for the good of the game in England – oh this is going to be a long post.
Missing out on Euro 2008 after last nights 3-2 debacle against Croatia at Wembley is going to cost the F.A. many millions and the country’s economy an estimated £2 billion but it is in reality the best thing that could have happened.
A draw or win would have seen McClown carry on regardless with the full backing of the clowns that appointed him and this would have had a far worse outcome for the English game than missing out on a tournament.
The loss last night has already had one positive effect, McClown’s sacking after the F.A. met at 8am this morning, quite frankly the quickest that bunch of muppets have reacted to anything in a long time.
But last night highlighted everything that’s wrong with the English setup, from the top down. The clowns in charge the “yes boss” individuals they hire above their station the players who under perform but expect to just be handed their shirt game after game no matter what, right down to the state of the pitch and a stadium that cost over £800 million.
Starting off with the later when you spend close on a billion pounds for a stadium you have to ask why people are sitting around having to protecting themselves from the elements, when you spend that amount of cash you shouldn’t have to worry about rain puddles on the pitch. There should have been a retractable roof. Add to that the state of the pitch which looked worse than when the Horse Of The Year Show used to be held at the old stadium, I thought it was going to be relaid after the NFL game but no the sideline markings could be clearly seen with large patches that looked like a ploughed field next to them where about 60 guys weighing up to 370 pounds had wandered about a few weeks back.
To McClown, well the end of the game summed the man up completely as the final whistle went the fans started to show their disgust as McClown sped off down the tunnel, scuttling away to get his pre-prepared script – what a coward – he then stood there repeatedly saying he wouldn’t stand down, knowing that would mean losing out on the compo he will receive now he has been sacked for the remaining two and a half years left on his contract – add fraud and thief to coward.
Of course the usual mealy mouthed rubbish came spewing from the grinning ginga twat before and after the game, “No excuses” being one of the best and “we’re going for the win” the other. Ah it brings back his hiring – “I’m results orientated”.
If you’re going for the win at home why would you play one up, twice in this qualifying campaign McClown has switched from the 4-4-2 formation both against Croatia and both ended in loses but to play just one up at home looks like someone clinging on for a draw. Slaven Bilic said the formation wasn’t the reason we lost, maybe not but it certainly didn’t help.
Ah it’ll fit the Chelsea player we were told, yes Cole, Lumpalard and Wright-Phillips play that way with their club but that’s with Drogba up front and he’s a different creature to Crouch. Drogba takes the ball and runs with it, Crouch flicks on, nods or chests down, he needs closer support than Drogba. Something that didn’t come, Crouch did his part and did it well – the only England player you could really say that of – it was those around him that failed.
A competent manager would have seen this very early on the midfield trio were doing nothing, Lumpalard was completely MIA and should have been brought off for a second striker well before half time, something you could see the likes of Mourinho doing. But no he waited until half time and they were two down and when headless chicken time is required who better to bring on than the king of the headless chickens David Beckham.
Of course he and Defoe didn’t replace the big names, Lumpalard or Gerrard, no it was Barry that came off, yeah it wasn’t his best game but he had contributed more than either of them two put together.
Yeah the players, yet again the Golden Generation have been found wanting, that usual suspects midfield should now follow McClown into international oblivion. After last night Gerrard now has 63 England caps to his name and you’d be struggling to use the thumb on your first hand to count the number of which he’s deserved. Nowhere to be seen last night but when he was it was the typical battered glory balls that fly past players especially on a wet pitch – what’s the point of hammering a ball up the wing for Beckham to chase 🙄 – or battering balls to players who haven’t got a chance to control them.
Lumpalard had a good couple of years but that was before the last World Cup since then nowt.
Beckham well unless you’re one of the Pepsi PR people, fanboy worshippers, giggling little Asian girl or a menopausal woman you can’t be blind to why he shouldn’t get that 100th cap. The arrogance of the man to say after the game that expects to play for England again is another example of the deep routed problems.
