Hi all, and how is everyone today??
So what’s been happening then? We’ll my last post finished with me getting ready for the weekend and I have to say I’ve had a very drunken time, but still very enjoyable. I won’t bore you with all the details…due to me not remembering them all!
Yesterday the England Manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, announced his provisional 23 man squad for this summers in Germany, and although he’s usually a very predictable man, I was still surprised by some of his selections, and ommisions. The squad is as follows :
Goalkeepers
Paul Robinson / David James / Robert Green
Paul Robinson / David James / Robert Green
Defenders
Gary Neville / Rio Ferdinand / John Terry / Ashley Cole / Sol Campbell / Jamie Carragher / Wayne Bridge
Midfielders
David Beckham / Michael Carrick / Frank Lampard /Steven Gerrard / Owen Hargreaves / Jermaine Jenas / Stuart Downing / Joe Cole / Aaron Lennon
Forwards
Wayne Rooney / Michael Owen / Peter Crouch / Theo Walcott
Wayne Rooney / Michael Owen / Peter Crouch / Theo Walcott
Stand-by
Scott Carson / Luke Young / Nigel Reo-Coker / Jermaine Defoe / Andrew Johnson
Doesn?t that look nice? I ripped off all the pictures from theFA.com. A bit of me is worried that we?re taking along 2 strikers who are currently injured, and also taking along several players unproven at international level, but there is also part of me that is very excited to see the raw talent of Lennon and Walcott, who could well be the surprise packages of the tournament, and could do very well.
I don?t think that if Eriksson was staying on as manager that he would?ve gone with the same selection, as he has been pretty reserved previously. I guess he has nothing to lose, which is maybe the best way of playing in a knock-out tournament. I also think that Steve McClaren had a part in picking the squad, as he will be taking over as England Manager after the World Cup. I guess we?ll have to wait till next month to see what happens.
On other news I seem to have been spending a little too much money lately, which stemmed from me treating myself on payday to a few bits and bobs, and also going out a bit too much. I?ve got to put the breaks on for this month as I?ll be out quite a bit when the World Cup is on, so maybe I?ll have to be a slight recluse. One of the problems is that I?ve been using the debit card quite a bit?.and not ?real money?. When using the card all I have to do is type in my PIN and it?s all paid for, where as cash seems to have more value attached to it.. therefore I?m less likely to hand it over. Sometimes I?ll pay with the card even though I have cash in my wallet because I think I may need the cash for something else, so in effect I?ve giving myself access to more fund than I would like too. I think cash will have to be the way from now on?..can I limit myself to £5 a day?. it should be easy(ish). Today I have spent £1.65 on lunch from Sainsbury?s:
Tuna Salad £0.85 [reduced from £1.69]
Tomato and herb bread roll £0.30
Red seedless grapes £0.50
And it was very nice? and about half the price than if I?d got lunch in the work canteen. What more can a man talk about than Football, Food, and Money?? ummm? Well apparently [click here]
I have my reservations about Sven?s choice too.
While I take the point about the excitement of seeing their raw talent and all that, this is the world fucking cup! You try these combinations out before you have crucial qualifying matches!
Surely if Sven was thinking of picking Theo he could have fixed it to get him playing some top-flight footie over the last few months. Why wait until Germany?
Something to do with Sweden being in our group do you reckon..?
Yes, the first and biggest surprise about Sven?s squad is that it contains surprises. Wish he?d thrown caution to the wind in one of those quarter finals we?ve lost under his up-to-now-play-it-safe regime. I think he likes being unsackable. I hope it pays off, but I doubt it will.
Mike