Toxic Web v4.0

…when you say Beckham is not untouchable.

I have taken David Beckham off before. I will do it again if I think he’s not doing the job. He doesn’t have any favours just because he’s the captain. - Sven-Goran Eriksson

It’s coming from the same mouth as that used to tell Nancy you were off for an F.A. meeting or whatever when you were knocking about with Ulrika and that slapper secretary.

Yup you’ve taken Beckham off but for a whole 20 odd minutes out of all the competitive matches through the last World Cup, Euro 2002 and this tournament where he has been either totally unfit or a complete waste of space, and it’s cost us during those championships and will keep on doing so.

Everyone – from ordinary fans to World Cup winners like Alan Ball, Geoff Hurts & Ossie Ardiles to ordinary fans and media pundits – can see it but Sven.

Of course say England are 3 up with 10 minutes to go Svennis will probably take Beckham off just to say “I told you so”, if you’re going to be demob happy Sven with your squad selections and changing formations why not go the whole hog – hand the captain’s arm band to Terry and the right wing spot to Lennon.

With Hargreaves moving to rightback, Carrick slipping into the midfield anchor role your are almost at the best England XI to take on the rest with pace, just need to see beyond the haircuts, the sponsorship deals, the screaming little girls and get to the bigger picture – winning this bloody thing with some style.

…don’t you know.

And when in Rome…or Quito in this case…one does…:wink:

Yes all the facts about England’s next World Cup opponents are being dragged out by the media, most of whom I doubt had ever heard of the country before they qualified for the last World Cup.

So the usual suspects are brought up – Quito is nearly two miles above sea level, well 9,300 feet is about 1.75 miles, and we are told this is why they win all their home games and not many away games.

It’s the home of the Panama hat, surely a great marketing opportunity missed there.

The biggy is normally first on the list that they eat or cuy or as those in TV/paper/radio land call those furry little rodents – guinea pigs.

And the only people they know that have any connection to Ecuador are Christina Aguilera and ex-Wimbledon and Northern Ireland striker current Northern Ireland manager, London born Lawrie Sanchez. Who hasn’t actually set foot in the country his father left at the age of 5.

So I may not have scored the winner in a cup final, or masterminded an England defeat but I have been in the country of Sanchez’s forefathers, though it is quite a while since I celebrated my 11 birthday in the hot & humid climes of Santiago de Guayaquil and the trips to Quito.

Much will have changed over the years, the Mital del Mundo certainly wasn’t built up that much, the Hacienda Cusin wasn’t quite so business like, bet the whole roast chickens that Aussie Joe cooked aren’t so good either. The Pan-Am highway is now finished and doesn’t just end in the middle of nowhere.

But I’m sure the sight of Cotopaxi is still damn impressive, I’m sure I could still sleep through one of their earthquakes and that I’d still get a stinking headache, bleeding nose and nausea from the altitude sickness brought on by driving higher up into the Andes, I’m sure the bus drivers that speed down the winding roads round the mountains are still as crazy, I’m sure I’ll never get a more comfortable footwear than those hand made cowboy boots from Cotacachi and I’m positive I’ll never go anywhere near a horse since hanging onto a bolting nag heading straight up a rather steep mountain.