Well its been over a month since the last posting but you'll have to forgive my extended break for it has been a deliberate measure on my part not to pass comment too soon.
And for that I'm truly glad!
Let's talk Euros and England. Many a pudit, sports reporter, pub football expect et al have pronounced the new era of English football. Built on a balance of youth and experience and a wise old English speaking head who's managed around the globe. A grand new era...same end product.
England bowing out on penalties is as certain as death and taxes and most of us would rather take those two options over watching a turgid lot of over paid pillars hoofing the ball upfield and shuffiling back into a 9-1 formation.
All the defensive solidarity, work ethic and organisation might win you the hearts of the neutrals and some football romatics it gets you sweet fanny adams when it comes to football matches. There's no doubting the importance of such qualities but if you can't get hold of that round thing then you've got little hope of it ending up in the back of net.
Hodgson clearly set-up to navigate the group, which he did. Sure it wasn't pretty but we hoped and got mildy excited that it might be cagey tactics by the wiley old owl, which we did. When it came down to a few players 12 yards away from goal and a semi-final...did they falter...of course they did!
'Well lads did you really expect anything different?'
You can't blame Hodgson for the performances, he probably got the best out of what he had, unfortunately what he had wasn't very good. England strang about as many passes together for the whole tournament as they did sentences in post-game interviews and about as incisive and creative too. Perhaps they figured the ball would explode if they held onto for more than a split second and hence lumping it long and shooting nowhere near the target was a safety measure?
Aside from every game Spain plays and Greece v Germany the other night I can't recall seeing a more one-sided match this tournament and against an Italian team whom nobody thought were up to much before it all kicked off. Let's face it, surely they're too busy worrying about how to fix matches for next seasons Scudetti to actually put out a side that can defend, pass and create all at the same time?
Even crazy Mario put in a decent shift and if not for an excellent and sometimes fortunate rearguard action from Hart & Co. your local funeral directors) then we could've seen a much heftier defeat, which was probably deserved.
No doubt Ashley will be low of the list of baby names (both boys and girls) for the remainder of the year and to be fair its probably not that high of the list for modern day parents. Unless of course you spell it Aishlay or with a couple of hyphen thrown into the mix. Everyone loves a scapegoat and its safe to say it could've been Walcott or Carroll ears burning this morning instead...somebody had to miss.
'It's all your fault, we'd of won the lot if it weren't for you...er...probably not'
So that's the lot for another major tournament and another 2 years for rebuilding or moving backwards, either way we'll all be full of hope after the first game...its what we do best, shame we can't be as good at footy?
England's penality shoot-out exit was inevitable but even they weren't as short odds as the four-legged superstar that graced Royal Ascot on Saturday. Black Caviar flew across the globe to entrall the crowds and smite all before her as she'd done 21 out of her previous 21 starts and truly put the stuffing up the toffs in top hats and tails.
As an both an anti-podean and a racing fan I can understand people gathering in the city centre to watch the race at 1:30am in winter to watch such an event. Australia will salute a sporting great from a different species without thinking twice about it, then again the English voted a dog the best talent in the country so I guess that makes it even.
Hopefully nobody was stupid enough to put their dollars or sterling at odds of 1-6 and if they did part with their hard earned they'd of got a fright watching the surest of sure things nearly bottle it. You can't help but thinking every Brit in the grandstand and on the grass was hoping she'd get the smug grin wiped off her face as if it were the Ashes but with horses?
Yes she won...just! Had Black Caviar tasted her first defeat we would've not blamed the beast but the numpty at helm. Similar to the two Ashleys', Saturdays racing pillock was almost Mr Luke Nolan who decided the he'd done enough work for the day and tucked his whip into his tiny trousers.
The trainer slated him anyway, along with pundits alike...imagine what'd happened of he'd lost? Maybe he be saluted to showing great spirit and teamwork, just like England!
'One is not too amused with your horsemanship'
That's about that then; Wimbledon time now and another chance to support average British sportsmen and women.
Anyone else see a pattern forming here?
Ta-da Sportsfans!
