EPL Talk » Gary Lineker

England On The Brink Of 2010 World Cup

Simon Tanton — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:40:55 +0000

South Africa 2010

Almost twenty years ago England went to Poland knowing that a draw would qualify them for Italia 90. A backs-to-the wall performance and the magnificence of Peter Shilton ensured they had their point and the team then went onto reach the semi-finals of the tournament that arguably saved English football from itself and ultimately elevated it to today’s dizzy heights.

Were it not for the crossbar however that Poland hit in the last minute with the superlative Shilton well beaten, England would have lost that night and not have qualified for Italia 90. There would have been no glorious semi-final defeat, no tears from Gazza and the EPL might never have been born. Yet lady luck was smiling on England that night and here we are some 20 years on with England once again on the brink of the finals of the World Cup. Like Bobby Robson’s team, England remain unbeaten throughout their qualifying campaign but there is unlikely to be a repeat of that night in Chorzow where England had to get a result as their campaign for South Africa draws to a close.

Should England fail on Wednesday they have a second and a third stab at qualification against the Ukraine and Belarus respectively in October although in all likelihood their passage to South Africa next summer will be sealed with those two games to spare.

There’s something about a do-or-die game however that somehow makes it all seem worthwhile. All those weekends where the EPL comes to a grinding halt and all eyes are fixed firmly on the England camp seem to frustrate fans and managers alike but when it all comes down to one night, it serves up a starter that wets our appetite for the main course of the Finals themselves next summer.

In years’ gone by, as well as the nail-biter in Poland, England supporters have endured the catastrophe in Rotterdam in 1993, the miracle of Rome in 1997, David Beckhams finest hour in 2001 although last time around in 2005 it was something of a damp squib as Sven’s men actually qualified for Germany on the back of a Dutch victory over the Czech Republic.

Of course the misery of failing to qualify for Euro 2008 is still relatively fresh in people’s minds and whilst you could argue that England have come on in leaps and bounds since that horror show in 2007 – ironically also against Wednesday’s opponents Croatia – it could be argued that international football is steadily falling down the interest radar. Of course everyone loves the World Up but the whole qualification process? It just seems inconvenient particularly to fans of the Bloated Four although it must be said but when it is their teams that are pretty much decimated by international call ups you can maybe see their point.
There was a time when England games seemed to really matter and they would capture the imagination of the English public in as much as they seemed to unite the football world but now they seem nothing more than a little sideshow than needs to be gotten out of the way before everyone can back to the real deal of the EPL.

With two huge games coming up on September 12th (Man City v Arsenal; Spurs v Man Utd) when the league resumes it is sometimes hard to get too excited about the international scene but come next summer no doubt even England’s biggest critics will be on the bandwagon although it is fair to say that the EPL has become the be all and end all of football in England and sadly that seems to include international football as well.

As far as Capello is concerned, well all he has done really is take the same group of players and taught them how to win again in a not too dissimilar way that one of his predecessors Sven Goran Erickson had England playing. It’s not pretty but it is effective – albeit against mediocre opposition it must be said. Indeed, perhaps one of the biggest reasons for England’s recent winning streak is not necessarily the new manager but the standard of opposition in their group. You can only beat what’s in front of you and England has obviously done that but without really making anyone sit up and take notice. There’s still questions about the left side of midfield, there’s still doubts about Gerrard and Lampard in the same team and whilst those issues have been part and parcel of the England set up for years it seems there’s now doubts about just who is the first choice goalkeeper and just who should partner Rooney up front if there is to be a partner for him at all.

The warm up game against Slovania on Saturday will merely be a taster for the big event on Wednesday with Capello hoping above all to avoid any injuries to his squad so he may play his first team. Looking at the team that faced Poland in 1989 what Capello wouldn’t give for the likes of Shilton, Bryan Robson and Gary Lineker to be lining up for him. Indeed it makes the mouth water doesn’t it? Gerrard and Robson together in the middle of the park? Rooney and Lineker up front? Maybe England would even progress beyond the Quarter Final stage and maybe even…nah, it wouldn’t be the same without a heartbreaking penalty shootout loss would it?

Poland 0-0 England
11 October,1989
Stadion Slaski, Chorzow

Peter Shilton [Derby County]
Gary Stevens [Glasgow Rangers]
Stuart Pearce [Nottingham Forest]
Desmond Walker [Nottingham Forest]
Terence Butcher [Glasgow Rangers]
David Rocastle [Arsenal]
Bryan Robson [Manchester United]
Stephen McMahon [Liverpool]
Christopher Waddle [Marseille]
Peter Beardsley [Liverpool]
Gary Lineker [Tottenham Hotspur]

Pundits Are Killing The Premier League For Me

Christopher Walker — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 18:37:47 +0000

Pundits, some played football once upon a time you know..

