Well a similar story here as we are
going big again on Bristol City at 5/1 win (General) to
be the most likely to claim that all important top slot.
A new era begins at Ashton Gate with player-boss Brian
Tinnion replacing the departed Danny Wilson. The nearly
man has gone but that may not be a bad thing, Bristol
have become a bit predictable over the last few seasons,
and while Danny could happily take them round the course
he just couldn't clear that final fence. After two third-place
finishes, City are desperate to go one better - but with
top scorer Lee Peacock gone, much depends on new striker
Paul Heffernan.
Brian Tinnion brings a fresh system and a fresh approach
sure it may take time to settle but with the key components
kept from last year the extremely passionate new manager
stands a good chance. Lack of goals cost City last year,
their defence was the best in the lower divisions, letting
a stale looking Lee Peacock go is no negative, Paul Heffernan
is a more natural finisher while Stephen Gillespie is
also a name to watch for. ITV’s got some right spawny-eyed
glakes on their panel this year: Sam ‘We’re in Europe,
We’re in Europe, You’re Not, You’re Not’ Alladyce being
not the least glakish among them. And, by Christ, but
that Clive Tydlesley doesn’t half talk some frigging
shat as well, doesn’t he?
Gelsenkirchen: Nice town (been there) – twinned with
Newcastle, as it happens. And, like Newcastle they brew
really nice beer and their local team, Schalke, are the
perpetual underachievers of German football (or, at
least, they used to be till, disappointingly they won
the UEFA Cup a few years back and made that comparison
considerably harder to justify).
So, this game started much more like the World Cup we
know and love. Slow, ponderous, stuff to admire but,
essentially, a bit ordinary. Plus, there’s the “clash of
styles” so beloved by journeyman commentators with their
cliché-meter switched to overdrive. Poland - all muscle,
work-rate and possession. Ecuador - reminding me
somewhat of Cameroon in 1994 – a team containing a bunch
of gifted players but who were, seemingly, playing not
just in eleven different teams but, indeed, on eleven
different planets. Matters weren’t helped, either, by a
whistle happy Jap ref and some inept passing by both
sides.
And then, after twenty minutes, Tenorio scored with a
neat header from a long throw just to confuse everyone
even further, prompt dancing in the streets of Quito
tonight and banish the possibility of this being this
World Cup’s equivalent of 1970’s Morocco vs Bulgaria.
In the end, it turned into quite a decent little match –
particularly the second half – full of thud and blunder
and when the Ecuadorians nicely sprang the offside trap
and Augustin Delgardo put them two up it was nothing
less than they deserved. They’re neat, well-organised
and they can certainly knock it around. And, how can you
not love a team with a gadjy called Guagua in their
side?!
Of course you cannot rule out their support - The passion
of the fans builds every season - take 40,000 going to
Cardiff for the play-off final in May, not bad for a League
One outfit. If you add a returning Scott Murray to boost
the attacking options for the team, then the goal power
factor looks significantly increased. 5/1 is a little
short, but they should have too much in the terms of squad,
and of course, they have the experience of being there
at the end. This year should be their year! Actually,
this WC's Brazil reminds me very much of their 1986
team.
- Handsomely win group: 1-0 Spain, 1-0 Algeria, 3-0
Northern Ireland
(substitute Croatia for Spain, Australia for Algeria,
and Japan for Northern Ireland and it looks *very*
familiar...)
- Beat Poland 4-0 in round of 16 (substitute Ghana for
Poland pls...)
- Face France is quarterfinals [no need to substitute
anything here... ], beaten by Platini's France (the
immediately previous great generation of French
football, also at its "fin de siecle" at the time...) at
penalty shootout (1-1 90' 1-1 ET - I believe Zico missed
a penalty shot in the 90')
