My Sympathy For The England Football Team

For me, it was the best moment of these European championships so far. As a Manchester City fan, the site of Mario Balotelli and Joe Hart, 30 yards out from goal, playing every mind game they knew. Niether wanted to gaze the other directly in the eye, to give anything away, or be seen to be looking away, losing face. Hart shouted and snarled, Balotelli tried to hide a smirk and a smile, as the two backed into the penalty area a site that is useually reserved for the 20 or so invited guests at City's Carrignton training ground, was about to be played out infront of the world. Camera bulbs flashed as Mario began that familiar run up, he opened his body up, Hart's eyes grew wide as he thought he'd anticipated the strike, but it wasnt enough. The ball nesseld in the corner, Balotelli threw his arms into the air, a rare show of joy possibly as much down to getting one over a club-mate as giving the Italians the lead. It was, in its purist form, why footballers play the game. They were two kids on a playground, loving every second. There was no way during that period of time, that either was thinking of their model girlfriends, their Bentley's or their big houses. It was about representing their countries, and giving their teams an edge on route to chasing an ultimate goal, a major international tournament.

Its at moments like that you remember their human beings, genuine people just making a living and living a dream. They didnt ask for the fame, and they didnt write the infuriating headlines that often lead to peoples hatred of the England team. Wayne Rooney for example, its easy to think that he's a full time 24/7 cunt, but then a guy who named his son after a mortal combat character, is admittedly addicted to Fifa and has a Stereophonics tattoo has got to have a half decent bone somewhere in his body. So then why are they hate figures? We watch that league every week, i personally cheer on three members of Englands Euro 2012 squad every week at club level, so why am i so incapable of wishing them even moderate success at major tournaments? The media. I fucking hate the English sporting media. Their why i blog, their why i have a passing interest in being a sports writer. Their so full of fucking shit it boils my skin, and the idea that they would take any kind of joy out of English success, that makes me hope and pray there never is any.

The build up to this tournament was ofcourse dominated by the exit of Fabio Cappello, the "snubbing" of Harry Redknapp and the following appointment of Roy Hodgson. Now obviously Redknapp was never sunbed for the England job, he never officially applied, he was never named the number one target, and never asked for an interview. Should i complain when a top London bank dosent inform me that im not in the running for a posisiton of CEO? No. But the media had anointed Harry as the man for the job, and in their own self importance had to start a shit storm after they didnt get their way. After that yawn-fest came the squad, which thanks to injuries and "other" circumstances became abit of a joke. Liverpools Martin Kelly found his way into the number 5 shirt, possibly to reflect how far down the pecking order he was, and that was the next major story. Hodgson fired back at suggestions Rio Ferdinand's international carear was over, and thus was born a "united" England, and contradiction number one. We've heard for years that representing your country is the highest honour any footballer can have, and that giving your all and "putting your body on the line for the cause" is the least thats expected, so why am i supposed to be impressed by Scott Parker doing so, under the illusion he's doing it because this England squad is more "together" than previous one's, shouldnt they all always be doing that? After a Joleon Lescott header from a free kick gave England a point in their opening group fixture, the talk quickly turned form their previous inability to keep the ball, to praise for the newly installed "shape" and "discipline" installed by Hodgson. (forgetting early complaints about 4-4-2 being obsolete.)  In here lies the true problem with English football, and the reason they wont win anything, scribes with columns in newspapers talking shit is one thing, but when former internationals who've played at this level are in so much denial that they cant see England just got passed off the park AGAIN just because they scraped a 1-1 off a team no one expects to win anything, you truely have to wonder! Sweden once again provided an alarming threat to Englands progression from a group stage when they took over the ball in the second half of there game, Danny Welbecks late goal was enough to salvage all three points and spark mass hysteria. Theo Walcott was a world beater once more, and England, full of stars from the "best league in the world" were the plucky little engine that could, and that this tournament could be one theyd win from "under the radar", rite. After bouncing past the Ukraine in once again less than convincing fashion, genuine belief sprang across the nation, England would play another poor side, Italy in the quater final stage.

It was at this stage that again, the cancerous infection in the England team would become apparent, Italy, especially in the second half, would enjoy an almost embarrassing amount of possession against a team clearly playing to not be beaten, in the hope of nicking a win through either the sublime or the stupid. Both teams slogged away for 120 tedious minutes before our story came full circle, and the meeting of Mario and Joe. After Italy earned there place in the last four, England were left to sit and cry in yet another center circle, at yet another major tournament. Our friends the media though? They had one last trick up there sleave. Andrea Pirlo was quickly anointed the player of the tournement, after all, a free kick and a good performance in a game that finishes 0-0 will do that for you. England couldnt have possibly been beaten by an average team, unless they had a truly world class player pulling thr strings, it couldn't have been that England made the same mistakes as before, it was Pirlo's performance that made it look that way, all of course, bollox. The England football team will never step out of their own tabloids shadow, which appears to be the way the later likes it. Crushing expectations and overwhelming ignorance will always put this team down, and put many off it, in the end, i think the only thing worth doing is to think of the individuals out on the pitch as what they are, boys come men, looking to live a dream of playing at the highest level in there sport, will they let you down? Yes. Undoubtedly. Are they there own hype machine? No. They dont come to these tournaments telling anyone that will listen that this could be the year, they just hope it is, and they may be hoping a while longer.