The View from the Spaghetti Factory (proper redesign coming soon!)

We already know that some European police forces have a rather more… let’s say “physical” approach than our own Boys in Blue. So when I heard about the trouble at the Man Utd - Roma match last week, the claims of “over-reaction” rang true. Various reports (including BBC Radio 4 news) spoke of innocent families being trapped at the mercy of the ruthless Italian police. I was ready to fume at length about the irony of the situation… while Italian football has hit yet another grim low point, hooliganism in England has been vastly reduced since the bad old days of the 1970s and 80s. And yet we’re still judged according to that outdated reputation. Who are they to batter our fans when they can’t keep their own house in order?

And then I saw the TV footage.

For all I know, there may well have been innocent families trying to enjoy the match, but they weren’t evident. What I saw was a couple of hundred bullish men facing up to the Italian police, their chests and chins thrust forward in the “CAAAAHN THEN YOU FAKKIN WANKAHS!” stance, beer-reddened faces glistening in the floodlights. I’m no expert in crowd behaviour, but I’d suggest that’s probably not the best way to stay out of trouble.

We’ve become smug about our gentrified football industry with its prawn sandwiches, celebrity guests and sponsored family enclosures. However, there’s a danger that we’re blind to a new emergence of violence. Alex Ferguson isn’t always a reliable commentator on wider football matters; the protective leniency he shows to his own players is like that of a proud grandfather. However, I thought he was right on the mark when he claimed that a “mocking culture” in our society was behind the negative behaviour of England fans in the recent Euro 2008 qualifiers.

It doesn’t take a huge psychological leap to see how that could be connected with the prevalent “Me Me ME!” attitude in England… and from there to the self-righteous, seething arrogance of that small minority of Man Utd fans at the Roma match. Far from being unfairly victimised by over-zealous policemen, some of our football “fans” are starting to believe that they have a divine right to set their own standards of behaviour.

Can readers suggest a well-known London resident and friend of George Bush who is also guilty of this, I wonder? ;-)

When you hear football fans booing their own team, you generally conclude that the team is underperforming quite badly. This is nothing to do with the result; there’s no shame in being thrashed by a much better team if the players have tried their best. We don’t expect to win all the time (I can’t speak for fans of certain Premiership corporate marketing conglomerates, obviously) but we expect some passion and determination from the players.

The general consensus is that England showed none of these qualities during the two recent Euro 2008 qualifiers, but even during my eyeball-poppingest, hair-tearingest moments watching the matches, I couldn’t feel comfortable hearing the boos, jeers and taunts *during* the match.

Speaking on the Guardian’s football podcast, Kevin McCarra pointed out that the whole hysteria has been largely media-driven, and I totally agree. Yes, the England team is going through a very shaky patch, but there would have been considerably less bravado among certain sections of the supporters if it hadn’t been for the spluttering ad hominem attacks on McClaren in the tabloid press between the two matches. Jeering the players and coach during the match is not going to solve anything. Nor is making aggressive advances on the England team bench, as a small number of knuckle-draggers apparently decided to do.

That said, though, it’s pretty clear that we have reason to criticise Steve McClaren. The warning signs were there in the friendly against Spain, when he made random scattergun substitutions without any semblance of tactical planning. This cluelessness continued through to the Israel qualifier. Why was the fast, creative right-winger Aaron Lennon on the left? Why was solid central defender Carragher at left back, uncomfortable with the attacking wing play demands of that role? And for the umpteenth time, why did he perservere with the unworkable pairing of Gerrard and (out-of-sorts) Lampard in central midfield?!

The selection was better in the next match, against Andorra, but even victory couldn’t disguise the low morale. Amid the unpleasant taunts and jeers, the chant of “only one David Beckham” was at least excusable for the playful humour… and, let’s face it, uncomfortable aptness.