Yeah Crouch’s equaliser came from a cross, it was the one ball he delivered in 45 minutes on the park you can’t have a player taking up a place on the pitch if he’s going to deliver one decent ball in a half. When that free kick was awarded just after half time you knew before anyone had opened their mouth it would be talk of Greece at Old Trafford and you know what it was just like that as it bounced off the wall, because most forget the number of set pieces he buggered up before the last minute success.
There was so much happened in the game that was totally predictable, I should have tried the lottery last night, it was probably the most relaxed I’ve ever watched a meaningful England game.
The moment Kranjcar picked the ball up and came inside I said he’s going to shoot and Carson is going to fumble it it was so bleeding obvious as the defence let him shoot and Carson went down like Peter Shilton versus Poland in ’73.
Second goal, what was Campbell doing, admiring the Croats legs or something, then Wright-Phillips jumping up and down with his hand up, looking like he was asking permission – please sir, please sir can I go to the toilet?
The third goal was just the same England right back in the game and there’s McClown ushering them back so they’re defending the eighteen yard box, far far too deep. You knew Petric was going to shoot and it was obvious when Gerrard minced up to him he was making a token effort and that Campbell wasn’t going to get in the way and block the shot as he did the usual English central defence routine of poncing out, turning his back and flinching away from the ball.
But who during that last few minutes of the game at Wembley and the and the game in Andorra didn’t expect the Russians to concede a late equaliser to save the McClown’s skin, what with the amount of get out of jail free cards he’s been handed.
What is the difference between Steve McClaren and an arsonist? – an arsonist wouldn’t throw away his last two matches.
You have to wonder how happy the government was with last nights result, it may cost the economy a huge amount next summer but it kept Alistair Darling another man promoted above his station off the front pages this morning.
So now the search is on as the F.A. chairman Geoff Thompson announced this morning their would be a root and branch examination of what went wrong.
The main problem with that is one of the rotting roots will be heading the investigation and handing his “findings” to the other rotting roots.
Barwick sat there what 18 months ago and said McClown was his first choice, today he sat there and hiding behind others who tried to share the blame for this failure, as journos only really wanted to ask him why he should keep his job but were told to ask some of the other muppets that were lined up.
Barwick screwed up the last time and yet he’s still there to pick the man to be presented to the F.A. for them to rubber stamp. He has plenty of time as there’s no competitive games until next September but there was plenty time when it was announced Sven was leaving but no he rushed in and buggered it up – not that I’m too unhappy to say I told you so.
There are a number of stand out candidates, two of the main ones being:
Martin O’Neill – now I know I put him down the list last time as I’d watched a bit of Celtic over the years and frankly it was stultifying at times with the likes of Neil Lennon in there. He has made a few mistakes at Villa, mainly picking old Celtic players like Petrov and Maloney but he has given fast youth a chance. I’d like to see the likes of Ashley Young and Agbonlahor running at defences. for England
Jose Mourinho – yes he had money at Chelsea but he didn’t at Porto, he can get the best out of players and get them playing as a team something that’s been missing. Not only has he managed at the top level he has succeeded.
The thing with the two above is they are nobody’s “yes men” and there’s far too many egos in the F.A. who can’t handle such men as shown when O’Neill didn’t get the job last time after his interview.
And there are a number of individuals who should be nowhere near being mentioned for this post. Sam Allardyce who is just another McClown – watching Bolton in Europe was just as bad as watching McClown’s ‘Boro. Thankfully he’s said he doesn’t want the job.
Alan Shearer – this would be a backward step even from McClown, you only have to watch him – why is it week in week out – on MotD to know he would be another “yes man” dullard picking his superstar mates. He hung around too long as a player for England and especially for his club where he only turned out to get the Toon goal scoring record.
Whoever gets the job has it easier than most of their predecessors as we can only go up and after the failures of the star players he wouldn’t get a bad reaction to having a clear out, getting rid of the deadwood bringing in the kids and really starting afresh. No excuses.