I GAVE UP at 2-0. As soon as that Harry Kane goal went in – I switched off the ITV coverage of England v Senegal. Once their Captain scored, the ITV crew went into full Engurland, Engurland Engurland mode; football was coming home, the World Cup had been won.
This view took no cognisance of the fact, until England took the lead, against the run of play – they had been playing second fiddle to the African Champions, however, as so often happens in football, Senegal didn't score when they were on top and paid the price.
I turned over to the ITV4 coverage of England's Gallagher Premiership rugby, which was so-riveting I fell asleep.
Needless to say, THE BBC – allegedly the world's greatest broadcasters, led their flagship Ten O' Clock News with a blatant piece of hagiography from Qatar. I can guarantee, even if The Auld Alliance had never existed, I'd be backing France in the quarter-final.. The thought of Kylian Mbappé, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele running at that England back four fills me with genuine hope.
Olivier Giroud does rather well with AC Milan, having previously shown his class with Arsenal, with the additional quality around him in the reigning Champions' squad – I can see him adding to his record number of French international goals.
Another thing which disappointed me about the ITV coverage on Sunday was, they put the B team on commentary duties. I appreciate Clive Tyldesley :has been England's Chief Cheerleader for a few tournaments now, and Lee Dixon is his anointed wingman. But, if the high heid yins at ITV Towrs have not realised by now – Ally McCoist with either Jon Champion or Sam Mattaface calling the action is the dream team – where have they been?
I NEED not have worried, Jon and Ally were back, and rightly so, for Brazil v South Korea. The Great Entertainers on the park didn't need, but got, the great entertainers on the mikes for the best game of the tournament so far.
It finished 4-1 to Brazil, who I saw entitled in one brilliant Facebook post: The Yellow Cowdenbeath," but, it could well have been 11-5, as both sides set out to have a go. Some of those Brazilian goals, in particular, number three, pure Brazilian magic.
OK, they lifted their foot off the gas in the second half, which was, remember, “won” by the South Koreans, but, they are clearly saving themselves for the later rounds.
If our southern neighbours still think, after that, that football is coming home – well, they've long been a deluded nation.
Speaking of deluded. Perhaps remembering he was mainly talking to an English audience, that great Briton, Graeme Souness, came away with a line about how, after David Narey had the temerity to score first for Scotland, back in 1982 – according to Souness, who was Scotland captain that day: “They tore us apart and we didn't want to go out for the second half.”
That's pish Souness, and you know it, because it was still 1-1 at half-time. Socrates & Co didn't step up their game until the second half.
IT WAS like going back to the good old, early days of European football, when I read of the “friendly” between UD Almeria and Hearts was abandoned after one of the Spanish players took exception from a good, old-fashioned Scottish tackle from Hearts' Alex Cochrane.
Cue what is known in ice hockey as a bench clearance, everyone onto the park and let's get tore in.
Back in the 1950s and 1960s, in the early days of European club games, such barneys were common-place. I recall, for instance, Rangers' Harold Davis chasing a spectacles-wearing Belgian half the length of Ibrox, and it wasn't to exchange fraternal greetings. Any game between Atletico Madrid and a Scottish team was always good for pone set-piece brawl, while the least said about Celtic v Racing Club De Buenos Aires the better.
But, nowadays, when it's all about possession football and passing across midfield, you barely get a tackle worthy of the name. Mind you, I sometimes think the SFA issued a “nae tackling” edict, but didn't tell the fans.
I think the last proper Scottish tackle I saw was one by Airdrie's Alan McManus against St Mirren, back at the turn of the millennium. It's a shame, the full-on Scottish tackle, as used by the likes of John Greig, Tam Gemmell, Ian Ure or Dave Mackay – or by its ultimate exponent, Big Wullie Frew in Junior Football – that was a thing of savage beauty.
Then there was the incident in an Old Firm game, in front of The Jungle at Celtic Park. Bobby Shearer and Neil Mochan went for a 50/50 ball on half-way. Neither was prepared to pull out and the collision could have been heard back at Glasgow Cross. They both ended up on the turf, while the ball just sat there spinning. From scenes like these, auld Scotia's grandeur springs.
ONE OF my contemporaries is suffering at the moment. His grandson, whose father won Scotland age group honours in a reasonable career, is currently in the Kilmarnock FC Academy.
This does not sit well with Papa, who is a confirmed, life-long Somerset Parker, but, to support the boy, he is prepared to go to Rugby Park and sit in enemy seats. He was rather chuffed the other week, when the boy scored the winner against Celtic.
He does, however, hope the boy will, like his father, eventually find his way to Ayr United.
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