Monday 28 June 2010

Why England Won't Win The World Cup (2)

Wayne Rooney.

Since Manchester United’s exit from the Champions League in April, Wayne Rooney has not been the same player. Reports suggest that there are several reasons for this; injury, fatigue, a lack of fitness, perhaps even a lack of confidence. Some have even suggested that he’s lost his lucky gloves. Only one thing is for sure, if the real Wayne Rooney does not stand up, England will not win the World Cup.

An England without Rooney is in my opinion more of an issue than Argentina without Messi, Spain without Xavi, or Brasil without Kaka. Rooney symbolises everything English football is supposed to be about; passion, work rate, hunger, and skill. If Messi gets injured, Argentina have Higuain, Aguero, and Tevez to fall back on. We, rather worryingly, have Heskey, Crouch and Defoe.

I strongly believe that sections of the English support were wrong in their treatment of the boy wonder. Real fans get behind their players when the going gets tough, but yesterday I was still frustrated with moronic comments from so called “fans,” some even with “Rooney” on the back of their shirts, urging Capello to “get ‘im off,” and groaning every time a pass was slightly misplaced. I can only assume from media reports that the fans in South Africa are no better.

Rooney’s rant into an ITV camera showed, if nothing else, the man’s passion for the cause. He looked a frustrated figure, which in my opinion originated from an inner disappointment with himself and his own performance. Having watched Wayne week in, week out for Manchester United this term, the player of the year can understandably feel disappointed with a season which personally promised so much, but unfortunately will produce so little should England and Rooney not drastically improve.

The not so insignificant silver lining for England fans is that we certainly have not seen the best of The White Pele in the Three Lions shirt. Whether it be in the latter stages of this World Cup, or in four years time in Brazil, I can assure every one of you that his time will come on the world stage. He is simply too good for this not to be true.

Tuesday 8 June 2010

Why England Won't Win The World Cup (1)

Now don’t get me wrong, come Saturday I will have just as many fingers and toes crossed as any other patriotic English football fanatic, however, no matter how hard I try, and cannot get rid of this nagging doubt over the competence of the current squad that seems to follow me whenever I sit down to the inevitable nail biting fiasco that is an England international. As it stands today, leading bookmakers such as Ladbrokes and William Hill have England as fourth favourites to lift the World Cup on July 11th. But is this just? Or just good old blind English optimism? In my opinion, the latter I’m afraid.

There are several reasons for this, and whilst there is unquestionably still some phenomenal talent within the current crop, the flaws within what was once labelled “The Golden Generation” are, for me, far too prominent.


1) The Goalkeeping problem:

How many of the Fabio’s stoppers can we honestly say had even a decent term in 2009/2010? The answer is a resounding one - Joe Hart. But is the youngster the answer to the question which has plagued England since David Seaman’s retirement? One can only hope. A mere toddler in goalkeeping years at age 23, and just one barely competitive cap to his name, it is hard to see such an inexperienced talent emerging as the top candidate to start in goal against the USA on Saturday.

For me, the real worry is Rob Green, who remains favourite to retain his place in the first team. While we can only guess what Capello had in mind when he handed the Number One jersey to David James, many knowledgeable analysts still believe Rob Green will pip the Pompey man to the post. Should this be the case, Gerrard and co may as well not bother unpacking their Louis Vuitton luggage. Favourable accounts of his performances for West Ham have been quickly gathering dust on the 2008 season’s shelf, and one can only speculate as to the confidence of a keeper who conceded sixty-six goals last season; as many as relegated Portsmouth. Thus, Green’s likely involvement in the side will do little to instil confidence in us fans, let alone Messer’s Terry, King, Cole, and Johnson.

And finally we are left with David James, a keeper whom should have been England goalkeeper for the last ten years without a sniff of competition, but due to a never-ending string of errors which have forever masked his phenomenal talent and athleticism, James has failed to impose himself in an England Shirt, despite gaining 50 caps since his debut in 1997. The 39 year old has proven time and time again that he cannot be trusted on the big stage, and the sight of James on the team sheet on Saturday could only enhance the frailties of an already fragile defensive unit following Rio Ferdinand’s injury after a challenge from Emile Heskey, a player who continues to be the bane of every fan’s life as an England follower. The one hope to which we will all cling on to is the fact that James is just as likely to pull off a save reminiscent of the great Gordon Banks as he is to flap at a corner or scuff a clearance. Collectively, we can only pray that this tournament is the making of the great David James, rather than the cementing of his “Calamity James” reputation.

Thursday 22 April 2010

CNN Transfer speculation blog - from internship April 09'

The transfer window that operates during the close season of the European football calendar is a period of fervent business in the buying and selling of some of the world’s most talented players. Goalmouth will keep you up-to-date with the latest spin from the transfer markets until deadline day of August 31.

Heard any rumors? Let us know by adding a comment at the bottom of the page or check out CNN’s guide to the 20 most wanted football players:

We kick off in France today where Lyon president, Jean- Michel Aulas, revealed his desire to keep Karim Benzema for one more year. However, Aulas will not rule out any offers made in the region of $65 million.

Benzema could be the next big transfer to happen in Europe.
According to The Independent, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with the 21-year-old French international.

Marca have reported that Real Madrid's attempts at signing Valencia superstar David Villa came to a grinding halt. Galacticos' president Florentino Perez decided to end his pursuit of the Spanish international, leaving the door open for Chelsea to pounce on the deal. Despite this draw back, many football enthusiasts still think Villa will leave cash strapped Valencia this summer.

Reports from The Telegraph said senior officials from Manchester City and Barcelona met this week to discuss the possible sale of Samuel Eto’o. The Catalan giants are willing to sell the Cameroon international, but for the right price. This comes after Eto'o failed to sign a new deal beyond his final year at the Nou Camp.

In Germany, BILD claimed Stuttgart will be monitoring Real Madrid’s Dutch marksman Klaas-jan Huntelaar. With Real’s summer spending spree well underway, the forward's opportunities may be limited next season. The 25-year-old has also been linked with several other European clubs including Juventus, Tottenham, Lyon and Manchester United.

Over in England, The Sun have claimed Glen Johnson is ready to snub Liverpool in favour of former club Chelsea. Portsmouth, whose financial troubles have been well documented, have reportedly accepted a $28 million offer from the Blues. It's all up to the England international now, who has expressed a desire to play Champions League football.

The Sun also reported that striker Carlos Tevez is willing to finally put pen to paper on a deal to keep him at Manchester United, provided he is the highest earner at the club. If the deal goes through, his wages will reportedly increase by $25,000 a week.

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