We’re close enough to the English psyche to intimately understand their hopes and fears ahead of a tournament like the World Cup, but the M74 provides enough space for those of us based within a short distance of Celtic Park to have the kind of perspective that’s not possible for most fans immersed in the moment.
For long enough, England, along with Spain and France, were the perennial underachievers of European international football, which was dominated by “skilful” Italians and “efficient” Germans, while even the Dutch and Czechs have managed vastly more major final appearances than England.
France, then Spain, got the monkey off their backs, but England still relive their regular tournament nightmare, although this time it looks likely they will bow out before troubling any of their players in a penalty kick competition.
So cut England open and what bleeds out? After the game last night Danny Murphy on BBC Radio 5Live tried to offer objective resistance to the idea that England lacked passion from a tidal wave of calls, asking “Where is the Terry Butcher with a blood soaked bandage around his head?”, “Where is the crying Gascoigne?”
Fans often confuse sporting defeat with a lack of will to win. This notion was expressed last August when Celtic lost to Shakhter Karagandy, aided and abetted by an ITV commentator who proposed the notion during live broadcast. I’m pretty sure upwards of 95% of us have played the game at some level, but time seems to remove the memories of what it’s like to be losing in a team sport, and importantly, just how difficult it can be to reverse momentum.
Suggesting professional footballers don’t try during some of the most important games of their season is an embarrassing failure to think from another’s perspective.
Listening to the radio last night and again this morning, there was no dispute to the claim that what England needed was a manager who could lose his temper in the dressing room.
Even Murphy didn’t feel comfortable enough to take on the nation on this one, instead assuring listeners that Roy Hodgson was capable of losing his temper. This was mean to be supportive. It was surely viewed as such by many. This morning, Kevin Phillips trotted out the hoary old “lacked passion” line.
Is there any other field of human endeavour where losing control of your emotions is viewed as an attribute? Football managers exist in a highly competitive, technically exacting environment. At the top level they have to communicate subtle instructions to highly skilled professionals who have heard it all before from lippy managers. By the 30th rant they are all immune and it’s highly unlikely that intimidation led to an increase in performance first time out.
Despite this, managers are supposed to demonstrate a primitive human weakness to an audience who can often scarcely tell the difference between a football match and a pantomime.
We have to be different. We have to be cleverer; let the rest satisfy their need for an alpha-male role model – because make no mistake about it – this is what they’re really craving, while Celtic show uncompromising adherence to getting the best people for the job. On a side, note, can you imagine what appointing Roy Keane would have said about our strategy?
Roy Hodgson has done enough in the game to prove he’s a good manager but he’s more Euro-sophisticate than an archetypal alpha-male. Best of luck to him.
The Celtic Graves Society are having a fundraising raffle to generate funds. 50% will go towards their excellent work and 50% will go to the Northern Ireland Childrens’ Hospice, who looked after Wee Oscar recently. For the cost of a £5 raffle ticket, you can win a singed boot from Scott Brown or from Virgil van Dijk.
To buy your ticket go to Paypal and send £5 to donate@celticgraves.com
Don’t worry if you don’t have a Paypal account, you can still work through Paypal with a debit or credit card. Please add the phrase “Boots Raffle” to the Paypal subject line, and they have asked if you could alert them to which site you picked the message up from, so “CQN” will do.
Good luck
Visit the CQN Bookstore to get Tommy Gemmell to sign your personal copy of his book, All the Best.
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Swiss Goalie paying homage to Alan Rough at the 2nd goal there.
The most open attacking World Cup ever,and Engerland home after 2 games ,says it all really.
Some great goals in this World Cup,upsets from small countries with massive heart courage and a will to win for the people they are playing for but some of the hair cuts are definitely non league shoudagonetospecsaverscsc
Everything going wrong for Switzerland then. Good.
Jungle Jim,
I believe Scottish football overall is rubbish. It will only get worse if the undead return. It will only improve overall if the whole mindset changes. We need to get rid of the “get tore into them” mentality and the compensating of running all day for technique. Celtic and some others try an play football properly but too many don’t.
Before the post cards as I said a few days ago. It was written……often enough……………and so it came to pass :)))))
AmenCSC
Tough Cheese there
Penalty France
JJ
Seriously mate … I’m getting old … And tired … And it’s Friday .
I keep thinking about … Thinking I’m losing my elgins
Penalty for France now
Elfmeter..
Penalty France
Pen to France……….
Cheeses! It’s a pen @6/1.
Pen saved, open goal rebound hits bar
………….. missed then hit the post…..whew
WTF was Cabye thinking of with the rebound
Oof! 22/1 a missed pen – 1st of this WC.
Jobo should be at the bookies collecting already,though dont think this will nend with only 2 goal(but i’m often wrong)
Good save, France looking like a decent team…
Yet another very watchable game
I left work at 6 from Bellshill and didn’t get into house (Bannockburn) until aboot 8 there, as had to stop at tesco on way home
Canny believe England got back from Brazil quicker :-)
Jobo, like you I have the Swiss to beat France, not looking like a good day on old predictor for me then
Hail Hail
For them that is interested a blog on New Labour. For them not interested please scroll by.
http://campbellmartin.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/independence-for-labour.html?spref=fb&m=1
Cowiebhoy
Was Tesco bellshill full of sick PMs looking for medicine ;)
3-0. What a counter attack from a Swiss corner.
French frogs 3 … Swiss clocks 0
Cowiebhoy
Actually, this morning I put on a trixie of Italy, France and Ecuador but with both teams to score in each game. Just thought that the Swiss were overpriced but clearly I was wrong – as France score a 3rd.
And another thing, back to the Dog debate from earlier,
Wee Shug(Hugo) the Dug, goes to Doggy day care.
At Christmas he had a Santa Paws day oot
He’s now been invited to a summer Bark-be-que :-)
It’s a dogs life
Brilliant goal, France
see the size oh that French No 8….well done sir …
France have been magnifique. Looking good for their home Euros in 2 years, oh hang on the young England lions will be winning that!!!
That clock Carlyle … One minute ago he said ” it’s amazing how a missed pen can have such a negative effect even on a team winning 2-0″
Sixty seconds later he’s forgot that and on about how the French have their tails up
Jim Goodwin
The Swiss defence is like their cheese – full of holes.
End of Swiss Story
GubbedCSC
Cowiebhoy
I’m growling at the easy life Hugo leads ;)
TBJ
Had a chat with one today, who’s never felt better :-)
Didn’t realise the same issue with 3 at the next level doon
Can see you getting the call up
Hail Hail
I’m trying to recall a really disappointing game in this World Cup, but can’t …!!!!
Swiss rolled over by France.