Well, what an anti-climax, as my Yorkshire-born uncle might say.
All that hooplah, and for what? Like I said, being half-Welsh, half-Indian does have it’s saving graces. I watched the game with a room full of Englishman…something about “Fee, Fie, Fo, Fum” springs immediately to mind. Still, for anyone who’s watched any of the other games it’s not really much for England to get worked up about. As I said to my friend Gaz as he nearly put his fist through the TV, it’s important to keep this in perspective. They didn’t play badly, they still earned a draw even though Wazza forgot to turn up, and they’ve still got Algeria and Slovenia to play (which, as anyone who saw that game will know, is no bad thing at all). Not only this, but our American cousins celebrated the draw like they’d just won the World Cup itself.
Amid all the despondency, there are a few saving graces. We decided to stage a “Come Dine With Me”-style bonanza showcasing the cuisine of each of England’s opponents. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but while hot-dogs and pizza is alright for the USA, we’re now in some trouble for Slovenia and Algeria. If anyone wants to help us out, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
And the other? Witness Mick McCarthy’s commentary for the BBC. “Italy are playing parasite football.” The man’s a mother-flippin’ rhyme-nocerous.