One of Beckham’s main contributions to England was his ability to take charge and increase his workrate when the rest of the team was in disarray; thankfully, Steven Gerrard showed exactly this spirit in the Andorra match, taking charge in every area of the field and scoring two vital goals. If he can keep doing that, we might not need a Beckham revival, but then it wouldn’t hurt to have them both doing that!

At the other end of the scale, the ignoble award for the week’s football goes to Wayne Rooney. At only 21, he’s a bit young to be trading on past glories, but that’s what he seemed to be doing in both matches. Acting like a petulant teenager, he pouted, swore and underperformed his way through the two matches, reinforcing the theory that McClaren tends to pick teams based on reputation rather than current form. If anything, Rooney had a better attitude at 16 than he does now… sure, he gets the worst of the barracking and niggling fouls from defenders, but so did Lineker, so does Owen, so does Del Piero. Their response has always been to run faster, to try more elaborate tricks, whereas Rooney’s response is to look like the biggest waste of an England shirt in years.

Fifa quota proposal angers Wenger (BBC News)

… and you can see why. The customary lack of English (or even British) players in Arsenal’s first-team squad has become something of a standing joke. However, I’m not going to criticise Arsene Wenger… he’s simply working within the guidelines available to him, and Arsenal have produced some of the most attractive football in the Premiership in recent years, especially since Man Utd went off the boil and Chelsea became so bullishly charmless.

No, what I object to is the system that allowed this situation to develop. What we’re seeing in top-flight English football is the result of unfettered capitalism. That’s what the Premier League wanted when they broke away from the Football League and took control of their own TV rights, and they’re partly responsible for the outcome… precious few domestic players gaining regular match practice at the top level, with the result that the England squad is a hapless mish-mash of precocious individuals and inexperienced understudies. There are some incredibly talented players in the Championship, but as long as the sports media, the money men and even the England coaching setup are obsessed with the Premiership to the exclusion of all else, we’ll never see those players.

To be honest, I’m not completely comfortable with the idea of a quota, because it’s inspired by the same “TAKING OUR JOBS!” mentality that lies behind all the tabloid asylum seeker hysteria. However, something has to be done before the Premiership becomes a cartel of rich multinational businesses and English football ceases to exist as a unique identity. There’s no doubt that the high-quality, cosmopolitan feel of the Premiership has done much to rehabilitate English football after the dark days of the 1980s, but there are dangers. The rich-poor divide becomes wider every season, and the exclusive band of big-money clubs is becoming more and more arrogant, as the whole G-14 affair demonstrates.

The Italian FA imposed a total ban on foreign players between 1964 and 1980, in order to improve the national team. It’s impossible to prove whether Italy’s 1982 World Cup triumph was a direct result of this ban, but I’d suggest it wasn’t entirely unrelated. A total ban in England would be impractical now (not to mention illegal in the case of EU players) but perhaps there’s scope for a limit on non-EU players? Back to Italy again… at the turn of the millennium in Serie A, there was a limit of five non-EU players per club, three of whom could be on the pitch simultaneously. While that led to a damaging fake-passport scandal, a properly-policed scheme of that sort could be a valuable lifeline for English football.

I haven’t written anything substantial about the match-fixing scandal that gripped Italian football for most of the summer. While the trials were underway, I had plenty to write about the World Cup and, to be honest, I couldn’t have kept up with the steady stream of new evidence, conflicting reports and legal appeals. I just watched with interest, wishing that my team (AC Fiorentina) weren’t implicated.

I still don’t know enough to comment at any length, but there was something so wonderfully, poetically KARMIC about prime culprit Juventus’ first match in Serie B since being forcibly relegated…

Rimini 1 - 1 Juventus (report from the Guardian)

With Fiorentina at the bottom of Serie A, their 19-point penalty still undented after an opening-day defeat to Internazionale, I’m hardly in a position to gloat, but… this gloating opportunity is far too good to miss!

