Usually during the international break I sit around feeling slightly bored, maybe watching the meaningless qualifying game or even, God-forbid, talking about something other than United.
The main function of the England team as far as I can see it is to either, a) injure United players, or b) provide an opportunity for Chelsea’s hooligans to wear a different coloured shirt for the day.
But this time it is different. This time we have so many players out injured that I am genuinely grateful for the break as it gives our guys a chance to recover, while we get the chance to be reminded that manager of the England football team is the most masochistic job in world sport.
Now, I suppose I’ll go and watch the, erm, Rugby. Strange, strange game.
Rugby is indeed a strange, strange game but who cares when we beat the Aussies? I mean, a win against those delightful Frenchies and we’re in the final again. If that happens, I might even run through my village naked and proclaim my love for Alex Ferguson. Though what I’ll do if we win the final I’m not sure. Offer him my body?
I was talking to a mate of mine before the last internationals and asked him how important to him it was for England to win compared to his own team (Spurs) winning. ‘95%’, he said, ‘and you?’ ‘5% max’ We agreed to differ.
Call me obsessive, but I reckon the FA’s loathing for United goes back to 1964 when a numpty referee called Gilbert Pullein made some offensive comments during a game to Denis. The King duly reported this and the club complained. The idiot referee had to resign. So if you want to know why a United player gets an eight month ban for missing a drugs test while a city player gets a fine, or why Eric gets a similar ban for thumping a fan who is abusing him whilst Drogba gets nothing for kicking a fan who has been restrained and is on the floor, look no further.
The England team is the FA’s team, and the FA is the enemy.
The Grimace