Win one more game and England are there! They will be participating in their first World Cup final since 1966.
Why is that? Do they suddenly have a team better than the one which included Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne? Are they a notch up from the Alan Shearer generation which included the likes of Paul Scholes and David Beckham? How about the team of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard?
No they are not a better team than any of those aforementioned. They certainly don’t have better individual players. What they do have is a better manager who knows how to get the players playing for each other, knows how to eradicate any cliques and knows how to treat them as individuals.
He has brought a refreshing approach to managing the national team and it is one that other managers will be sure to copy.
He has, for example, allowed the press a lot more leeway with the squad and this has led to a more comfortable relationship. It hasn’t prevented stupid questions being asked but, when a member of the press is still employed because he/she has relatives in the industry and not because of any ability whatsoever, then this will happen.
Southgate has also allowed the players to conduct the press conferences occasionally which is another innovative move designed to show how much trust he has in them.
From our point of view it doesn’t seem a particularly good idea as all it proves is that most of the squad were playing football when they should have been at school learning how to speak correctly and getting an education.
Still, if this is the modern way and it wins the World Cup we’ll forgive it this once.
Why does the expression, “it is better to keep your mouth closed and be thought a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt,” spring to mind whenever players hold a press conference?
In a previous article we already debated the amount of luck England have had in reaching this stage of the competition so, without going there again, all we will say is that any luck received this time is compensation for the Frank Lampard goal which was wrongly ruled out as not having crossed the line against Germany in South Africa back in the World Cup of 2010.
Hopefully, this time and for the first time in a very long time, we can get through the tournament without hearing the words, “and England are out of the World Cup.”
And fianally back home…..
The transfer window is causing all sorts of problems for Sky Sports. Not that you’d know it and, of course, they will never admit to the fact. There just haven’t been any big transfer stories for them to report every fifteen minutes for a week!
A quick glance at their website, as we write, and the headline is, “Southampton forward Guido Carillo joins Spanish club CD Leganes on a one-year loan.” Heady stuff, eh?
This is all because Juventus and Real Madrid are dragging their feet over the proposed transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo. Do they not realise that Sky are waiting for a headline? Come on, get the deal done.
Gareth Bale will probably stay in Madrid now he knows who the new manager is. We haven’t read anywhere that Julen Lopetegui has promised the Welshman that he will actually pick him for the team but, then again, maybe Gareth just likes the guy.
Eden Hazard is another one who is reported to be joining the Real revolution but this one seems to depend on that man Ronaldo again. Apparently Hazard has been promised the number seven shirt and Cristiano’s parking space which could make things very awkward if the Portuguese chooses not to leave the club.
Eden Hazard – Can stay at Chelsea and play for a manager he doesn’t know or move to Real Madrid and play for a manager he doesn’t know!
Away from Madrid and nothing much is happening.
Since we read the story of Guido Carillo, West Ham have signed “Union” Jack Wilshere but we told you that was going to happen days ago. It hasn’t stopped Sky carrying on as though they are the only ones privy to this information and that you are very fortunate to be paying such a modest subscription fee to receive the news, (almost), first-hand.
Liverpool still need, but haven’t yet bought, a decent goalkeeper.
Manchester United are still trying to sign Willian but so are Barcelona.
Manchester City still need to finalise their first signing of the window which will be either Riyad Mahrez or Jorginho as they will probably sign both.
Chelsea are still drifting aimlessly out to sea with the rudder in the hands of a man who doesn’t really care which way he steers. They need to change skipper but are making one unholy mess out of the whole thing.
Arsenal are quiet at present but have at least made some signings, the most important probably being that of manager Unai Emery.
Tottenham Hotspur are even quieter than Arsenal as Daniel Levy hopes that nobody will notice if he doesn’t sign anybody this window as he has all the money earmarked for other projects.
His attitude is that Spurs fans should just be grateful that they have HIM. Why would they possibly want anything or anybody else? Be thankful for what you have you Totterers.
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 