To the casual observer it might appear that England have been knocked out of the World Cup. The rampant optimism of a fortnight ago has disappeared, and our former heroes are being booed. But we're still in the tournament. That's right. We are only 5 wins away from being World Champions. In fact, we're only 1 win and 4 draws away from being World Champions (just need lighting to strike 4 times for us to win 4 Penalty Shoot-outs). Defeating Slovenia on Wednesday will put us into the last 16. No other result matters.
It's really not all doom and gloom. Yes, we were poor against Algeria. Very poor. But we never seemed in danger of losing. And against the US, I thought we played ok. One awful mistake cost the game. But again, we didn't lose.
Of course, the press have turned. Capello, the man who two weeks ago was set to lead us to World Cup glory is being vilified. He should only shoulder part of the blame for Friday's display. Let's not forget that it's up to the players to execute his instructions, and as they seemed unable to make simple passes for most of the game he can't be solely responsible. But he does seem to have a blind spot to Joe Cole who everyone seemed to accept a year ago had solved the left side of Midfield issue.
I am confident that on Wednesday, Cole won't start (Capello is a bit too stubborn for that), but we will see a vastly improved England side. I hope Dawson will step in at Centre Back to alleviate the pace problem, Defoe will start with Rooney and everyone will just play better. That should be enough to see us stagger into the Second Round, and we'll start playing better. Much better.
The good thing is that we're not as bad as France. At least our squad are still going through the motions of being a team. And, of course, we're not relying on a mathematical fluke to take us through (having said that, I don't think France are completely out of it yet. I'm not so sure that Mexico and Uruguay will play out a draw as there is a significant advantage of avoiding Argentina if they win the group).
The French combustion is spectacular. So very gallic. Kicking out their best player and not turning up for training is a wonderful way to see out their final few days in the tournament. I wonder how they spent their free day. Taking in a safari?
Anyway, we're not French, so please can everyone just cheer up a little bit and support the team on Wednesday.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
World Cup: Premature Expectation
As I type this the England team will be boarding a flight to South Africa taking with them the hopes of the nation and no small amount of expectation. Before each World Cup we all get a little carried away with dreams of winning the tournament, but the general consensus seems to be that we've got a more realistic shot this year than any time since 1970.
Although I don't think we are the favourites, there are a few factors in our favour that elevate us to likely semi-finalists. I think that will be our limit, but why not enjoy the dream while it lasts?
So, what are these factors?
Coach: Capello seems to be tactically sound and able to control 23 egotists. He has the respect of the players and the press haven't turned on him yet
Climate: I've always thought that always playing the World Cup of a year-round game in blazing hot summer tilts the scales in favour of the hotter nations. I imagine if previous tournaments were played in the winter England would have more than the solitary triumph. So, going to South Africa will balance things out for the temperate nations.
Goal threat: In the last few World Cups it's always been difficult to see where the goals were going to come from. We relied too heavily on set-plays and one main striker. This time, we've got goal-scorers in Midfield, and both the strikers (presumably Rooney and Crouch will start) get goals. We've got a decent right winger too, so I think we'll be a little more penetrative than normal.
Good players fit: The last 2 World Cups have been blighted by our best player breaking a metataursul in the build up and then not being fully fit. Well this time Rooney is looking in top shape and I doubt if there is a defender in the World Cup not worried about him (well, excluding the England defenders, obviously)
Draw: We've been lucky with the draw. The group is about as easy as possible and that is followed up by a relatively clear run to the semi-finals. The old cliche about no easy games at this level still applies, of course, but we should be strong enough. Shouldn't we?
I should reiterate the fact that I don't think we are the favourites. That is Spain, who are so good in Midfield that I wonder whether they ought to play a revolutionary 0-10-0 formation. But England have a few other little obstacles to overcome if they are to meet expectations:
Defence: We've looked shakey at the back, particularly in the centre. John Terry is not the player he was and Rio isn't totally fit.
Squad morale: I do wonder if the players aren't so self-centred that a Dutch-style implosion could ruin all morale and with it our chances. This is likely to be tested by...
The Press: The national press seem determined to ruin anything that is good and optimistic. For example, the Daily Mail Lord Tresman affair (well done Gary Lineker for quitting the Mail after that) and the Daily Telegraph storing up an expenses scandal for post the election. What are the chances that there is one major scandal involving a key player waiting to be deployed on the morning of our first game?
Hopefully not. Hopefully the players are innocently flying out tonight worrying of nothing more than doing themselves and the nation justice on the world stage.
