Easter: Eggs and Reflections.

No games this weekend for the “mighty Saddlers”. To summarise this season for Walsall Football Club?

Is it even possible?

We are, amazingly, experiencing all of the joys and wallops that a season can bring. Out of all cup competitions at relatively early stages the somewhat pale excuse that we can “now concentrate on winning promotion” is being borne out.

I have been to and enjoyed a whole range of games, buoyed by this success. Seen highlights and a few of the lows. Our strange topsy-turvy away-form-better-than-home-form is enigmatic, but makes travelling exciting.

We have been through managerial changes and speculation, transfer shenanigans (loan and otherwise) and kept the players that we all thought were jewels in our league one crown: Tom Bradshaw, Rico Henry and Romaine Sawyers. We have taken on a super new goalkeeper and introduced some stars-for-the-future (for me Kieron Morris and Matt Preston particularly.

But this weekend we have an enforced “international break” while our league rivals get games in. One of the great things about the season has been the emergence of our internationals. Jason Demetriou (Cyprus), Romaine Sawyers (St Nevis and St Kitts – who knew?), Neil Etheridge (Philippines) and Tom Bradshaw (Wales).

   

The fact that they are international players brings a certain cache and means of course that they are talented players (with the likes of Bradshaw: week in and week out). They go away, brush shoulders with some of the brightest and best players (either as team mates or as opponents) and this can only be good experience. Bradshaw, at the very least, training alongside Gareth Bale is a splendid example; Bale so talented he would deserve a place in any international team. Experience that will rub off. But might also make the players realise what they are not able to get at Bescot. Not least salaries and incidentals: heated, contoured chairs in the dressing room for starters?

Whatever else we are, we are a club that so far has managed tight resources (including money)frugally. It has always been the case methinks. But this season the board seems to have become a lot more committed to the chase for promotion and I, for one, appreciate the efforts. Long may it continue!

So … a fine balance, but in the words of the song let’s look on the bright side.

The Germany versus England game was on TV. Played in the impressive Olympiastadion, Berlin it began with, sadly predictably a minutes silence for those who suffered in the Brussels terrorist attack.

The game was fast flowing; England looking sharp on the counter attack, but Germany went in at half time leading 2 – 1 (having had another disallowed for off-side).

Most of the pitch side adverts were for English (or England-based companies); Trade Point, Vauxhall (not Opel) and, ironically, given the history of our two nations as enemies in two world wars: World of Tanks (O.K. it’s just a foolish computer game, but having just had a silence to consider the follies of blowing up innocent people I had to pause …)

Some impressive, skilful and energetic performances from England players against the World Champions. But this was never going to be enough. England got back into the game through a Harry Kane goal, then equalised and went on to grab a deserved injury time winner (sounding somewhat familiar perhaps?).

The European Championships are getting closer … and this and other friendlies will set out respective stalls.

Will the inane Glen Hoddle (superior footballer in his day still be commenting on the England games? His “he should have looked to put the ball in the opposite corner” aside when Kane scored – scored, mind you! – was ridiculous!

Tom Bradshaw didn’t play in the Wales v Ireland game: a “hamstring niggle” apparently. Whoops …

Sad news that Johann Cruyf has passed away> one of the great internationals, the Dutchman was part of the very first “total football” sides. The tactics and training that came from that era a re seen in all matches nowadays.

The clocks swing forwards overnight. It will be Easter Sunday and I am free to drink alcohol again. I stopped, not so much for Lent, but after an encounter and chat with a guy in the steam room at the local gym.

I don’t feel any different for not drinking, and wasn’t sorely tempted …

… it’s just that while I haven’t been drinking my football team hasn’t lost.

Any advice?

Totally Unexpected … Brazil v Germany, World Cup Semi-Final.

So I finish this day in Tamworth a little later than expected; but doesn’t worry me too much. I am still confident I will be at home in front of the TV in time for the Brazil v. Germany World Cup semi-final game. At this point, not being addicted to the World Cup matches I freely confess I thought it started at 5 p.m. English time. But the road was busier than I had expected. Sod’s law. The traffic lights all against me. The queues always in my lane.

Still, I told myself, no need to panic. Imagined that, without Neymar (broken vertebrae in the last game in one of the last rough-house challenges in a whole series of lunges, assaults, dives and pantomime injuries) and Tiago Silva (suspended after second yellow card) the game would be well in progress. In my fantasy Germany would score first, then be inexorably reeled in and Brazil to score the much-deserved winner somewhere around eighty minutes.

Got back at 5.15. No football on TV. Checked the TV schedules: ahem… …  nine o’clock start.

Time to watch highlights of the Tour de France, take a ‘phone call from my mother, talk about the impending holiday in Cornwall, discover that Walsall have signed up Jordan Cook (said to be a striker) and have a couple of Spanish players on trial and get a beer, incidentally and very neatly avoiding having to listen to the whole overblown chitter-chatter of the pundits before the actual kick off.

Then it all started to happen!

Brazil, frankly, despite massive support from the crowd, unbelievably totally blew it.

Wrong tactics, wrong personnel, overly emotional, overly hyped …

Or simple facing a superior team that played with efficiency, style and real purpose. Making holes in the Brazilian defence and whatever they tried to pass off as a midfield German players also showed silky skills and deft touches.

Some bluster and attempts to intimidate from a lacklustre David Luis – skipper for the night – and a ridiculous dive by Marcelo seeking a penalty were sad glimpses in the early moments.

As eleven minutes clicked up, super approach play and Miroslav Klose stuck Germany in the lead. Then a German avalanche engulfed the Brazilians who looked punch-drunk and vulnerable.

 

More goals, inevitably followed in what was described accurately at one point by commentator Martin Keown as a “testimonial game”.

By half time the Brazilians were out of it completely. Five nil down. The crowd quietened and broken spirited. Pictures of fans openly weeping filled the TV screen.

Eventual result: Seven one; the Brazilian fans reduced to booing on-the-giant-screen pictures of the players substituted. Didn’t like that: poor attitude. Remind me of that comment if I ever, publicly veer away from proper support of my own team and act so disrespectfully. Maybe “everybody has a bad day at the office” doesn’t begin to cover the vast abyss between teams out there, the often gross ineptitude of usually world-class players but I find that unacceptable. Cheering the opposition? Nothing wrong there. Criticism of your own team? Fine in private or when constructive. but Boo-ing yer own?

 

(There was a time, back in the day, when I became disenchanted with what I was seeing at Walsall. Tommy Coakley was manager at the time: a little more than out of his depth I guess looking back), but I simply stopped going. Bought a mountain bike and stayed away.)

Happily things have moved on at the Saddlers –as they always will. Brazil will now have a time of introspection – as a team and as a country. Doubtless we will now hear more of the protestors who criticised their government for staging the finals (feeling there were more urgent priorities, like health, poverty and education). But the players and manager will have to “cowboy up” to participate in the third/fourth place play-off game and this may be a time to salvage some pride.

So, all of my “tips” (“England,” said my heart;  “Italy,”  suggested the library sweepstake and “Brazil!” calculated my logical (?) brain) are out of contention. But the football has been compelling in these knock-out stages.