OK, hands up, whose nervous about this one. Mmm, thought as much. England’s existence in this World Cup is hanging by a very shoogly peg indeed. After two dithering and lacklustre performances it comes down to the last group C World Cup game – England vs Slovenia and how many world cup betting punters out there will be letting their heart rule their head in this one.
Capello and co really have wedged themselves against a rock and a hard place. The British media will slaughter this team if they go out at the group stages. The fans just want to see England at last play for the “Three Lions” with a bit of passion and spirit. Then there is the Slovenian side, who in fairness are not that bad a team, and have a couple of decent technically gifted players who could really turn the heat on England’s defence. Rooney has set himself on a pedestal with his remarks about “English fans booing a poor performance against the Algerians” and now, must surely put in a decent shift for England as the only way to atone – forget about FA written apoligies on his behalf.
Of course England have been in this position before, remember Italia 90 and Mark Wright’s winner against Egypt – a sigh of relief was breathed by all back then – and it proved the catalyst point of a very successful run for England during that World Cup.
England will wear the “All-Red” strip against Slovenia at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Wednesday afternoon, inspiration must be found from somewhere, one feels. I talked about Slovenia and their impetus mentality some time back on a “World Cup Group Betting” article where I described them as “Another team who punch above their weight. Think ‘Scotland’ without the ‘losing mentality’ and your pretty near how Slovenia ticks.” Minnows with big hearts is a better way to describe Slovenia now. Let’s hope their not “Lion Size” or England’s South African adventure will be over just as the World Cup is beginning to look like a fun competition.
