Championship season off to a flyer

In the blink of an eye, the hype of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has vanished. English fans optimism dashed, and replaced by a sense of dejection and utter disappointment. Yet, for any true football fan, the real business has only just begun.

During the World Cup, I just could not manage to muster up the enthusiasm, for an England team packed full of overpaid prima donnas, as I seem to week in, week out with Ipswich Town. Indeed, the Blues are my real passion in the game – and one of the things I really enjoy in life.

Nothing can compare to the thrill of watching the team you have supported all your life play live, and nothing can rival that true sense of glee when they bag a precious three points on a Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately, I was not able to attend Ipswich’s season opener away to Middlesbrough at the weekend due to work commitments – but trust me, I was following developments at the Riverside with a nervous expectation.

Nervous certainly would be the right word – Middlesbrough had spent the summer bolstering their squad with the best players Scotland seemingly has to offer, while Town have cleared the decks big time, but not really added much to their squad. I have to say; I was expecting nothing more than defeat.

Yet somehow, Ipswich Town sprung the surprise of the day to record a superb 3-1 victory. Goals from World Cup hero, Tommy Smith as well as Tamas Priskin and Jon Stead made it an afternoon to remember.

All-in-all, the nPower Championship season is off to a flyer. Watford’s opening day victory over Norwich City set the pulses racing, as well as giving me a degree of satisfaction at seeing the Canaries slump to an embarrassing defeat.

Millwall’s wonderful 3-0 win over David James’ Bristol City was another opening day shock, but could not match the hammering that Queens Park Rangers handed out to a sorry Barnsley side.

Portsmouth’s woes continue, after they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Coventry. For me, that was no surprise, and I can really see Pompey struggling, on and off the field this season.

And that brings me to my predictions for the season…

Although, my Ipswich Town heroes subjected title favourites, Middlesbrough to an opening day battering, I can see them recovering, and finishing at the right end of the table. They are my favourites for the title. I think Billy Davies’ Nottingham Forest will be a contender as well. If they can recapture the home form they showed lasted season, they can have a really good year.

I do have faith that Ipswich can make it into the play-offs – although promotion to the Premier League might just be beyond Roy Keane’s threadbare squad this time around. That third promotion place could well go to Burnley or Hull – both teams fresh from a season in the top flight.

Now, I’m not saying this just because I am an Ipswich fan – but I really do think Norwich will have a job to stay up this season. I have followed their progress over the last couple of seasons very closely, of course, as they are our archrivals. Indeed, my honest opinion is that their squad really is no better than the one they went down with a couple of seasons ago. Couple that with a defeat to Watford – another side I fancy for relegation – and they look to have a job on their hands.

I mention Watford – last season started so well for them, but they ended the campaign in free fall, and only managed to avoid relegation by the skin of their teeth. With influential loan players like Tom Cleverly no longer at the club, I can really see them struggling, despite a morale boosting opening day win.

The third club I tip for the drop is Millwall. Yes, I know they were good at the weekend, and pulled of a magnificent result – but that is precisely what it was, magnificent. There will not be a moment this season that will top that for them. Their squad is unfortunately not up to the demands of the Championship these days, which is why they will go down.

World Cup, and all that...

It really has been a long time since I last wrote a blog!

However, my time has not been completely wasted. In fact I have been quite busy. First of all there was my holiday to Cyprus, then there was the World Cup and now it’s a hectic schedule of working desperately to clear my overdraft!

Oh well, a quick blog here…

As sports editor of Nottingham Trent’s Platform magazine, and the deputy editor of Mansfield Town’s match-day programme, it might make sense to talk about the sporting story that has not only gripped the nation of late – but the world.

Yes, I am, indeed, talking about the World-Cup.

For all England were genuinely awful, and the tournament did not live up to the expectations that we attached to it – it was still a magnificent event.

If you are yet to have gathered, I am an Ipswich Town fan, and the main talking point for us was without doubt Tommy Smith’s appearances with New Zealand.

New Zealand went into the competition as massive underdogs, and for the sake of football, rightfully went out in the group stage. However, being the only undefeated team in the tournament, they provided us that bit of magic – one of the many things we will remember the tournament by.

Another talking point from the tournament was ‘Paul’ the octopus. You know what I am talking about, right?

Well for those of you who don’t know, ‘Paul’ is a psychic cephalopod who his keepers at Oberhausen claim can correctly ‘predict’ results of football matches.

And it is not a barmy as it first sounds.

During this year’s World Cup, Paul correctly ‘predicted’ every single one of Germany’s games – including their defeats to Serbia and Spain, as well as the final between Holland and ‘La Roja’.

To put it simply, there are two jars placed in Paul’s tank – one bears the flag of a team, and the other, whoever they are playing. Also in each jar is a muscle. The jar that Paul takes the muscle out of first is seen to be the one that he has predicted.

Weird right?

But I guess every World Cup does have that quirky little thing that we remember it by. I mean, this year we had another – that irritating bee-like thing, the Vuvuzela.

Argentina ’78 had the ticker tape, Mexico ’86 had Diego Maradona and the infamous ‘hand of God’, and Germany ’06 had the WAGS.

Perhaps the one thing that these great tournaments arguably have lacked in recent times, however, is great football.

Unimpressive England might still win the World-Cup, you know!

England have flattered to deceive in their warm-up matches prior to this coming World-Cup – but one thing that has remained consistent is their winning streak.

Performances against Mexico and Japan have not been up to scratch and have left many arguing whether England will be able to get away with playing like that against the bigger and better sides.

For me, however, after forty-four years of hurt, I'm not about to start becoming critical of an England side that goes on to win the biggest tournament in football.

Okay, I'm not saying that England will win the World-Cup for definite – in fact there is a long way to go before we can even contemplate that.

Yet, should England win the tournament based solely on own-goals from opposition players, narrow one-nil victories against inferior opposition and disputed penalties – I really will not be complaining.

England's arch rivals, Germany have never been truly credited with 'total football', which is easy on the eye, and an exhibition. No, they have been effective.

And that is all England need to be.

Chelsea did not win the Premier League this season by playing the most attractive football – Arsenal will claim that title. No, they got the most points.

Winning games is the be all and end all in a knock-out tournament and there is no time for putting on a show if you are simply not capable of it.

England are not like Spain, Argentina and Holland – they are never going to assemble thirty-pass build-ups, finishing with a delicate chip over the goal keeper.

Yes, that is what we see in the Premier League every weekend – but that is no true representation of English football in general.

The Premier League is a show of talents from all over the world. English football is never likely to produce a Cesc Fabregas, Dimitar Berbatov or Carlos Tevez – but we will produce players who are just as good.

Perhaps we seem to forget that the turning point in 1966 was a controversial decision by the linesman.

And just look at our lower leagues. Since when have Southend, Millwall and Notts County played beautiful football? Their teams are comprised mainly of English players.

I'm not suggesting here that the way Southend United play is a good alternative to trying to be a bit more like Arsenal – but you cannot forget your roots.

On 11 July, if England are facing Brazil, and win with a deflected header scored by Peter Crouch after a hoof forward by David James, you know what, I will be so proud. Even if Brazil did have ninety percent of the possession!