After Mao

So it’s to be France v Italy. They say that the most important components of drama are conflict and subtext. This should have plenty of both.

Caught up with both sets of semi-finals. They helped me to crystallise my feeling about this World Cup, which is that it’s been great from most points of view; except in relation to everything to do with England, all of which has been big pants. So it’s been a roaring success and a massive downer at the same time.

Take the way Italy played in extra time, for example. I’ve never seen an Italian team so committed to attack. Why? Because they obviously didn’t fancy a penalty shoot-out. Fabulissimo. But why couldn’t England do something similar against Portugal?

Oh well. I’ve been saying for some time that football was taking on too much importance in England and that something needed to happen to get the game back in perspective. Perhaps this will be it. I had thought the likeliest thing would be Chelsea winning so many titles so easily that it would put everyone off. I remember making these arguments to Jon Riley and saying that I was a Chelsea supporter now, on Maoist grounds. He said, ‘I think that’s more Pol Pot-ist.’

Comments

[Eamonn Fitzgerald]

What's the point of writing about the World Cup if you finish the blog three days before the final? How very English. Not surprising then that England did so badly if this is the new work ethic. Time is money, and I've paid for this blog with my attention. Now I feel cheated. Where can I get my "money" back?