July

This is always the month in work where the frenetic pace of the year begins to slow down. Another good things about this month is that there is no marking to do either.

Away from work, most of my weekends this month have been spent helping people move house (my girlfriend, as well as a colleague from work). Note to self: put all thoughts of moving house out of mind…it’s far too stressful.

The World Cup finished this month and overall I have to say I was not really that impressed. There was the occasional flash of brilliance, but there were few classic games that will spring to mind in the future. The Final itself was won by Spain, who thankfully overcame Netherland’s more aggressive style of play.

Another aspect of the World Cup that has been a disappointment has been the coverage, especially the level of punditry. They have constantly showed a lack of research, which even a cursory glance at Wikipedia could have overcome. Another thing that annoyed me was the lack of respect for referees from smaller nations…the typical ‘what would they know’ mentality was constant. Invariably they would be the better performers.

The other bugbear of mine was the incessant chatter about Forlan's re-emergence. He had two bad seasons at Man United, since then he has been constantly doing well in Spain, first with Villarreal and then Athletico Madrid. Yet the myopic coverage of the commentators constantly talks as though his career is tainted in some way The coverage of the Tour de France, which started this month, only served to highlight the inadequacies of the football commentators and pundits. As ever ITV’s coverage was superb.

It has been a month of weddings, not mine, but that of two friends. They were nice occasions and I was glad to be a part of them. I have attended three weddings this year, thankfully I have no outstanding invites...otherwise I would be bankrupt.

In music, I went to see the Coral and Cherry Ghost at the Lowry, both bands were on top form. They both are touring in support of new albums, they are pretty good an well worth checking out. Other albums I have bought this month include the National’s album ‘High Violet’, which has been getting good reviews from the music press. I also listened to Nouvelle Vague's ‘Late Night Tales’, and the Mumford & Sons album, which is all over the place at the moment. It is pretty good and can see why they have emerged as a big band in the last few years. No doubt they are going down a storm at the various festivals this year.

I also dug out my XTC albums as it had been a long time since I had given them a spin. Like Prefab Sprout the month before you forget what brilliant work that they produced. In Andy Partridge they have a genius, whose talents are not really appreciated as fully as they should.

By the end of the month the football season returned, well in pre-season form. I foolishly ventured out to watch a pre season friendly at Altrincham, despite the weather looking like a grey day in November. Being at this game inspired me to set up a football blog, which can be found here.

June

Like April and May, this month was spent with the less than edifying task of wading through a mountain of marking. I managed to get to the bottom of that pile towards the end of the month and not before time. The weather was also rather kind to me too – it was constantly raining while I attended this stack of work.

June was also the start of the World Cup, with the constant drone of vuvuzelas and pundits alike, being the constant talking point so far. That along with the inevitable England capitulation; in all their games they just didn’t get going at all and they finally went out to a vibrant Germany side. Roll on the Premiership a nation was heard to utter in unison. The World Cup so far has not got going hopefully, now that England are out it will do. The only positives you could really draw after England’s displays was that at least John Terry would not be getting a knighthood for winning the World Cup.

Given that work is easing up slightly, I picked up my guitar for the first time in months and somwhow picked up a shoulder injury that nearly forced me out of a football match. I have no idea how that happened as I was only sitting with an acoustic guitar gently strumming - I was hardly throwing rock shapes with a Gibson Les Paul.

Musically, I have dragged myself away from the marking to check out The Maccabees, ‘Wall of Arms’ album. It was one of those 2 for £10 punts in HMV. I had seen them on a recent NME front cover, which these days see me preceding with some trepidation of a band’s output. I had not heard much of their stuff before to be honest, though I did get a download of ‘Can You Give’, which was given a brass band makeover with support from the Dodworth Colliery Band. I have to say that ‘Wall of Arms’ is a great album, one that I had missed last year when it came it out.

The version of the album I have has the original 11 tracks plus 4 additions, which includes a version of Roy Orbison’s ‘I Drove All Night’. This laid back tune quietly plays out the album. It is a great album from start to finish with the eponymous song ‘Wall of Arms’, ‘No Kind Words’ and the Roots Manuva inspired makeover ‘Empty Vessells’ are all particular favourites.

