World Cup: The Woes of England

I was an odd man out, as a England supporter, in a land of mad mad football fans (Kerala) who painted their houses and automobiles in the colors of Argentina and Brazil. I braved the booes that flew in from the opposition factions, and continued to blow the vuvuzela for Three Lions until it all ended at Bloemfontein on 26th June, so fast as it had began. The Three Lions bowed out meekly like Three Kittens.

England has always been a much hyped team ever since their victory in 1966. Over-hyped or under-achievers, they could never get anywhere close to that dizzy heights in any cup competition after 1966. Much of the malaise has been attributed to the Premier League that leaves the players physically and mentally drained for any kind of close season competitions. Arguments are rife on installing a month-long winter break as in Germany. There are also calls to reduce the number of teams in the BPL which can help in limiting fixture congestion.

But one should understand these discussions started much before England's defeat way back at Euro 2004, and with the latest loss, it has only gained momentum, and a final solution may still be decades away.

The English have a habit of talking big, and actually not doing anything. More than anything else, it's the English football system that is more culpable for their failings. Sacking Fabio Capello or booting off some of the so called "Golden Generation" of stars could only make matters worse.

Howard Wilkinson on Monday explained how he had written a report for the FA back in 1997 which said English football needed to devote more resources to youth development, spend more time on technical skills, build a national football centre and prepare for a future when 4-4-2 will be obsolete.

As a fan I can only hope for a better future....but for now, as a true lover of football in general, I need to pick another team. C'mon Spain, c'mon....
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Why Messi is Not My Kind of Super Star


Messi may be officially the best footballer in the world, but not to me. Ronaldo?, worse off. Me, an avid fan of Manchester United do not want to put Rooney on the pedestal either.

I never rated Ronaldo, the former United winger, as someone worthy of winning all the accolades he did win. He is too much of a show pony for my liking. He never played his best against top teams, the only better performance coming against Chelsea in the 2008 champions League final.But perhaps the 80 million pounds Real paid for him would not be considered a mammoth sum considering the money the club would generate selling his shirt. But when I look at it from a pure football mind, I often cringe.

After last season's second leg clash of the El Classico, Spanish media ran a headline "Too much Messi for CR9" in their comparison with Messi. Ronaldo was lost on the pitch, he was turned into a roadrunner chasing shadows.

Rooney is the second best footballer for me at the moment. Let me say I have not counted Messi as first. Rooney is a workaholic. He has unbelievable energy. A bull of a player who runs from post to post, tackles fearlessly, and fights like a warrior. He is a genius in the making. Yes, still not there. I think it will take just one more year for him.

Messi is a magician. He certainly, plainly, clearly is a better player than Ronaldo. But why he is not my kind of super star is simply because of his less involvement in the overall play in any given game. He may have scored some unbelievable goals, may have done some weaving solo runs, but that does not impress me much (in the lines of Shania Twain). He goes missing for long periods in the game, then like one possessed spirit, he haunts the opposition goal post, makes a quick-fire goal, and goes missing again. This has added an unpredictability aspect to his play. He may produce a magic, or go lost completely. All the good things Messi has done so far have had its origin in the midfields of Barcelona, where the imperial Xavi Hernandez rules. This can be further illustrated by the fact Messi has not yet showed his true potential in the blue and white strip of Argentina.

I guess by now you should have picked hints to who I think the greatest player on the planet now. Yes, it’s Xavi Hernandez. He is the heart beat of Barcelona, not Messi. One day I set out to count how many times he would lose the ball, but the bloody guy never lost the ball even once. For many, he is already in the same bracket with Zidane. But the only flip side is he is not marketing himself like Ronaldo and Messi does. And this is a sin in today's world.
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