FINAL: Italy 1 - 1 France
(Italy win 5-3 on penalties)

World Cup finals rarely live up to the full-blooded attacking abandon of the earlier rounds, because there’s just so much at stake. Both France and Italy had demonstrated their full potential in earlier rounds (against Brazil and Germany, respectively) but played much more cautiously in the final. Whether that was a result of tactical caution or simply the combination of French fatigue and an unadventurous Italian 4-5-1 formation, I don’t know, but I don’t think it was a bad match overall. Italy looked brightest for most of the first half, spurred into action by Zidane’s early penalty, but France took control after half-time, bringing into question Lippi’s decision to play Luca Toni as a lone striker. Totti was overwhelmed by some effective French marking, and watched the match drift past him, much as he’d done for the rest of the competition.

However, the whole match really hinged on two players.

It’s not surprising that one of those players was Zinedine Zidane. France’s steady improvement has run in parallel with Zizou’s rediscovery of form, and here he was, playing his last ever game of professional football in the World Cup final and scoring the opening goal. But Marco Materazzi?! Gawky and lacking subtlety, Materazzi has never really been considered one of Italy’s best defenders, and his clumsy challenge on Malouda that led to Zidane’s penalty. However, he’s been improving steadily throughout his career, and made amends in spectacular form, scoring the equaliser and then one of Italy’s five flawless penalties.

But will we ever really know what happened in the 110th minute? I’ve watched the replays several times, and all I see is Zidane and Materazzi walking out of the Italian penalty box together after an unsuccessful French attack. A few words are exchanged, Zidane grins, a few more words, Zidane starts to walk ahead of Materazzi… but then what did Materazzi say to make Zidane turn round and go for him? Nice bit of nutting, though; I like to think that Zizou, ever the cultured virtuoso, was paying his own tribute to the great Yosser Hughes there.

It was sad to see such one of the finest players of all time ending his career on such a sour note, but it certainly added a touch of extra intrigue to the match. And of course, that’s Zidane for you, and it’s not like he hasn’t had those “red mist moments” before. You get the whole package with Zizou… masterful footballing brilliance and dramatic mood swings. And despite what the prudish BBC team made of it, it’s one hell of a way to end a career for a man who has already won all the trophies!

Third place play-off: Germany 3 - 1 Portugal

I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering whether there’s really any need for a third place play-off match at all. Both teams are beaten semi-finalists, physically spent and in mental anguish over what might have been. The penultimate match of the World Cup mini-season often seems like a needlessly masochistic act of deliberate tedium in order to make us appreciate the final.

If FIFA do intend to continue with this tradition, I think it needs a few tweaks. Listeners to the Guardian’s World Cup podcast have been making suggestions, of which I quite liked the idea of a charity gala, with a match featuring a selection of the best players who didn’t make the final. My suggestion would be to copy the Olympic approach to match-based sports… introduce a Gold/Silver/Bronze medal system, so the beaten semi-finalists have something to play for. The finalists already receive medals (for winning or losing) so it wouldn’t be a major adjustment to the current system.

Even with the current system, while many teams do indeed grit their teeth and go through the motions for the sake of FIFA regulations, there is another way. Take pride in your top-four position in world football and take advantage of the opportunity for a stress-free exhibition match. That’s how Germany played this evening, providing an almost-perfect climax to their World Cup run. They played quick attacking football, taking chances and demonstrating (to England especially) that this stodgy Portugal side can easily be beaten with this approach.

Portugal simply continued as before, suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo (or indeed the entire Portugal camp) has never encountered the concept of PR. Given the perfect opportunity to redeem himself amid a good-natured atmosphere, he dived spectacularly on at least two occasions. In return, the mostly German crowd dutifully jeered every time he touched the ball. It seems young Ronnie is keen to leave Manchester United, but is there really anywhere outside Portugal where he can be sure of avoiding the backlash? Could he really not see the opportunity to build bridges and heal wounds in tonight’s match?

