World Cup And English Football

Differences between truly world class rugby and the World Cup football competition demonstrate that the attitude of real professionalism counts for so much. Football can always take lessons from rugby. This has also illustrated the hopeless set-up in England regarding the so-called world class football 'teams' and other world class (national) football teams. Or in more general terms: professional football. The England nation does not even have an English coach. Is there really no English coach that is capable? Foreign coaches are failures in the sense of returning value: highly paid for the delivery of nothing. The Italian Fabio Capello has obviously failed absolutely in attempts to produce even a mediocre 'team' that comprises deluded individuals playing as individuals on the same side. Capello's track record suggests possibilities, though the excuses for failure predictably are made. In other professions if there is a clash of 'personality' between teams and 'chiefs', resignation is likely or sackings for the weakest of reasons. But this is football. Capello revels in fabulous riches for his failure. And on it goes... Hardly a team playing together. It's all about money and getting more for less.

That group of mercenaries who were (allegedly) paid obscene amounts of money to represent their country had no obvious interest in doing well since they were (over)paid anyway. Some would probably have done this for free as the honour of playing for their country would be the prize. It is possible (or even probable) that the 'players' received club wages as a contractual obligation in addition to the mercenary payments while 'training' in South Africa. The amounts for being in South Africa are (allegedly) some £140,000 week, day, hour, game... for the six weeks of turning up. All other expenses paid. It's what is called a 'real jolly' and can give a new insight to the potential misery of not going to play-away-games. At any one moment during the 90 minutes playing time, well over £1m a week (£50m annually) in collective 'wages' was present on the game park. It should be a wake-up call to the supporters who subsidise the wages.

• Who pays for the so-called WAGS: wives and girlfriends. And why? In a serious preparation for such a competition, there is no free time for any kind of entertainment. No distractions. It's only 6 weeks of serious training time. It shows how 'serious' these players really are in their +£100,000 a week routine league-time.

If such 'rumours' are accurate, it is the very kind of 'player' that is completely unsuitable. Examples of club debt are quite common today and predictably will become more so. Even back in 2006, the eventual highly visible rot was already growing. The question should be asked: why are footballers paid such obscene amounts of money? Questions get asked about bankers, but not footballers: logic and analysis are often misplaced. Occasionally, the lone voice in the wilderness can just be heard, but something is seriously wrong. The issue is just... avoided.

The whole affair is a national joke and brings shame onto England for producing an overpaid group of ineffective 'celebrities' and this reduces the representation to the gameshow. BIG money for nothing in return. Except for the gameshow 'players'. The real losers are those followers who financed their own trip to South Africa in an expectation of being part of something good. Betrayed. Many could well have been bankrupted as a result. That's the pull of football and it's so full of delusions and the deluded. The interests of so many supporters gives the appearance that such salaries are acceptable, when it's more probable that there is just no choice but acceptance. No justification can be made to excuse such a payment. How can these players be 'worth it' when so many clubs are in serious financial difficulties as a result. The income and outgoings of clubs are so far adrift that insolvency is the obvious outcome in many cases. And these ludicrous wages still get paid. This could be a definition of lunacy.

The anticipated outcome is that some or all of this group of failures will get an OBE, CBE or some other reward for their failure. This would complete the national joke and make it so absolutely unfunny.

Now that England (quite rightly) are out of this competition, it has enabled the focus to be on some fine world class football and the entire sport has been moved upward as a result. English league football is a ridiculous farce and should be out of such competitions forever. The trading in the meat market of footballers creates this farcical situation. The grotesque amounts of money described as value never explains who actually benefits. The individual 'player': yes. The clubs: yes. The 'supporters' (mugs?): no.

This nauseatingly parallels the

government:taxpayer

drama