SHOUT: A World Cup Special

Technology that is the question. Last year we posted an article about technology and our view against bringing it into football. Sepp Bladder (I know 2 t’s) agreed with us. We split team sports into 2 groups, momentum and segment. Segment being the majority group, where there is natural break where TMO’s (Television Match Officials) can look at disputed decisions. Football is a momentum sport where a delay will disrupt the rhythm of a game.

Technology, which technology do you bring in and where? Do you bring Goal Line Technology, in which case Lampard would have scored or do you go further and bring in simply Goal Technology? In which case Lampard would have scored and Argentina’s first goal disallowed. Goal Technology would, as Gary Lineker, suggested, be limited to 3 appeals a game. Otherwise every goal would be disputed for whatever reason. Where do we use the technology? International, European Competitions or National Leagues. To introduce it at club level FIFA would instruct the confederations to start at the top level. Hang On! What about the world’s richest individual game? The Championship Play-Off. This debate could go on and doesn’t guarantee, like technology, 100% success.

England? The F.A will look in depth and try and determine the meltdown, they will have meetings, speak to the manager, never wear M&S suits again, they will collate in-depth analysis. Stop! We just were not good enough. Thankfully, the disallowed goal made no difference it became an ‘if’. If we had gone into half time 2-2, it would have been different. If Germany had taking their chances we would have been 4-0 down before we got to that incident. Our Scottish, Welsh and Irish brethren will mock. Just one minute, to play this badly in the finals of a World Cup Tournament you need to qualify. The hand of Henry, unjust yes, but Paul McShane should have launched that ball into the rues of St Denis before Le Tel got to it.

How do we stop this happening again? Well we need to follow our friends in Germany. The German F.A has ultimate authority. They do not pander to the Budasliga, they restrict the amount of non nationals able to play in domestic league matches and develop home grown talent. The Premier League is the F.A, but yet separate with its own identity. Bring it back under the F.A total control; lets have some joined up thinking and the football we deserve.

So the Steps ahead. These are not designed to win a tournament, how can you pre determine the weather, ball, form, pitch, luck or indeed human or technological error. It is designed to bolster team spirit and send players out to compete to their level of ability. That alone should put is in with a shout.

Step 1: If Fabio resigns, replace with David Beckham as a Director of football, surround him with coaches (No different from Fabio) or give Harry a go. David’s option is not full time, he needs to continue world domination. Harry will have to step down from Spurs and stop playing Wii with Jamie.

Step2: Limit non-national players for each club to a maximum of 3 on the field of play simultaneously per domestic match.

Step3: Of the players in a match day squad 3 must be under 21 (Help Development)

Step4: Non Nationals can not be brought over to clubs before their 18th Birthday.

Step5: Limit non National coaches per club; be proactive in identifying and education to attract professional players into coaching from the age of 25. Once retired their transformation into coaching is instant.

Step6: 70’s Total Football Dutch style included letting Kids enjoy football and express themselves. Give them back that freedom. The present system sterilises the game into the processed articles of individual clubs. By all means coach children from a certain age, but let them play in their weekend clubs with their mates when there is no game. They will highlight the fact that the player is susceptible to being targeted. Believe me his mates will protect him and in years ahead team mates and opponents will say well I played against..............

So England are coming home. You may remember earlier this month or maybe even last month we chose our World Cup 2’s. This was where SportTrades management selected teams they thought would play England in the final. These will now become they World Cup Winners predictions. A reminder,

World Cup 2's

Adam Dennehey: Spain
Jimmy Drew: Brazil
Pete Lewis: Portugal
Jason Beazley: Argentina
Rob McAvoy: Holland.

Amazing all five of us still in.

Yours in Sport

Rob McAvoy