I hope to be back again before the tournament starts with a more general preview of the some of the other nations. And I'll brief you on my 2010 World Cup Betting plan. Until then t'raa
Although I don't think we are the favourites, there are a few factors in our favour that elevate us to likely semi-finalists. I think that will be our limit, but why not enjoy the dream while it lasts?
So, what are these factors?
Coach: Capello seems to be tactically sound and able to control 23 egotists. He has the respect of the players and the press haven't turned on him yet
Climate: I've always thought that always playing the World Cup of a year-round game in blazing hot summer tilts the scales in favour of the hotter nations. I imagine if previous tournaments were played in the winter England would have more than the solitary triumph. So, going to South Africa will balance things out for the temperate nations.
Goal threat: In the last few World Cups it's always been difficult to see where the goals were going to come from. We relied too heavily on set-plays and one main striker. This time, we've got goal-scorers in Midfield, and both the strikers (presumably Rooney and Crouch will start) get goals. We've got a decent right winger too, so I think we'll be a little more penetrative than normal.
Good players fit: The last 2 World Cups have been blighted by our best player breaking a metataursul in the build up and then not being fully fit. Well this time Rooney is looking in top shape and I doubt if there is a defender in the World Cup not worried about him (well, excluding the England defenders, obviously)
Draw: We've been lucky with the draw. The group is about as easy as possible and that is followed up by a relatively clear run to the semi-finals. The old cliche about no easy games at this level still applies, of course, but we should be strong enough. Shouldn't we?
I should reiterate the fact that I don't think we are the favourites. That is Spain, who are so good in Midfield that I wonder whether they ought to play a revolutionary 0-10-0 formation. But England have a few other little obstacles to overcome if they are to meet expectations:
Defence: We've looked shakey at the back, particularly in the centre. John Terry is not the player he was and Rio isn't totally fit.
Squad morale: I do wonder if the players aren't so self-centred that a Dutch-style implosion could ruin all morale and with it our chances. This is likely to be tested by...
The Press: The national press seem determined to ruin anything that is good and optimistic. For example, the Daily Mail Lord Tresman affair (well done Gary Lineker for quitting the Mail after that) and the Daily Telegraph storing up an expenses scandal for post the election. What are the chances that there is one major scandal involving a key player waiting to be deployed on the morning of our first game?
Hopefully not. Hopefully the players are innocently flying out tonight worrying of nothing more than doing themselves and the nation justice on the world stage.
I hope to be back again before the tournament starts with a more general preview of the some of the other nations. And I'll brief you on my 2010 World Cup Betting plan. Until then t'raa
Friday, 28 May 2010
The Wriggler
May 19th was a day Julie and I will remember forever; we got to see our little one (The Wriggler) squirming around in the depths of Julie's belly. Yes, we've joined the Baby train, which is probably of little surprise to anyone who knows us. The Wriggler is due to wriggle out sometime around November 30th.
The 12-week scan marks quite a turning point in the pregnancy. After 2 months of keeping a secret at last we can announce to the world that we're going to be parents. Once, that is, the scan has confirmed everything was ok. And so, we nervously clutched hands as the sonographer smeared some blue jelly just below Julie's belly-button. Then she activated the sonograph and we followed the screen.
Expecting the image to be blurry I was amazed that our baby appeared immediately. The little tyke was wriggling so much that it only took seconds to spot all 4 limbs darting around like a boxer warming up. For some reason this relaxed me so much that any fear I had subsided. If The Wriggler can move like that, I thought to myself, then these other measurements (checking for the risk of chromosomal disorders) will be a walk in the park. And so they were: at this stage the baby looks as healthy as it can.
Well, I say the measurements were a walk in the park, but actually, The Wriggler moved around so much that the sonographer spent a long time trying to nudge it into position to measure. This "nudging" involved pounding the ultrasound device into Julie's tummy. It looked uncomfortable, but apparently wasn't.
The whole scan process impressed me a lot. The speed of the image, and it's clarity were far better than I was expecting. The relief knowing that our baby looks healthy, combined with amazement at the ultrasound technology meant I completely forgot to become overwhelmed with emotion. I was just chuffed.
So that is Good. 2 weeks to the World Cup is also Good. But now probably isn't the time for that. Watch this space for more!
