Crazy for...

Well will see if my memory is good enough to do this update, so much happened it is hard to keep it all in order as well!

I got back to the UK on Friday the 8th, unfortunately my hosts were going to be very busy on the Saturday and Sunday, so left to my own devices on Saturday and having not been able to arrange any meets for the day, I took off early from Amersham to spend the day in London town - no plan, just me, a camera and an idea that going to Greenwich might be nice at some point.
Luckily caught the Chiltern line to Marylebone as the Met line was shut - nothing changed since I lived here then!.

Arriving at the station, I decided to head towards the Embankment, so a couple of tubes later - and oh the joy of a still functioning Oyster card! - I arrived and took a wander up towards the London Eye across the river, first thing I found was the amazing Battle of Britain memorial, a superb piece of art and the start of a project for the day... all the photos are here

On reaching the London Eye it seems as if they have installed an "Extreme Pod" I guess for all those bungee jumping extreme sport type tourists...

During the day I came across some wonderful architectural displays, and some amazing "hidden" artworks, so what started as a stroll along the embankment turned into a hike all the way to Surrey Quays, then a tube to Greenwich Peninsular and the Dome, then another hike up to Greenwich Observatory.

Some selected images from the day here, more at the album

What happened!!!!

Manuel Neuer - Knows it's a goal but

there is no honesty in football

Oh no, this isn't what was meant to happen!

Well there we go, all the hopes and aspirations gone for another four years, no new shirts with an extra gold star to go on sale.

Where was a TV blackout when it was needed to spare us all from seeing something akin to the 5-1 win in Germany all those months - years... - ago. Gone is the beard now, a little show of support that is now consigned to the plug hole, no doubt the same plug hole all the England players skills, and abilities seem to have disappeared down, where was the team from qualifying? Where was Crouch, Rooney was not playing well so how did he stay in the first eleven.

Lots of questions to be answered on the team, myself I have always thought you should have an English manager for an English team - saying that I think Capello has probably been the best of the managers in recent times and it is astounding that this World Cup has been our most dismal in recent times. So lots of work needed, someone needs to light a passion within the team - and make them a team, the skills and abilities are there, but somehow, someone needs to find the gel to bring it together.

As for the woeful decisions made by the referee and his "assistant", you have to say they were as inadequate in this game as England were, but it would be a moot point if Sepp Blatter would come off his high horse and accept that in this day and age technology HAS to play its part. Cricket, Tennis, Rugby have all embraced it and not to the detriment of the game, in some instances it adds a little spice.

The replay that was shown of the Teves offside goal was shown within 30 seconds of it happening, it could probably have been shown within 15 how is that slowing the game.

I think Gary Lineker had a great idea, allow the teams 3 challenges like in the tennis, if it is a good challenge you still have 3 if it is not you lose one. This could probably be used for RED CARD incidents and if someone is found to have "Oscared" the event then the red card is reversed and the actor is sent off - just the threat of that might bring some honesty back to the game!

View the original blog here http://toulousearlydays.blogspot.com/

Why no loss of picture

Typical of ITV, they insisted on showing every minute of the game tonight, not an interruption or blank screen to save us all from viewing that dismal display.

Come on sort this out please, ensure we see the goals and ensure we don't see the rubbish that was on display tonight.

I don't understand why he wouldn't put Cole on and why he insists on sticking to a formation that is not working - the players though should realise it wasn't working and made the changes on field themselves, they seem to respect Capello but also too scared to put forward their own ideas.

We are under the cosh now, and need an outstanding performance on Wednesday, only a win will do no matter what the other possibilities could be - we need to win, we need to go through on our own merit and not rely on another team doing us a favour.

I have a feeling I will be sans beard come Thursday morning, but am not going to give up all hope, there is always hope.

View the original blog here http://toulousearlydays.blogspot.com/

Those of you watching in HD...

Luckily this blog is not in HD or on ITV...

Well all the hype and we are left with only seeing a USA goal - What the hell was going on there!!!

"Those of you watching in HD the England goal is just behind this advert..." 

I want to know if this was the same person who ran an advert on the last three laps of the San Marino Grand Prix in 2005 - please, surely not...

Not a great night then of ITV sport coverage, or England goalkeeping prowess, the trouble for a goalie is one mistake is potentially so costly, and yet a striker missing an open goal would not be seen as so damaging.

What next, well a biased opinion myself in that I had Hart in my Fantasy Football team most of last year, give him a chance, there will be way too much pressure and attention on Green, and to be honest he should probably rule himself out of then next game and get his head sorted, he could still come back later.
Lets not take players to the the World Cup and not use them (Walcott in the last one!), so use Hart, keep Calamity for the next game if needed and then maybe Blunder Rob will be ready later... Who knows and Capello is not someone you can read very well.

OH and please at least tell the PLAYERS more than two hours before who is playing, even if you don't announce it, and if one of them Tweets, emails or texts it out there then drop them!





View the original blog here http://toulousearlydays.blogspot.com/

Back in the UKKK

View the original blog here
http://toulousearlydays.blogspot.com/

Back in the UK for the week, conferencing yuck, theatre work woop, woop.

Will hopefully be oodles of goodies to post at the end of the week.

So far International Rescue one save, more to come no doubt...

Looking forward to the run of the show, and at various times watching FS'ing and generally having a ball.