The thoughts of the World Cup had me running back to songs from summers of old hence the appearance of Primal Scream, China Crisis, New Order and Prefab Sprout on the month’s soundtrack. I don’t know what it is about World Cups, but my mind always strays to Italia 1990, that in my mind is perceived to be a great tournament, though something the statistics do not back up. I even downloaded Nessun Dorma a song which takes me back twenty years to that World Cup.


Not much in the way of gigs this month but I was blessed with great weather when I visited the Africa Oye festival in Sefton Park. I always try and attend this festival but in the years that I have been coming the weather has let them down. Thankfully this year, the weather was more in keeping with what an African Festival should be I met up with a few colleagues from work which added to the event. Overall I had great time. There was a brilliant atmosphere, with great food and music.

England Expects

After all the hype, after all the adverts, after all the flags - the so-called golden generation, touched down in England yesterday - minus the World Cup.

The Rooney sending-off, and the penalty shoot defeat should not overshadow the fact that this side with all the talent at its disposal should not be back contemplating what might have been. The simple fact is that they have underachieved; they certainly were not hard done to, or unlucky.

At this World Cup, this side has seldom played with the skill and verve required for a team to compete at this level. Instead they played well below that level, one that belied their pre-tournament billing as one of the favourites to win the competition. Owen Hargreaves and Joe Cole aside, the players in the squad have done little to enhance their reputations in Germany.

Tiredness was trotted out as a reason for underperforming at the last few tournaments but this can be discounted on this occasion as the Premiership fixtures where rejiged at the behest of the England Coach Eriksson for the latest mission impossible, but seemingly with little effect.

This brings us to the coach Sven. Here is a man who was installed as the country’s first foreign coach, who was charged with the job of bringing something of the continental to the England side.

Bizarrely Eriksson, leaves with best competitive statistics of any England manager, though the feeling is that as of yesterday, we are no further on from the debacle that was the Kevin Keagan era of international management.

There has been something of Stalinist rewrite of history with yesterday’s papers highlighting the times he has been lucky. The Greece qualifier – with Beckham’s heroic performance trotted out as one example of his lucky streak. This is something I don’t subscribe to, as most managers have some luck down the years.

What has baffled is his lack of tactical know-how; his lack of a clear vision and seemingly the fact he didn’t seem to know what he was doing. He had the air of the Civil Servant underling promoted above his ability, but thought he could muddle through. Muddle through is what he did.

He has seemingly shackled the creative force that is England’s midfield and replaced it with a group of players playing beneath themselves and with fear. Steven Gerrard is a rampant force in a Liverpool shirt – but the timid version in the England shirt is a shadow of the Steven Gerrard that plays for Liverpool.

David Beckham must have something over Sven – maybe some photographs with Sven in uncompromising situations. This would explain the repeated selection of Beckham, despite him not justifying his shirt in the last twelve months. These days he is lacking pace and this is more apparent when Aaron Lennon replaces him on the right flank.

The selection of only four strikers for this World Cup was highlighted as a monumental disaster from the outset and was made more and more apparent over time as two of those players were carrying injuries, one was an untried youngster and the other was Peter Crouch.

The lack of a plan b and his use of substitutions have also highlighted Sven’s weaknesses further. For someone with a string of affairs to his name – he is something of a passionless creature, that certainly wouldn’t inspire in the heat of battle.

Three quarterfinal exits is not a good return, for a £4million a year salary. Goodbye and good riddance. And you’d think I gave a toss about the England side after writing all that.

Roll on the Premiership!!

England’s Chances at the World Cup

What with the injuries and the lack of anyone tipping them to win the World Cup, England with possibly their most talented squad of recent years it’s also the least hyped. What are the chances of England causing a surprise?

It’s simple really all they have to do is top their group, avoid France in the second round and a semi-final place is there for the taking. Easy isn’t it?

Not for England it’s not – heartbreak is always only a kick off away. Even England’s most blinkered supporter cannot see the prospect of us beating both Argentina and France to win the Cup.

But what about this sequence of results? Argentina currently struggling for goals, draw with Sweden and England. England are also held to a draw by Sweden but beat Nigeria by a bigger margin than Argentina. That leaves Sven’s men in a better position at the top of the group and the French are avoided in the next round.

Told you it’s easy – a dream but you never know. The feeling that this Championship is one too early for the talent Sven has on offer, so this time England doesn’t expect. Like they didn’t in Munich last September.