englandtilidie

Sometimes the World Cup narrative has begun to focus on individuals. Sometimes we hear all about the guile and craft of Messi, the power of Mbappe, the clever Neymar, the fading brilliance of Ronaldo or the emerging stardust of Ramos and Bellingham. Sometimes in a single moment one mans actions can turn the tide. Sometimes.

The Moroccan team celebrate victory over Spain.

Always its a team. And always the bonds that bind the greatest teams are unseen and unfathomable but palpable and real. Morocco sent home the Spanish national team who promptly sacked their manager. The North Africans held firm while the Spaniards completed over 1000 passes before suffering a collapse of confidence and producing lame penalties.

Maybe the Moroccan team included their fans who dominated the stadium. Maybe there was a special pride in playing in an Islamic country. As bodies tire to the limits of function it is internal strength that holds it together. It is those ultra resources and effort that are accessible when the spiritual things align.

CR7 in Qatar

Ronaldo did not celebrate with his team mates when Portugal beat the Swiss. Jumping around in front of the fans did not appeal to the one time star who came on as a substitute after 74 minutes. Time waits for no man and there is no “i” in team and a glorious career looks like it is heading for a messy ending. As a team Portugal look stronger without him.

England teams are always renowned for team work and hard graft. They face the World Champions France and whoever gets the shirts to start will be backed by a tranche of talent on the bench. There is talk of switching to 5-2-3 but tactics are small fry compared to creating the necessary determination and will. To realise talent in the furnace of World Cup football you need something special.

It is a proud moment to see this England team united and confident and hopeful. They represent something decent and the privilege they have in playing for their country is based only on merit and talent, hard work and dedication. There is no VIP lane for professional footballers. They are simply the best.

It is a quarter final of the World Cup.  On Saturday the streets will be empty but our hearts will be full.

There is passion and hope. And team work.

COME ON, ENGLAND.       

yachts in the English channel – image collinsdigital

To sail a boat you need to understand the wind; true and apparent, the tide; ebb and flood, the currents, lee way, speed over the ground, speed through the water, course to steer and course made good. Its more complex than it looks and Gareth Southgate looked satisfied with where the English ship had ended up.

A nil nil draw with the USA left England almost qualified for the round of sixteen, with a clean sheet and a flat and frustrating display without a hint of the speed and verve that destroyed Iran. The USMNT (United States Mens National Team – no less) were smart enough to realise that neither Maguire or Stones could do anything useful while playing keep ball in the England half.

Southgate called this controlling the game but really the England centre backs had no-one in front of them who could connect with Kane, Sterling and Saka. Leaving Maguire and Stones alone meant that the fit, athletic and competitive Americans had three strong lines of defence. They diligently picked up the wide men,Trippier and Shaw, climbed all over Rice and had nothing to concern them from whimsical Mount or the anonymous Bellingham.

Slowly the USA players began to assert themselves and their fans chanted U – S – A . Pulisic hit the bar. England were shaken and still unable to get forward. It was unrealistic to think that a talented nineteen year old could command a midfield in a World Cup cauldron and Henderson replaced Bellingham to get a grip.

Upfront Southgate put on the incisive Rashford and the circular Grealish. Nothing really changed and the game petered out. It was good to see some genuine, though very strange, passion from the “soccer” followers from America. They do it differently but they support their team.

The England post-mortem started with demands from the commentariat for Phil Foden to be selected. If he had been playing it seems quite likely he would have seen very little of the ball. England did not get down the sides and did not get through the middle.

Phil Foden, Kalvin Phillips.

Maybe Southgate would have been better off with Englands Euro shape with five at the back and Phillips alongside Rice. Maybe Foden should be first change instead of fiddle and fall Grealish. Maybe with five at the back Trent Alexander-Armold could fly down the wing.

Everyone has their own solution, their own perspective. Everyone has an answer and answers. The thing is, the purist thing is, that this a results game. It is all about the outcome.

We go on. Together. All of us.

COME ON, ENGLAND.

The low sun over London and England is still sleeping through a World Cup pre-dawn.

The sparkle of a 6-2 victory over Iran was satisfying but expected while Spain sizzled 7-0 and France powered past the Aussies and the early days of the group games trundle on. Surely Germany and Argentine will recover from their shocks and lie in wait in the knockout stages.

And Brasil have arrived. They pressed forward relentlessly against a strong Serbia and have proven and accomplished talent across the pitch and across the bench There is just something about them.

Today, Friday, England play the USA. It is good to see the mens game of football/soccer taking root in North America. Now they produce players good enough to earn big money in the major European leagues. England should have enough to get past their athletic and strong running cousins from across the pond.

There is a lot more football to come. All around the planet we are sharing this game. The human race is sharing moments of magic, entranced by young men exhibiting skill and determination and team work.

French writer Albert Camus said

“Everything I know about morality and the obligations of men, I owe it to football.”

and everything that is good about us all can be seen when football is the game.

We can all share our journey …

COME ON ENGLAND

The quest begins.

It is raining in London as the ptofessional footballers from this green and pleasant land train in the desert heat. The squad is on a mission to bring back the World Cup, a trophy adored across the planet.

