<span style="font-size:14pt;line-height:100%"> Will England win the world Cup ?</span>
I don't often comment in the sports section, but its about time I did !, With the support England has at home, there is no reason why they cannot win it, to say that in the last 40 years they havent won this knockout trophy is pretty sad, remember Old Jimmy Greaves, when he used to pundit on the BBC, his favourite words were this " Both sides are tired, its just a matter now of who wants it the most ?" that just about sums it up for me.
I was watching a programme on BBC2 last night about Argentina, whose rise to world cup prominence, took place amid 10 years of political dissapearances, dictatorship and the Falklands war, and yet they manage to win it twice, 1978 and 1986 I think, what impressed me about Argentina's mental attitude to the game, was the total self belief in sucess, the whole of Argentina was behind them, and they had one thing going for them that was different to the England Set up.
Carlos Menotti had the players to himself for months before the campain started, no problems with getting clubs to release players, and he had a mandate, bring the world cup back to Argentina with all the resources he needed from this generally poorer latin american country.
England's players are well paid, and we should have the resources to bring this trophy back to footballs home, the quality of the players is there, just look at Steven Gerrard and others, I think its all a matter of national support, and player self belief and temperament, I've always thought that England never win it for one reason only, at the end of the day, if we win it fine, but if not, they always go back to lucrative salaries and they are always ok, as Jimmy Greaves says ' Saint its a funny old game, but really its just a matter of who wants it the most, hence the reason France won it in France 98, national pride, playing in front of the home crowd, can you imagine how we would feel if England could defeat Germany in Berlin in 2006 to take the trophy back to England, it would be the match of all time, and the greatest match ever played in world cup history, its there if they want it, its just a matter of how much ??
