England Have A Prayer
THANK HEAVENS, cries the Telegraph. HEAVEN SENT, opines The Times. Notice a theme emerging?
The latter papers Simon Barnes says that the chants of Rooney! Rooney! that filled the Frankenstadion during Englands increasingly desperate performance were emitted with a force that was almost prayerful. Amazingly, the prayers were answered: the Chunky One appeared. And suddenly everything changed.
The bizarre thing about the whole business is that the hype is actually right, says Barnes, It really is all about one player. With Rooney back in the team, England are back with a chance.
A chance, yes. But Rooney aside, there are still grave doubts as to Englands prospects. Even the Mirrors aptly-named World Cup Mania supplement splashes the damning verdict of Trinidad & Tobago boss Leo Beenhakker Youre impatient long-ball game merchants who will struggle against the top sides.
Sour grapes? Maybe. Others share his view, though, and some of them are working as fifth-columnists among our boys in the media. Witless England dig their way to victory, sneers the Guardian, while the Mail offers the more balanced view that Svens men have a stinker
but theyre in the next round.
Still, never mind, Svens boys are through to the last 16, and its a time for looking forward, not backwards, as Tony Blair would say if his partys publicity people had any knowledge of basic grammar. (And by the way, why is Blair keeping such a low profile in this years Eng-er-land circus?)
The Times is looking forward rather presumptiously, some might say all the way to Berlin. It has printed the route to the final depending on whether England qualify as group winners or runners-up. As winners, their likely opponents would be, in order: Ecuador, Portugal/Holland, Brazil, Argentina. As runners-up they would face Germany, Argentina, Italy/France, Brazil. Sounds easy put like that, doesnt it?
Earlier in the week, we reported how Tim Henman described the World Cup as a fun distraction for both the public and myself. This of course depends on two factors: how long Tim survives at Wimbledon and how long England survive in Germany.
A clue to the football side of the equation might lie in the Stars picture of Peter Crouch celebrating his goal. Crouch promised not to do his robot dance when he scores in the World Cup, and he was as good as his word yesterday. However, his new celebration is hardly an improvement. Indeed, having scrutinised the picture, we have come to the conclusion that he has pinched his new routine from Tiger Tim himself. Its all there: the fists, the roar.
An omen, clearly, but what kind?
Posted: 16th, June 2006 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