Alan Shearer thinks we won’t go far. He fears that we do not have enough defensive talent. There is worry that Maguire is cumbersome, that Stones can be inattentive, that Walker lacks a centre backs spatial awareness. Maybe he has a point.

Jack Charlton was never the most graceful of footballers. He was a classic stopper. The first man up to the high ball. Alongside the wonderful Bobby Moore he could look unsophisticated and industrial. He was a World Cup winner.

Charlton, Moore, Wilson and Cohen.

Things happen out there on the pitch. Stuff goes down in the blink of an eye. Sometimes a situation develops and the only thing that will get you through is something internal. Something inside rises up and pushes you on, pushes on the team. That quality can only be seen in certain moments. You know there are some players who have this. Others have yet to prove it.

As England players train in the Qatar heat the heartbeat of football continues in the football leagues. Beth goes to watch Forest Green Rovers, Martins fabulous Orient win away at Stockport County and Phil is busy managing his under11’s in a top of the table clash. Sunday morning football kicks off across villages, towns and cities.

Tomorrow England will debut in the tournament taking on the proud footballers from Iran. Iran has won the Asia Cup three times and qualified for the World Cup 6 times. They have the chance to showcase their talent against one the major footballing nations of the world.

England will have to be careful. They need to win and to preserve themselves in the heat and to get through without injuries. Nothing is simple. Nothing is easy. It is the World Cup.

The journey starts at lunchtime. Tomorrow. But will there be more tomorrows and will there be enough tomorrows to make it when another tomorrow is the 18th December 2022. Will there?

COME ON ENGLAND.

The Boys are Back …

The England team gathered at St Georges Park before flying out to Qatar.

As the players arrive the growing sense of excitement is tangible.

Declan Rice declares “World Cup baby” as he gets out of his car

and everyone hands over their passports.

You may have to endure an advert if you watch the Arrivals film on

Youtube but that is a whole lot better than watching the guys havingto endure the sponsored media

sessions that have been arranged.

It seems the fools at the FA thought it was a good idea to allow a food supermarket.

and beer company to associate themselves with the team. The FA does not need the money,

the players do not need the money.  Why do it ?  

Patience seemed to be wearing a bit thin as Rahm Sterling started quizzing the producer

about how they would define the term “technically gifted” and Kyle Walker began an

enquiry into how the word “iconic” is thrown around.  Indeed, comparing Michael Owens     

World Cup goal against Brasil to Gascoignes Wembley strike against Scotland does depend   

on how things are defined.

Regardless everyone agreed “H” is a top trainer and every interaction you can see is laced

with an easy going respect and affection.  Training started in 32 degrees.

The average age of the England squad is 26 and for many of these players this is

their second major tournament.  Declan Rice is 23, Harry Kane is 29 and Saka is 21.

Phil Foden is 22 and Pickford another veteran at 28.

England players have accents from all over the country – from Liverpool to Birmingham to London.  

They are on the way ..

COME ON ENGLAND

Its the togtherness ..

ENGLAND PLAYERS

Goalkeepers: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Newcastle United), Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Conor Coady (Everton, loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Manchester United), John Stones (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Newcastle United), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Ben White (Arsenal)

Midfielders: Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund), Conor Gallagher (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Kalvin Phillips (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham United), 

Forwards: Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jack Grealish (Manchester City), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), James Maddison (Leicester City), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Chelsea), Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)

Hodgson was pleased with Englands performance as he claimed his team dominated the footballing minnows Costa Rica in a nil all draw. England return from the World Cup eliminated, and last in their group , with a solitary point. Hodgson staggered across the pitch to applaud the England fans who had spent thousands of pounds to watch the shambles produced by the big brains at the FA.

 The lowest of the low excuses being produced by the hierarchy is the number of foreign players in the top league in England. This pathetic mantra will be parroted by the media but the reality is that over 30 % of the players in the best league in the world  are English, that England has 5 full time professional leagues, the biggest and best clubs and supporters but all this is saddled with the worst management and administration of the national team that it it is possible to imagine.

The England fans sang “Always Look On the Bright Side of Life” with the spirit of togetherness that always rises to the surface at times of defeat. The players applauded the massed ranks of fans. It was a long way from home and not the place to get realabout what has gone on. In the TV studios pundits are still fishing for an explanation. Across England football supporters are still reeling.

Roy Hodgson seems to have enjoyed his World Cup and is happy with the teams performance. The white shirts with three lions on their chest came last in their group. The disconnect will not last. When Hodgson shows his face again in England he will beoutside his little bubble and will hear a different story.  The traditional chant  is “You don’t know what you’re doing” but “Hodgson Out” is now the only answer.

Suarez did the England management a favour by filling the back pages with another story when he chose to bite an Italian defender.  It is a great diversion but under blue summer skies England awaits the return of the losing manager and team.  The children of England are no longer dreaming of wearing the white shirt with pride, not now.  Now the shirt has been shamed into mediocrity. Last in the group.   

The 2016 European Championships are in France and England can go to win the 2018 World Cup in Russia as Champions. This is the greatest is footballing nation on earth. We have the players, the supporters, the clubs, the leagues. This is our England and always will be. Come on England.  

There is no other way, England Till I Die.