I'm collecting my new Mountain Bike tomorrow. This is quite exciting (not as exciting as The Wriggler, I should point out, but is the most exciting thing happening in the next 2 weeks). I thought I should have 1 final treat before the inevitable middle age years of financial constraint that are surely about to start. Actually, it's an unbelievable deal I'm getting. My employers are in the Bike to Work scheme, which means they buy the bike (ostensibly to ride to work, but this is not policed (I intend to ride it to work, honest 'guv)) and then lease it back to me for 12 months before selling it to me at a nominal fee. As they buy it, the bike is free of VAT, and the lease cost comes out of my pay before Tax and National Insurance, meaning of the £1000 bike voucher they provide, I'll only pay back about £500. The bike itself if £1100, so I have to pay the £100 difference.
But then things got better: The bike shop have been unable to get the Scott Scale 50 I was after. And so they've decided to upgrade me to a Scott Scale 40 at no extra cost. How good is that? The bike is worth £1500, and I'm getting it for about £600.
So life is looking good. I'll be back in a few weeks time to share some World Cup thoughts, but in the meantime, wriggle on.
The 12-week scan marks quite a turning point in the pregnancy. After 2 months of keeping a secret at last we can announce to the world that we're going to be parents. Once, that is, the scan has confirmed everything was ok. And so, we nervously clutched hands as the sonographer smeared some blue jelly just below Julie's belly-button. Then she activated the sonograph and we followed the screen.
Expecting the image to be blurry I was amazed that our baby appeared immediately. The little tyke was wriggling so much that it only took seconds to spot all 4 limbs darting around like a boxer warming up. For some reason this relaxed me so much that any fear I had subsided. If The Wriggler can move like that, I thought to myself, then these other measurements (checking for the risk of chromosomal disorders) will be a walk in the park. And so they were: at this stage the baby looks as healthy as it can.
Well, I say the measurements were a walk in the park, but actually, The Wriggler moved around so much that the sonographer spent a long time trying to nudge it into position to measure. This "nudging" involved pounding the ultrasound device into Julie's tummy. It looked uncomfortable, but apparently wasn't.
The whole scan process impressed me a lot. The speed of the image, and it's clarity were far better than I was expecting. The relief knowing that our baby looks healthy, combined with amazement at the ultrasound technology meant I completely forgot to become overwhelmed with emotion. I was just chuffed.
So that is Good. 2 weeks to the World Cup is also Good. But now probably isn't the time for that. Watch this space for more!
I'm collecting my new Mountain Bike tomorrow. This is quite exciting (not as exciting as The Wriggler, I should point out, but is the most exciting thing happening in the next 2 weeks). I thought I should have 1 final treat before the inevitable middle age years of financial constraint that are surely about to start. Actually, it's an unbelievable deal I'm getting. My employers are in the Bike to Work scheme, which means they buy the bike (ostensibly to ride to work, but this is not policed (I intend to ride it to work, honest 'guv)) and then lease it back to me for 12 months before selling it to me at a nominal fee. As they buy it, the bike is free of VAT, and the lease cost comes out of my pay before Tax and National Insurance, meaning of the £1000 bike voucher they provide, I'll only pay back about £500. The bike itself if £1100, so I have to pay the £100 difference.
But then things got better: The bike shop have been unable to get the Scott Scale 50 I was after. And so they've decided to upgrade me to a Scott Scale 40 at no extra cost. How good is that? The bike is worth £1500, and I'm getting it for about £600.
So life is looking good. I'll be back in a few weeks time to share some World Cup thoughts, but in the meantime, wriggle on.
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Fitzsimmons out of World Cup
The fears of a nation were confirmed this morning as Alec Fitzsimmons announced that he will not be fit for the upcoming FIFA World Cup. Fabio Capello was unavailable for comment, but he is thought to be furious with Fitzsimmons' manager, Sue Matthews, for risking Fitzsimmons in the key Euroms2 upgrade at the weekend.
It is thought that 6 hours sitting in an awkward position last Saturday morning twisted the English star's left knee. This was aggravated on Monday in a freak TV viewing incident, and then attempting to complete a Treasure Hunt on Wednesday saw Fitzsimmons break down in obvious pain early on in the game. The Pink Panther team were visibly shaken by the incident but the depth of character in the squad was evident as they surged to a spirited Runner-up spot.
At 33 this was likely to be Fitzsimmons' last shot at World Cup glory, after being cruelly overlooked at 3 previous tournaments. In 1998 Fitzsimmmons' 2 years experience at UCL left him in perfect form to slot into the squad looking to build on the 1996 Dentist Chair tournament. It is also felt that Fitzsimmons' French GCSE would have gone some way to solving the squad's obvious communication problems. But a broken bone in the build-up forced Fitzsimmons to watch at home.
