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
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starry plough
I agree. I don;t think Scotland ever achieved zero points in a major championship. That would be a new low for them.
The only benefit for England was that I felt Costa Rica played a British style game v Uruguay. I think Costa Rica will get a draw today. Looking forward to get another look at them because so far their first game was one of the perfomances of the tournament so far.
LB
Maggie
I take it you are aware that unlike CFC who have to compete against much richer clubs in Europe – England are one of the richest footballing nations in the world!
Also CFC won their title abroad against all the odds – EFC won theirs by playing all their games on the one ground(still a record to this day!) and with the benefit of a dodgy goal or two!
Yours in Celtic always!
HH
Apologies SFTB, I didn’t see your post at 15:30, and you did address some of what was written in the article.
Fair point also about the Young Turks.
You cannot see what you are doing though.
Critical of everything and everyone, apart from the ideology that is Islam.
We all acknowledge Hitler and Chairman Mao,and Facism – all evil, and wrong.
Same as the trans-Atlantic slave trade, an abomination if ever there was one, only thing more horrific was the Muslim Slave Trade imo.
A lot of it is down to fear, and that’s understandable.
HH.
Just remembered.
Mrs Tally informed me yesterday that the Commonwealth Games baton(?) is in Ayrshire today.
Troon about 5 pm then on to Prestwick and beyond.
Expect most people will be watching the game.
HH!!
LiviBhoy
I didn’t see much of the tournament so far but got the weekend off and hope to see some decent games.
In the hurly burly of laughing at England last night I have to admit to being underwhelmed by Uruguay, their midfield lacking for me.
Mon the Draw!
its not an impossible set of results that needs to happen for england to go through
someone mentioned the odds are about 7-1. im sure those are big enuf to tempt a few wagers and are probably fair odds
any bigger and i would be tempted myself. any smaller and i wouldnt go near it with a soiled stick but by no means a wild bet
Ok, Rich Coast, it’s very simple.
Don’t get beat!!
Then you’ll be playing an England team already out of the tournament in your last game, needing only a point to ensure your participation in the last 16.
So, again, no perder!
Starry,
I agree on Uruguay. Very average side.
Suarez is a class act though.
Geordie Munro
Two world class finishes, they get better every time I see them, should be a good game now, love to watch Pirlo…The Director..
Bet of the day is a Honduran red card,not many bookies running a market…
LiviBhoy
16:28 on
20 June, 2014
Geordie Munro
People who slag English fitba are jealous of the money in their game nothing else
=========================
Not really. Many of us just think they should lose the arrogance that is based on building a team whilst posting losses of 50m every year as Chelski, Man City and Liverpool have been doing recently.
And thats the tip of the iceberg.
Spend what you can afford, then lets see how good they are.
HH
hope the Italians win well, mama mia ….lot of Deplexitos in Toonlandshire ….braw
4-1 Italy ….
Geordie /Starry
As is Cavani. He adjusted brilliantly to put that ball right on Suarez’ head.
traditionalist88
Really? I don;t remember people slating the English game much before their TV deal went through the roof.
LB
Starry,
I think it could be decent but I wouldn’t bet against the tallys v Uruguay.
Winners possibly avoiding Columbia??
Beatbhoy,
I’m a bit ‘meh’ about cavanni if I’m honest.
I haven’t watched him a lot but I’ve never been impressed by him.
LiviBhoy
16:47 on
20 June, 2014
traditionalist88
Really? I don;t remember people slating the English game much before their TV deal went through the roof.
LB
=================
They weren’t posting 50m losses every season then though, were they?
Nor did they claim to have the best league in the universe like they do now;)
I can’t wait for the day it all comes crshing down on them.
HH
Pogmathone,
A draw will also put England out.
Geordie Munro
I always enjoy watching Italy in the World Cup, my best mates here are all Italians and I watched them beat England with one of them, his face when the goals went in!!!
Last night showed how lacking England are in quality players, Glen Johnson is an accident waiting to happen every ten minutes.
Trad 88
“I can’t wait for the day it all comes crshing down on them.”
Aye and they have to go back to the day’s before sky tv when they could only win the big cup 6 years on the bounce.
That’ll teach um ;)
Geordie -I saw him in his Napoli days on tv a few times, and wasn’t surprised so many big clubs were after him. I remember him being outstanding in a game against Chelsea a couple of years ago. It’s not guaranteed that you’ll get a chance to change your view in this WC, as he might only have one game left.
If Real Madrid don’t get LS, they’ll go for his compatriot I think.
Geordie Munro
16:57 on
20 June, 2014
Trad 88
“I can’t wait for the day it all comes crshing down on them.”
Aye and they have to go back to the day’s before sky tv when they could only win the big cup 6 years on the bounce.
That’ll teach um ;)
==============
If they do it honestly whilst living within their means, good luck to them.
HH
Bada… 4/1 PP
Gonzalez very speedily across to cove there.
Cover. . Too speedy.
Ah give International Fitba’ Games a Berth wide as…well… Big Bertha!
Watchin’ them gies me NAE ….Joy.
n… Ah MUST hiv Joy… fur.. Ah like Joy!
Oan the ither Haun…
When Watchin’..Ma Team.. The Celtic…
Well…
THAT .. SOINTENLEE..
Gives Me Joy.. n..in Abbondanza, tae!
Like Ah said..
Ah LIKE Joy.
Doesn’t Evereeeboady???
Maks Sense tae Me.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Buffon gets away with one. . Nowhere near that corner.
Beatbhoy,
I hear he was a stick out for them.
I now vaguely remember I good game v an English club. Could be the one you mention.
Is it finishing time yet? :)
Trad 88
Toucé
Ref in the Japan v Greece game was a sadist adding four minutes injury time.
Beatbhoy
tricky cove that word “cover”
fairlysecretarmyCSC
Well said, Kojo!
Now, let the rest of us get on with enJOYing ourselves.
bsr
adding insult to injury time?
Cadizzy
Met any other ‘coves’ whom Bertie Auld doesn’t know this week??
a did a load of Joy riding and the local Sheriff didnae like it at all….not a joyous persona… :) braw
Beatbhoy
got in there before you a couple of hours back when you were having your daily siesta……
……or whatever you retired types get up to
English commentators disgusted because Costa Rica are playing well. Why do we have to pay a lcence fee for such drivel?
The coffee shop boys are playing well.