Oh dear! England finally accepts its place in W. Cup!
What you need to know:
- Laughing out loudly again. After years of failed campaigns England’s loudly optimistic pundits are settling for a possible last eight finish.
- From perennial title contenders to possible quarter-finalists.
- Finally, they are being realistic.
- However, defiant Southgate has declared that his young squad is built to win in Russia. How else can I respond to that other than say: Okay.
Laughing out loudly. What has happened to England, or should I say the English? Precisely, the English Press.
Normally, in the run-up to the Fifa World Cup, the media in England goes helplessly breathless about how the impressive Three Lions will maul, tear and conquer the world, and bring back the trophy they last won way back in 1966, on home soil. Er… they have never won the World Cup since then.
I remember in 2002, despite being in a tough group that had Sweden, Argentina and Nigeria, the English were certain of challenging for the title. I mean, they had crushed mighty Germany 5-1 in Munich (!) in the qualifiers and had world-class players in their ranks, the likes of David Seaman, Sole Campbell, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, David Beckham and Teddy Sheringham.
They did make it out of the “group of death” only to fall to Brazil’s ‘3Rs’ - Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo 2-1 in the quarter-finals
Come 2006, again the press went into a frenzy on how it was England’s year. Then under capable Swede Sven-Göran Eriksson, The Three Lions breezed through their pool, dismissed Ecuador in the round of 16 but could not get past a resolute Portuguese side in the quarters.
South Africa 2010 was supposed to be England’s year, guided by the meticulous Italian Fabio Capello. But they crashed out 4-1 to Germany in the pre-quarter-finals. It was a true hiding even as the English media focused on that Frank Lampard effort on goal – did it go in? Didn’t it go in? They went home.
In 2014 in Brazil, even as they acknowledged the team was young, the common thread in the English media frenzy was how that team would take some beating.
They did not get out of the group stage, finishing last in their pool that also had Costa Rica.
Finally, is realisation setting in in the land that invented the game? That you do not win the World Cup with hype. Never. It is easy to notice that the English media is calmly realistic about England’s chances. No silly campaign with optimistic song titles “It’s coming home”, and such like braggadocio.
BBC Sport published a story online soon after England coach Gareth Southgate on Thursday announced the team to travel to Russia.
There was no mention of England winning the Cup, nothing about meeting and beating the real giants of the game Brazil, Argentina, Germany et al. The story simply said England would do well to reach the final eight.
Well, England are in Group G that also has Belgium, Panama and Tunisia. If the Three Lions progress from this group in Russia, they will face either Poland, Senegal, Colombia or Japan in the last 16.
“We aren’t going to win it, but if we get out of the group we should have a relatively comfortable last-16 tie,” former England captain Terry Butcher said in the story.
Laughing out loudly again. After years of failed campaigns England’s loudly optimistic pundits are settling for a possible last eight finish. From perennial title contenders to possible quarter-finalists.
Finally, they are being realistic. However, defiant Southgate has declared that his young squad is built to win in Russia. How else can I respond to that other than say: Okay.
