I am a Saints fan of course but occasionally, when I want to watch some good players, I am an England fan. My sense of Englishness has been heightened by 3 years of working in Dublin where they do enjoy seeing England losing. If you go to a pub on your own and start shouting support for England on the TV, then you're going to get some banter. A bad experience was watching the 'brolly' match where Steve McClaren inspired Croatia to a 3-2 win to knock us out of Euro 2008. My misery was being monitored by about 30 Irish lads who I noticed when the cheers erupted every time Croatia scored. A good experience was watching the Theo Walcott inspired 4-1 win against the same opponents when the Irish Croats only managed a half hearted cheer when Croatia scored to make it 3-1 to England.
I could have watched it in the comfort of my B&B but a 14" screen in the top corner of the room was not good enough so off to the pub again. Pint of Guinness, bag of crisps, one nil, two nil, get in!!! I want to adopt an Italian child and call him Fabio. The man is a legend, already... just by not being Steve McClaren, he is a legend. The fact that the goals are from Lampard and Gerrard says it all... he's got the two best English midfeilders in the same team and playing well together, unlike McClown and the ever useless Sven.
Fabio has even recognized that we need a comedy factor in the England team and so he picks Heskey. Two clear chances - one passed to the keeper and one where he clatters the keeper having forgotten the ball. Genius. In the lead up to the game, all talk was of Defoe or Heskey... neither in my opinion... Carlton Cole is the man... you heard it here first.
My enjoyment of the rest of the first half was interrupted somewhat was an uninvited visitor as a very blunt Australian sat behind me and tried to start a conversation about his dodgy pint. Irritating bugger, go away. Go away he wouldn't though and then he started giving me stick about being unfriendly and trying to bet me a grand that England would win. "Look mate, I'm trying to watch the game and I didn't ask you to come down here and sit behind me and start talking to me". Then he left. Bizarre.... and I never mentioned the Ashes.
2nd half started with the traditional England wobble and switching off in general and then, 3-0, 4-0, Lampard and Gerrard again. I loved the way they had a dedicated camera on Croatia Manager Slaven Bilic who'd made some silly comments in the press before the game. Scramble in the England box, 4-1, horrendous clearance by their keeper to give Rooney an open goal from 15 yards, 5-1, qualification ensured, happy night in the pub.
A couple of young student types came in and asked about the England game before asking where I was from. All they wanted to talk about after that was Matt le Tissier (not the spread bet throw-in crap) and his genius. Good to know that people from outside Southampton could appreciate it as well and not be blinded by the Sky Big 4 bias.
Anyway, back to the Saints and it's table topping Charlton on Saturday with Alan Pardew returning to his former club where he is not well liked. They have 6 wins out of 6 and we have none and are 24 point behind them. We're going to win....
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