LONDON // An almost palpable gloom has descended on a large swath of Europe because of what has been happening in distant South Africa. "The Europeans regard themselves as all powerful in world soccer, and at the club level, they are," The New York Times observed yesterday. "But by Sunday night, three of Europe's soccer giants - France, England and Italy - appeared to be completely losing it at the World Cup."
Few needed an American newspaper to point it out. The Italians, the reigning champions, cannot seem to beat anyone, the French are in disarray and the English are on the verge of going out. Why, even the Germans lost, missing a penalty for about the first time since Kaiser Bill's day. In England, people felt a little edgy after an indifferent 1-1 draw in their first group game against the US. That nervousness turned into a case of national post-traumatic stress disorder after the dismal goalless draw with Algeria last Friday.
For most fans in England, today's emergency budget, for all its hefty tax hikes, job losses and cuts in public services, is of secondary importance. Rather, they are dreading the news to be delivered in the final group game against Slovenia in Port Elizabeth tomorrow evening, which England must win to ensure remaining in the tournament. "Be afraid - be very afraid" warned a headline in The Times. Given that many otherwise normal Englishmen were already in a state of apoplexy, it was an unnecessary piece of advice.
It was oh-so-different just a fortnight ago when English eyes were smiling as the pundits predicted the nation would at least cruise into the semi-finals, if not win the whole shebang. The prime minister, David Cameron, ordered the flag of St George to be hoisted aloft Downing Street, somewhat to the chagrin of the Scots and the Welsh. After tomorrow, it might be flying at half-staff. The national mood darkened perceptibly after the draw with the US. The consensus at the Queen's Head, my local in Sussex, was that the goalkeeper, the ball, the manager, the vuvuzela (40,000 of which have been sold by the Sainsbury's supermarket chain in England in the past week) or the lack of commitment by a group of players forced to struggle by on a few million quid a year, was to blame.
Since the Algeria fiasco, a straw poll among those same pub denizens indicated that the blame was now being placed solidly on the shoulders of the manager, Fabio Capello. On Sunday evening, Capello, a strict disciplinarian who restricts the time his players spend with their wives, mobile phones and PlayStations, held a team meeting in a bid to sort out what was wrong. The BBC, among others, is predicting that Capello, who has just signed a two-year extension to his multimillion-pound contract, will resign if England fail to get through tomorrow.
Several newspapers are already speculating that either Roy Hodgson, the manager of Fulham, or the Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, will take over. Redknapp dismisses such gossip and is trying to sound upbeat about England's chances. "If we get the result we need on Wednesday we'll go into the knockout stage, draw good opposition, and you'll probably see a very different England performance." Lynne Truss, the best-selling author of Eats, Shoots and Leaves and BBC Radio 4's World Cup essayist, reckons one good thing might come from an early English exit.
"Looking on the bright side," she said, "there will now be fewer babies called Wayne." dsapsted@thenational.ae
