Kevin Walsh

Archive for the ‘World Cup’ Category

By now, most people will know that the FIFA Executive Committee had decided to award the 2018 World Cup to Russia at the expense of England, Spain and Portugal (Sportugal) and Holland and Belgium (Hollgium).  This committee is led by Sepp Blatter and from all accounts is being a member is a job for life.  Every four years the members get thrust into the spotlight and asked to decide who will host a future World Cup as happened yesterday in Zurich.  In between the World Cup decisionbs, they spend most of their time going from Country to Country and staying in expensive hotels.

There are 22 of these members (there should be more but two have been suspended for alleged bribery and corruption) so to win the nod for the World Cup means you have to get at least 12 votes.  Following yesterday, it seems you need something else.  You need to be allowed to win the bid by Sepp Blatter.  I am sure that if England had got sufficient votes to make it through the first round then good old Sepp would have made sure we did not ultimately prevail.  It would seem that as long as he is head honcho at FIFA then we are not going to host a world cup ever again.

Even if we did get the nod from good old Sepp, then even that is no guarantee as there seems to be an intense dislike of England from the rest of the world.  It is a bit like the Eurovision, we keep thinking it is a level playing field competition and the best song (or WC bid) will win and Johnny Foreigner had better understand that.  The reality is that it is all about political alliances and being prepared to pay over the odds for some football pitches in the home country of committee member.

Everybody said that we should have won the right to the 2018 World Cup as we had the best bid.  Now I am not a bid assessing expert but I do wonder how the best bid includes Plymouth, Milton Keynes and Nottingham as host cities.  No disrespect to those places but they are hardly top of Johnny Foreigners list of UK tourist destinations.  Come to that, they are also not the hottest of football beds in England either.

Finally, why did Sepp decide to run two bidding competitions together.  I mean come on, it is not like Sepp and committee to pass up on another free junket in four years time just to go through the whole thing again.  And to cap it all, they went and picked that well known hot bed of World football – Qatar.  When good old Sepp was asked to name a famous Qatar player he replied Eric Clapton.  Says it all really.

KPW

So today was the day all England fans have been waiting for.  For the last 6 months or so since the draw was made, we have all been focused on this day in expectation, hope, anticipation and as the day drew closer, building excitement.  And how do we all feel now? Probably the complete opposite to all the feelings we have had for the last 6 months.

Personally, it is not the result that has me feeling so depressed. It is just that based on the squad that is representing England in this World Cup I can not see us winning.  I think most England fans will have had some reservations about the squad, but would have been prepared to suppress such feelings as the tournament got closer.  However, all the concerns and reservations have started to come to the fore and I now fear the worst.

For me, there were just too many gambles in the squad.  We all knew that Rio Ferdinand was dubious, although his injury was unrelated to his previous problems during the season.  The question remains though, would he have sustained the knee injury if he had played a full season and been sharp and fit.  The back up for Rio is of even more concern.  Jamie Carragher was shown up for pace in the game tonight against a striker who played for Hull (who were relegated) and scored one goal all season.  How will he cope against the likes of Messi, Torres, Villa et al?  The alternatives include Upson who was nearly relegated with West Ham and also lacks pace or Dawson who has no experience at all.  Added to that, John Terry’s mind is obviously elsewhere (good job the WAGS are not in Rustenberg, none of them would have been safe) and he has no pace either.

So let us consider the options for goal keeper.  Robert Green played for the almost relegated West Ham and is not premiership let alone England quality.  It is not the first time he has made a horlicks, he made an equally bad error to gift Bolton a goal last season.  David James played for relegated Portsmouth and is 39 years old and injury prone, plus he still has the stigma of being labelled Calamity James.  Finally, Joe Hart should be given the shirt even though he is young, inexperienced and can’t get in the Citeh team due to a diminutive Irishman.

Several people have pointed out that Heskey had the best game for months.  Really!  He was facing a centre half who has just been released by Watford and another who has only played 30 minutes of football all season.  Let us not forget, he is in the squad as a striker – and strikers are supposed to score goals.  His golden chance to become a hero and he blows it by shooting straight at the keeper.  The keeper even managed to keep hold of the damn ball unlike Robert Green.

Another positive according to the pundits were the performances of Lampard and Gerrard in tandem.  Proof that they can play together they all said.  Well what the hell did Lampard actually contribute?  He ponces about the pitch as if he is the Worlds greatest but tonight he went missing.

So now I am thoroughly depressed as I think most England fans will be despite the false optimism emanating from the England camp.