With the World Cup again dawning on us, fans across the UK have already either pinned their hopes on World Cup victory or have wholeheartedly resigned themselves to more disappointment. The question ‘Why are England so bad at football?’ is actually one of the most searched-for questions on the internet and it remains a mystery. ‘Why are Scotland so bad at football?’ ranks slightly lower, for unknown reasons. There seems to be some deep-seated tension between the English and Scottish fans that only really materialises during the World Cup but, with the Scottish team sadly already out of the competition, will old rivalries pale into significance? Perhaps not. However, anything is possible and this could even be the year that we replicate our 1966 glory days. We’re staying optimistic – let’s have a look at England’s route to the final and see if the impossible could happen.
England are in Group H alongside Montenegro, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova and San Marino. Having Played 6, Won 3, Drawn 3 and Lost 0, they are in a strong position and look likely to qualify. However, they are still second to Montenegro, who have played one more game than England. Not qualifying first in the group would mean they would not qualify automatically and risk facing Portugal or France. England fans everywhere are groaning in anticipation of this match-up, especially in light of England’s recent performance against Montenegro which was, at best, unconvincing.
Roy Hodgson’s team will now be questioning themselves, the seeds of doubt sown in their minds and the huge weight of expectation on their shoulders. However, hope is not lost – by all accounts the English side is, on paper, respectable. Outstanding players like Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshire and Joe Hart (arguably one of the best goalkeepers in the world) are backed up by a side of fairly young, but established players. England have the talent, but perhaps not the experience, to challenge teams such as France and Portugal – it seems we have a curse lingering over our heads (probably cast by some Scottish fans, who knows).
We can only hope that England step up to the plate, but if they are given an early challenge and overcome it successfully, it could just provide the boost in morale needed to lift England higher in the competition. Optimistic it may be, but unreasonable it is not.
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