Return ticket

Well it's the same old story, another important game against the old enemy and another loss. Yes the disallowed goal was an absolute joke - probably one of the worst decisions in World Cup history, and one that may well have changed the course of the game. But, and it is a big but, the whole World Cup campaign, the newspaper stories about Capello's disillusion with his own team, John Terry's 'I'm still the leader' rallying cry, and the actual performances have been farcical.
I'm not jumping on the bandwagon here because I thought this well before the World Cup. Firstly the player's were doing the best to turn the nation against them, I know some of them are young lads who do stupid things as we all have, but most of them are of an age where representing your country should be the pinnacle, everything else in their lives should respect that fact, end of story.
As for Capello, well I am at a loss. It has absolutely nothing to do with his nationality as some of the best coaches to manage in the premiership, and who have managed other countries, have been non - domestic. The first problem lies with the fact that he cannot possibly have made a training session flow with the broken English he uses. The players will get frustrated, as will he, and plenty of small but vital moment s will be lost. For a six million a year salary the F.A have to demand a fluent English speaking coach, it's a simple fact. Or they make damn sure that within no time he is fluent.
Then there are the main tactics and shape. Plenty of players at the level I have played at for the last few years are referred to by pundits and premier league managers and players, usually in a negative way to highlight a mistake made by someone. Well for the teams I have played for our central defenders wouldn't both step out into no mans land and watch a ball sail over their heads and they wouldn't not cover round in case of any mistake, our left back wouldn't have his back to play, not seeing an opponent behind him, our holding midfielder wouldn't commit to the halfway line in an attack and get humiliated for a massive lack of pace and strength in a counter attack, and our strikers wouldn't give the ball away and then just watch as an opponent runs off with the ball.
Then there are the back up staff, with Stuart Pearce, looking like someone from Mike Basset, being Capello's main confidant. He has very little experience of managing in top European competitions. Then we have the cronies sat at F.A hq eating their way through marathon 'business' lunches and making an absolute balls up of every main decision. Now what, a four million pound pay up? I know it's a tough job finding an England team manager but everything about the set up stinks of arrogance. Don't get me wrong the P.F.A are a magnificent organisation who have helped players and ex-players well beyond their call of duty and still carry on to do so. But the F.A are a real problem. You had Crozier who went from the F.A to the Post Office like he had achieved miracles, he hadn't. Now we have Triesman who has resigned amidst embarrassing allegations into rigging the 2018 World Cup bid. Give me Alan Sugar in a heartbeat!. Hell, we cant even look up to our governing body. They dismiss Harry Redknap as a possible England manager for his 'controversies' off the pitch and yet his record looks like Mary Poppins when you look at old Diego's. Taking a bit of the old white stuff, firing a gun at reporters, being sent home form a world cup, and generally causing carnage, Maradona he is leading his own nation like a hero. Would Harry Redknap do worse than Cappelo or Errikson, I think not and look at the joy and the connection between the coaches at the World cup, including Maradona, when the team scores, they jump on each other like long lost mates. Seeing Gerrard jump into the coaching team after scoring would be like seeing the lock ness monster having a picnic by the side of the water.
It sums the F.A up at Wembley, somewhere where we have all spent a bit of time recently. The place is on lock down, the F.A staff walk around like they are all World Cup winners, and the hired in staff are trained to be as offensive as they can. After Torquay's Wembley win my wife wasn't allowed back into the lounge after stepping out to make a call, even with her three children being inside and her husband being captain of one of the teams playing that day. They made her wait an hour! The madness of jobsworths and an out of touch F.A staff.
Finally with the whole thing now a complete mess we look at the youth coming through. Lilleshall was abandoned, the Premier League was heralded, The Burton England complex was put on hold, and most of the Premier league teams have no English players in the team. Is it really that offensive to look to the Championship for a player who would cut his right arm off to play for his country and who still has the edge of doing it for survival and for the love of the game. I'm not saying the present team don't love the game but their off field wealth and lifestyle, and their adulation at club level, buffers any disappointment in a heartbeat. They say we have the best players, well we clearly don't. Some look as comfortable on the ball at international level as I was, making my first trip to the toilet block at Glastonbury - i.e, on edge, cautious, and out of there as soon as is humanly possible.
I could be wrong about the whole affair, but along with another 50,000 fans, yesterday was a huge let down. For all the hype about the players, the manager, and the facilities, they just were not good enough on the day or at the tournament. Not one cheer went up when the crowd saw any of the England players before the game (no connection), they groaned when they saw Capello (no connection), and the biggest cheer of all went to a lad on the bench with a certain Achilles problem. Our fans have just lost respect for the players, the manager, and the people who run the show. I am not saying I have the answers but for a six million pounds a year salary, one of the world's most powerful governing bodies, and with a footballing domestic league worth a billion or so, someone should have.
Rant over and out.

P.S Glastonbury was very, very 'BIG', a massive shout out to everyone I met whilst there - special shouts out to, in order of chats while there, Hereford fans (book and beer included) a Brentford die hard (memory lane was great), a Northampton lifer(ahhhh), an Oxford smiler (thanks for the big up), a few cheery Gulls, and last but by no means least the young Torquay lad on the gate when we were walking out of the festival (the pleasure was all mine pal).

P.P.S To Andy and Paul, my fellow festival team. Two top lads who made it a brilliant few days. What goes on tour stays on tour, see you next year!.

P.P.P.S Thanks To Avy and Mart for this weekend, happy biking.