Comments on: They were crap

By: Aidan

Aidan — Sun, 09 Jul 2006 15:38:36 +0000

Yes, that Del Amitri one just didn’t have quite the right lyrics – or tune – for a soaring stadium singalong, pretty melody and honest approach aside…
The Germans really love Three Lions, though – their own dully-rewritten version, and “our” originals – even playing the 1996 one as the German players paraded before 500,000 happy Berliners this morning. At least the players had the good grace to look slightly bemused to hear Motson hollering “And England have won it, in the last minute of extra-time…!”
Oh, if only… We really did stink out this tournament, and I’m sure the ref/Rooney/Ronaldo-blaming won’t cover that up for anyone anymore…
Maybe we’re about to become the Scotland of world football. Happy, rowdy fans much loved by whoever are the hosts – not much to trouble them on the pitch, however…

By: Tom

Tom — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:33:03 +0000

You’ll have to look to Scotland for honest World Cup songs – Del Amitri’s rather lovely 1998 track Don’t Come Home Too Soon (“But if I have a dream at all / For once, you won’t be on that stupid plane…”) might just be my favourite football song. Hardly one to chant on the terraces, but still.

By: Bob Salmon

Bob Salmon — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:26:43 +0000

I don’t know why the evidence of the past isn’t used when writing those “Come on you lads” songs that somehow make their way into the charts. I’d like to see one called “Knocked out in the quaters on penalties”; anything else risks being done under the trades description act.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 23:33:55 +0000

Yes, I forgot Lennon, who had a very good tournament and did everything Beckham couldn’t when he came onto the pitch. As for Robinson, he had an OK tournament, a somewhat nervy performance against Sweden apart. To be honest though, to me he’s always seemed a bit too “chunky” to be a good goalkeeper for penalties – something just suggests his physique cannot get down quick enough for that kind of save. But that may just be my eyes deceiving me.

By: adrian

adrian — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 22:24:50 +0000

Sven has now been found out, and I’m pretty embarrassed about all the times I’ve stuck up for him in the past, based on what he did at Lazio. However, I’m not as embarrassed as the FA should be… working at close quarters with him, they’ve had a number of occasions to say “Er, look here, old chap… are you *sure* about this?” or perhaps even “Quarter finals in the Euros? You can clear your bloody desk right now”.

But what happens? The FA fell for it, and the family line continues for at least another two years, when they should have started anew (my choice would have been Capello) after Euro 2004. I can only hope that McClaren uses Shearer in some sort of role, if only to persuade the players that the “never say die” attitude works best in minutes 1 to 90, rather than 115 to 120.

By: Phil

Phil — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 19:39:09 +0000

I’d add Lennon to your creditable-player list (of one) – the way he was playing, I don’t know why he got so little time on the pitch.

Rooney was an idiot, but Lampard was an embarrassment – as a footballer, and even more so as an English footballer: he was the Great British Failure personified (plucky little England, taking their chances against all the odds, missing every one of them, still at least we tried, better luck next time eh?)

I was sorry Robinson didn’t do any better in the shootout – he’d had a pretty good run up to then. But I’d always thought we’d go out on penalties (I just thought it’d be against Germany) – and if I’m thinking like that the chances are that people who know and care a lot more about football will be too.

But I wouldn’t worry – everyone knows they were crap; everyone’s known they were crap (or just sufficiently better than crap to win) all the way through. It’s just not easy to admit it.

By: Phil

Phil — Sun, 02 Jul 2006 19:25:14 +0000

Sadly, typing in “Edson Arantes do Nasciomento” doesn’t produce the correct result…

Oh yes it does. “Arantes do Nascimento” goes in the surname box.