Yep, all this "I've texted a lot of the lads recently" bullshit from pretty much all of the ex-playing media gimps they roll out is doing my head in too. It's honestly like some sort of BTN transmission or party broadcast from the En-ger-laaaand party telling us that "they're trying really hard!" or more like some shit comedy magician desperately trying and failing to get us all to look the other way whilst they fuck up yet another trick.
"Bellingham's such an amazing raw talent, remember that easy, no pressure Hollywood pass to his mate 30 yards away in the fist match, AND, he's only 20" they shout as we watch the clueless prick fall to his arse and throw his arms about yet again.
The trouble with the football media in general is that there's not really a single working brain amongst them (bar possibly Lineker when he's not trying too hard to be Mr fucking funny-bollocks) to constructively criticise. They criticise but they're pretty much unable to do it in any sort of constructive manner, wash that in a gallon of their old club salty-tears-tribalism and add a dash of the old boys "matey-matey" powder, and out comes another hatred filled Alan Shearer rant directed at whoever the media have chosen to be this week's scapegoat.
"Remember how hard it is to play for your country" and they all change their tune and shut up.
It's fucking pathetic.
I said yesterday that I don't mind Gareth Southgate the man, so I cut him a little slack, don't ask me why.
I'd like to think that when he said that stuff about still not being able to replace Phillips it was more a comment about the balance of the team than the individual player he named.
I'd like to think that when he fleetingly mentioned the immense weight of outside pressure and its effect on team selection he was referencing the fact that certain constraints are put on him regarding team selection.
Predicted sales of En-ger-laaand shirts with "Bellingham 10" printed on the back are pretty god-damn high and targets have got to be hit (do not pardon the pun:)
Imagine if he and Kane were dropped to where their other media pedestaled darling is now, and then Palmer, Foden, Mainoo (I know he's a rag but he doesn't appear to be too much of a ****, unlike Bellingham) Walker, Stones, an unfashionable centre forward from Villa or Brentford, and possibly a young lad who plays for Newcastle actually got played in an attacking formation and we won the thing!!!! But we can't be having that now can we, these players have got image rights and commercial contracts to look after! ;)
Fuck it, it's all a fucking summer pantomime anyway, everybody sing along now "It's coming home!" and remember to bang your pots and pans together at 5pm on a Wednesday to show how much you support!
