As it ends so it begins

I wish people would listen to me. I've been saying all along that England would fail early on and crash out in the 2nd round having played average at best throughout. Now how do I delete all my old posts to cover my tracks.

Right so it wasn't great, in fact it was bloody awful. The only positive slants I can find is that fact that we conceded the decisive 3rd and 4th goals whilst attacking too much to get back in the game. And there was of course that incident for Frank Lampard, you know when he hit the cross bar from a free kick. Good job nothing controversial happened ey?

Ohhhh wait, yeah there was that moment the ball clearly crossed the line by a fucking mile, excuse the language but it's difficult not to swear. FIFA, and their master moron Sepp Blatter, decided in all their glory that people just love talking about controversial decisions so much that technology was a stupid idea. Mr Blatter is clearly a moron. People like discussing team selection, formations, transfer rumours and perhaps the odd should that or shouldn't have that been a penalty- not the ball crossed the line why wasn't it a goal? That's not a discussion that's the rules of the game.

Don't get me confused with blaming England's defeat solely on this one moment but it was definitely a game changer. Annoyingly you always knew at some point in this World Cup there would be controversy that highlighted the need for technology after FIFA completely ruled it out several months ago- just did it have to be in the England vs Germany match in such an ironic fashion. Just to soften the pain it wasn't the only moment that had us asking for replays yesterday but amusingly the Mexicans got to see a replay. I say amusingly it was only amusing in the sense it but egg on the faces of FIFA officials. Not amusing in the way ze Germans would have found Lampard's disallowed goal the highest form of schadenfreude (look it up) possible.

So England are out, and of course we look for someone to blame. It could be FIFA, it could be Capello, it could be Wayne Rooney. The truth is it is no one's outright fault. It was the collective. The players underperformed no end, especially Wayne Rooney. There were of course glimpses of good play but not enough at any time. The manager made mistakes, perhaps he was too strict in camp, he certainly got his tactics and team line ups wrong in the first two matches and right up until the end he got the substitutions wrong- Heskey for Defoe, really? And FIFA also got it wrong, months ago, possibly years ago, by refusing to even trial technology. Blatter should take a bow for organising such a wonderful tournament but should get an egg thrown at him whilst doing so.

And what next? For England, and hopefully Capello, we turn our attention to 2012 first. There will be new faces but some old will no doubt stay and at least try to fight for their place. But it is 4 years away and Brazil 2014 that interests me most. Firstly there will no doubt be a new manager, if there isn't already one for 2012, and there will definitely be new players. So after succesfully predicting that we'd win the World Cup this year, shush, I won't be doing the same right now. I beleive we have a chance, though I'd personally back the hosts. But I am going to try and predict the future. Who will be England's squad in 2014?

Joe Hart, Ben Foster, Scott Loach
Nednum Onuha, Micah Richards, Ryan Shawcross, Gary Cahill, Michael Dawson, Leighton Baines, Ashley Cole
Jack Rodwell, Jack Wilshire, James Milner, Adam Johnson, Aaron Lennon, Gareth Barry, Lee Cattermole, Fabian Delph, Theo Walcott
Wayne Rooney, Jermaine Defoe, Nathan Delfouneso, Gabriel Agbonlahor

Captain Rooney and I'm not quite sure who the manager will be but don't be surprised to see Mr Beckham somewhere near the squad, if he's not actually playing in it. The funny thing is I'll be miles away with my prediction. But either way between all the fall out from yesterday afternoon till June 2014 it's going to be one hell of a ride.

As it ends so it begins!

In Glory-you Basterds

The Italians waved arrivederci and the French exclaimed 'Sacre bleu' so it is time for the Sidler to once again take on football. Yes I know we've nearly come to the end of the group stages and not a peep from the man who's bored you all half to death about the World Cup for the last year. And for this I would like to apologise, but, the main reason for my silence is that I have been writing a blog over at . I haven't been covering all their matches but if you've missed it so far I shall be covering this afternoon's match between North Korea and Ivory Coast then Uruguay vs South Korea on Saturday afternoon and also Argentina vs Mexico on Sunday evening.

Of course that last blog, for this week at least, on Sunday may well be effected by my emotional over spill from Sunday afternoon's match- and any movie fan, or even Sidler on Football 'fan' will probably guess that I'm here to talk about Sunday afternoon.

First off England, we were dreadful, absolutely dreadful, in our first two games. You don't need me to tell you this but I have to reiterate just how shocking we were. It's a good job kitbag didn't assign me those two games as I'd have been hard pressed not to use swear words. We lacked the ability to out pass and out think sides we should be putting to the sword with ease. And it came down to one final game. Even me, the most passionately blind England fan, was starting to have some doubts. Not over Fabio, the media's reaction to his picking the team 'only' 2 hours before kick off has been a farce, but over the player's ability to overcome the fear.

And just as it looked like they would crumble under the pressure they put in one of the most convincing 90 minutes of football England produce. I'm not getting carried away but actually think of the last time they played so well for the whole 90 minutes, and not just 45 or 60 minutes, and it's difficult.

But now is the real task, ZE GERMANS ARE COMING! Germany started their World Cup campaign in a slightly different fashion to the English- they battered their first opponents, Australia, and had all pundits purring over their performance. Truth was though they were highly flattered by their highly disappointing opponents. This was proved when they lost to Serbia and only a 1-0 win over Ghana saw them progress as winners of Group D.