On the other hand, the German team has recognised, and grabbed, the opportunities presented by this whole competition. Few people expected them to get much further than the second round, but they’ve pulled together, made the most of their strengths and given their fans something to be proud of. With the general sense of goodwill that has grown up in Germany over the past few weeks, things are looking rosy for German football.

Semi-final: Portugal 0 - 1 France

Do you mind if I just dispense with any attempt to be impartial for this one? I’ve been a good boy so far, don’t you think? I haven’t said “C’MONYOUINGERLUN!” once, have I?

I know some English people still have a bizarre animosity towards the French (I mean, come on… it’s been 191 years now) but it’s fairly safe to say that very few English football fans wanted to see Portugal win tonight. Sure enough, they didn’t, but the score, not to mention the character of the match, was quite revealing.

First of all, if France are to have any hope of beating Italy in the final, they’ll need to recreate the stunning Zidane-centred attacking flair they demonstrated in the Brazil match… and then some. Italy have by far the best defence in this World Cup and while Zidane may be just the person to unlock it, the French will have to be on their guard against Italian counter-attacks. Barthez kept a clean sheet despite being at his Hulot-esque best but, unlike 1998/2000, he can’t rely on an almost unbeatable defence to get him out of trouble every time.

Secondly, do we really ever want Scolari to coach England? I was certainly in favour of his appointment back when it looked like a definite possibility, but I’ve seen a lot to dislike over the course of this World Cup. The current Portugal squad has a great capacity for attractive, attacking play, but several of their performances in Germany have looked stodgy and unimaginative. Deco’s suspension provided a reasonable excuse for the lack of creativity in the England match, but not tonight. He played, but just couldn’t seem to get involved.

The biggest issue, though, is still the diving and play-acting. This is not entirely the fault of Big Phil (Portuguese teams have always been rather lightweight in the tackle) but he’s done nothing to avert the media shitstorm of the past week. Portugal stood to gain some PR brownie points by approaching tonight’s match with a more gentlemanly attitude, but no… if anything, they were even worse than against England. ITV picked up on several examples of absolutely blatant diving both at half-time and after the match, but what made the whole thing worse was the screaming, pop-eyed outrage from Scolari and all denizens of the Portugal dugout. It was a rare pleasure to see these cheats ejected from the World Cup.

It wasn’t a vintage French performance, but it was enough. No doubt questions will be asked about the penalty (like the free-kick against Spain, Henry *was* fouled, but over-acted somewhat) but World Cup matches have been decided on far more controversial decisions.

Semi-final: Germany 0 - 2 Italy

Classic.

Less than three weeks ago, Germany were plodding unconvincingly through their first two group games, while Italy were showing off their self-destructive tendencies in spectacular fashion against the USA. But now look at them… both teams combining their traditional solid defensive play with some tasty attacking football. For me, Italy possibly just about shaded it during the 90 minutes, but their performance during extra time was a real feat of endurance, skill and determination. Fabio Cannavaro could well be the best centre-back in the world and Rino Gattuso never stopped battling, even managing some flamboyant skills after nearly two hours in the heat.

It’s slightly ironic that their first goal, capping a sweeping attacking move, was scored by Fabio Grosso. It was Grosso who dived to win the penalty against Australia, ending Italy’s most Catenaccio-style performance. This time, though, he wasn’t the sole influence in breaking the deadlock… Alex Del Piero may not get many full-match performances these days, but it’s good to see his scoring touch is still there.

And what a treat for numerologists. Italy have established a pattern of appearing in the World Cup final every twelve years…

1970: Runners-up
1982: Winners
1994: Runners-up
2006: ?

Meanwhile Jürgen Klinsmann can be proud of his achievement. Before the competition started, he spoke of having a wider vision beyond simply winning matches; he wanted to improve the reputations of both German football and Germany as a whole. The World Cup experience certainly seems to have done wonders for the country’s reputation as a hospitable, welcoming tourist destination, while Klinsmann has built an exciting, attacking team whose earlier defensive frailties diminished with every match. I’ll wager they’re going to be a force to reckon with in Euro 2008.

