournament

Worrying news from South Africa’s warm-up game consists of 14 fans being injured in another crowd crushing incident. Suggestions of another potential tragedy, reminiscent of the Hillsborough disaster will soon rise to the surface of the media and yet again South Africa’s ability to host a successful, and most importantly, safe world cup is yet again cast in doubt.
Terrorist attacks are a distinct possibility in this particular world cup and following the attack on Togo’s team bus during the African Cup Of Nations recently, it appears it’s not only the fans who are in danger. Fans are being advised on where not to go during hours of darkness due to car theft and shootings; clearly this world cup has the potential to be an absolute disaster.
Admittedly it’s refreshing for an African nation to host the world cup, and if you had to choose one it would have to be South Africa. They’re certainly the more developed country of the continent and have experience in hosting sporting events from the 1995 rugby world cup and the 2003 cricket world cup but the football world cup is on a whole different level and FIFA have taken a major gamble in allowing it to be held in a politically unstable, economically weak, third world country.
I’m sure the tournament will help to bring in large amounts of money for South Africa to develop into a prosperous region, but remarkably slow ticket sales in terms of a tournament as distinguished as the world cup due to inflated prices will certainly be worrying the organisers. Before their bid was successful, the country was in absolutely no position, in terms of hotels, roads, airports and most importantly stadiums to host an event of the FIFA World Cup’s monstrous nature and so billions of dollars have been pumped into the country making this the most expensive world cup to date.
The harsh reality of this glamorous tournament is, it could destroy the profile of South Africa as a tourist attraction rather than raise it if some form of disaster did take place (and that is certainly not out of the question). And, as the sporting world gracefully drifts on with another world cup under it’s belt it could leave the country further crippled in financial mess. This inconsiderate risk taken by FIFA may pay off for South Africa, and hopefully it does, but it’s one that should not be taken again and that’s why England should defiantly be considered for the next world cup.
London could probably get away with hosting a world cup as a city, let alone the entire nation. With glamorous stadiums such as Wembley, Old Trafford and the Emirates already in place, the tournament would be of minimal cost to the country in comparison to it’s predecessors and has the potential to be one of the best ever.
Although the slanderous antics of Lord Triesman have hindered England’s chances I’m sure that FIFA president, Sepp Blatter will look beyond this fault and see how England is perfect as a host nation. Blatter has previously indicated he considers England as “the motherland of football” and suggested that World Cup 2018 will return to a European country. Along with this advantage England have the benefit of the prestigious face of David Beckham heading the campaign as well as the international appeal of our Premier League, it’s certainly a substantial offer and we have a great chance of winning the bid. Crowd-violence is unjustly, still associated with this country and the disgrace of the F.A. cup clash between West Ham and Millwall may have worsened England’s argument, but, if an appropriate degree of research is employed into England, the outsider will surely realise that hooliganism is practically non-existent in British football and is certainly a lesser threat to the tournament in comparison to South Africa’s general crime rate.
Russia, Holland and Spain are worthy opponents to England amongst other Asian countries but it must be obvious to everyone that England is defiantly a better option than South Africa ever was. With the infrastructure firmly in place, our country is waiting for an opportunity like this to help rebuild it’s economy, carry it out of recession and solidify England’s position amongst the elite in the world of football.