So the day is Thursday 18th July, the glorious sun is shining through my window and it is my day off from work. My beautiful partner has gone to work and I am home alone.
There are many things I could do with my day - whether it be strolling in the park, having a quiet read on the balcony or meeting up with a friend for lunch... But no. My sole focus is to get Crewe Alexandra promoted from League 1.
Let me explain myself.
I have been a massive fan of the Football Manager series for about 10 years now. I have spent hours/weeks/months on that game steadily building a solid foundation for any given team. I have won everything there is to win, and I have been heartbroken when losing to that gutting goal in the final minute that my keeper most definitely should've saved! I have been there. I have even played the Champions League theme tune through my phone as my players come out onto the pitch. I have felt every minute, and I have loved it...
There is nothing more satisfying than seeing that youth team player you have produced grow into one of the World's best players. To see him get called into the international squad for the first time, and for him to thank you when getting his first international cap or goal. The feeling of finding that elusive gem playing away in the depths of a Scandinavian league and giving him his chance at the big time - to see him score the winner in the FA Cup Final! To have one of your legendary players retire and then elect to become your Assistant Manager so that you can continue your friendship.
These characters are not simply fake little players running around. They are my players. They are people, and they have personalities to go with it. I imagine they have fake little families, and are friends with all the other fake little players.
...and this is why I am an addict.
But I don't care. Yes the sun is shining, yes there are a million things to do, but young Stevie Harrison has just come into the youth team, and he is going to be my star for years to come! I must make him a star!!
Only a few people will really understand this, but those who do will completely appreciate where I'm coming from. The rest of you can think I'm mental, that's fine. I have a legacy to complete.
Ok, let's face it. My post here was a little tongue in cheek, and in reality I got 0 out of 3 correct..
The major thing I got incorrect was that I didn't predict that for the first time in history, the World Cup held in South America would be won by a European team.. However, my thought process wasn't a million miles off for the rest of it.
Winners: Germany
Prediction: Brazil
I predicted that Brazil would win the World Cup.. I was wrong. They were utterly hammered by the eventual winners in the Semi Finals. I can't really defend that.
Runners Up: Argentina
Prediction: Germany
I had predicted that not only would there be a Europe vs South America final, but also that Germany would be the team representing Europe. I would argue that had Brazil been on the other side of the draw, the final could well have been Brazil vs Germany but as they both won their groups that was deemed impossible. If you read my original thread too, I toy with the idea of putting Argentina there and state that the only reason I chose Brazil was because of home advantage. So yes, I was wrong but I was close to being right.
Top Scorer: James Rodriquez
Prediction: Edin Dzeko
Now, I was completely wrong with my answer here. I had Bosnia down to be a dark horse. They scored plenty in qualifying and Dzeko was their top scorer. They should've breezed past Nigeria and Iran but alas, they didn't. Unfortunately he ended the tournament with 1 goal to his name, and Bosnia never made it out of their group.
However - I was correct to state that the top scorer is likely to be playing for a team that does not compete in the final. In fact, James Rodriguez didn't even play in the Semis... So my thought process was correct, but my decision making was a bit off.
It is no secret that our issues with the national team are being blamed on those 'average' foreign players that get brought into the Premier League on smaller pay packets. The England National Team is apparently worse off because of this, and the idea of a 'B Team League' has been brushed off with barely a whimper - after all, how is the English team going to benefit from more players playing at a lower standard...?
If the FA will not put rules in place to restrict the amount of players from across Europe joining our league, surely English players should be looking to seek moves to clubs outside of our own nation. There are barely any British players plying their trade across Europe's other big leagues, and I think this is part of our downfall.
In the Premiership, we have a huge amount of Spanish, French, Dutch and German players. Players who are mostly internationals, and some who are absolutely World Class.. On the other hand, the only player in Woy's squad to play outside of the Premier League is Fraser Forster.. Of Celtic.
I was frustrated with Tom Ince when he turned down a move to Inter Milan, stating that he has 'unfinished business' in the Premiership. This isn't the case. He is still young and can return to the PL after 5 potentially brilliant seasons playing for one of Italy's top clubs - but no. He'll probably move to Hull, or Crystal Palace and be constantly ignored by the National team because he isn't at a big club. He has the potential to be one of the most effective wingers in Europe, and this lack of ambition really frustrates me.
I have read recently that Fraser Forster has been linked with a move to Athletico Madrid and I think this would be a brilliant move for him. I really rate Forster, but it's clear that playing for Celtic has seen him considered only 3rd choice for England. I think he's far better than Ben Foster, and, provided he's playing for a World Class team on a regular basis, he could really push Joe Hart for the Number 1 spot... But staying in Scotland would see him fester into that average 3rd choice role for the rest of his career.
Yes, the Premier League is one of the best leagues in the World - and there are a lot of British players drawn to that - but if you have the option of Inter Milan or Hull, surely it's a no brainer?! Gareth Bale took the plunge and went to Real Madrid, and he is clearly enjoying that - but even that took a World Record fee.
Look at Joey Barton, succeeding at Marseille a couple of seasons back. Joe Cole had a bit of a revival in France with Lille - but has since failed at West Ham, and even Bradley Wright-Phillips looks a decent player playing alongside Tim Cahill and Thierry Henry in the MLS, moving there from Charlton.
Let's imagine that Tom Cleverley goes abroad along with Micah Richards, Ryan Shawcross and Andros Townsend. Four players that have potential to be good enough for the England team, but are wasting time stuck at their current clubs - happy to be average. Shawcross could get into almost any squad in Europe and would be great in the heart of an English defence, Richards was a brialliant youngster but has since rotted away on Man City's bench and cannot shift Zabaleta from that right back slot. Townsend too would be brilliant in La Liga or Serie A, and Cleverley could even do a decent job in the Bundesliga. But it is just not going to happen.. The draw of the Premier League is too great, even if it means a player's career suffering because of it.
The amount of players you could list who have 'wasted potential' goes on - you look at Jack Rodwell, Scott Sinclar, Ravel Morrison, Wilf Zaha, Conor Wickham.. All players who are not getting game time in the biggest competitions because they would rather stick it out at an average English team, or convince themselves that they're going to knock Juan Mata or Yaya Toure out of the starting lineups of their clubs. Not going to happen. Move on. Live a little. Reach that potential!
Cool. Rant over. Thanks for reading.
