So England failed to qualify for yet another international football tournament. I’m a little disappointed by this but I think that perhaps that is just the Anglophile in me. However, I’m not surprised. Let’s be honest the English national team is somewhat of a joke outside of England, except perhaps Scotland and Wales who have no room to laugh. Yes, they made the quarterfinals of the last few tournaments that they played in but they hardly set the world alight did they?
So where should one apportion the blame for this ‘disaster?’ No doubt the tabloids have already taken aim at manager Steve McClaren and the fans will be burning effigies of goalkeeper Scott Carson but that is a short sighted approach.
No, the blame lies in the Premiership and the Champions league.
I’m not just talking about the number of foreign players at English clubs either. Nope; I’m talking about how bloody nancy-pancy the game has become. The Champions League is frankly no tougher than an over 40’s Tuesday morning Netball competition and the EPL is sliding the same way. Where have all the Hard-men gone? When was the last time a legitimate on Christian Ronaldo was actually waved play on? Why is the most volatile person at a football match likely to be a fan?
I confess that by degrees I am going off football. Those that know me will argue that it is because Liverpool look highly unlikely to win the EPL anytime soon but in truth I find that watching overpaid, over hyped sissies feign injury a little dull. Furthermore, everything appears so sterile and bland and corporate. Football is slowly suffocating from its own success and it has cost England its national game.
I love playing the game, and even watch (and play) some local amateur stuff when I can but I don’t have the stomach to watch an old friend like Football perish before my eyes.
RIP Football
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