In 2002 Fitzsimmons was unable to take the holiday, with his 3M career still in its infancy. But it is his controversial omission from the 2006 World Cup squad that will rankle most with the England fans. A misjudged Sausage joke forced Eriksson to leave Fitzsimmons manning the Home Guard, as the German campaign ended in another Quarter Final defeat. Unrepentant Fitzsimmons' only comment on the matter was: "I don't know why they left me out. What's the Bratwurst that could happen?"
It is thought that 6 hours sitting in an awkward position last Saturday morning twisted the English star's left knee. This was aggravated on Monday in a freak TV viewing incident, and then attempting to complete a Treasure Hunt on Wednesday saw Fitzsimmons break down in obvious pain early on in the game. The Pink Panther team were visibly shaken by the incident but the depth of character in the squad was evident as they surged to a spirited Runner-up spot.
At 33 this was likely to be Fitzsimmons' last shot at World Cup glory, after being cruelly overlooked at 3 previous tournaments. In 1998 Fitzsimmmons' 2 years experience at UCL left him in perfect form to slot into the squad looking to build on the 1996 Dentist Chair tournament. It is also felt that Fitzsimmons' French GCSE would have gone some way to solving the squad's obvious communication problems. But a broken bone in the build-up forced Fitzsimmons to watch at home.
In 2002 Fitzsimmons was unable to take the holiday, with his 3M career still in its infancy. But it is his controversial omission from the 2006 World Cup squad that will rankle most with the England fans. A misjudged Sausage joke forced Eriksson to leave Fitzsimmons manning the Home Guard, as the German campaign ended in another Quarter Final defeat. Unrepentant Fitzsimmons' only comment on the matter was: "I don't know why they left me out. What's the Bratwurst that could happen?"
Sunday, 28 February 2010
The Future of the Supermarket
Bonjour,
Firstly, many apologies for not posting since August. The wedding got in the way, which is understandable, I'm sure you'll agree. Everyone reading this was probably there, so you know that it all went very well. When we weren't sticking Orders of Service together we managed to squeeze in moving house So, blogging got squeezed out.
It was moving house that made me think about the future. Julie and I have a long term plan to move twice more: Once into a bigger family house in 10 years or so, and then into a cottage in a West Sussex village. Being in a quiet village, our advancing years could create difficulty getting our groceries in. But I'm pretty sure by then that internet supermarket shopping will have moved on.
By then, supermarket deliveries will be pushed up compressed air tubes, a network of which will deliver the groceries to the customer minutes after purchase. No more waiting for the van man, or realising you forgot to buy the key ingredient for your dish.
Of course, such technology will not be without problems. The compressed air tubes will be powered by a series of hubs dotted around the country. The further you are from one of the hubs, the lower the air pressure at your home, meaning the capacity of your local tube will be somewhat lower than the advertised pressure.
The unit of pressure will be, of course, the Egg. At the hub (I imagine the supermarket warehouses will have their own hubs), the air pressure will be, for example 2 dozen Eggs. However, the average local Eggchange will have 6 Egg capacity, but if you're more than a couple of miles from the Eggchange you might only get 2 or even 1 Eggs.
I've got to go now: The wedding chores continue: I've got to type up photo reprint requests in Excel.
T'raa
Firstly, many apologies for not posting since August. The wedding got in the way, which is understandable, I'm sure you'll agree. Everyone reading this was probably there, so you know that it all went very well. When we weren't sticking Orders of Service together we managed to squeeze in moving house So, blogging got squeezed out.
It was moving house that made me think about the future. Julie and I have a long term plan to move twice more: Once into a bigger family house in 10 years or so, and then into a cottage in a West Sussex village. Being in a quiet village, our advancing years could create difficulty getting our groceries in. But I'm pretty sure by then that internet supermarket shopping will have moved on.
By then, supermarket deliveries will be pushed up compressed air tubes, a network of which will deliver the groceries to the customer minutes after purchase. No more waiting for the van man, or realising you forgot to buy the key ingredient for your dish.
Of course, such technology will not be without problems. The compressed air tubes will be powered by a series of hubs dotted around the country. The further you are from one of the hubs, the lower the air pressure at your home, meaning the capacity of your local tube will be somewhat lower than the advertised pressure.
The unit of pressure will be, of course, the Egg. At the hub (I imagine the supermarket warehouses will have their own hubs), the air pressure will be, for example 2 dozen Eggs. However, the average local Eggchange will have 6 Egg capacity, but if you're more than a couple of miles from the Eggchange you might only get 2 or even 1 Eggs.
I've got to go now: The wedding chores continue: I've got to type up photo reprint requests in Excel.
T'raa
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