There will be many naysayers for England going into this 2nd round match, none more so than Franz Beckenbauer who believes that England can only play kick and rush football and that England messed things up by coming 2nd in their group to set up this match as 2nd round match and not a final. But of course I have faith, and ironically it is the Americans who have provided me with the belief that we can, no will, be victorious over the old enemy.

So why have the Americans given me the belief? Well firstly England have our own 'bear Jew', I may lose some of you here and if I have, GO AND WATCH 'Inglourious Basterds" it's an awesome film. But England's 'Bear Jew' is of course Wayne Rooney. Okay, so the boy Wayne hasn't come to life yet but what better place to do so than against Germany. He could really club them into the ground if he could just find form. He was of course looking a lot better in the match against Slovenia but an early piece of magic in the match on Sunday could reinvigorate the United striker and in turn the whole team.

England too have our own Apache in Steven Gerrard. He leads our band of real Englishmen into battle and helps leave a scar on the forehead of our opponents, well maybe not the foreheads but we really need Captain Gerrard to perform the way we know he can, at his marauding best.

Of course I'm not trying to say the German football team are Nazi's, or any Germans for that matter but the fact is you can't think of Germany without thinking that we've beaten them in 2 World Wars and one World Cup. Nor can you think of them without thinking of them dumping us out of the World Cup in 1970 or penalty defeats in 1990 and 1996. Football is war, and in England vs Germany it's a war with plenty of history.

Perhaps Fabio Capello should borrow a quote from Aldo the Apache for his team talk on Sunday;

We will be cruel to the Germans, and through our cruelty they will know who we are.
And they will find the evidence of our cruelty in the battered, bruised, and disfigured bodies of their brothers we leave behind us.
And the German won't not be able to help themselves but to imagine the cruelty their brothers endured at our hands, and our football boots, and the class of our goals.
And the German will be sickened by us, and the German will talk about us, and the German will fear us.
And when the German closes their eyes at night and they're tortured by their subconscious for the evil they have done, it will be with thoughts of us they are tortured with.
Sooounds good?"

Okay so I changed the words slightly but we're not actually trying to kill them. Are we?

Nearly Here

Admit it! I had you going for a bit there didn't I?

You lot actually thought that I could resist commenting just two days from the World Cup? You realise I've been waiting this for four years. Bloody Steve McLaren stopped me truly enjoying the last European Championships, making this the first time I've been allowed to get ridiculously patriotically excited since the stamp, the winker and Jamie Carragher forgetting to wait for the whistle knocked us out of the last World Cup.

I wonder if you lot are as excited as me? How could you possibly not want to be sitting at home all day everyday watching football? Unless of course you're forced to be at home because you've just had knee surgery or something like that.

So the time for all the talking is done. I could have written about the sad absence of Rio Ferdinand, or for that matter many others. I could have written about the omission of Theo Walcott, or for that matter many. I could have written about the shock inclusion of well I can't think of any. But the point is I've said the time for talking is done so I will stick to it.

Instead I shall go for some predictions, which is still talking but it's just foolish talking that could make me look, well, foolish!

First up is the groups;

Group A: Based on past tournaments it is difficult to count out the hosts not progressing and it would be great for the tournament if they did. Sadly though I see France and Mexico being the teams to get through.

Group B: Though Diego Maradona will try his hardest to screw up Argentina's chances I'm pretty sure they'll have a simple passage through. 2nd place is pretty difficult to call in a group of average teams but I'm going for South Korea to just pip it.

Group C: England and U.S.A to progress, although I would fancy Algeria to give the Americans a run for their money. Saturday's evening game between England and America should be an interesting start for the three lions but I'm expecting a comfortable 3-1 win.

Group D: Don't count out the Germans! And I certainly won't be as, despite missing Michael Ballack, they should have enough discipline in their side to progress easily. Behind them I'll go for Australia, it'll be tight between them, Ghana and Serbia but I feel the Aussies, with Tim Cahill, have more fire-power.

Group E: Finally I'll back an African side to come through the Groups in beating Denmark to 2nd place in this group. I say 2nd place because I fully expect the Dutch to start strong before fading quickly in the quarters, just like they often do and just like the English.

Group F: Reigning champions Italy should progress with relative ease, despite the fact that their squad won't exude confidence to the nations fans. They'll take Paraguay with them into the 2nd round.

Group G: "The Group of Death" or so they say. Despite this apparent deathly group the Brazilians will come through very much alive and kicking and may go all the way once again. Who will go through with them though? First off it won't be North Korea. Last week I'd have said Ivory Coast, but it could be difficult if Drogba's unavailable. On the other hand I'll stick with my instinct and say The Elephants will progress.

Group H: The Spanish are coming, and they've got a bloody squad too. Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, Puyol, Pique, Ramos, Villa, Torres- I'll stop! They're through, long gone are the days of Spanish chocking! With them will be Chile.

Surprise package: Chile and Paraguay both certainly have the chance to surprise teams way into the latter stages and hosts South Africa could climb out of a tricky group. Truth be told any African side could finally break the mould and reach a World Cup semi-final.

and the winner? Well do you expect me to change my mind now? good it's England- all the way it's England. It won't be easy but we can do it!