View from the Bar World Cup Predictions

Apparently, some football tournament kicks-off on Friday, so I best write something about it.






But I'm struggling to get excited about it. I don't know if it's just me or not but I can't help but think that we'll get the usual fest of cheating, scandal and England bottling it at the last minute.
Is that right, or should I just blindly follow the tabloid led hype like every other muppet?

The 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany gets underway and the nation's tabloid readers have once again been suckered in by the hype. Every other car is bedecked in England flags, houses have the cross of St George hanging from the window and pubs across the land are stacked with red and white decor.

It's not that i'm not patriotic, far from it. I'd like to see England do well in any sport. It's just that I got bored with football, particuarly English football, a long time ago.

I've been more of a rugby person anyway, but always used to watch as much football as I possibly could. Not any more though. It's very rare that i'll watch any game unless it's massively important, or involves Leeds United.

It's just the whole 'fakeness' of it that winds me up, although the fact that Leeds United went down the pan and the fact that football tickets are now unaffordable may also be an issue.
I just don't see the appeal of watching overpaid, spoilt, whinging, diving, cheating, moaning soft-arses.
Anyway, it looks as Wayne Rooney's toe is better. Thank god for that! England's saviour! Who else would have scored the goals necessary to get past the might of Paraguay and Trinidad & Tobago? At least that's the impression I got given the number of journalists outside BUPA's Manchester clinic.

I'd love to see any Premiership footballer take what Danny Tickle had to take the other day. After a huge tackle from Vinnie Anderson put him flat on his arse, not only did Tickle manage to get up more or less straight away, but he managed to keep hold of the ball aswell. Certainly no mean feat given the size of the collision and if that were Mr Beckham or Mr Owen in the same position, heaven knows how many medics, physios and ambulances would have been needed to 'rub it better'.

Anyway, thats my thoughts on the upcoming World Cup. I'll watch the odd match and i'll be routing for England (as well as the Ivory Coast after I got them in the sweepstake at work) but I ain't buying the hype. I be watching the opening game, seeing as the Rhinos are at home to Wigan and i'll be missing the first England game as well. Don't like it? Tough, just read my predictions instead:

Winners: Brazil
Runners Up: Czech Republic
Third Place: Germany

England - Defeated in 2nd round
Player of the Tournament: Ronaldinho
Golden Boot: Miroslav Klose