Brazil 0 - 1 France

The resurrection of Les Bleus is fast becoming *the* story of the tournament. They looked good against Spain, but tonight’s performance against Brazil looked even tighter and more organised. Zidane, who looked forlorn and frustrated against Switzerland, is on cracking form, firing passes to every corner of the pitch and setting off on those impossible twisting runs of his own. Ribery still has a tendency to look clumsy at times, but he’s twice the player he was in the group games. The ageing defence is looking solid and organised and Thierry Henry is starting to prove that he can do it in the big games.

On the other hand, Brazil went out with a whimper. Ronaldinho has never looked comfortable in this tournament, despite a few moments of brilliance. He seemed to be playing further forward today, more like his Barcelona role, but still lacked the ability to command the game. Ronaldo looked dangerous on a couple of occasions; the rest of the time he was just in everyone else’s way. The defence looked like they were playing together for the first time and left Dida exposed several times.

What’s more, I hate to say I told you so, but I’m due some gloating after the England defeat. A few days ago, I suggested that maybe Brazil weren’t simply coasting on half-power, that maybe we’d seen all we were going to get.

The parallels with England are impossible to ignore. Both have managers who pick (or fail to substitute) far too many players on the basis of reputation… Lampard, Roberto Carlos and Cafu should never have started, Ronaldo, Beckham and Rooney should have gone off at half time. Both teams flattered to deceive in the earlier rounds, but were supposedly waiting to switch to a higher gear, to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. Where were those rabbits? I can only guess that Ronaldo ate one of them, while Rooney stamped on the other.

England 0 - 0 Portugal
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)

Rubbish.

Yes, I know this is where we’re all supposed to talk of heroism in the face of defeat and didn’t the plucky lads try hard, but that’s just not what happened. Twenty minutes of frantic, full-blooded effort does not constitute a world-class performance. England were simply rubbish.

I’ll qualify that. Rio Ferdinand was superb. John Terry was superb. Owen Hargreaves was world class, breaking down Portugal attacks, running at players, spreading passes to every part of the pitch and even trying his hand at Beckham’s job towards the end. On the other hand, Rooney was ineffectual while he was on the pitch, bringing his contribution to an abrupt end with a display of selfish petulance that would make Cristiano Ronaldo proud. Lampard simply shouldn’t have been on the pitch, and any coach who allows a player on that sort of form to take the first penalty is clearly not up to the job.

Oh yes… the coach. I’ve stood up for Eriksson at various times during the last five years, but he’s now been found out. His substitutions were our undoing against Brazil and Portugal (in 2002 and 2004 respectively) but he clearly learned nothing from those matches. To bring on Carragher (a fifth defender) in place of Aaron Lennon, the one player who had revitalised England’s attacks, was naive to the point of incompetence. Why, when Rooney was sent off, was Joe Cole sacrificed in order to bring on Crouch? Why, indeed, was Crouch not playing from the start, in a 4-4-2 formation with Rooney that would have caused havoc for Portugal’s shaky central defence? If Brazil’s coach Parreira is guilty of being swayed by reputation, Sven is just as bad.

However, it takes two to tango and the Portugal cheating machine keeps rolling on. Did you see Cristiano’s knowing wink to another player after Rooney was dismissed? Why was Ronaldo himself not booked for trying to influence the referee amid the Rooney fracas? However far they progress in this tournament, Portugal have succeeded in one thing… using sly foul play to convince referees that they’re innocent victims. They’re the nastiest, most dishonest and negative side I’ve seen in world football for many years. That isn’t English sour grapes either; I know full well why England lost that match. However, it would have been nice to be beaten purely by football rather than by a mixture of our coach’s tactical naivety and another team’s cheating.

(Back to a more impartial tone in part 2, after I’ve had a pint!)