That’s a reasonable question, I says with the non-verbalised but implied hope of getting a satisfactory answer. “Just how is it that the English Premier League can be the best league in the world and yet England’s national team continue to flatter to deceive?” This of course, comes in the wake of England’s defeat at the hands (& feet) of World champions France last night.
Even though they had never won at Wembley before, France were clearly entitled to start the game as favourites given their newly crowned status and the turmoil in the English camp following Glenn Goddle’s dismissal. As with a great many soccer games, the improbable and unexpected happened when England started the match brightly and with some promise. By the end of the ninety minutes however, the more probable scenario had well and truly established itself, and France deservedly entered the Chunnel home with two goals to spare. All right, perhaps it was the Concorde, not the Chunnel. For some reason, I am reminded of Oscar Wilde and his comment about how we can always believe in the impossible but can never believe in the improbable.
The bright light in the game turned out (as opposed to turned out the bright light) to be Nickolas Annelka and he emerged as a zestful new foil for World Player of the Year Zinedine Zidane. If anything, his two goals showed the rest of the world that they may well be a better side than the team which thrilled the world last June. They are worthy world champs and established favourites for next years European Championships. Naturally, with my logic that makes it highly unlikely that they will win the said championships but the interesting question arises as to who will stop them.
England’s new man in the dugout will probably be announced this weekend but even if you are not interested in Boardroom Soccer, there is always the eight FA Cup ties which will be hard fought and worth watching.
Well, I can’t answer the question why, but I do agree that English Premier League soccer is the strongest in depth club soccer in the world and I am equally certain that England are not the greatest National soccer team. Something to do with all those foreigners plying their trade in England, I hear you say. At least that explains why I can’t spell their names anymore.
See you next week.
