Thursday, 12 August 2010

I was saying Boo-urn's

With all the focus in the build-up about how the crowd would react, the actual football when England played Hungary tonight at Wembley tonight seemed to take a back seat for the best part of an hour, until the game was lit up by two moments of magic.

In a 24-7 media world that is always desperate to find a story and sensationalise everything, it can at times seem like football is becoming more and more like WWE every day - where the real draw is all the stories, drama, feuding etc and the actual wrestling is just a distraction.

The fact that Capello had picked many of the 'World Cup Flops' (as is mandatory to call them); plus the moronic attitude of a depressingly high number of England fans, led to an inevitable chorus of boo's in the build up and throughout the first half - although England did not help themselves with a fairly insipid performance that was somewhat devoid of ideas and penetration. Nothing new there.

The second half saw a marked improvement in terms of attacking intent - Bobby Zamora will wonder what more he has to do to get a goal - and Steven Gerrard provided two moments of outstanding quality to lift the gloom inside Wembley and start the recovery process. Gerrard's second goal was sheer class, the footwork and balance was out of this world. What really struck a chord however was his celebration for his booming first. The catharsis was almost visible - the strained sinews and raw emotion on ihs face, urging the crowd to 'come on' - he looked like the Gerrard that we see week in week out in a red shirt.

If Capello can see sense and play Gerrard centrally with a free attacking licence; then it could be that as captain during this turbulent time, we finally get to benefit from the 'Stevie G' that Kopites have worshipped for years.

It's a start, there's a long way ahead, but like the battered wives on Jeremy Kyle who stay with their husbands despite the abuse, we can't walk away from England "coz we love 'im Jeremy' Here's hoping that, with the help from our Graham, sorry Fabio, we can get back to the good times.

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Southampton annoucned tonight the death of their chairman Markus Liebherr, the Swiss businessman who made his fortune in construction, aged only 62.

Presumably widely unknown, Liebherr is a real hero to Saints fans for rescuing the club from the very brink of exintction. The transformation in the last 15 months has been incredible, and the club (despite an opening day defeat) are the team that all others are out to beat in League One.

A determined, ambitious and football-loving man, Liebherr was the perfect chairman and will be sadly missed. I desperately hope that come May, they will be lifting some silverware - and without doubt, anything they win now is for Markus, a true Saint.

Markus Liebherr, RIP. COYS.

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