Thursday 29 March 2007

We do want to be at the Euros

Steve McLaren is either the worst manager since Taylor, or he has a great trick up his sleeve, we're all going to love.

I'm not sure yet.

When he sacked Beckham, I could see why.

In many ways the last World Cup was one of the best I've seen. And I'm a World Cup nut. I take my holiday and watch the lot. So many great games.
Australia-Japan, what a brilliant hat trick.
France-Spain, bye-bye my cash-backed dark horse.
France-Switzerland, shows you how a bad referee can really threaten the team who justly won.
The Final- possibly the best International I've seen in a while.
Yet none of these great, worth watching games involved England.

Simple reason why. England had got in to habit of not actually playing football, just wait to be awarded a free kick.
To be taken by Beckam. Result, England 1, AN other 0.
Doesn't work of course, it's a lousy game winning plan against say, Portugal.

The only way to solve this problem is to remove the temptation for other players to run round the pitch hoping to get fouled rather than looking for the ball.
Remove Golden Boots.

So in a sense, it was kind of removing a benign tumour that was just holding up the bloodflow of the passion of 66.

Problem is, it's taking time for the operation to heal.

I think there are some good moves at work here- I'm glad to see Owen Hargreaves being used more, he's quality. Nice to see ex-blues Andy Johnson being recognised as well.

Bnd time is running out.
Sacking McLaren costs the FA 3.5 mill severance pay.
If we don't make the Euros, 100 mill in sponsorship is lost to the FA.

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