That the English team had to pray for an Israel win over Russia to keep their qualification of Euro 2008 alive is a contradiction in large proportion. And lady luck surely smiled on their face with Israel pulling a surprise 2-1 win to sink the Russians yesterday.
Looking up to the gods to gain qualification for next year's European Premier football bonanza betrayed the lack of quality in English players despite the boom and publicity generated by the Premier League. Take out the foreign players and the English football will be left yawning for any spark.
One would mistake the strong 4000 (proud) English supporters cheering Israel in Tel-a-Viv for some Jews from West Bank or Jerusalem. So it appears even the obtuse pride can be auctioned at the right price.
Pride on auction
Football spares no room for pride. Team England has been full of of contempt assuming that their qualification was as good as guaranteed given the 'weak' opponents in their group. But alas! Croatia is heading the group and already qualified. They also appear to have been inflicted with that misplaced pride if losing 2-0 to the unrated Macedonia yesterday is anything to go by.
Not that England are out of the woods yet. They have to at least draw with Croatia on Wednesday at Wembley. And with their over-rated stars missing with injuries anything can happen and the Russians must be holding vigil in their churches. Joining Rooney is the football 'wards' is Michael Owen. That leaves Peter Crouch to lead the onslaught upfront.
Owen's injury is definitely England' self-inflicted malady. Knowing very well that the striker is always an accident waiting to happen, Steve MacClaren goofed large scale in taxing his charges against the colourless and useless fixture with Austria.
Add to that loss of form from the aging Beckham and you get a pack of 11 donning 3 lions with St. George's flag chasing a piece of leather bereft of any entertainment nor quality to match the media hype.
Punishing bullies
It may not be wild to imagine that nature is teaching lessons to bully boys on both sides of the Atlantic. What with the the land of opportunity losing its sheen and influence in the global arena in terms of FREEDOM (after 9/11) and innovation? Just look at all the major technological breakthrough always emerging from Seoul.
It may either be crunch time and a time for re-evaluation of values and pride or just mother nature is simply paying the big boys (bullies) in their own coin.
Couldnt put it better Mwalimu Taabu.
ReplyDeleteWhat I dont understand at all is the malady England suffers from. Overrated they may be but that doesnt mean their players are not world class. Captains JT and Steve Gerrard are world class. Very few players in the world can beat them in their positions.JT can only compete with the legendary Maldini while Gerrard is at Kaka's (The worlds best) level. The likes of Lamps, Michaell Owen, Peter Crouch, Owen Hagreaves, Jamie Defoe, Darren Bent, David Beckham, Joe Cole,Cashley Cole, SWP and Wayne Rooney are players only Brazil and Argentina can afford to have. Why they are not topping that group, nobody knws. Why they lost to Portugal last year nobody knows.
That brings me to the question: Didnt we all believe Sven was the curse and that MCclarren was the freaking bomb? The problem is not the players but lack of motivation. I thout the Mcclarren-JT combination would give the lads the much needed motivation after years of a boring Sven and a spice boy captain in David Beckham. Where did the rain staart beating them? Does it mean they have to import coaching talent from South America or Spain? Can the English team perform better with the world's best coaches, Big Phil Scolari(Assuming the wife would let him)or Jose Mourinho. I am thinking this is something the FA need to look into considering the country's most successful clubs have been headed by foreigners: Alex Fergusson, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, RAfa Benitez and Martin Jol(And Im sure Juande Ramos).
Where did the rain start beating England, I ask?
Simple Vikii. The storm hitting England is clothed in misplaced PRIDE. It has everything to do with FLAG. Sven was booted because he was Swedish and see what he has done with Man City. Steve Maclarren was meant to be the bomb but mark you he was second best after Big Phil turned down the offer.
ReplyDeleteJose has interest but whether his character is compatible with English pride only time will tell. You sepak of JT and SG being the present Maldnis. Well I am not sure and you could be right.
These chaps need a re-evaluation lest they disapear into football abyss. This pride thing can fly, ama?
Croatia have already qualified, so they will throw away the game on Wednesday. I predict scores 2-0.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the overrated England but the world wouldn't imagine Euro without them