Absurdities of bonus

The English are the most presumptuous lot when it comes to their football. The English media make us believe that they go into any international tournament as favourites. Of course, it’s another story that the last time they won a World Cup was way back in 1966.
And that’s the only big international tournament they have ever won. It’s that time again. The 2010 World Cup is about eight months away. And the English propaganda and publicity machine is working overtime. The latest story out of England is that The Football Association (FA) has promised its players £5.5 million to be split between the 23-man squad should they win the World Cup in South Africa, which means each member would earn a bonus of £400,000.

The verity of the story has yet to be established but the FA, in an unconvincing denial, said that there hasn’t been any meeting discussing player bonus yet. I fail to understand why the English like to jump the gun and then fall flat on their faces? Even if there isn’t any truth in the bonus story, the buzz around Fabio Capello’s team is such that it seems almost a given that the Cup is theirs.

Even the Brazilians don’t get so ahead of themselves, despite being the one team who are forgiven the arrogance. But you know what, this time the English do seem to have something about them, providing a semblance of credibility to their over-enthusiastic public relations work.

England hasn’t lost a single game in the qualifiers. They crushed Croatia 5-1 in their last qualifier. Capello looks like he means business. The team’s coming together. Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard have shown that they can play in the same team. Wayne Rooney has matured.

Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips provide a lot of variety. Of course, there’s David Beckham, whom Capello has employed wisely. Beckham comes on in the last 10-20 minutes of the game, to provide the penetration through the now legendary ‘curls’.

Besides, there seems no unnecessary fussing over the team. The WAGs, who were
heavily blamed for England’s dismal showing in Germany in 2006, aren’t being entertained. The Italian manager has only permitted the WAGs to visit the camp after each game. “It will be one day a week, after each game, and that is enough. That’s it. We are there to play football, not for a holiday,” he said recently.

But will all this be enough to see them through to the last day of the tournament in South Africa? I am not convinced. Are you? Then there is Maradona and his Argentina. I am hoping I see them in South Africa. A World Cup without Lionel Messi would be such a tragedy. They should beat Peru and I am optimistic that they can get past Uruguay.

But the Maradona distraction isn’t helping. There’s constant talk about his future as the team coach. Even if they qualify, whether the country’s football association would be willing to send him to South Africa? There’s constant controversy surrounding him, most recent being Italian police seizing his earrings to recover unpaid taxes from his playing days in the country. But Maradona knows no other way. There are no smooth rides with him. Without the craziness, what’s the point?