Archive for May 2010

We’re still waiting on Gareth Barry as Capello lines up to make his announcement on Tuesday. After all of his Index nonsense and a slow build-up to the opening of the World Cup it’s going to be a diamond in the rough to have an insight into what he has planned. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t missjudge Capello: he’s obviously a strong candidate for “reasons we might nab it this year”, but you have to admit.. we did think Sven was the one.

When asked what car hire he would like, Capello simply answered “a red van”.

Capello is supposed to have planned a stay as long as the Euro’s in 2010, but we’re starting to see a few cracks appearing as the Inter job (which has been so illusive to Capello in the past) looks to be building a place for our boy Fabs. This story suggests that he’s not exactly denied claims that he might be looking at a different career path, but in fairness, there’s not a whole lot suggesting he will leave.

“There has been not one contact with me,” Capello said of the Inter speculation. “At the moment nobody has talked to me. I’m really focused here to work on the World Cup. I am happy here. I think at this moment it is not a priority for me the priority is to be focused on the World Cup. I would like to stay here, I like this job. It is clear my situation. I have to speak with the new chairman.”

Sounds familiar, this sort of chat. We’ve not lost Rafa yet.

Speculation builds every evening as we each enjoy another rendition of pass-the-parcel type gossip. Columnists and bloggers alike pick their favourite stories and crash them into one another with effects the sheer amounts of which the Hadron Collider would be hard-pushed to enjoy. That’s the beauty of this whole thing, I suppose: we’re looking at a definite answer early next week, but we can make up as many fantasy stories as we like between now and then, eh?!

Did you know for example, that Rooney has been scraping the barrel with some of the cheapest car hire on record?

Or.. that INTER MILAN ARE AFTER TORRES! ..yeah.. along with any other team in the top flight.. across the globe..

Americans are beginning to make their voices heard in the world of footy. After years of convincing our over-fed cousins that Football (yes, the soccer kind) is the way forward, the reply comes in the form of ticket sales for the World Cup. The story goes that the Yanks have purchased 160,000 tickets between them, which is “more than the combined totals of such hotbeds of football fandom as German[y] and England”. With players like Tim Howard, Jonathan Spector and Clint Dempsey gracing the Premier League with (I’ve got no problem saying it) some suprising efficiency, you can see the full force of English football mania spreading West. You have to give it up for David Beckham who can be held responsible for a decent chunk of publicity for the sport, and I’m sure the Brazillians have had some part to play.

This guy’s looking a TINY bit optimistic, though.

I’m not sure if it’s because of some of the input that players like Landon Donovan have had on the game, or just because all of the American players seem to  play for friendly non-confrontational teams that are just trying to make their way in the league (cough* except for Everton, of course), but I’ve started to find a soft spot for the USA as a football team. They might be out to butcher our language, but from what I’ve seen and what I remember of the previous World Cup – they’re just out to give it a go. Good on them.

I wonder if the numbers are slightly skewed in this report, though. It is suggested that there should be no difference in the amount of tickets sold because the USA is struggling with finincial crisis as much as we are, but I can’t help but keep in mind the difference in population.

With all the talk of the World Cup in 2018 and 2022 I can’t help but pray for success athome. We’ve got ourselves into another pickle with all of the back-handed comments from particular commity members, but I won’t give up hope just yet. I would love to be one of St George’s men getting out to South Africa, but money says otherwise. No amount in my savings accounts would get me closer to our boys as they hunt for the final.

So come on, Becks. Get us the World Cup at home. Think of it as another one of your financial investments: it’ll get the lads through university, yeah?

Oh nevermind.

(cough* except for Everton, of course)