Predictably, they're a lot better when they're written in later life. Not least because stories of old pros and their struggles to make ends meet, and also to establish themselves after football, make much more stimulating reading than what the current lot have to offer. Michael Owen's one is the most boring book I have ever read.
I've thought that before too. We were cringingly bad at times. The team that finished 2nd/won the treble were a world apart from the one we saw at the end of his reign. Maybe it seems worse than it actually was but I actually wonder how we managed as many points as we did. That treble team was very easy on the eye though. Never understood why we attracted the 'boring' tag even then.
I'm quite happy for him to stay on the bench for the rest of the World Cup after that performance, but he's not become crap overnight. He had some superb games for Perugia.
Kalac gave years of excellent service to Perugia, he's a good keeper. Presumably Perugia never played against a Croatian club and he was never compelled to throw the game out of loyalty to his parents' homeland.
Oi, we call it football round these parts these days. 15,000-20,000 at Federation Square in Melbourne at 5am on a 3 degree Friday morning. We're getting there. As for the result, I think I just came in my pants