Sunday, July 30, 2006
The end of an error
I've just about got over the World Cup. Not the disappointment of not winning, I'd fully accepted we had no chance pretty much as soon as the squad was named. I'm still angry about the wasted chance given the talent available and comments by players since the tournament finished give more evidence that things were not as they should have been. Still, the useless Swede has gone, albeit with a huge pile of cash....at least Dick Turpin wore a mask !!!
So now we move into the Steve McClaren era. I suppose at one stage, it would have been hoped that the first game would be at the new Wembley but incompetence at various levels of the project have made the opening game for the new managers reign seem a more realistic proposition.
The first opposition for McClaren will be Greece at Old Trafford (so much of taking the team around the country). A few weeks ago, there were some doubts about the game going ahead as FIFA decided to suspend Greece from international football due to political interference. Of course, governments getting too involved in the running of football happens in plenty of other countries around the world but as Greece are not known to be a supporter of Blatter, they were fair game. FIFA can be seen to be clamping down and they aren't upsetting any of Blatters precious voters. Since then, the suspension has been lifted and the game will go ahead as planned on 16th August.
The main talking point will be the squad and the tactics employed. A major concern amongst supporters is that things will continue as before as McClaren was part of the Eriksson regime. I think most people will give him time but he doesn't have long to convince people the negative, boring dross we had to endure for the last few years has been left behind.
The biggest area of intrigue will revolve around the choice of strikers. First to consider is Rooney. Normally an automatic choice but he will be suspended for the first 2 Euro 2008 Group E matches so should McClaren include him. It would make more sense to give more match time to the players who will come in but who will these players be. Owen is out injured and personally, I don't believe Crouch is good enough to play international football. Players like Darren Bent, Jermaine Defoe and Andy Johnson will be desperate to prove they are the right players as well as others like James Beattie and Dean Ashton.
Whoever is selected, I don't imagine it will be pretty viewing. Greece are current European Champions and will be coming to England determined not to get a hiding. At least the FA have had the decency to make sure the Andorra and Macedonia games at home have been moved to 17:00 kick-offs which means 2 more hours drinking to help numb the experience.
// posted by Big Blue Marble @ 9:09 pm 
