International football used to be the pinnacle of the sport but no longer. The top club sides would hammer all but a few of the international ones.
Imagine Raheem Sterling, playing for England must be like playing Sunday League compared to a role in the City team.
I kept a weather eye on the game by turning over during the advert breaks during ‘Bake Off - An Extra Slice’ and ‘Gogglebox’ (yes, that’s how far my interest in England has fallen! my younger self would be amazed/appalled, but hey ho..!)
The state of the England team and the way the print/tv media deals with the mediocre levels of performance that it serves up in games like last night’s were, for me, encapsulated in the couple of minutes I saw when I switched over towards the end of the first half.
Raheem lost his marker on the half-way line to receive a pass, turned, sprinted to the Czech goal taking the four men defending with him, then released Trippier into the space he’d created on the right. Kane and others got into the box awaiting the cross but Trippier, under no pressure, fluffed the chance, almost passing the ball to the Czech fullback rushing to cover the front post. Immediately, Glenn Hoddle claimed it was ‘a great interception by the defender’
I don’t doubt for one second that, had it been Walker responsible for that ‘cross’, he’d have been pilloried for it. I know it can happen to the best of players but that was a shocking waste, summing up the lack of technique of so many English lads. And all the while the media cheer on their particular favourites from the so-called ‘Big Clubs with History’, refusing to take them to task when they don’t step up to the mark.
Any road up, I’ve still got ‘Gardener’s World’ to watch on catch-up.. and roll on City’s next game..