England Expects

The World Cup continues in South Africa. Yesterday the England team played against Algeria and somehow managed to serve up one of the worst performances by any England team - ever! it was a 0 - 0 draw and the score matches the excitement. So awful were they that there is many a Coca Cola Div 2 side that could have beaten this lot. Why? They can't really be this bad. For what it's worth, this time I do blame the manager. I do not agree with Capello's approach of naming the team at the last moment. What is he purpose of this? Can he not make up his mind? Does he draw the names out of a hat at the last moment as they come through the tunnel? There should be a core of players who, he believes, will always play - unless they are injured or banned - and they should know that. And they should understand how he expects them to play. He did finally plump for David James as his goalkeeper. This he should have done from the start. But what does Robert Green do now? The manager has made it clear that he has no faith in his goalkeeping skills, so he may as well go home. If he is ever used as a substitute he will, again, be a bag of nerves. That would leave us with only an untried young player as back-up - and David James is not only the oldest player in this tournament, he is the oldest player ever to make his World Cup debut. As one newspaper commented, you have to ask about the state of English football if your first selection goalkeeper is older than the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Yesterday, England looked as though they would never score a goal if they played non-stop for a week. I think that the manager has turned them into an unhappy, big bag of nerves. At least David James didn't seem to suffer from that problem but that is what it seemed to me was the affliction of all the other players. It was noted that a bird perched on the top of the Algerian net for most of the first half yesterday and was never disturbed by any excitement around the goal area. The England team were booed off the field - much to the consternation of Wayne Rooney - by supporters who have spent thousands going to South Africa to support them. Somehow the £5 million Capello has to transform them into a proper football team for next Wednesday's match against Slovenia. They have to win this or they are on the plane back home. I am less than optimistic.

USA were robbed yesterday in their match against Slovenia. They were 2 - 0 down and recovered to 2 - 2 before their winner was disallowed in the final minute for fouls in the penalty area. But USA were more sinned against than sinners themselves and the goal should have been allowed. That would have put them top of their group and almost certain to qualify.

The referees are a variable quality lot. But I suppose these days nobody wants to be a referee and subject to much abuse.

Football is a simple game and we expect so much of our national team. But as in so many walks of life these days, we pay vast amounts of money to people whose job serves no purpose at all or is vastly over-rated. Perhaps, if we paid less they would work harder and perform better.

England expects every man to do his duty.

Simples.