Am I the only person who is sick to death of having the league table flashed up at every opportunity? Am I the only person sick to death of hearing ‘If Liverpool win today they will go back above United’ (despite the fact they will have played more games)? And last but not least, am I the only person who doesn’t need to hear about Alan Shearer’s ‘monumental task’?

Of course these issues are among the most intriguing. However when watching Match of the day etc, you would think the relegation battle has been won/lost every single weekend. Newcastle are the perfect example of this. They have five games to go (of which three are at home) and yet every week it would appear that the Toon Army’s current ‘messiah’ has already fallen. Now bear in mind they are four points behind Hull City with a game in hand before facing Portsmouth at home on Monday night. Should the Magpies win this they are a point behind City with another twelve points to play for.

No one can deny that the current relegation battle is a fascinating, dramatic and enthralling one, but there is a considerable amount of football to be played yet. It is also very likely that we will witness another final day of the season crescendo at that end of the table like the one involving Sheffield United, Wigan and West Ham. But for the love of god, why must every single point be the resurrection of a team’s survival hopes or the Coup de grâce? Yes Lee Dixon, Gary Lineker et al, every point lost is more sand into the bottom dome of the hourglass. BUT there are six teams realistically fighting to stay out of two relegation places - all of which have at least four games/ twelve points to play for. Add to that the even West Brom are not even down yet and we’ve all accepted they are dead in the water, it makes the constant analysis of the table ridiculous.

Here’s an idea for the pundits, go into huge detail about the drop-zone when a team can be relegated the following WEEK and not in four games time!

Now, when thinking about the other end of the table, I go to bed at night and suffer from the following three Premier league induced sleep disorders:

1) Images of the table before and after every Manchester United or Liverpool game BURNED into the insides of my eyelids - Who cares when United kick off half an hour after Liverpool anyway? I might be interested after BOTH teams have played.

2) The lack of peaceful silence in which to drift off into a delciate snooze because I can still hear echoes of Martin Tyler and Andy Gray from Sky Sports to the tune of “Well that three points for Liverpool piles the pressure on Manchester United who face Portsmouth at Old Trafford this evening” or how about ” A win for Liverpool today will take the Reds back to the summit of the Premier League table, meaning United MUST win to keep ahead in this extraordinary title race!” Yes guys, we know this and do not need to be informed of this twelve times per day. Additionally - title ‘race’ is only going to be particularly interesting to us neutrals if United actually drop points – they have won their last four games in the league . Perhaps not at their best - but win their game in hand and they could be six points clear.

3) Last and certainly not least, ‘The War Of The Words” between a certain Scot and a particular Spaniard. Who ACTUALLY cares about the overweight David Guest look-alike having a handbags at dawn with a man who thinks every controversial decision that is ruled in his team’s favour is ‘about time because we never get these decisions etc’ - We’d rather watch some football please.

So a final word, YES it is the pundit/journo’s job to hype things up so they can sell airtime and newspapers but must we be saturated with constant analysis from people who have never even managed a successful side?

Everton Agree New Shirt Deal With Le Coq Sportif and Kitbag

The Gaffer — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:00:39 +0000

Everton have reportedly dumped Umbro as their kit manufacturer and have replaced them with Le Coq Sportif beginning with the 2009/2010 season. Also reportedly gone are kit distributors JJB who are being replaced by Kitbag instead.

Everton have developed a love hate relationship with Umbro over the years. Umbro has been Everton’s official kit manufacturer for 1974-1983, 1986-2000 and 2004-2009. The delayed release of the new Everton home shirt this past summer must have been the last straw for the club and its fans. The shirts were delayed by Umbro until late July because of quality control issues experienced in the Far East where the shirts were made.

A good indication that the rumor may be true of Umbro being dumped in favor of Le Coq Sportif is the fact that Everton’s online megastore have slashed their prices for their home, away and third shirt by 60% from £39.99 to £14.99. This is absolutely ridiculous. The third shirt was only released on October 7!

When Everton wore Le Coq Sportif kits from 1983 to 1986, it coincided with the club winning a ton of silverware. During this time, Everton won the First Division (1984-85), the FA Cup (1984), Charity Shield (1984 and 1985) and European Cup Winners Cup (1985).

The Le Coq Sportif years at Everton are synonymous with some of the club’s best players in recent memory including Gary Lineker (pictured above), Graeme Sharp, Gary Stevens, Kevin Ratcliffe, Trevor Steven, Peter Reid, Kevin Sheedy, Andy Gray and Neville Southall.

The only two Premier League clubs who currently wear Le Coq Sportif shirts are Manchester City and Stoke City. However, Manchester City look likely to sign a deal with Puma for the 2009-10 season and beyond.